At one time, I thought buying rental properties in the Jacksonville, Florida, area would provide me a lucrative living. I invested into several houses that required some renovations. I didn’t mind spending some time and money fixing up the properties. I replaced the cupboards and countertops, bought new appliances and painted. I scrubbed everything clean and devoted a great deal of time and effort into making the yards neat and tidy. I then discovered how difficult it is to find tenants who can pass a credit check and afford a security deposit. The process of vetting potential renters was extremely stressful and time-consuming. Once the properties were rented, I assumed I’d be able to sit back and collect the rents. Instead, I needed to continually reach out to my tenants requesting the rent. There were lots of excuses why the payment would be late. I also got non stop calls about issues with the properties. A tenant once called to complain because her apartment was dusty. I signed up for an HVAC maintenance plan to keep the heating and cooling units in good working order but the tenants refused to allow the technicians into the homes. When I’d had enough of the stress and problems and decided to sell the properties, I discovered lots of damage. There were holes in the walls, cracked windows, broken appliances and clogged drains. I just wanted to walk away from it. I couldn’t tolerate the thought of making a fresh set of repairs or sinking anymore money into the property. I didn’t want to deal with realtors, financing and inspections. Instead, I contacted cash homebuyers. They buy properties in the Jacksonville area in any condition. The closing was handled within two weeks.
