Real Estate Horror Story: Part 3 – The Squatter Surprise

Investing in real estate can be one of the most rewarding ventures, but sometimes, even the best-laid plans can turn into a real-life horror story. Welcome back to part 3 of my real estate investing nightmare. Buckle up, because this one takes a wild turn!

Months had gone by, and I still couldn’t get in touch with my property manager. It was like he had vanished into thin air. Then, out of nowhere, I got a call from my insurance company. They were canceling my policy because there was a junk car parked in the driveway. The kicker? They couldn’t reach my property manager to deal with the issue either! At this point, I was beyond confused.

But the surprises didn’t end there. The city began hitting me with fines for not having a rental license. I had assumed my property manager had taken care of this before renting the property out, but I was wrong—very wrong. The fines started rolling in every 21 days, and the frustration was mounting.

That’s when I knew I had to take action. I hired a new property manager to step in and get things under control. When they went to inspect the property, they discovered something shocking—a man named Steve was living there. And not just any man, but someone who proudly declared himself a “professional squatter.” Yep, you read that right. Steve had been living in my property for five months, with the utilities in his name, and a full understanding of how to work the system.

But believe it or not, that wasn’t even the worst of it…

(Stay tuned for Part 4!)

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Real estate investing can have its ups and downs, but moments like these remind us of the importance of having the right team in place. Keep following for more lessons, tips, and, of course, the shocking conclusion to this story!