|
It has been a while since I've updated this thread. People here always seem interested in what the other half is doing as things continue to slide. Last week I saw something I haven't seen since the bottom of the recession. Someone was changing their oil and oil filter with a milk jug of used oil and a used oil filter in a plastic bag. The tenant usually knows somebody who knows a guy who works at a junk yard. They put out word that they need xWy oil and a filter that'll work in a '04 whatever jalopy. The guy will watch for a similar vehicle with oil that doesn't look too awful, drain the oil into some plastic jugs, carefully unscrew and drain the used filter, and make ten bucks. It isn't much but those junkyard workers can make a couple hundred extra bucks a week if they're diligent and connected. It has been over 15 years since I last saw a used oil change. Other rackets? I found teens selling small airplane bottles of booze at a folding table they set up. They found a liquor store which doesn't care, paid off the clerk, or just shoplifted. I know better than to bother asking questions, but I did teach them not to shit where they eat. Or more simply, don't run rackets where you live. This isn't exactly the "appropriate" advice anybody here would give to their own children if they caught them running booze at 14 or 15, but their mothers won't care even if I bothered complaining. If anything, the kid is praised for bringing in money. (And only mothers; there are no fathers.) "Don't shit where you eat" is more about giving them realistic and useful life advice based on where they're headed while making my own life easier and doing their future landlords a favor. The welfare food boxes cut down because two of my largest and pickiest welfare recipients moved. The ones who remain weren't nearly as picky. What they put out is always snagged immediately if not sooner. I'm starting to get reports of specific people going door to door seeking food. Unfortunately, these are always the honest ones who don't run rackets, who are too proud to do a food pantry, and who are often left caring for their grandkids because dad was never around and mom is too busy shooting or smoking up whatever. "Rent's gonna be late" calls are way up. I was forced to lower my late fees after the county courts started whining at another landlord. My policy was due on the first, grace until the fifth (pay periods), an extra grace day if there's a legal holiday between the first and fifth, and then $25.00 + $10.00/daily until the rent is paid in full. And that's just for the rent; I can't charge anything for unpaid parking or storage fees. Now I got rid of the flat $25 portion, so just ten bucks daily starting on the sixth. I may be forced to drop to five bucks daily starting on the sixth. I don't love late fees and don't make a ton off them either, but they're all that stands between me getting paid in full and on time versus me getting paid whenever. LOTS of tenants are asking me about side work. I have some, enough that I'll be able to keep many busy with cleaning and other grunt work. So the timing is right for me here. I am getting more calls, letters, and visits from bill collectors looking for both past and current tenants. Yes, part of the skip trace process is talking to landlords. Whether I help them, and how much, depends on the tenant and how they've treated me and also how the bill collector treats me. The last bill collector who personally showed up must've attended the Comrade Dutch School of Interrogation. He finally ran after swearing me out when I called him out for forcefully entering the building to try to find a long-gone former tenant. I'm also seeing more process servers and just had a repo guy get frustrated when he discovered his large tow truck wouldn't fit into the underground parking garage. Last weekend the cops showed up when a tenant caught a different repo in the act and physically blocked the tow truck from exiting the property. The car was a battered Chrysler Sebring with a mismatched passenger door; I was shocked he owed money on that thing! Perhaps an auto title loan, but I really hope they didn't give more than a couple hundred bucks on that thing. Another car, which was totally inoperable with blown heads, was towed away by another repo man. The guy was shaking his head because he thought his tow bill would be worth more than the vehicle. Rent-A-Center also came to repo somebody's couch. The tenant poured bleach all over it when they realized why they were there. I'm annoyed because that bleach splashed all over my carpeting. And carpeting went up with the tariffs (it's all imported) and has yet to come down even though SCOTUS zapped the tariffs. The pawn down the way is reportedly doing VERY well. But if things keep going, they'll run out of money for buying and need to sell stuff at a discount. This is where I get excited because I'm forever replacing tools that "walk away." For example, I think I go through half a dozen hammers and another dozen multi-bit screwdrivers annually. I'm already missing two floor fans, which stinks. I also watch the pawn for my own equipment showing up. One year I recovered a refrigerator and range. Another year it was all of my smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The tenant literally yanked them off the walls and ceilings of all common areas inside a 30k sq ft building. That sucked, but then I learned they sold the batteries for a buck each. That REALLY sucked. DV calls are WAY up. No coping skills or respect for their women means frustrated losers start smacking their lady or baby mamas around. That leads to neighboring women calling the cops, the cops calling me because they can't get in, etc. The smartest money I ever spent was get a system that unlocks common area doors with an app from my phone. I cannot tell you how much time and running around that saves me. I also hid a high security lockbox with a master pass key. That has saved four doors, that I know about, from getting battered down. Solid core fire-rated apartment doors, required by code, aren't cheap and aren't a stock item at most hardware stores and lumber yards. I still don't have an app for opening windows just before the loser throws their baby mama out a window. I really wish they'd open a window first. While I paid out the nose for lifetime warranty windows, "free replacement" doesn't mean "it arrives tomorrow" or even next month. I LOATHE board-ups because it projects a look of abandonment and a landlord who doesn't care, which just invites even more junkies and losers with even worse behavior than I'm dealing with already. This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend. I will be watching the Ralph Count very closely. If it's low, it's a clear sign that the bottom is tapped. ...with that said, it's all good in the hood. Hopefully life on your end is better! |
“Don't post anything here or send anything you aren't willing to defend in court.”
