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Updated almost 11 years ago, 12/23/2013
The Section 8 Secret
I have seen threads about the section 8 bible series,and it appears BPers only like the first book out of the series.
Now they are back with a new book, Section 8 Secret, which is various ways he has found people and commercial owners gaming the system to cut in front of the waiting list.
Anyone read it yet?
I have not read it yet but am interested in what it has to say.
Joe Gore
I read both Section 8 Bible vol 1 & 2, enjoyed both. The authors work on eliminating things from their units not needed for the section 8 inspection but which can cause problems or cost money in the future like garbage disposals & storm doors.
I have not read Section 8 Secrets, which came out in 2009 and is 48 pages long, seems to give background info and help for tenants, whereas the other 2 books were geared to landlords.
My uncle does one of the tips they suggest [I read a review], he talks to all 20+ social help agencies some dealing with shelter individuals (60% of all homess are vets), he has a waiting list of disabled vets that are waiting to get into his units.
He also noticed sexual deviants housing is a goldmine waiting to be tapped (pardon the pun)....
Originally posted by @Justin B.:
He also noticed sexual deviants housing is a goldmine waiting to be tapped (pardon the pun)....
Yep
we had a local investor buy a dilapidated roach motel that should have be bulldozed.
Now its full of deviants & I believe he gets gov grants to house them. He has yet to renovate or improve it's curb appeal.
Section 8 is recycled money so landlords need to be aware of who's recycled tenant they are receiving. Most housing authorities are not putting "new vouchers" aka fresh money on the market. Being able to corner the section 8 market in your local housing authority's area is the key. Let me know if you would like some advice in how to accomplish this.
If a Sec8 tenant trashes your unit, can you put their name up on some of these websites that help you screen your potential tenants against landlord complaints?
Regarding cornering the area, what are the top two ways that you have seen work effectively?
@Justin B. You can evict them and they will lose their section 8 benefits forever through that HUD office (maybe the country?). This is actually a strong motivation for them, as section 8 is how they keep a roof over their heads.
Originally posted by @Sean H.:
@Justin B. Yes, you would think that. However, in my case, I've had to evict 70% of my 20-30 section 8 tenants. Most of those were existing tenants when I bought the property. Crazy!
Originally posted by @Sean H.:
In my area if a Section 8 renter gets evicted, that won't necessarily get them kicked out of the program. The Section 8 office would need to investigate the situation first.
There really isn't a list that landlords have to discourage and warn others about bad tenants. However that could lead to slander and more if the wrong tenant sees that. Being successful within a housing authority requires some knowledge of their programs that they offer besides "section 8". For example you should find who runs their leasing and contracting department. Once you do that ask them what other programs do they offer and affiliate with. Most housing authorities have the "general public section 8" and specialized populations that are affiliated with the local government and non profits. Both of which receive funds from the HUD. If you need more of an explanation or any more questions feel free to ask.
Most housing authorities have it written in their admin plans and HAP contracts. That if a tenant was to get evicted they would be called up for an administrative hearing to get them kicked off the program. You as a landlord would have to follow through with the agency's protocol. However this doesn't kick them off the program in another city, county, or state. The PHA's around the nation don't communicate with each other unless its about a transfer voucher.
I just got this book because I was curious what it said after reading the author's other books. The one thing that really irks me about these books is that the author must not proofread his work -- or at least have someone else proofread them. I'm only at page 13 and have already found 3 typos. You'd think in a printed work, the author would try to be more professional.
Besides the grammar and typos, I'd be interested in your review of the content and whether is is only geared to the tenants?
Originally posted by @Dawn Anastasi:
How can you possibly assume the author has taken the time to do the research needed for the book if they don't take the time to proofread it?
Poor grammar, spelling and typos (they are NOT the same thing) are unacceptable in any kind of technical writing. And yes, these 'how to' type books are technical writing.
It's mostly geared toward tenants, but is basically trying to tell tenants to be respectful, etc. in order to get a higher place in line. I don't think anything in there is necessarily illegal. For example, if someone is a domestic abuse victim, they can get a housing voucher above everyone else. It also tells people to apply in person, and make sure their phone numbers are up to date.