our big mistake moving to florida

[florida4sun]

Trust me Florida homes are very easy to get back up to scratch. 2 days for the internals and 2 days to paint the inside. Hire a a paint sprayer. One day to mask everything and 1 day to spray. You will fly through it with a sprayer and it will save you tons of time, giving you extra time for the DIY stuff if you need it.
For the sinks, everything is push fit plumbing, very quick to replace.
As I understand it you are renting in the UK? If so go and see citizens advice and bankruptcy or other options. Put all options on the table and pick the best one for you.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by mrsbabypowder
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by florida4sun
To be honest it does not look too bad from the photos, I have seen far worse after long term rental (plenty of advice on here about NOT doing LTR). If hubby is ok with DIY sinks, door handles are cheap and very cheap to replace and the place needs a few days work and some paint. The security deposit should easily cover the damage, so all is not lost.
The pool and garden, I would be going after the MC, pool and garden people, unless you left this to the tennants which is a huge mistake, again plenty advice on here about how to and how not to LTR.
What are you going to do now, pointless putting yourself in the same position again. If you are going to LTR then do it properly with a quality mc and build the pool and ground maintenance into the rent and have an agent check the home regularly.
Even with a good agent it is extremely difficult and slow to remove a bad tenant, by which time the damage is done.
I would urge anyone not to LTR, I have seen the end result many many times and it is usually the above. Very sad and upsetting for the owners. Personally if you are in negative equity after all you have been through, I would walk away. You simply do not need anymore of this.[/quote]Hello and thank you for you reply, yes there has been worse condition houses after rental - but this is MY house, and from what i left it like to now is heartbreaking. Unfortunately our house will take more than a few days of back breaking work to clean it up. if only it was that easy to say "a few days work and a lick of paint will make it ok" When funds are as limited as what we have every penny counts. Our tenants didn't pay the full rent since February - and all together stopped in April. Until they moved out in July. Their security deposit was used for the mortgage payments.
It is your opinion not to LTR, but we wanted the security of someone living in our house.
It is so easy to say walk away - this is our last investment - we don't have anything else. We have a British Mortgage, and as they have already said to us, if the take the house, we would still be liable for whatever they couldn't recover selling it. Yes the house is like many others in negative equity. I don't foresee this continuing. and your also right that i don't need anymore of this.
[/quote]

[canarypam]

It can be done Elaine our long term rental property was in a similar state in August. We completely repainted it and cleaned it up it took 2 weeks though but was worth it in the end. We talked to one LTR manager and he does monthly
walkthroughs I will try and find his details for you. As has been said you must include pool cleaning into the rent our LTR house doesn't have a pool. Good luck don't give up as this could be a good way of getting back on your feet eventually.

[chrizzy100]

Its bad when its your place no matter what the damage...
I hope your husband can clean it up..it must be heart breaking...if we move we may rent out our home ..we do it through the State here in MA for the homeless and the State pays the rent and clean up the house...not sure if they do the same in FL..worth a look...they go around to the house to make sure its taken care of and get bad tenants out in days..

[Lyn]

Elaine, I cannot begin to know how you must be feeling. I know I would be completly devastated and my faith in human nature shattered. I live by a simple rule, do as you would be done by, and I just cannot understand how anyone could do this to someones property. I hope you can find a small amount of solace in that we are all thinking of you and wishing you well.

[Fran19]

Elaine, I almost cried when I saw your photos. I would be devastated if that happened to me. Maybe we could post something on here and anyone going over there could maybe lend a hand for 1 day or something like that. That way, you wouldn't have to pay to go over there too much and we could all help you get the house back to normal. I am sure there are many people reading this who would volunteer (I know some have already).

[florida4sun]

Or do it properly in the first place and use a licensed rental agent and have insurance. I would not work on anybodies house that is not 3rd party insured you leave yourself wide open to whole heap of trouble.
In fact the mortgage company would insist on it. Yes it is very sad but this is what happens when you do things the wrong way. Long term rental is a pain in the UK and USA, there are safe guards and insurances you can put in place. If you just stick someone in the house with noone to keep an eye on it, no contract and no insurance (in this case security deposit illegally used to pay mortgage, the renters could actually sue the owners), then what can you expect.
If your going to do something do it properly in the first place, it takes no more time or effort.