-Notcalifornialegal
-Notcalifornialegal
|
Originally Posted By Grendelsbane: @prebans Low Ralph count means people can’t afford to get drunk, or something else? Yes. https://www.ar15.com/forums/outdoors/Gleaning-from-the-welfare-boxes-UPDATED-MAY-20-2026-pg-3/17-707438/?page=2#i12170831 |
Heller II - Challenging DC's bans on semi-automatic rifles, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and its onerous and expensive handgun registration process. http://www.HellerFoundation.org/
|
Originally Posted By Grendelsbane: @prebans Low Ralph count means people can’t afford to get drunk, or something else? Correct. More puke piles means more money for booze. Fewer means less money for booze. I start getting scared when I see the Ralph count fall over time. That’s a portent of late rent payments in the future. It also signals a rougher economy for the lower rungs. I just had a complaint about a foul odor from a specific apartment. That tenant hadn’t been seen in a while. Greeeaaaat. Thankfully I found him alive. Turns out he’s just stinky. That’s my win today, and I’ll take it. |
“Don't post anything here or send anything you aren't willing to defend in court.”
-Notcalifornialegal
-Notcalifornialegal
Joined:
Apr 2026
Posts:
104
EE: 0% (0)
CA, USA
|
Originally Posted By RR_Broccoli: What was the fee for the airplane bottles? Did they have the usual random schnapps or cool stuff like Yeager, Fireball, Rumblemintz and Titos? I didn’t ask or really look. It was more of a “Okay, I need to have a word with you guys…” |
“Don't post anything here or send anything you aren't willing to defend in court.”
-Notcalifornialegal
-Notcalifornialegal
|
I was a teacher and public school administrator from 2000 to 2020 in a Title I school district. The waste that took place three times a day was horrifying. We served free breakfast, lunch, and a third meal every day, to every student. When I started as teacher we had lunch duty, basically ensuring order in the lines, and having students clean their tables, and dumpy their trash. It was almost physically painful watching students dump fresh fruit and healthy foods into the trash can, while watching them also drink a liter of generic soda and eat a bag of hot fries. When I became an administrator we would get teachers who would have the students place the fruit on a table, as they wanted to donate the uneaten food. They were appalled when I told them we had to throw the uneaten stuff away. The waste was always appalling. Prior to this, I was a police officer for twenty years in the same inner city. For years we would get donations from businesses and police officers at holidays and put together boxes of food for the people in the housing areas. I finally stopped because of the repeated, loud, and often vulgar complaints about the type of food, the lack of booze, the lack of easy to cook and the lack of desserts. |
Official Arfcom call sign "Talon"
|
Originally Posted By Mach: I have to ask, why do you do this? @mach  Idiocracy "I like money" But seriously, it’s very profitable. The dirty secret of rentals is that landlords generally earn more profit at the lower levels versus the upper levels. The politically correct explanation is that there’s A, B, and C class properties. A is new and fancy. B is 20+ year old A. C is below that. The politically incorrect explanation adds D class, which is ghetto. In theory, rents fall as the rental class falls. In reality, it’s sort of a reverse letter J. Rents fall as the rental class drops, but sometimes it gets more expensive at the real bottom. This is because government handouts (Section 8) tosses more money than the places are worth to the landlords. There’s also more competition, as many landlords just above the bottom have higher standards that the bottom-barrel tenants can’t meet. So it’s not unusual (in an A-B-C-D scale) for C to have lower rents and less competition for apartments than D. The price of the properties also falls as the class falls. Some day it’s risk vs reward. Let me put this into numbers: Let’s say you get $1 for rent and spent $10 for the A-class building. That’s a 10% return. B is like .96 cents rent for an $8 building, so 12% return. C is .90 cents rent for a $6 building, so 15%. D is like .92 or .93 rent for a $4.21 building, so 22% return. And lower class of building means you generally have less expensive repair bills because you can use a lower class of fixtures. Or even buy used ones and it’s fine. Any how, I make my money when I buy the property. That means getting into them right, doing the work to bring them a step above what they deserve, and renting them at affordable rates. Even keeping my rents both below the area average and HUD’s Fair Market Rent levels, I’m earning more than most would suspect. And it means I can handle true disasters that would ruin other landlords. (Right now I’m dealing with a huge drug house eviction clean-out, clean-up, and renovation while having lost roofs on two of the three wings of another massive apartment building from ugly storms last month. While painful, I’m still alive and kicking.) Part of that success is finding and serving underserved niches. That can be tenants with recent bankruptcies, homeless veterans, domestic violence victims, addicts in recovery, sex offenders… They all need housing. Think of it like the guy who rents outhouses for events. Not many people want to handle that work, which is why they are so profitable. Same story here. My goal is buying a D+ and taking it to C- while keeping profitability at D levels. Not only is the return excellent, but it’ll eventually sell way above what it normally would. On the darker side, there’s also slumlording. I don’t do that or run my business that way. But some of the wealthiest landlords I know run their buildings like 20-year-old dump trucks. They often lose money at the time of sale because their $1 building is barely worth .85 once they’re done with it. But their monthly and annual returns over many years to decades more than cover the loss. Plus, because it’s officially sold at a loss, it completely avoids capital gains taxes since there’s no gain to tax. Smart accountants can have all sorts of fun with losses. So short story made long, I live well because of what I put up with. Believe me, it’s NOT free money. There are days I really question my life choices. But since I don’t have the body for Only Fans and my wit, charm, and sparkling personality combined with numerous childhood report cards warning “Doesn’t play well with others” renders me mostly unhireable, it suits me and it’s a living.  