So I have these clients who are repeat renters. And once again they are looking for a rental home. They are sweet folks. But drama seems to follow them everywhere. Granted, if you look at the drama for their last rental home, it wasn't their fault (and will make excellent blog fodder if I ever get around to writing about it). We all know folks like this. Essentially nothing is their fault, but somehow the Universe considers them a chaos magnet.
Today I showed the Mrs. a rental home. It is 2,400 square feet and $1800 a month. It is situated on an acre. And, it was built, and tastefully decorated I might add, in 1968. She called the house "old." Which I thought was a bit of a stretch, as I happened to have been born that same year.
The house in question still had the same wallpaper from 1968. It had the same appliances from 1968. It probably hadn't been maintained since 1968. Though I am no expert on these types of things, given all the deferred maintenance, I am guessing it has the same electrical and plumbing from 49 years ago too. And by the way, my client knew how old the home was and had looked at interior photos when she called me asking to see the house.
To be fair, this home, fixed up and without a ton of necessary maintenance needed, would probably rent for closer to $4000/month. It is in a million dollar neighborhood. And yes, it is the ugliest home on the block. But I am guessing the original owners of this home owned the block and subdivided out the land as time went on. My clients aren't million dollar people. They are folks who need a home now and need lots of space. The rental market is tight enough, but it was obvious to see why this home wasn't renting for $4000 a month.
Instead of embracing the quirky charm of the house (and it has quirks), Mrs. Client asked me questions: did I think the property had toxic mold? Did I think the landlord would replace the carpeting (No, I didn't. If they were going to replace it, they would have done so already)? Did I think the landlord would remodel the kitchen (No)? Did I think the landlord would replace the stove (It works fine, just like any other stove)? Did I think there was a problem with the plumbing, electrical, AC, windows and foundation?
And my favorite question of the day: Did I think the house was a fire hazard?
What does one say to that? If you think about it, every home is a fire hazard. Homes in Arizona are mostly made of wood. There are flammable materials throughout a home, including cabinets and carpet. Additionally, if one were to put the wrong electrical wires together it might cause a spark. But my answer was simply, "It seems to be standing to me."
The truth is I can't legally venture an opinion. I am not an expert on electrical, plumbing, interior decorating (my friends can guarantee this last one). Saying "It is safe" could land me in court. Saying, "It looks like a fire hazard to me," could also land me in court. There is a no right answer . Real estate agents are vague for a reason, simply because we are not allowed to have opinions if we want to keep our license. That's why blogs were invented.
The clients put an application in. The Mrs. sent me sixteen different e-mails, all containing one or two pages of said application and supporting documentation. I suggested they consolidate the e-mails so I can submit one nice, neat application. The Mrs. didn't think she could do that. She didn't know how to attach more than one document in an e-mail. I thought about not dealing with this, and just letting her look like a clown to the owner. But that would mean I would probably be showing them more homes that might have potential issues. And I don't need to be a chaos magnet either.
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