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I know that Craigs List has its share of scammers but lately, it's been nuts!!! I'm looking for new apartment and I saw one in Rego Park. It sounded nice and the rent was a little below market value. I responded to get an appointment. What do I get in return? An obvious scam of an email asking me to follow a link to provide all my personal information. I see another one in Manhattan. Same thing, rent is a little below market. I respond to the ad and get the same response.
I thought it might be better to find one on my own rather than pay a real estate a month's rent.
I've found legit apartments on craigslist but I agree there are a lot of scams. Most are easy to detect or get thwarted when you exercise best practices.
I've found legit apartments on craigslist but I agree there are a lot of scams. Most are easy to detect or get thwarted when you exercise best practices.
Agreed. Be very diligent in your search. A lot of "empty key's" scams as well. Renting from a private owner and the property is not for rent at all. Many cases where 3 or 4 families show up to move in on the same day, Now without a home and the deposit and rent money gone!
I've used craigslist for all of the apartments that I've had. I found a lot of bait and switch ploys- beautiful apartment in the pictures, absolutely disgusting completely different apartment in person. That said I did find a beautiful apartment under market price on there that was legit. So it's not impossible.
Is it the Scammers out in "full force"; or, is it the potential suckers??!!
Note! You said you saw two apartments, both BELOW MARKET!!!
Apparently, you know what the market value is. So, shouldn't an apartment listed BELOW market automatically be a red flag?
Why even call? Market Value is just that! The true value. Why would anyone sell/rent something BELOW market value?
It doesn't make sense, and if it doesn't make sense, then it isn't true! [Therein lies the nature of Truth!]
For example, why would anything sell/rent below Market Value? Nothing does! Simple ECONOMICS 101.
Lets say the apartment is a little worn and beat up vs the average market value apt. Obviously, then, the beat up apt would sell/rent at a value less than average, AND that value w/b its TRUE MARKET VALUE. Not a penny more nor less!
There is the Market Value for the "Average" and the Market Value for "beat up". The "beat up" is NOT being listed below Market Price. It's actual value IS below Market Value!
NOTHING sells below Market Value. YOU only *think* it can and does. THIS is how they 'sucker' you in EVERY scam. They prey upon YOUR greed, ignorance and/or desparation. Don't be greedy! Don't be ignorant! Don't be desparate! You can never be SCAMMED! It is as simple as that!
Whenever you are in a business transaction, ask yourself, "Am I being greedy?" "Am I acting in desperation"? "Am I ignorant; do I know everything I should know?" Answer anyone of the questions wrongly, and your are taking a RISK!
It *might* work out, it *might* not. Yet, I guarantee you, when EVERYTHING is on the line, you will be wrooked 100% of the time!
[Such is NOT the nature of Risk; but, that is a whole 'nother post....]
Most Transplants to NYC, by their nature, are ignorant, desparate, and desire an apartment that costs more than what they can afford (whether they realize it or not), which is greed.
So, again, is it the Scammer predators out in "full force", or is the Transplant prey?
It only takes one Lion to eat a freaking Herd, one prey at a time....
You'll be able to spot scams from the get go after using Craigslist for awhile. My biggest pet peeve is brokers who post in the by owner section..there are tons of those. They try to pretend like they are not doing it on purpose by saying "agent working for landlord" but it's so transparent. Like obviously all apartments are technically "by owner" since he is the one who is renting the place out, and they know very well that that's not what "by owner" on CL means. It's so annoying.
I've used craigslist for all of the apartments that I've had. I found a lot of bait and switch ploys- beautiful apartment in the pictures, absolutely disgusting completely different apartment in person. That said I did find a beautiful apartment under market price on there that was legit. So it's not impossible.
Esp the ones that take a picture of the outside of the property, And when you walk in it's not fit for a meth lab to be there even!
I've used craigslist for all of the apartments that I've had. I found a lot of bait and switch ploys- beautiful apartment in the pictures, absolutely disgusting completely different apartment in person. That said I did find a beautiful apartment under market price on there that was legit. So it's not impossible.
I've seen so many listings with the same exact pictures for the apartments. Ridiculous. Most of those are just agents looking to get people to call so they can show them different apartments.