ETA: For those curious about real estate, there are only four ways to earn money in this business. Profit is earned through (a) principal appreciation (buy it for $1 and sell it for more than $1), (b) cash-on-cash return (if you put $1 into a property and earn .10 cents annually, you're making a 10% cash-on-cash return), (c) loan paydown (the money owed is automatically paid down every month you pay the mortgage), and (d) tax advantages (Starker/1031 Exchanges, write-offs, depreciation to shelter income, and more). That's it. No matter what any late night infomercial claims, everything done with real estate falls into one of those four buckets. I do it because each of those buckets comes into play. Since I improve the property, it's worth more than what I paid for it at disposition (sale). I have a healthy cash-on-cash return. My mortgage is slowly but surely getting paid off by my tenants. And my effective tax rate, plus my write-offs, and the Starker whenever I sell, means that I "earn" by lawfully not paying the government. Not only that, but the government pays me to house people. So every year I take back a good portion of my tax dollars. That's why I do it. 
|
“Don't post anything here or send anything you aren't willing to defend in court.”
-Notcalifornialegal
-Notcalifornialegal
|
Despite me loving how well this works financially, I do want out. Retirement is on my mind because I don’t want to be doing this and stuck here forever. Below is a post from a LGS. It is not a joke and addresses an actual problem. This is a symptom of why I hate it here locally. At the risk of being dismissed as a Boomer (I’m not in that age range), I miss basic decorum. 
|
“Don't post anything here or send anything you aren't willing to defend in court.”
-Notcalifornialegal
-Notcalifornialegal
|
Originally Posted By Gordianus: It was almost physically painful watching students dump fresh fruit and healthy foods into the trash can, while watching them also drink a liter of generic soda and eat a bag of hot fries. When I became an administrator we would get teachers who would have the students place the fruit on a table, as they wanted to donate the uneaten food. They were appalled when I told them we had to throw the uneaten stuff away. The waste was always appalling. This is government stupidity at it's best. My wife worked as an administrator in a middle school (she's stepped back into being an Instructional Specialist this past year) in a Title 1 school (more rural than urban), and there were some kids who were really food deprived at home. Those kids took advantage and didn't bitch about school food, but she said the same as you, about 90% of the kids would dump the vast majority of their food...almost always the fruit and veggies. The subsidies on government "free" school food programs is crazy. I honestly wish these program would just allow schools to manage their own food budgets for local purchases. For the costs of government food orders, schools could partner with local restaurants and serve Subway, Chick-fil-A, pizza, etc. Stuff that kids will eat and while it's not 100% healthy, there's less waste and offers some nutritional value and calories for the kids that need it. I'm torn on such programs as it simply transfers parental responsibilities to government and taxpayers get stuck with the bill; it also teach as a bad lesson in life which is what prebans sees every day. With a lazy, ignorant, entitled society, charity doesn't work. It just becomes another system to scam. Food banks and donations exacerbate our poverty, substance addictions, and crime problems. People who are capable but not productive in society should go hungry. Do I feel for the kids of drug addicted, worthless parents? Yep, but that's often the only solution to forcing change in a culture that is not a contributor to society or their communities. ROCK6 |
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" - Thomas Jefferson
|
Originally Posted By jagdkommando: There is a reason we don't feed the animals in national parks. Damn, there's a lot of truth to this comparison without even meaning the animal vs. human comparison. The wife and I did a guided tour of the Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica; feeding any of the wildlife is strictly forbidden (and they'll check to make sure you don't have food in your daypacks). They have closed all their zoos and only have animal hospitals because of the animal cruelty and breeding generations of indigenous animals who could never survive in the wild. Our guide shared a story about how tourists would feed the monkeys and the monkeys became dependent on that shitty food. That breed of monkeys had massive tooth decay and they had frequent reports of monkeys attacking the tourists because they didn't give them food (entitled) or they simply ran out (spoiled with no self-control). The monkeys stopped eating their typical, healthier diet and were almost addicted to the high sugar, salt snack foods. No racially directed comparisons here, but the reality is that the similarities in behavior are strikingly similar to how government or charitable handouts have become. ROCK6 ROCK6 |
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" - Thomas Jefferson
|
is IMGBB the new photobucket? no more images on this Attached File |
have gun will travel
Well you seen much combat? ......... I've seen a little on TV.
