We have a potential renter for the home Jack and I own. Jack and I are licensed agents and have a lot riding on our screening process. There is a strict set of Federal Fair Housing guidelines Jack and I must follow. Ignoring these set criteria can land us in a lot of hot water down the road (not to mention a nasty fine and possible jail time).
Additionally, there is another set of written criteria Jack and I have in place for our renters. They must make a certain amount of money and have a certain minimum debt ratio before we will even talk to them. This ensures we will get rent.
On top of that, I personally don't take tenants who have had an eviction or have been arrested for manufacturing or selling illegal substances. Nor do I accept tenants who have been arrested for a violent crime or sexual misconduct. You know, the basics.
Even with this kind of screening process in place, there is another level of screening that sometimes takes place. Networking. This is generally the best way to get quality tenants.
Jack got a call from someone who saw his sign outside our home. Both Jack and the potential tenant recognized each other's names and spent a few minutes reminiscing. They aren't friends. But, they do travel in social circles which at times overlaps. They hear about each other. Apparently our potential tenant sent his condolences about Jack's mother's passing, while Jack inquired about a medical situation our potential tenant has experienced. Neither have seen each other in years.
This level of familiarity boosted this potential tenant up on the "we want you, please rent from us" scale considerably. In the South (and I am sure it happens in other places as well, I don't see it as much here), if you burn someone, you are going to be shunned by their entire social network. You just don't do that.
For example, Jack introduced me to Burt the handyman. Burt stopped doing work for me. He didn't call. He just dropped off the face of the Earth in mid-project. Jack won't use him any more for handyman projects. Neither will any of Jack's associates. Burt lost this connection (and a lot of potential future work).
Strangely, I had to explain to Jack why this potential renter guy was exciting to me. It is so ingrained in his nature, apparently nobody ever spelled it out. When I finished, Jack agreed.
We wouldn't have any trouble with this guy.
Friday, May 08, 2009
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3 comments:
Sometimes when I read your blog you remind me of an anthropologist giving a lecture on the strange and varied creatures which inhabit the southeastern region of our country and their idiosyncrasies that are completely indigenous to their region. LOL To be such a small portion of this country, we are a very distinct and foreign culture all unto ourselves aren't we? More rules than you can shake a stick at! Funny how we don't even realize it until someone points it out. We just assume EVERYONE has the same mindset. Strange lot we southerners. I'm reminded of what my grandma used to say "People from the south can make it anywhere but not everyone can make it in the south". She must have been talking about those dreaded rules.
My mom's from Texas where you can apparantly be somehow related to someone everyone knows...
LOL! The most common thing out of anyone's mouth when you first meet them is, "What does your daddy do?" Or, in case you are older, "Who was your daddy?" That is the polite southern way of finding out who you're related to. A friend of mine from Chicago thinks it evolved as a way of preventing VERY close family marriages. However, I don't think it worked.
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