Welcome to CENTURY 21 Elevated Real Estate

Many people rely on social media or internet sites to find rentals these days. I want to warn you about a scam on Craigslist that could potentially cause a great loss in money for people seeking rentals. Currently there are people who steal listing information off of sites like Zillow and Realtor.com and Trulia. They are taking information, pictures and sometimes even sellers’ names and creating a separate post on Craigslist for the home as a rental. Then they post a for-rent on the Craigslist site. They post fake rental fees per month and deposits too. The rental fees are usually much less than market rent. Because of this reason they get many calls about the property. Most often they tell some sort of story of why they are out of town and renting the property. They also require the renter to send money to secure the property.
During this time frame the property is actually for sale. There is a sign in the yard and contact information for the sale of the property. Many times people will be instructed to walk around the property and decide if they want to rent it.

As you can imagine this invites many a phone call to the listing agent with a distressed potential renter who has sent money and is wondering how to get it back. Renters beware! These scams are easiest in markets where there are few rentals and people are willing to send money to secure a home. If you see a for-sale sign in the yard, call the agent! Find out about the property and make sure it is going to be for rent. Hang on to your money and above all avoid Craigslist SCAMS!

DO

1. Do consider the “lifestyle” of the lot before buying. Will the land require a certain amount of upkeep for the yard? Does it have irrigation to the lot? Does the size of the lot fit your lifestyle? If it is too small homes will be too close…. If too large neighbors might be too far.
2. Do consider the proximity of the lot. Is the country where you want to be or is the closeness of town a necessity?
3. Do consider the type of home you would like to build prior to buying the lot. A home with a walk-out basement requires different terrain that a ranch style home.
4. Do think about your “lifestyle” for amenities to the lot. If your work requires fast speed internet you need to make sure those amenities are to the lot. A gas fireplace or stove needs natural gas to the lot!
5. Do review covenants to see if your current lifestyle can fit the subdivision community. If you have large farm animals as pets make sure your covenants will enable you to keep them on the grounds. The same can be said for motor homes and large toys.
6. Do drive to the property at different times of the day. It is interesting to see the property at night vs the day. Many times unsightly lights or other distractions to the property will show up at different times. See the property as you would if you lived there.
7. Do understand your water rights. They may be unconventional or through the Home Owners Association. The amount of water as well as the times in which you can water is important.
8. Do understand that there is no security as to what someone is building next to you unless the property is protected by covenants or subdivision rules. You can’t dictate to the farmer what can go in his field if he does not have to abide by your covenants. This also goes for protecting your views of mountains or lakes.
9. Do know your timeframe to build prior to buying the lot. Many subdivisions have strict time frames in which you must build after purchasing a lot. Know if you are in that kind of situation or if you can just enjoy or speculate on the lot without time restraints to build.