We are jolly green giants, walking the Earth with guns.
Lifetime NRA member SADLY
now GOA and ASA member!!!!!
Well you seen much combat? ......... I've seen a little on TV.
We are jolly green giants, walking the Earth with guns.
Lifetime NRA member SADLY
now GOA and ASA member!!!!!
Member
Joined:
May 2022
Posts:
4325
EE: 0% (0)
ND, USA
| I watched the local Head Start program kids at a local park eat their Federal supplied lunch. They tossed all the fruit and vegetables in the trash and just eat the processed snacks. That’s your tax dollars going into the trash. They should abolish HeadStart and show immediate federal tax dollars deficit reduction. This happens every day five days a week. Oh, you do not have to prove US citizenship to be entered into Head Start by the way. |
|
Originally Posted By Shadyman: I watched the local Head Start program kids at a local park eat their Federal supplied lunch. They tossed all the fruit and vegetables in the trash and just eat the processed snacks. That’s your tax dollars going into the trash. They should abolish HeadStart and show immediate federal tax dollars deficit reduction. This happens every day five days a week. Oh, you do not have to prove US citizenship to be entered into Head Start by the way. I'd say there is a difference between kids and adults when it comes out to throwing stuff away. Face it, if you give most kids in almost any generation a choice between a healthy fresh fruit/veg and a sugary snack, which do you think they will choose? The fact that Head Start is even offering processed junk is the problem. |
"Always consider the possibility that you may be wrong. Especially when you are absolutely certain you are right."
| A couple years ago we had a food drive at work for the local food bank. They gave us a list of most wanted items. Pasta, ramen, tuna, simple stuff like that. We collected something like 5000 lb of food. I always wondered if it actually got eaten or sat on the shelf in favor of junk food. |
I know I'll never go home.
So set fire to your ships, and past regrets, and be free.
So set fire to your ships, and past regrets, and be free.
|
Many moons ago I was dirt poor, with a baby and a non-working wife, just starting out at a new job that paid little, only for the great benefits and the possibility of an actual pension. But in the meantime, we were sucking wind. I went to food banks once a month. I was shocked at how much garbage food was in a food box straight from the food bank, cakes, donuts, etc., all the junk the supermarket bakery couldn't sell. Every box I got at least one of not two cakes, which my now EX wife really appreciated...started her life into sloth. But the point is, when I was there and doing that, it was amazing the wild variety of stuff in food boxes, some good, some junk, so just weird. We ate it and were grateful. Fast forward several years to the last part of my life with my ex wife, living on Skid Row AZ. I was lucky to get a landlord who was flat out awesome, but I lost much stuff to pawn shops to pay bills. I had a side gig that paid me with a gun once a year, (seriously), and it still pains me to remember how many collectable and low production firearms were sold/traded/pawned and lost to feed that ever-expanding belly and try to keep the wolf away from the door. Why bring that up? Because I never ever once forgot who I was and when we finally got divorced, I went back to that same landlord, and I arranged to pay every dime of what I owed him, including cleanup, since a lot of my stuff was simply thrown away, with no place to store it. I understood that it was my choice, and a lot of my furniture was donated to the VFW for vets in need. It took me almost a year to make right, but I did, I made right on every damn debt I had, and now life live damn near debt free. I also upgraded 1000% with Wife 2.0. So, reading these stories remind me of when I lived like that and why I will never ever again willingly live like that. if my neighbors were outside puking up rotgut booze on a regular basis, I wouldn't stay. |
|
First couple of years after we moved here, new baby, industry down post Y2K, we were hurting. We had to go to town for some reason. We get behind this semi hauling produce, it's overloaded. Carrots are dropping out on the road, a LOT of carrots. We laugh about it at first, then I start slowly down- "let's pick them up." Wife- "yeah we can use them." So for literally the next 10+ miles we follow the carrot truck grabbing handfuls of big carrots that are dropping randomly from the carrot truck. We are laughing, have a grand time. The floorboard of my Jeep Cherokee on my wife's side is full of carrots but they keep falling so we keep picking them up. No car got between us and the carrot truck till we hit the highway. When we got home we cleaned, cut off any "road rash" parts and gave the bad parts to the bunnies. We ate carrots for a good while after that, the baby knaw'ed on them, etc. It became a joke or proverb in the family for a good day- "sometimes you get behind the carrot truck, sometimes you get behind the manure truck." I remember learning to garden around age 12-13. I was growing all kinds of stuff I didn't even eat myself. My Mom and I are out in the garden one day and she says in relation to the bounty- "that people in this country are on welfare when they can be doing this is a eff'in shame." (I learned to cuss from my Mom). |
www.jrhenterprises.com
In business since 1992- Over 30 Years in business- Thank you for your business!