<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Fran19
Elaine, I almost cried when I saw your photos. I would be devastated if that happened to me. Maybe we could post something on here and anyone going over there could maybe lend a hand for 1 day or something like that. That way, you wouldn't have to pay to go over there too much and we could all help you get the house back to normal. I am sure there are many people reading this who would volunteer (I know some have already).
[/quote]

[mrsbabypowder]

Well since my last posting, Terry has done a massive amount - but we found out some interesting information.
When our tenants left, our next door neighbor went in (and was seen) removing items from our house and digging up the palms. (which are actually in her back yard) i emailed her to ask why my palms were in her garden - to which her response was - well they were dying....!!!! i have told her that she can either give me $300 or she has to put them back within 7 days or we will contact the sheriff. Our other so called really good neighbor who actually came over in July to stay with us also was seen removing items.
We are going to get a security company to activate the alarm system and monitor the house.

Francine i want to say a huge thank you for your kind words. Even a hour to help clean the garden and the pool area and the house. I would love to have 1,000's of pounds to be able to hire someone to do it. But being signed off work because of horrendous back problems and Terry having to look after everything we don't have that much money. I am actually trying to sell as much as i can even down to my china collection to get some money - (an no i am over whining - its life) I'm not after sympathy, i wanted to share my life problems - which is happening now and to me and my family. And if this is my therapeutic way of doing it, i will in a few years look back and read to remind me of what happened.

Thank you everyone for your support, your kind words, and your love.

I truly, truly appreciate it.<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by florida4sun
Or do it properly in the first place and use a licensed rental agent and have insurance. I would not work on anybodies house that is not 3rd party insured you leave yourself wide open to whole heap of trouble.
In fact the mortgage company would insist on it. Yes it is very sad but this is what happens when you do things the wrong way. Long term rental is a pain in the UK and USA, there are safe guards and insurances you can put in place. If you just stick someone in the house with noone to keep an eye on it, no contract and no insurance (in this case security deposit illegally used to pay mortgage, the renters could actually sue the owners), then what can you expect.
If your going to do something do it properly in the first place, it takes no more time or effort.[/quote]Firstly i would like to say i am not obviously perfect by your standards. I had insurance, but when the tenants vacated we couldn't afford the insurance and we were undecided on what we wanted to do. I would not ask you for one instance to work on my house. so don't worry. You do not have to belittle me - i know i have done things the wrong way - but i have been an emotional wreck in the last few months, and your comments don't actually help me. I have been renting the house i am in now for nearly 3 years, i have had no problems and treated the house as if it was my own. Long term rental is obviously a pain for you, but it is my decision - you have made your views plain in quite a few of the posts. When you are as poor as we are you may see it a little differently. you may realize that you wouldn't be able to afford workers to come in and paint your house, and that you would just have to do it yourself. (god you have made me so angry!) i am one person that would offer help to anyone, if someone needed help, i would be the first in line. (i have even given someone who i worked with but didn't know a place to stay for a week as he was being made homeless!) if i could pull some weeds out of a flower bed and this is all i could do, then i would do it.

I had an agreement with my tenants - signed by us and our neighbors that looked after our house and they acted as management for our house. Let the former tenants sue me for using their deposit (that wouldn't even pay for the repairs) for them to be able to live in my home. they wouldn't

[anorak]

Hi Elaine, I've been reading your posts from time to time, charting your progress since we met last in Fl.
You may not remember but I came to buy the car you were selling, but we couldn't agree the price so I didn't buy it. At that time you were breeding dogs for sale as well to make ends meet.
You've certainly tried quite a few things to save your Fl house, and I am sorry to read of your latest troubles.
Although obviously you didn't do everything the official way this rental could just as easily be progressing along nicely with the tenants caring for the home properly and paying their rent on time.

Its hard to find tenants who are properly solvent financially at the moment, and its very tempting to take tenants who might be a bit iffy. I have done it myself and sometimes its been OK and sometimes its all ended in tears. But they weren't my tears. I jump on bad tenants quickly and sort it all out one way or the other.
Also I don't rent out any home I have emotional ties to, so that's easier.

