All Forum Posts by: Brenda Whittaker

@Dennis M. You are correct.  Ahhh the beach... Yes I do have a bigger heart than brain for business.  I love the beach.  And hikes and places where there are no people.  

@Account Closed I have long considered doing owner finance but that doesnt help me.  They would still be paying around what they do now and I would have to do a foreclosure instead of eviction if something went wrong.  They have no down payment so all it would do is change paperwork and I'd still have the same income, still be stuck with my own home mortgage that I want to pay off, and I'd have to hope to GOD they cared for it enough so it wasn't trashed if I ever had to foreclose.  I don;t see how my financing gives me a win. I'd be no better off except an escape from the property tax. If Im going to sell, I have to cut the cord and be all the way out. Unless there's something Im not seeing. 

@John Chapman  I know.  I need out.  I guess now the question is how to do it as painless as possible. It need minor repair, but it is 3 states away from me and I cant leave home.  I found an investor who made a ridiculous insulting lowball offer that I could not sell for.  And I know I am forced to hurt the tenants by kicking them out of the only home they have known for nearly 10 years.  I know you are correct in that I need to run away, fast, from this horrible oppressive business.  Very sad though, as I am an excellent rehabber, not with numbers or business, but with the actual rehab. My favorite thing in the world is my before and after photo albums. I have turned very ugly abused properties into happy beautiful serving homes many times but have not done well with the financial aspect.  All I want to do is fix up junkers.  Without that I am a bit lost in life as to an occupation.  It's all I love to do, renovate.  Sad life this is.  Business forcing us out of our passions.  See how evil business is?  It's bad for everyone. Thank you John for your replies.  Much appreciated.

@Account Closed  You are totally correct and that is a great idea, to include a six month lease.  The one thing you and everyone else are not correct about is the term "improving" when referring to rising housing prices.  I can't understand that at all.  How is rising prices on anything an improvement?  How is anything, especially a basic need, a good situation when the price goes up?  When food or gas or anything we need goes up, people have been conditioned to believe its a "good economy" when in fact all that means is the government gets richer, by collecting more tax.  They tax every transaction that is made, every time anyone exchanges anything the demonic government steals a percentage and THAT is the exact reason they want us all to believe in the folly of "good economy".  Higher prices mean more slavery, more stress, less people in homes, there is absolutely nothing good about anything going up in price, nothing.  Hardship is not good.  I wish to God everyone would get out of that mindset, it's the whole reason innocent lives are suffering. You are correct about rent shock and you have a good idea about the six month lease.  Please know though that when a basic need gets more and more out of reach, there is no room for the word "improvement".  Bottom line is I cant do this evil business, I hate it with all my soul.  So I really need to get out.  But beyond me, please find it in your heart to realize rising prices is not an improvement, it's a curse. Very sad that I cant fix homes as is my passion, without contributing to the demise of people who just want a roof over their heads. It hurts so much I can feel a physical pain in my actual heart just thinking about it. 

@Mary M. Thank you for your reply, yes I have been trying to sell to the tenants for a couple of years now because even before the tax increase I have grown weary of travelling to another state to manage and repair the rental.  Problem is they do not believe they quality for a mortgage, they do have good jobs and are stable older people but they have bad credit and zero down payment.  They want very much to stay but people are generally defeatists, they refuse to even try for something they think is out of their reach.  @John Chapman you are actually totally right.  I do empathize way too much, I care about people more than business.  I hate business.  One of my subconscious beliefs is that business is evil and takes advantage of and hurts people.  The rent is $700 in a market of at least $1000.  It would be impossible for me to in all good consciousness raise it $300, I just can't, I would rather give up on it.  I've been a landlord for 10 years, just sold 2 other rentals in the past few years after a decade of being abused and tortured by everyone from tenants to (especially) contractors, vandals, tax appraisers and scam artists utility companies.  They have all left this person with a heart of gold beaten and bloodied and broken, I despise this business, really.  Its very sad, because my passion is rehab, I love love love love love to fix up old junkers and turn them into beautiful simple sweet little living spaces for deserving people.  I think everyone is entitled to a roof over their head, but the business part of it batters us all and forces labor slavery upon people just in order to have this very basic need.  Plus so many rules and regs when you sell, the amount of money that is stolen from a seller, (and a buyer) in legal and title company processes, everyone has their filthy hands in our pockets when all we want to do is put old junk houses back into service.  My intentions are too good and noble for business.  Business is an evil word, it means harm to me, it is the ultimate epitome of oppression and deception for greedy profit gained by stepping on and squashing every innocent soul in it's path.  Business is evil, I detest it and I cannot do it anymore.  These tenants are so nice and so integral, they are grandparents raising grandkids, they have nowhere else to go but because of business they will be hurt by being forced out of the home they love and cherish because people got greedy and jacked up prices all over the USA in a disgusting housing market that our general labor force can no longer afford.  It is breaking my heart.  I think I will try one last time to figure out a way for them to buy the place, maybe if I gave them a year to fix credit and find a down payment or something.  If they could stay it would save me from going there to renovate it, I cant leave home right now as I care for many animals and the contractors where the house is have all been horrid.  They dont show up, they can't fix anything and they steal my money all the time.  If I sell and lose the income I will not have enough income to live off of unless I pay off my own home mortgage which is higher than what I could get for the rental, so it is going to take some fancy planning to get out of this mess.  I would ultimately like to see the tenants buy the house and I ultimately need to pay off my own home because the mortgage will outlive me otherwise and my number one life goal is to leave my daughter our home, unencumbered.  If you know of any financial planners or someone who can think business like I cannot, who might be willing to help me brainstorm, please let me know and thank you. 