Quickest ways to contact us-
912.375.1480
[email protected]
In business since 1992- Over 30 Years in business- Thank you for your business!
Quickest ways to contact us-
912.375.1480
[email protected]
|
Originally Posted By prebans: It has been a while since I've updated this thread. People here always seem interested in what the other half is doing as things continue to slide. I watch On Patrol Live and see peaks into poverty occasionally. Stealing used motor oil and filters. Oh my. 
|
Disclaimer: Before taking offense, please consider the possibility that I was attempting humor and simply wasn't as funny as I thought I was. This post may contain traces of sarcasm, exaggeration, and attempted humor.
|
Originally Posted By Paul: Thanks for this update. I watch On Patrol Live and see peaks into poverty occasionally. Stealing used motor oil and filters. Oh my. @paul I’ll give them this much: The junk yards probably don’t mind. Used oil and filters cost money to get rid of. Someone grabbing a couple of milk jugs of used oil and a used grocery bag with a used filter inside probably saves them a buck or two in hazardous materials disposal costs. |
“Don't post anything here or send anything you aren't willing to defend in court.”
-Notcalifornialegal
-Notcalifornialegal
|
Uncle. Around 7 PM last night, I got a call that a tenant was threatening to murder another tenant’s mother. At 8 PM, I got a call because some people got into a Mexican standoff in one of my building’s north driveways. Guns were drawn. The police arrived late because the municipality was already going wild. Somehow, it was my fault because my cameras weren’t working. They were damaged in April in heavy storms. I dumped ridiculous money replacing the roof and removing water damaged parts of that building and hadn’t yet repaired/replaced the cameras. But yeah, somehow this is my fault. I will eventually do a thread about emergency roof repairs and associated preps. I may also do one about the non-expert’s way to deal with corpse clean-up. But for now, back to last night. The entire area went to hell last night. A cop tried arresting someone and the guy ran the cop over with their car trying to escape. There’s basic article here. Another cop got NAILED by a mortar when angry crowds started shooting explosive-based fireworks at the police. The mortar landed 6-8’ away and exploded. The officer went DOWN, and HARD. There’s a cell video of this here. Massive brawls all over. This one’s making the rounds. Our Summerfest, a massive two-week music festival on the lakefront, went to hell too. Same BS as last year. My own local police department, (I live in a dark red dot in a very blue county), was forced to halt arresting unless the offense was extreme because they didn’t have the manpower to make arrests or enough to staff the jail. (My neighbor’s son is a local police officer; his son told him about the orders that got issued.) I like going on the flat roof of one of my buildings for July 04 because it’s three stories and is built on one of the highest elevations in the municipality. It’s a great way to watch fireworks in all directions. I can easily see two counties, three on clear nights. As normal, I upgrade my CCW (G43 to G19) on drinking holidays or when trouble’s expected. After hearing that the Mexican standoff participants were still spoiling to have it out and seeing celebratory gunfire from cars on working parts of my camera system, I switched to my 629 in case I was forced to shoot from my roof. As I was driving in, I realized something. I shouldn’t have to think this way as a normal matter of course. I don’t want to live like this any more. It’s NOT like this everywhere. I’m not getting any younger. A lot of people around me, including family, have died early from cancers and similar. One of my earliest mentors, my cousin Rich, didn’t make it out of 2020. He was in his 50s. An Uncle is turning 65 and is finally retiring. He also pulled me aside and quietly told me that his cancer is back after a year of remission. He may not get a retirement. Another cousin is alive only because I found him having a heart attack at 52. He was more worried about handling a problem tenant. I threatened to beat the shit out of him if he didn’t come with me to the hospital, because then he’d need to go to the hospital any how. He went, and they did a few tests and then orderlies ran him into surgery. The man who was essentially a second father to me went to his reward about 20 years ago. He got a good year of retirement before cancer took him. This blue county is seeing the problems but keeps electing pRoGrEsSiVe DAs who dislike prosecuting and judges who don’t like jailing. There’s a good chance for a blue tidal wave this November. Worse, the D front-runner is a “democratic socialist” who wants to abolish prisons and continue de-funding all police. She’s also a huge fan of Landlords. I guess the survival forum lesson here is that some things can’t be fixed. Sometimes you have to bug out. Barring some crazy miracles, my three-year plan started this morning. If No ember REALLY goes sideways and/or I can make things happen in warp speed, perhaps just two years. The lone silver lining- the police department where my properties are located decided to create an illegal fireworks task force. The Good Idea Fairy visited. They actually named their task force the Fireworks Abatement Response Team. Yes, I’m serious. If you’re confused, consider what that acronym spells. 
|
“Don't post anything here or send anything you aren't willing to defend in court.”
