I wish you a Happy New Year.

It’s been a great year and next year in 2009 will be even better. The New Year will bring continued happiness and a hope of a bright future. Hard work and persevirience is the key to success.

Don’t give up on your dream of owning your own home. Let’s try to cut down in unnecessary expenses and concentrate on the big picture. Eliminate the dreaded credit card debt. Create a budget for the new year and stick to it. Let’s follow Dave Ramsey’s advice, cash is king and credit is dumb.

Wishing you a Happy New Year

Season’s Greetings. All the best in 2009.

Hector Lesende
http://www.lesende.com 

The property in NW 91 Street is rented to a section 8 tenant. Finally I rented the property to a Section 8 tenant right in the line at the 22 avenue office in Miami. I did not solicit anyone. The armed security guard was there the whole time. I spend a lot of time in the Section 8 main office dealing with different tenant issues like rent increases, inspections, surveys, renewals, etc.

I was signing the final papers for another tenant to move in when a lady approached me looking for a place to rent. The lady had the voucher filled out from another landlord and was about to turn it in to her social worker. The tenant asked me if I had another property to rent and I said yes there is one single family home in N.W. 91 Street. The property has 2 bedroom 1 bath, corner lot, big fenced yard, vacant and available for $1,000 a month. The tenant told me she wanted the property.

The new tenant explained that she filled out the voucher but she was not happy with the duplex she was renting. The tenant wanted a single family instead but she was running out of time and was forced to rent the duplex. The tenant went to see her social worker and was given a new voucher. I filled out the voucher with the property information and other details.

We saw the social worker and handed in all the paperwork. The tenant was told she would get $1,010 form section 8 and her portion was $0. The tenant pays no money at all from her side. We went to see the house after all the paper work was completed. The tenant liked the property very much since it was exactly how I had described it to her. Single family home, cornet lot, big fenced yard.

We are now waiting for the inspection and survey to be completed so that the tenant is allowed to move in. The house has some minor cosmetic repairs to be done. I should have no problem passing the inspection the first time around since I know exactly what the inspectors are looking for. The main items are screens in all windows, 3/4 escape valve in water heater, fire alarm in room entrace, no iron bars or escape opening in iron bars in bedrooms, air conditioner hot and cold, among other items.

I would like to start the New Year by renting all the properties to Section 8 tenants only. I still have some tenants that are not Section 8 but there leases are not going to be renewed after they expire. Renting to Section 8 is the best choice in this current real estate market.

Early this week I went to the NW Section 8 office on 22 Avenue to check on rent increases on some of my Section 8 tenants. Currently I have a two bedroom one bath house for rent. The house is Section 8 approved and I already passed the inspection and the survey but was able to rent it because the tenant had a three bedroom voucher. The line for the tenants was huge and there were many people also waiting inside. I thought it was a great opportunity to try to rent my house to one of the tenants waiting in line. Big mistake.

I approached a few people in line and told them about my rental property. One lady in particular was very interested. The tenant clearly wanted to rent my property. She had the voucher with her and had been looking for over one month. The voucher was for two bedrooms and for $1.100 a month which is exactly what I am asking for my rental property. The tenant clearly wanted to rent my property. All I had to do was fill out the voucher and return it to her so she can deliver it to her social worker. I am already on the system so the voucher does not have to be notarized. The inspection and survey is still needed but that should be no problem since I just completed it for someone else.

An armed security guard stopped me cold and said I could not solicit on premises and I was asked to leave for talking to a tenant about a rental property. I was told to register online and get myself on the list. The guard kept an eye on me the whole time I was there to make sure I would not dare to talk to anyone else. The online registration process takes three weeks before the properties appear on the list. The tenant was right there willing and able to rent and I was not allowed to rent to her.

What’s wrong with going to the source to try to get a Section 8 tenant?  Why I was not allowed to talk to potential tenants about my rental property? My house is still vacant and not rented. I am losing time and money trying to get the property rented and Section 8 has many tenants that are unable to secure a new place to rent. I still want a Section 8 tenant in order to insure the rent payment will be paid.

I decided to walk away since I know that all Section 8 employees, including the armed security guard, will not be working there very shortly. The Miami-Dade Section 8 is going to privatize their operations early in 2009.  I hope the new private company taking over operations will allow potential tenants and landlords to interact and talk to each other. The whole system should be streamlined so that Section 8 tenants are allowed to move in faster into the new place and landlords would receive their checks on a timelier manner.

Hector Lesende is owner/licensed real estate in Miami real estate. Serving Miami, Miami Lakes real estate, Coral Gables real estate, Miami-Dade and Broward counties. We offer a South Florida foreclosure list.