An interesting article in the Arizona Republic today tauts the benefits to renters in our current real estate market. Click here to read the piece.
Of note is the cautionary statement regarding making sure the home you are planning on renting is not in foreclosure. In a good world landlords would not rent a house they are about to loose. In reality, some people will do anything to try and stay afloat including lie, cheat and steal from a prospective tenant. The scam is pretty simple, rent you the house, take a deposit and walk away from everyone. If the homeowner files bankruptcy, the renter has few options to recover the money.
Renters beware is what we advise. The AZ Republic article gives some sage advice on exactly how to protect yourself. You may want to hire a private investigator to run a check on the property and it's owners. Sure it will cost a few bucks, but certainly not near what you could loose if caught in a scam.