-Notcalifornialegal
-Notcalifornialegal
|
Originally Posted By prebans: Uncle. Around 7 PM last night, I got a call that a tenant was threatening to murder another tenant’s mother. At 8 PM, I got a call because some people got into a Mexican standoff in one of my building’s north driveways. Guns were drawn. The police arrived late because the municipality was already going wild. Somehow, it was my fault because my cameras weren’t working. They were damaged in April in heavy storms. I dumped ridiculous money replacing the roof and removing water damaged parts of that building and hadn’t yet repaired/replaced the cameras. But yeah, somehow this is my fault. I will eventually do a thread about emergency roof repairs and associated preps. I may also do one about the non-expert’s way to deal with corpse clean-up. But for now, back to last night. The entire area went to hell last night. A cop tried arresting someone and the guy ran the cop over with their car trying to escape. There’s basic article here. Another cop got NAILED by a mortar when angry crowds started shooting explosive-based fireworks at the police. The mortar landed 6-8’ away and exploded. The officer went DOWN, and HARD. There’s a cell video of this here. Massive brawls all over. This one’s making the rounds. Our Summerfest, a massive two-week music festival on the lakefront, went to hell too. Same BS as last year. My own local police department, (I live in a dark red dot in a very blue county), was forced to halt arresting unless the offense was extreme because they didn’t have the manpower to make arrests or enough to staff the jail. (My neighbor’s son is a local police officer; his son told him about the orders that got issued.) I like going on the flat roof of one of my buildings for July 04 because it’s three stories and is built on one of the highest elevations in the municipality. It’s a great way to watch fireworks in all directions. I can easily see two counties, three on clear nights. As normal, I upgrade my CCW (G43 to G19) on drinking holidays or when trouble’s expected. After hearing that the Mexican standoff participants were still spoiling to have it out and seeing celebratory gunfire from cars on working parts of my camera system, I switched to my 629 in case I was forced to shoot from my roof. As I was driving in, I realized something. I shouldn’t have to think this way as a normal matter of course. I don’t want to live like this any more. It’s NOT like this everywhere. I’m not getting any younger. A lot of people around me, including family, have died early from cancers and similar. One of my earliest mentors, my cousin Rich, didn’t make it out of 2020. He was in his 50s. An Uncle is turning 65 and is finally retiring. He also pulled me aside and quietly told me that his cancer is back after a year of remission. He may not get a retirement. Another cousin is alive only because I found him having a heart attack at 52. He was more worried about handling a problem tenant. I threatened to beat the shit out of him if he didn’t come with me to the hospital, because then he’d need to go to the hospital any how. He went, and they did a few tests and then orderlies ran him into surgery. The man who was essentially a second father to me went to his reward about 20 years ago. He got a good year of retirement before cancer took him. This blue county is seeing the problems but keeps electing pRoGrEsSiVe DAs who dislike prosecuting and judges who don’t like jailing. There’s a good chance for a blue tidal wave this November. Worse, the D front-runner is a “democratic socialist” who wants to abolish prisons and continue de-funding all police. She’s also a huge fan of Landlords. I guess the survival forum lesson here is that some things can’t be fixed. Sometimes you have to bug out. Barring some crazy miracles, my three-year plan started this morning. If No ember REALLY goes sideways and/or I can make things happen in warp speed, perhaps just two years. The lone silver lining- the police department where my properties are located decided to create an illegal fireworks task force. The Good Idea Fairy visited. They actually named their task force the Fireworks Abatement Response Team. Yes, I’m serious. If you’re confused, consider what that acronym spells. Unfortunately, I think this is happening, and chaos accelerating in high population areas where there is little to no repercussion for bad actors. The formula is pretty cut and dry and it's sad to see. Good luck with your accelerated plan to retire! |
Originally Posted By ar-jedi:
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!!
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!!
|
Good info. I definitely would be trying to get out of that business/location ASAP. I don’t know what your areas cost of living looks like compared to other parts of the country but there are much lower than national average cost of living areas that are also relatively conservative and good to live in. Retire and move somewhere sane!! Good luck and thanks for inviting us into your crazy world for a glimpse! |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
|
This paper is slanted and the writer is slanted. It’s more of an editorial than anything. However, the author recounts the weekend accurately. Read away, if you like. @thederrick106 - You’re correct in that this is happening in many large cities. But there are levels; some are worse than others. Chicago IL catches a lot of notoriety for its homicides and general crime. Milwaukee WI is way worse if you go per capita. Everybody forgets that Chicago has around 2,750,000 people while Milwaukee has around 562,000. Going per capita, there are around 17 homicides per 100,000 people in Chicago vs around 23 homicides per 100,000 up here. We usually round out the top 10 worst cities per capita for homicides, robberies, and aggravated assaults in the USA. We improve to only being in the top worst 15 cities for auto theft. @princeton - It has been a hoot and a half. I started in the worst of the worst areas and “moved up” to a working class suburb. The issue is that today the working class suburb is what the ghetto was 20 years ago. And the ghetto today is … worse. @coltrifle - It’s frustrating because I make absolutely STELLAR returns. And since I don’t slumlord things, my properties are in excellent shape. My goal was to turn these into an annuity to pay me monthly when I retire. I was never going to sell. Now I’m having to tear up that plan and start over again. |
“Don't post anything here or send anything you aren't willing to defend in court.”