Since out of state investors have infected my area and forced up property tax I can no longer afford to keep my rental.  The tenants are very decent hard working great people who love the house but cannot, like most hard working middle class, afford to buy their own home due to unreasonable increasing values.  They have been there nearly 10 years.  The rent is below market value but I cant just raise it hundred of dollars on them, I do not want to create hardship for my tenants.  Does anyone have any ideas on how to create a WIN WIN for both myself and the tenants?  Something contractual?  Financial advice?  I am being forced to sell because out of state investors discovered the area and destroyed the affordability, leaving myself and the tenants in very bad positions.  A financial advisor specializing in real estate would help, if anyone out there does that. I'm horrified to be faced with this but my taxes DOUBLED in one year!!  Having much trouble dealing with inflated markets and the frenzy around real estate that is ruining the business.  Any ideas would be very much appreciated.

I never said I was an investor in Seattle. I said Seattle's prices are insane. i DO rent out my extra bedroom where I live so they can afford to live where I do.  I am a former investor still interested in what's going on with markets, I don't know what a "troll" is.  I am just someone who cant understand why when someone like me has compassion, we get called names.  You all have called me everything from ignorant to nuts to "troll", just because I don't like how vacation rentals put working people on the streets.  You are the nutty ones.  And you Kormylo, have no right to tell me where I do and do not belong.  Has someone made you a God?  Mind your own business. 

@Micheal Baum  I am not low income and I do own my own home, I am fine. I am not whining for myself, I am not that selfish. I am upset that so may working people in my area are living in tents.  I do not want government to take over anything, I have actually considered sovereignty and expat status because I am anti-government.  I do not believe in control.  I believe in all people having shelter, that's all. But I would like to see vacation rentals be banned in residential areas like any other business, they are operating businesses in residential areas and my local city counsel told me state legislators were paid by air b n b to keep silent and tie their hands.  City told me this directly and they said they hate it too.  In my area people are homeless because there are not enough places to rent due to all the vacation rentals. I bring them in to have a shower or a night on my couch if they need it because I care.  How am I the bad guy here?  Its amazing how in this world compassion is attacked.  No one sees the human suffering and damages caused by what they are doing, they all hide their heads in sand and figure those who are living outside must deserve to.  I cant be that heartless, so I am the one everyone is against?   They even call me obnoxious because human suffering bothers me.  Unbelievable. 

How is trying to help working people have a roof over their head "obnoxious"?  How is being upset over high prices and homelessness "obnoxious"?  How are the compassionate abused while the heartless thrive?  How is this possible?  This is not a world I am interested in.  This is pure evil. 

Are you kidding me?  Seattle!  $600K for a single family home!!  That is not a drug problem, that is a greed problem.  The people I have taken in who cannot buy or rent are not on drugs, they are handy tradesmen who go to work every day, one is  a store manager, one is a tile setter, one is an electrician, etc. How does no one see this as a problem?  How does no one realize that 600,000 people EACH YEAR are mass exiting CA now because of the China takeover?  How is this ok?  Real estate is only one of the victims of this. I dont know what Baum meant by "socialist" but when a roof over someones head is out of reach for working people, you are way out of line by insulting the person trying to help.  How many have you got on your couch?  How dare you pin a political title on me, Im nothing political, I am compassionate and serving the public more than you ever will. All I want is to see low and moderate income human beings under a stinking roof.  And if that deserves your insults, you are selfish and cold. It doesn't take more education to open your eyes and look around and see that people are suffering.  But it's ok as long as you got your Mercedes and your Jacuzzi, right?  Who cares about anyone else.