Before I was ever a REALTOR, a friend of my husband’s bought a small bungalow to rent out. He was proud of the renovation, every shingle and fixture chosen by hand, and eager to start earning after the bills stacked up.
His first tenant seemed ideal. A well-spoken man explained that his niece was coming to St. Louis for college and needed housing. Nice car, polished demeanor, the kind of tenant every landlord hopes for.
The rent came on time. Everything looked fine.
Three months later, my friend got a call from the police. The “niece” didn’t exist. The home Continue Reading →