-Notcalifornialegal
-Notcalifornialegal
|
If the area is continuing to go downhill, selling sooner rather than later is the best choice. You can't fix the area, nor can you change the area. All you can do is cut your future losses by moving your assets out of harms way - and you will get more for them now than you will later. You could wait and see if anything is being done to recover the area, but where in modern America has that worked? |
It's true no matter who you are, the worst thing you can do for someone is give them something for nothing. - 3rdpig
Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy. - Heinlein
Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy. - Heinlein
|
Originally Posted By lumper: If the area is continuing to go downhill, selling sooner rather than later is the best choice. You can't fix the area, nor can you change the area. All you can do is cut your future losses by moving your assets out of harms way - and you will get more for them now than you will later. You could wait and see if anything is being done to recover the area, but where in modern America has that worked? @lumper The 2-3 years is to get the financials in order to maximize profit. A major change for the top floor comes in 2028. I’m not going luxury, but that floor will be especially secured compared to the lower floors. A key fob to get the elevator to go there, all access doors requiring the same fob, additional cameras… There’s a market for that with our crime rate. The rent difference will be $200-300/mo more rent. The local cap rates say that change increases the building value by around $800k. I can hold out for that. In fairness, areas have improved. We all hate NYC, but there’s a marked difference between NYC today and the late 1970s to early 1980s. Nashville, especially eastern Nashville, may as well have been Memphis not too long ago. Atlanta’s Beltline Trail is a masterpiece and was once deep blighted hood. Locally, our Bay View neighborhood went from working class and below garbage to the overall most expensive neighborhood in the city. Our Third Ward went from crack whore central to grossly overpriced condos and lofts. But you’re absolutely correct about the likelihood of recovery. The local government, despite stepping in itself constantly, is legitimately trying. I will give it that. But it’s still hamstrung by the county. Criminal behavior is also a problem because the county won’t prosecute much of anything. Milwaukee’s ghetto knows it and is “enjoying” the inner ring suburbs. I’ve moved up to a two-year plan. It allows me to improve the books to improve my profit. It gives me time to explore other areas; if I don’t do a 1031, the taxes will be absolutely horrendous. I need to know where to park my money next. And, if some improbable miracle happens, I can either retain and continue to self-manage or hire a management company and go wherever. Thank you for your wisdom. |
“Don't post anything here or send anything you aren't willing to defend in court.”
-Notcalifornialegal
-Notcalifornialegal
|
Let’s talk about happier stuff. One of my tenants ripped off his dealer, so he had to flee in the middle of the night. I got a text of where to send his security deposit (lol after seeing his apartment’s condition) and authorization to take whatever I wanted. Sometimes landlording is like playing a video game. Remember sending your guy from room to room and finding and grabbing a mag of whatever? Sometimes it’s no different in my world. Free 9 mm is good 9 mm.  There was also a storage locker. It was full of random off-brand tote boxes. I checked every one; most were junk. Those totes, even cracked and with mismatched lids, were worth more. (Which is to say two for a dollar at a yard sale.) Then I found some low Rubbermaids. I like these because they fit neatly in my truck, stacked, below the bed cover. I opened them.  Not sure how that guy ended up with these, but I’ll take ‘em. Over four months after losing two roofs from two of the three wings at my large building, the roofs are on and storm damage remediation is finished. Still dealing with insurance. We had heavy rains last weekend and one tenant reported a ceiling leak. Thankfully, the roofer is reputable and my warranty is solid. They’re coming back today to find the problem and address it. I can live with that. My decision to throw in the towel was reinforced. One week ago, I was out of state on business. That was during the last day of our state fair. There was a riot; some “teen takeover” that involved them storming the gates after being locked out, massive fights, one police officer attacked and injured, a security guard attacked and injured, and a shooting. Apparently my rear parking lot was used by these “people” to hide from the cops. (I have stronger words that are inappropriate for a tech forum.) Click here for a short video. Seven arrests are nice, but I think they missed a few. They are claiming that there was no shootings. Technically, it occurred off site and was a person in an apartment defending themselves from an unruly mob from the fair. Therefore, there was no shooting at the fair!  Oh, and the city’s going dark again. Too much copper in the street lights. People laugh at my huge Surefire, but sometimes it’s … well, survival out here. |
“Don't post anything here or send anything you aren't willing to defend in court.”