Maybe its time to walk away from your Fl home, just let it be foreclosed on, from what you say its not very likely the mortgage company will be able to get anything out of you towards the shortfall so you might as well get it over with, if you think its going to be inevitable anyway.

The nearer a honme is to Poinciana the less its worth right now, as there is so much crime in that area, they aren't selling for much, so its not worth carrying on paying a big mortgage on a house which isn't worth anything like what you owe on it.
Maybe in a few years when you have got back on your feet financially you could buy another home in Fl in a different area??

Anyway, whatever happens I wish you all the best and hope that it all turns out OK for you.

And if you want some 5 gallon buckets of paint I have a guy who sells Glidden for $40, which is a lot cheaper than elsewhere. DM me if you want some phone numbers for good cheap paint.

[florida4sun]

Look I am not having a go at you personally, I feel sorry for you, I really do. However if you don't do things properly this is what happens. Things happen even when you do it properly but atleast you have some safe guards. At the time you rented you had the this forum, full of advice and especially about long term rental. If you dont take the advice in the first place, what can we do?
You say the insurance was voided after the tenants left, in which case there is no problem as the insurance would have been in place at the time.
The neighbours were managing the home? Sue them! Unless of course they in turn were uninsured and not licensed (illegal again, leaving you wide open for huge trouble).
As for painting the home yourself, that is exactly what I was telling you to do. Hire a sprayer and get it done, interior of home takes two days. 3 - 4 if you are using a roller.
I am offering qualified advice for you (its what I used to do), if you do not want it stop moaning about it. Doing it your way has got you into this mess.
Trust me I have made mistakes myself but I either got over it or lost money. I also took advice when given.
I could actually help you get the money off the tenants for repairs,there are laws in Florida that give you strong case and the money would be deducted from their wages. It's ok everyone being sympathetic but it's not helping you at all. Giving you solid advice that you take on board would help you. If that's the thanks I get then do it your way! Don't moan and groan on here and expect sympathy.<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by mrsbabypowder
[quote]Originally posted by florida4sun
Or do it properly in the first place and use a licensed rental agent and have insurance. I would not work on anybodies house that is not 3rd party insured you leave yourself wide open to whole heap of trouble.
In fact the mortgage company would insist on it. Yes it is very sad but this is what happens when you do things the wrong way. Long term rental is a pain in the UK and USA, there are safe guards and insurances you can put in place. If you just stick someone in the house with noone to keep an eye on it, no contract and no insurance (in this case security deposit illegally used to pay mortgage, the renters could actually sue the owners), then what can you expect.
If your going to do something do it properly in the first place, it takes no more time or effort.

Firstly i would like to say i am not obviously perfect by your standards. I had insurance, but when the tenants vacated we couldn't afford the insurance and we were undecided on what we wanted to do. I would not ask you for one instance to work on my house. so don't worry. You do not have to belittle me - i know i have done things the wrong way - but i have been an emotional wreck in the last few months, and your comments don't actually help me. I have been renting the house i am in now for nearly 3 years, i have had no problems and treated the house as if it was my own. Long term rental is obviously a pain for you, but it is my decision - you have made your views plain in quite a few of the posts. When you are as poor as we are you may see it a little differently. you may realize that you wouldn't be able to afford workers to come in and paint your house, and that you would just have to do it yourself. (god you have made me so angry!) i am one person that would offer help to anyone, if someone needed help, i would be the first in line. (i have even given someone who i worked with but didn't know a place to stay for a week as he was being made homeless!) if i could pull some weeds out of a flower bed and this is all i could do, then i would do it.

I had an agreement with my tenants - signed by us and our neighbors that looked after our house and they acted as management for our house. Let the former tenants sue me for using their deposit (that wouldn't even pay for the repairs) for them to be able to live in my home. they wouldn't get

[chrizzy100]

Some people have no idea Hon...its easy for me to say take no notice but that would be of little help...most of us here care that you took the time to tell us your story..and I for one hope it helps and can carry on helping..

We all make mistakes...but the price you paid is way more than anyone should...I wish you lots of luck for the future...if I can be of any help...a phone call for a chat...I've been doing that for expats for 9 years now..or if you wish me to check on your home in 6 weeks when I'm in FL just drop me a line in PM..you are also most welcome to let off stream in our Expats forum I think you are a member..if you need a link just PM..[msnsmile2]