Todays Rental News » Humorous Stories

Landlords Use Private Eyes to ID Illegal Tenants

Tim Ballering — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:22:56 +0000

As a parade of slovenly dressed 20-somethings passed through the entrance of a downtown Manhattan apartment building on a weekday afternoon, these seemingly savvy New Yorkers did not seem to notice they were the subjects of a photo shoot.

That is because this shoot was covertly orchestrated by their landlord, who had hired a private investigator to root out illegal tenants.

via NYTimes.com.

[And NY's rent control wars continue]

Empire Builder: Collector of Miniature Skyscrapers Is a Mini-Trump

Tim Ballering — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:10:23 +0000

After spending 36 years as a consultant to property-owning firms and tycoons, 60-year-old Howie Gelbtuch decided to build his own empire.

via Empire Builder

Horned Man Caught After Trying to Kill Landlord With Minivan

Tim Ballering — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 21:40:59 +0000

In this week’s installment of Body-Modification Attempted Murder, we report on a horned man who tried to run over his landlord with a minivan in Tulsa, Okla.

via Asylum.com.

[You have to see the picture]

The paper apartment

Tim Ballering — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:58:09 +0000

cocinar on Flickr – Photo Sharing!.

Google autocomplete humor – real estate edition

Tim Ballering — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:53:04 +0000

It’s time to let our hair down as we examine what the world thinks of the real estate sector when you’re not looking. Have you ever noticed that when you start typing in words in Google it suggests the next several words? Looking closely at those suggestions that are based on other users’ searches can often provide quite a chuckle.

via Agent Genius .

Peeps (marshmallow candy) trial ends in eviction

Tim Ballering — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:05:00 +0000

Carol “Chay” Burdick thanked the judge, jury and “Peeps freaks all over the world” for their support Thursday despite losing a case against her Boulder landlord that hinged partly on whether her Easter decorations were considered art or trash.

via Boulder Daily Camera.

Plumbing sold separately, and other funny real estate ads!

Tim Ballering — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:22:50 +0000

Plumbing sold separately: This phrase was used to promote a vandalized home in an ad on Loopnet.com, noting that the home had been stripped of it's plumbing as reflected in the price of under $25,000.

via Examiner.

Attorney accidentally sues himself

Tim Ballering — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:09:05 +0000

Alton attorney Emert Wyss thought he could make money in a Madison County class action lawsuit, but he accidentally sued himself instead. Now he has four law firms after his money – and he hired all four.

via Madison/St. Clair Record.

Home for sale includes wife

Tim Ballering — Tue, 25 May 2010 01:28:05 +0000

A struggling single parent and real estate agent is trying to sell her house and find a husband. Shes auctioning off both her home and her love in a package deal on eBay and Craigslist.

via West Palm Beach News,

Real Estate, Bad Location as Selling Point

Tim Ballering — Mon, 17 May 2010 22:51:15 +0000

Last year, when many Park Avenue real estate brokers were struggling to sell their co-ops, Vickie Palmos and her business partner helped sell 37 condos in Astoria, Queens, as if it were 2006.

Ms. Palmos credits her success in part to the fact that she takes listings that other brokers sneer at because the properties suffer from real estate’s greatest sin: bad location.

via NYTimes.com.