Posted by Mike on September 12, 2004 at 19:51:56:
I have five rental properties and activly seek out the mexicans to rent to. The ones I’m currently renting to will just about run me down the first of the month to pay me. And they dont complain about every little nit-picky thing.
A fine line - Posted by Briton (IN)
Posted by Briton (IN) on September 10, 2004 at 22:13:30:
I have a home in my park that is behind on lot rent 2 months now. The owner has it for sale and cannot find a buyer. Of course i am thinking Lonnie deal! But i am being patient for him to become motivated to sell at a nice price.
A few days ago i got a call from a person interested in purchasing the home. So naturally he was calling me to get park approved. The first thing i notice is the guy cannot talk English very well. He says sentence fragments. But we talk enough to agree to meet the next day at 3:30. So i go to meet him, and he does not even show up!
So i think to myself this buyer decided to go else where. When i got off work that night i find 3 messages from him saying he is sorry and he wants to fill out an application. Reluctantly i said i would give him another chance. So this afternoon i met him and he filled out an application. The man came over from mexico 7 years ago and has had the same well paying job since then.
Can you not rent to someone because you have a hard time communicating with them? Or is that considered racist? I am trying to make sure i give him a fair chance. Any have some insight on this situation? Thanx, Briton (IN)
Re: A fine line - Posted by Anne_NDq
Posted by Anne_NDq on September 11, 2004 at 13:11:44:
Hi Briton,
The best thing to do is to have a set of WRITTEN standards that you adhere to as a minimum for approval in your park. Make sure they follow Fair Housing Guidelines and then be sure to implement them the same way across the board.
All of us have prejudices, some of us are more willing to admit it than others- it’s just the human condition. If you have a standard that you adhere to, you are more likely to make the right choice for the potential buyer and yourself.
This is not easy to do, but it is important, and it’s the law. One of my rules is that if someone stands me up, they don’t get a second chance to rent or buy unless they have a dam good reason for it, and they made some attempt to contact me pretty quickly.
I’ve had buyers who on first acquaintance I might have felt “funny” about, but I used my forms to get them approved and they turned out to be great. One of the things I’ve discovered in life is that most of the time the cream will rise to the top.
If this guy has had a good job for 7 years and part of your approval process is to verify employment and ask for personal references, then it sounds like you may have a buyer you can approve.
Good question,
Anne
Re: A fine line - Posted by JP(SC)
Posted by JP(SC) on September 11, 2004 at 06:37:50:
I’m a newbie, but I’ve screened a lot of calls from buyers and sellers. The folks who I have trouble communicating with were born and raised in this country and have no disability whatsoever. They just can’t speak. It is a big pet peeve of mine that our education system turns out people who can’t form a complete sentence and can’t pronounce common words. Several people I have told “I’m sorry, I’m having trouble understanding you, could you please repeat that”, three or four times in one conversation. By the end they are so angry that they no longer want to buy or sell to me. They should be mad at themselves and at the worthless teachers who didn’t have the backbone to hold them back until they could speak.
Sorry for the vent.
Re: A fine line - Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ
Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ on September 11, 2004 at 24:59:46:
I have a Hispanic couple and a Japanese couple in my 55+ park… along with a deaf/mute and his sign language speaking wife… none of which have given me a minute of trouble or been a late payor.
The REAL problem as I see it… is that you have a broken set of values by which you judge those who come before you.
Re: A fine line - Posted by Joe C. (AR)
Posted by Joe C. (AR) on September 10, 2004 at 23:06:19:
I wouldn’t turn him down because of a communications problem. You can always tell him to bring a translater. I presume you are trying to discourage him because you want to buy the home. You can run a credit check, criminal background check, you can tell him you require upgrades to the home before he moves in. You can tell him there is a “fee” for keeping the home in the park. I use $1000 plus any back lot rent. It’s cheaper than a move. If he balks at any of this, he can buy the home and move it after back lot rent has been paid. Or you can just say, if he buys it, it must move because you want the lot for future Lonnie deals. My point is you don’t have to use the communication issue. You own the park, you make the rules. Even though I have some empty spaces, I don’t rent lots unless I sell the home to the tenant. Not discrimination, just business.
