I live in Galveston County, TX.

One of my very best friends has rental property on the Island.  He was hit HARD by Ike.

I've been helping him muck out and do the demo work on his propeties on the weekends.  Like I said, he is a good friend.

It amazes me how worthless some people are.  Not a single tennant has helped clean their shit out of a single unit.

The other day we were sweating our asses off, taking stuff out and trying to sort it out into things that are salvageable, and things that are destroyed, so that maybe these people could get back some of their possesions.  Of course everything must go out so we can pull carpet, drywall, etc.

So as we are sorting in the driveway one of the "tennants" drives up.  I put that in quotes because, of course, he isn't on the lease.  The place was rented to his mother, but now the whole extended family shacks up there, including this winner who just got out of prison (felons also aren't allowed to live there by my friend's leases stipulations).

We ask him if he is here to help give us a hand cleaning up his shit (including the TWO gallon sized ziplock bags of prescription Prozac and painkillers we found in a dresser ).

He says, "you gonna write me a check?"  Implying that we should PAY HIM to have HIM HELP US CLEAN UP HIS SHIT...

Of course we told him to FOAD.  From that point on: everything in the dumpster.  My buddy will be issuing a bill now to the tennants for the demo, and will be evicting them shortly thereafter for breaking the terms of the lease.

Fucking cockroaches.

- AG

A good reason to not buy in a hurricane zone.  Not a good reason to not own rental property.

Making money is hard work.

Rental properties are a complete pain in the rear end.  But like tonkaman says, making money is hard work

That's in line with what my parents have experienced since having to rent out their extra house. Worthless people so far.

Quoted: Making money is hard work.

My rant wasn't about working hard... it was about cockroaches.

It would be a stretch to accuse me of not knowing how to work.

- AG

After my last tenant ( I found him dead in the house ):

I couldn't even enter the house without walking over debris.

I'd say you were kind enough by not throwing everything in the dumpsters from the beginning!

credit checks, credit checks, screening and big deposits!

Quoted: After my last tenant ( I found him dead in the house ): I couldn't even enter the house without walking over debris. i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb107/motoracer51/CIMG2608.jpg i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb107/motoracer51/CIMG2607.jpg

Good luck with the eviction.  I hope it goes better than what's happening to this guy:

New Port Richey, Florida - A New Port Richey man called us with an unbelievable story.

Jimmy Hill offered up this mobile home to friends of the family six months ago. They lived in Tampa, and wanted to relocate to Pasco county.

But his effort to put a roof over this family's head has come back to haunt him. Now they're trying to take his home.

According to Hill the family was paying him $600 a month plus utilities. He says shortly after the family moved in, the flow of money stopped and the headaches began. "Well they don't pay for the utilities at all," Hill says, "My bill has gone from $160 a month before they moved here to my last bill which was $654 . The next one is even worse, they run things day and night."

Hill says it was time for them to go. "Well I asked them if they would get out and they threatened to poison my dogs." That was when Hill says he went to the sheriff's office and picked up an eviction packet.

"Now these people are suing me for my home," claims Hill. "They filed a restraining order on me the day after I hand them the eviction papers." Hill says he learned he can't evict the family because they're considered squatters. He even considered shutting off the utilities but can't because the family moved a child into the house. He says they threatened to charge Hill with child endangerment.

The family was not available for comment but with little money in his pocket, Hill says he can't afford the legal fees necessary to take them to court.

Hill now feels as though his heartfelt gesture has left him empty handed.

www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=92220&catid=8

Quoted: Quoted: After my last tenant ( I found him dead in the house ): I couldn't even enter the house without walking over debris. i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb107/motoracer51/CIMG2608.jpg i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb107/motoracer51/CIMG2607.jpg

97 year old single man, with no family.  Died of natural causes.

we don't own rental property, we manage it.  that being said I wouldn't personnally own any either, people tend to not take care of it or pay their rent on time. I hate cleaning out their and having to do repairs- but like everything else I can make money off of doing it.  Im not sure whats worse shitty tenants or bitchy owners.

Quoted: Quoted: After my last tenant ( I found him dead in the house ): How much for the black velvet picture?

Why, is it worth anything?  

I'm getting ready to go down to FL to get the house ready to rent out again.

Quoted: Quoted: Making money is hard work. My rant wasn't about working hard... it was about cockroaches. It would be a stretch to accuse me of not knowing how to work. - AG

Don't get me wrong here; my comment was not directed at your work ethic.

I'm just saying that rental property can make you alot of money, but there is alot of work involved and some of it is hateful.  The payoff for rental property - high positive cash flow - is usually not achieved for may years, and only after many crappy episodes like the one you describe.  

I wish your friend much success in his business.

I own rental properties.

Yes,  some if not many tenants are complete trash, some however are great, and
do work hard for a living.

The challenge is to find the good tenants out of the entire bunch.

With a good screening process, you can do quite well in terms of
finding good quality tenants.

I personally do enjoy owning rental properties, the income can be
great, but evicting and dealing with crappy tenants is definately
the worst part.

If you leverage a rental property right, in a area with good cashflow
(Like the one I'm in) You can easily make $300-$400 per rental
unit per month.

I have one specific unit that has offered me absolutely no headaches
what so ever. Brings in a good deal of rent and has had high quality
tenants as well.