Criminal Activity | Real Examples of Really Rotten Realty

Open House Thief Caught

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

In Columbus, Ohio, police caught one of two suspects believed to be responsible for a number of area robberies that took place during Open Houses. When local Realtors first became aware of the problem they started photographing vehicle license plates of people entering their clients’ houses. These photos eventually helped to . . . → Read More: Open House Thief Caught

Trashing Foreclosed Homes

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

See how far some homeowners go to destroy their house before handing it over to the bank during a foreclosure. Find out who the real victims are, besides the bank, . . . → Read More: Trashing Foreclosed Homes

The New Foreclosure Victims – Innocent Homeowners Like You

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

Banks are foreclosing on homeowners who are in default. While they’re at it, they’re even foreclosing on homeowners who are either current with their payments or don’t even have a loan with that bank. The confusion created by the robo-mortgage fiasco has resulted in lots of mistakes involving who owes what, and where those . . . → Read More: The New Foreclosure Victims – Innocent Homeowners Like You

Practice Real Estate While In Jail – Only In California

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

Did you commit a real estate fraud related crime and are afraid you’ll lose your real estate license when you go to jail? If it’s a California real estate license, then don’t worry. Apparently lots of agents convicted of crimes still have their license and are legally permitted to still practice real estate. That’s . . . → Read More: Practice Real Estate While In Jail – Only In California

Squatters Destroy Newlywed Couple’s Dream Home

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

You’ve saved up for years to buy a house, you find the home of your dreams, buy it and get ready to move in only to find out that there’s a squatter living in it. It happened to Zael Zura and his fiancee Veronica Botts when they bought their dream home and discovered on . . . → Read More: Squatters Destroy Newlywed Couple’s Dream Home

Real Estate Developer Arrested For Purse Stealing

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

You know times are tough when the Mayor of San Gabriel, CA, who’s also a real estate developer turns to purse grabbing. But that’s what happened. KTLA, a local station reported that “Albert Y.M. Huang, the mayor of San Gabriel, was arrested after he “allegedly grabbed a woman’s purse and sped away with her . . . → Read More: Real Estate Developer Arrested For Purse Stealing

Bombs Found In Two Houses

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

In District Heights, Maryland, a real estate agent was inspecting a recently foreclosed home and found what appeared to be two pipe bombs left in the basement, believed to be left by the previous owner. In an effort to retaliate against the bank, he is suspected of booby-trapping the house with two explosive devices. . . . → Read More: Bombs Found In Two Houses

The New Crop Of Landlords – Unsuspecting Victims

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

A large number of homeowners, paying two mortgages because they can’t sell their previous home, are finding out that being a landlord isn’t as easy as it sounds. With housing prices in decline, many homeowners are deciding to rent out their old house rather than take a loss discounting their house to a price . . . → Read More: The New Crop Of Landlords – Unsuspecting Victims

House Squatting – Why Buy Or Rent When You Can Just Squat

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

Recently, Randy Quaid brought the illegal act of squatting into mainstream news, but really, there’s nothing new about it. Apparently squatting in really expensive homes has hit the news in a lot of major areas in the US. Some squatters are even able to get the utilities turned on and brazen enough to move . . . → Read More: House Squatting – Why Buy Or Rent When You Can Just Squat

Insurance And Arson – Avoiding Foreclosure Without Damaging Your Credit

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

Why risk losing your home to foreclosure if you can’t make the payments? Why should you ruin your credit because you can no longer afford the house you live in? An Arkansas attorney and real estate developer, Aaron Jones may have come up with a unique approach to get out of debt while keeping . . . → Read More: Insurance And Arson – Avoiding Foreclosure Without Damaging Your Credit

Randy Quaid Arrested For Burglary

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

Actor Randy Quaid, known for many roles, but the most appropriate in this case is his character, Cousin Eddie, from both National Lampoon’s Vacation and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Now he plays the uninvited houseguest he made famous in Christmas Vacation for real. He and his wife were caught squatting in a house they . . . → Read More: Randy Quaid Arrested For Burglary

Man Arrested For Apartment Rental Scams In Harlem

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

Rental scam: A man posing as a real estate agent showed a would-be Manhattan renter an apartment and takes your $2900 deposit. On move-in day, when the man discovered he’d been tricked, the agent, and his deposit was nowhere to be found. This happened to one man in the East Harlem area, but . . . → Read More: Man Arrested For Apartment Rental Scams In Harlem

Selling Property in Perth Is Easier Than You’d Think

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

Owner’s property sold without his knowledge by scammers. At least they used a real estate agent.

Apparently it’s pretty easy to sell houses in Perth, Australia, as one property owner found out when he discovered his $485,000 investment property had been sold by scammers posing as the property’s owners. The sale occurred in June . . . → Read More: Selling Property in Perth Is Easier Than You’d Think

Real Estate Broker Accused of Embezzlement

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

Somerville and Peabody Police yesterday arrested Kandy Farkhanda Shah, a real estate broker on several charges, including embezzlement and larceny. Kandy was mentioned to be the real estate agent representing the listing. A woman submitted an offer to Shah to purchase the house with a $7200 deposit. According to The Summerville News, she then . . . → Read More: Real Estate Broker Accused of Embezzlement

1,295 Prisoners Bought Homes Using Homebuyer Tax Credit

By Bill Petrey, Realtor

What if this was your neighbor's CURRENT address?

Once again, your tax dollars at work. According to CNN Money, 1,295 prisoners, including 241 serving life sentences, bought homes and defrauded the government of $9.1 million in tax credits reserved for first-time homebuyers, according to a Treasury Department report released in June of 2010. . . . → Read More: 1,295 Prisoners Bought Homes Using Homebuyer Tax Credit

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