Joe C. (AR)
Re: A fine line - Posted by Briton (IN)
Posted by Briton (IN) on September 11, 2004 at 15:17:49:
The only reason i mentioned the guy was Mexican was because he had accually CAME from mexico in the last 7 years. Since he had done that so recently it means there is less information/credit on him than most people. His race means nothing to me.
Thank you for your input. Its always pleasant. If you will excuse me i think i am going to type up some specific requirements to rent from me. Briton (IN)
Re: A fine line - Posted by Briton (IN)
Posted by Briton (IN) on September 11, 2004 at 08:37:28:
Well the fact is you only know about the 20% of the story i told you. So saying you the “REAL” problem is this or that is totally making conclusions. Did you see the sentance where i put “I am trying to make sure i give him a fair chance.”???
Its a very fine line. My values are something you know nothing about. Briton (IN)
People tell me if they think Joe is doing the… - Posted by Briton (IN)
Posted by Briton (IN) on September 11, 2004 at 08:42:23:
moral thing? Nothing against you Joe. I am looking to learn! BUT if you would take a person in when buying a home from you, should’nt you take that person in if they want to purchase the home from a seller in the park??? Seems like that is being fair. What do ya’ll think? Briton (IN)
Re: A fine line - Posted by Anne_ND
Posted by Anne_ND on September 11, 2004 at 16:04:52:
Briton,
I didn’t mean to say that you had a problem with his being from Mexico- I was speaking more generally about people who are different from ourselves.
As you’ll notice, according to my rules he’d be out of contention because he didn’t show up for his apppointment. I have observed that there’s a high correlation between no-shows and poor payors.
You can also have a standard for people with no credit- for instance they must have more money to put down, or more years on the job.
good luck,
Anne
Re: A fine line - Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ
Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ on September 11, 2004 at 10:17:04:
Yep, like I said… YOUR values… a fair and impartial person would have posted 100% of the story… or not at all.
People tell me if they think Joe is doing the… - Posted by Joe C. (AR)
Posted by Joe C. (AR) on September 12, 2004 at 24:10:06:
Just to clarify, I wasn’t taking a predujiced stand. All I was saying was that you can control the tenants and conditions in your park for business purposes without resorting to “I can’t communicate with them” excuses. I have several hispanic (Mexican) families in my park as well as other minorities. For the most part all are “good” tenants. That said, I want my park to look clean and inviting to others and I want to maximize the return from my lots. Holding them for Lonnie deals is how I do that. I bring in good looking homes, skirt them, paint the outside if necessary, build decks etc. If a seller in the park wants to sell thier home, I expect the same standard. I will let the home home stay in the park if I approve the buyer and all back lot rent is paid. The “fee” I charge is just business. If I put a Lonnie deal on the vacated lot, my return would be much higher. My tenants know about the fee up front and they know that I only let homes into the park that I sell, so I don’t think there is a “moral” issue. I’m sorry if you took it any other way.
Joe C. (AR)
Re: Fine Line… - Posted by Lyal
Posted by Lyal on September 11, 2004 at 08:49:34:
Briton,
You’ve just answered your own question here. Evaluate this person on his ability and intent to pay rent, nothing more or less.
All the best, Lyal
Re: A fine line - Posted by Briton (IN)
Posted by Briton (IN) on September 11, 2004 at 11:04:25:
You obviously dont know me very well. I would like to keep this post positive and educational.I have nothing else to say to you. Briton (IN)
Re: Fine Line… - Posted by Briton (IN)
Posted by Briton (IN) on September 11, 2004 at 09:01:47:
Thanks Lyal. I am thinking that same thing. Just thought i would post on the subject. Never know when you will learn new ideas ect from posting! Briton (IN)
Re: A fine line - Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ
Posted by The55+GuyFromAZ on September 11, 2004 at 11:35:19:
If you don’t want it, don’t bring it here.
Re: Fine Line… - Posted by Chris
Posted by Chris on September 12, 2004 at 08:24:31:
Briton,
I bought a 20 space fixer park 1 1/2 yrs ago in Oregon. 17 hispanic families and 3 caucasion. I speak VERY little spanish, but use www.freetranslation.com. The Hispanic folks all pay and are relatively clean. The caucasion folks are filthy, pay late, and 2 out of three have been hauled off to jail (I bought their homes and sold them to other hispanics). The 3rd caucasion family is being evicted next month. Hmmm… there may be something to this, huh?
Chris