All Forum Posts by: Patti Robertson

We work with VASH and will continue to do so, but I have to tell you they are our most difficult, and most heart breaking tenants.  They are not for the faint of heart landlord.  We've had to evict two, which was not a decision we took lightly, because they lose their voucher if evicted.  The first one only paid $10 of his rent, which he never paid.  $10 wasn't worth evicting him over, so we let it slide until we figured he was selling drugs and/or sex out of his apartment.  The activity level going in and out was unreal.  One day when he was in the hospital he called and said he though someone had broken into his apartment.  He asked us to call the police and do an inspection. With the cop we found drug parafanalia and a vibrating ****** in a box (I didn't even know such a thing existed) sitting on the coffee table and a TV with the series number scraped off in an empty bedroom. There was no sign of break-in.

The second was already in a building we took over managing for an owner who was also a disabled Vet.  The owner had a soft spot for the disabled Vet tenant, and asked us to try to work with him. No one in the building could get along with him, and we one by one, replaced every single tenant.  Then we started getting complaint calls from both the new tenants and the single family home neighbors on each side of the 4 plex. Our Disabled Vet, I think, was paranoid, and he constantly harassed and threatened his neighbors. One by one they all got restraining orders on him. The cops were called so much they were citing him for being a nuisance.  He was thrown in and out of jail because of these offenses. He was also an alcoholic who obviously refused to take his meds.  Eventually he was in jail for a three month span during which time he failed to pay his portion of the rent and we were forced to evict him.

In both cases we were in constant contact with both the SEC 8 caseworker and the VASH caseworker.  The situations are just as heartbreaking for them, and we all did everything within out power to try to avoid the final outcome.  I'm not sharing these stories to discourage anyone from working with the VASH program.  We have had a few situations that have worked out well.  I'm just warning you that if you are at all wishy washy about being able to make decisions with your head instead of your heart, the VASH program may not be something you want to explore.  

Could you purchase something else for them to move to?  Or attend your local landlord/investor clubs to see if anyone has an option that isn't on the open market?

The easiest way to find a property manager who specialized in SEC 8 is to go on the SEC 8 website and look through the available rental lists.  There will be both owners and property managers on the list.  

Hi @Kate Johnson!  There are two investor clubs in Va Beach that I'd recommend.  The Tidewater Real Estate Investors Group and The Hampton Roads Landlord Association. The last time I mentioned them BP deleted my post and said it was illegal. I still can't figure out why that is.  If you google them you will easily find them.  

Just give them whatever notice is required in their current lease that their current lease will terminate in (probably 30) days, and they need to contact to start the process of creating a new lease for the new owner.  Tenants are often afraid when a property is sold though.  If you want to keep them, be careful not to spook them.  It would be better to call them first to see if you can get their cooperation quickly.  If they don't respond, send a letter.

There should be a section that outlines the Duties of the Agent. Have they violated any of their duties?  If so, you probably have grounds to fire for cause and could fight the paying of the fees.

You could get licensed in as many trades as you want to pass a test and pay licensing fees on. I hold licenses in multiple industries in my state. I'm not sure I would want the liability of inspection a house for a client I represented though.  Having a third party do the inspection reduces your liabity. 

Why not buy investment property "back home?"  You can hire a local property manager until you get back there.  The sooner you start, the sooner they will paid off.

If the property is owned by the bank, the homeowner can't be living in the property.  If the bank already foreclosed but didn't evict the tenant yet, the person living there is a squatter and won't have the legal right to sign your purchase contract. You won't be able to get the bank to sell it to you if it is one of the national banks.

I have 100ish SEC 8 leases and hate one bedroom units. At least in my market, a one bedroom voucher holder will qualify for our two bedroom rents.  Most one bedroom voucher holders tend to be elderly people who live alone. They like the second bedroom for sewing rooms, a place for grandkids to visit, etc. I do have a few one bedrooms, but they always take longer to rent, and it seems as tough our turnover is much higher, even with SEC 8 tenants in one bedrooms.  For some reason tenants who choose one bedrooms seem to have alot of drama. 

@Bradley Bogdan - Source of income is not a protected class.  It is totally legal to say you only want to rent to people with a voucher.  Likewise, in most states, it is perfectly legal to say you will not rent to someone with a voucher.  I understand that in some states it is not legal to deny a tenant solely on basis of paying rent with a voucher, but this has nothing to do with fair housing.  It is a local or state ordinance.