SAN DIEGO - In this volatile housing market, it can be tempting to cash-in on a foreclosure. But, before you put your money down you had better be sure about what you’re getting. In some cases, previous owners leave behind a mess that can cost you thousands.
Chris Heller, a real estate expert with Encinitas based, “Heller the Home Seller”, took San Diego 6 cameras into a foreclosure in Escondido. Heller says when the previous owners moved out, they took everything with them. And, we mean everything plus the kitchen sink.
“They ripped out everything from the cabinets to the appliances to the fixtures on the wall, even the faceplates on the outlets,” Heller said. They also took a sledge hammer to the bathroom sinks, removed almost every light fixture, toilet and even ripped out the Jacuzzi bathtub.
Heller says he sees it time and time again. When it comes to foreclosures, previous owners can be downright damaging.
“People are frustrated, people are angry, and they take it out on the banks. It's their way of getting back at the bank they think,” says Heller.
It’s not just vandalism, it’s a crime.
Olivenhain home stripped of fixtures
Back in February, we were allowed inside a 15 bedroom, 16,000 square foot home in Olivenhain. At the time it was the county’s largest foreclosure. Inside, the owner Suzy Brown, had installed antique doors, pricey fixtures, and hand painted imported tiles. Just last month, Brown was charged with 2 felonies. She’s accused of stripping a million dollars worth of fixtures out of the home when she left.
But Heller says if the owner isn’t held criminally responsible, the new buyer picks up the bill.
“Whoever buys the property, is buying it the way we see it and then they're going to spend the money to put it back together.”
Heller says it’s crucial for any potential buyer to hire at least one home inspector.
“We've found homes that have had cement poured down the toilets and the plumbing and sewer lines clogged up. So it's really important more so than ever before that the buyer inspect the property and sometimes more than once,” advised Heller. “Because what you see and what you don’t see, is what you get.”