-Notcalifornialegal
-Notcalifornialegal
|
Originally Posted By prebans: Let’s talk about happier stuff. One of my tenants ripped off his dealer, so he had to flee in the middle of the night. I got a text of where to send his security deposit (lol after seeing his apartment’s condition) and authorization to take whatever I wanted. Sometimes landlording is like playing a video game. Remember sending your guy from room to room and finding and grabbing a mag of whatever? Sometimes it’s no different in my world. Free 9 mm is good 9 mm. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/2594/IMG_3569-3817450.jpg There was also a storage locker. It was full of random off-brand tote boxes. I checked every one; most were junk. Those totes, even cracked and with mismatched lids, were worth more. (Which is to say two for a dollar at a yard sale.) Then I found some low Rubbermaids. I like these because they fit neatly in my truck, stacked, below the bed cover. I opened them. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/2594/IMG_3684-3817452.jpg Not sure how that guy ended up with these, but I’ll take ‘em. Over four months after losing two roofs from two of the three wings at my large building, the roofs are on and storm damage remediation is finished. Still dealing with insurance. We had heavy rains last weekend and one tenant reported a ceiling leak. Thankfully, the roofer is reputable and my warranty is solid. They’re coming back today to find the problem and address it. I can live with that. My decision to throw in the towel was reinforced. One week ago, I was out of state on business. That was during the last day of our state fair. There was a riot; some “teen takeover” that involved them storming the gates after being locked out, massive fights, one police officer attacked and injured, a security guard attacked and injured, and a shooting. Apparently my rear parking lot was used by these “people” to hide from the cops. (I have stronger words that are inappropriate for a tech forum.) Click here for a short video. Seven arrests are nice, but I think they missed a few. They are claiming that there was no shootings. Technically, it occurred off site and was a person in an apartment defending themselves from an unruly mob from the fair. Therefore, there was no shooting at the fair! Oh, and the city’s going dark again. Too much copper in the street lights. People laugh at my huge Surefire, but sometimes it’s … well, survival out here. I went to the hospital a few weeks ago, had my Cloud MCH Duty in my pocket and took it out to go through security. The guard, in all of his brilliance, pointed it right at his face and clicked it on. Good score on the storage food, I hope you made sure each individual bag was still well-sealed! And I definitely wouldn't trust that ammo. 
|
|
Prebans buddy, I hate to say it but, I hope it's damn fine money because it sounds like you earn every dime of it. As for any advice, all I can say is I live in E. TN, the most conservative part of the state. The amount of people from your area moving here is mind blowing and I'm not talking only retirees. They're bringing their businesses. Our population has doubled but our elections best I can tell have only shifted 2% blue. We're not getting your bottom feeders. That's not as much an indicator of how great it is here as how bad it is there. |
"We prepare so we don't have to go to the Superdome!"
|
Originally Posted By TomJefferson: Prebans buddy, I hate to say it but, I hope it's damn fine money because it sounds like you earn every dime of it. As for any advice, all I can say is I live in E. TN, the most conservative part of the state. The amount of people from your area moving here is mind blowing and I'm not talking only retirees. They're bringing their businesses. Our population has doubled but our elections best I can tell have only shifted 2% blue. We're not getting your bottom feeders. That's not as much an indicator of how great it is here as how bad it is there. @tomjefferson The only people who call it unearned income is the IRS. My returns are excellent, but so is the headache.A good friend moved from here to outside Knoxville about 15 years ago. He met a girl from upstate NY and imported her. She’s a nurse and he’s a PA. After starting a family, she became a stay-at-home Mom and home school. They’ve got a nice home with acreage, enough for outbuildings, a shooting range, vegetables, and even a natural spring running through it all. Another buddy is near Paris with a similar setup. This is no surprise. WI is the most closely divided state in the union, deepest purple possible. We almost had a truly crazy dEmOcRaTiC sOcIaLiSt get the D primary nod. (No, crazier than normal.) The guy who barely beat her, and cheating truly was involved, isn’t great but more palatable to more centrist Democrats. So hearing that our productive classes are fleeing is no shock. Today I learned that two of my tenants are now out of work. Our downtown strip club is too scared to stay open. I realize most here probably don’t frequent such establishments, but strip clubs are ACES at security. When strip club security is scared, there’s a legitimate major problem. (And when strip clubs are taking moral stands on things, one should probably stop and take notice.) Of course, our elected officials are doing their best to minimize and deny the problem. Personal change is coming. There’ll be another two years, three years max if I need to demonstrate more financials to get the highest price, and then I’m gone. I’ve had enough and I’m burned out. This thread started as me trying to offer ideas about alternative places to find things. It became a discussion about how the ‘hood survives and what lessons can be learned. I worry it’s become just me bitching because I’m at the end of my rope. |
“Don't post anything here or send anything you aren't willing to defend in court.”
-Notcalifornialegal
-Notcalifornialegal
|
Originally Posted By prebans: SNIP I worry it’s become just me bitching because I’m at the end of my rope. Nah, the bitching is fair and the insight the rest of the thread has is interesting and relevant.
|
"Always consider the possibility that you may be wrong. Especially when you are absolutely certain you are right."
| This has been a great thread to follow. Especially to be able to keep our fingers on the pulse of bad urban areas. Your area is not an anomolay and this thread helps us keep ace with how bad things are in many cities in general and better understanding how people in these areas will respnd when things gat worse. |