Is it the Scammers out in "full force"; or, is it the potential suckers??!!
Note! You said you saw two apartments, both BELOW MARKET!!!
Apparently, you know what the market value is. So, shouldn't an apartment listed BELOW market automatically be a red flag?
Why even call? Market Value is just that! The true value. Why would anyone sell/rent something BELOW market value?
It doesn't make sense, and if it doesn't make sense, then it isn't true! [Therein lies the nature of Truth!]
For example, why would anything sell/rent below Market Value? Nothing does! Simple ECONOMICS 101.
Lets say the apartment is a little worn and beat up vs the average market value apt. Obviously, then, the beat up apt would sell/rent at a value less than average, AND that value w/b its TRUE MARKET VALUE. Not a penny more nor less!
There is the Market Value for the "Average" and the Market Value for "beat up". The "beat up" is NOT being listed below Market Price. It's actual value IS below Market Value!
NOTHING sells below Market Value. YOU only *think* it can and does. THIS is how they 'sucker' you in EVERY scam. They prey upon YOUR greed, ignorance and/or desparation. Don't be greedy! Don't be ignorant! Don't be desparate! You can never be SCAMMED! It is as simple as that!
Whenever you are in a business transaction, ask yourself, "Am I being greedy?" "Am I acting in desperation"? "Am I ignorant; do I know everything I should know?" Answer anyone of the questions wrongly, and your are taking a RISK!
It *might* work out, it *might* not. Yet, I guarantee you, when EVERYTHING is on the line, you will be wrooked 100% of the time!
[Such is NOT the nature of Risk; but, that is a whole 'nother post....]
Most Transplants to NYC, by their nature, are ignorant, desparate, and desire an apartment that costs more than what they can afford (whether they realize it or not), which is greed.
So, again, is it the Scammer predators out in "full force", or is the Transplant prey?
It only takes one Lion to eat a freaking Herd, one prey at a time....
/jcoltrane dropping bombs!
[Bracketed comments are just additional wisdoms.]
Not always true. There are some landlords who WILL rent a little below Market Value which is what I said (not just 'below market') in order to get good, long-term, rent-paying, working, stable tenants.
I know that Craigs List has its share of scammers but lately, it's been nuts!!! I'm looking for new apartment and I saw one in Rego Park. It sounded nice and the rent was a little below market value. I responded to get an appointment. What do I get in return? An obvious scam of an email asking me to follow a link to provide all my personal information. I see another one in Manhattan. Same thing, rent is a little below market. I respond to the ad and get the same response.
I thought it might be better to find one on my own rather than pay a real estate a month's rent.
Sigh....
Yep its that time of year again, open season on Transplants. One of my good friends is a super in the UES. One day he caught two chicks from the Midwest moving in with fresh new furniture from an Ikea truck. These two ladies only been in NYC for less then a week and had reasonable jobs lined up which would make native New Yorkers jelous. A phony real estate broker gave them the keys to the apartment with no lease to sign. The building manager rushed to the apt right away to grab back those keys. From what I heard that the ladies responded to an ad on Craigslist and they flown in to NYC to check out the apartment on a one way ticket. The Broker went to the rental office to get the keys and showed these Midwestern chicks the apartment. The deal was broker fee. All they had to pay was 2k for first months rent 2k for last months rent and 3k security deposit, a total of 7,000 dollars. These ladies got conned nicely and from what I heard these chicks blew out their entire savings and had no money to fly back home. A couple of times I caught Europeans lost looking for Hotels that don't exist. Three chicks from Ireland got conned 3000 dollars total to stay two weeks in an hotel that never existed. These chicks had no place to stay. Also two chicks from Spain, same thing happened to them. Also I know a Frenchie woman, she got conned on CL by some guy who told her to go to the bank and take out 10000 dollars and in return the person will give Frenchie chick half of the money. TGTBT right, she got five grand easy. Cops came and arrested her, but she was released.
I work for an RE management company and I do see brokers with their clients all the time. I ask for three things when brokers and clients want to see an apartment, ID, business card and NYS broker license. I came across phony business cards like City Habitats instead of the real Citi Habitats and I deny these phony brokers access to see the apartments with their clients.
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