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Fraud in Real Estate, Are You Being Victimized? - Part II
The phone range and Peter was on the other end of the line. "Willard, I have a friend of mine that has a real estate problem." I said, "Send him over." Two hours later, Jerry sat in front of me terribly upset. Three years earlier, he had been talked into buying a 4 unit building in partnership with Smooth Talker, a knowledgeable, smooth talking real estate salesman. Smooth Talker offered to find the property, arrange the financing, manage the building and even put up the down payment. Jerry was told that all he had to do was use his perfect credit to qualify for the loan and then sit back, wait seven years and the money would come rolling in. Smooth Talker also promised that the two of them would do more deals and Jerry would make over $100,000. What Jerry did not know and he would not figure out until 3 years later was that Smooth Talker had no intention of splitting anything and Jerry could kiss his perfect credit goodbye. 3 years ago, Smooth Talker had Jerry and two other buyers, buy three buildings, located on one street. The buildings cost $150,000 each. Smooth Talker put up $1,500 down payment for each property, while at the same time, telling the buyers that he was putting in $12,000.00 for each. There was an unexplained difference of $10,500 each. Smooth Talker also collected a $9,000 Real Estate commission on each. Smooth Talker also agreed to take the building in as-is condition, with no inspections and without requiring the seller to make any repairs. There were, unknown to Jerry $10,000 worth of air-conditioning as well as other work. Smooth Talker had those other two buyers borrow from the Federal Government a remodeling loan of $48,000 to make the needed repairs. When those other two buyers each got their loans, Smooth Talker took all the money and said he spent it on Jerry's building. Let me clarify that. Smooth Talker stole the money from the other two investors, telling them he used it on Jerry's building. That is still stealing. My research later showed that he did almost no repairs to any of the buildings, and what little repairs he did have done, were not even paid for. Smooth Talker cheated the poor workers out of their pay. No one could ever understand what he was doing. He even collected rent, pocketing any cash. When the buyers wanted an accounting. Smooth Talker wouldn't even supply it. When I came on the scene and demanded, as a matter of law, an accounting of what was received and spent. Smooth Talker didn't have any proof of what happen to all the money. Jerry wanted out of the partnership but Smooth Talker didn't want the building sold; but he did want to make sure he got his due, if it was. He gave me a statement showing that he had put in $34,000 (which was not true) into the building and wanted that before any split of profits. This would of left Jerry receiving $5,000 and Smooth Talker making $46,400 on the whole deal. To avoid being in this kind of a situation, I advice the following, before doing any sort of real estate deal; a) Evaluate your risk. What is your downside? Have a real estate expert study the deal. b) Set up operating and reporting guidelines with your partners. Put everything in clear English. c) Have everything reviewed by an attorney or an accountant. d) Choose your people partners with care. About The Author Willard Michlin is an Investor, Business Broker, California Real Estate Broker, Accountant, Financial Distress Consultant, Well known Public speaker and Administrative/Business Consultant. He can be contacted at his Ventura, California office by calling 805-529-9854 or by e-mail at kismetrei@earthlink.net See other article by Willard at http://www.kismetgroup.com
MORE RESOURCES: Altadena’s rough real estate market: Slower sales, lower prices, lottery winner plucking up properties Los Angeles Times Real estate magazine reports Les Wexner as Blue Heron buyer The Martha's Vineyard Times Real estate expert warns socialist mayoral candidate could trigger massive NYC exodus - Fox Business Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson sets up shop in the Valley, records show The Business Journals Bedrock flexes its real estate portfolio to grow Detroit's tech ecosystem - Crain's Detroit Business Bedrock flexes its real estate portfolio to grow Detroit's tech ecosystem Crain's Detroit Business Experts predicted Minnesota real estate agents would quit, 5 INVESTIGATES found a different reality 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Office real estate wide open in Denver as vacancy rate hits 36 percent Colorado Public Radio 5 Essential Tech Tools for Real Estate Agents National Association of REALTORS® Vail Valley real estate inventory is on the rise VailDaily.com Real Estate Partners Dollar Tree Let's Talk Business: June residential real estate sales lagging, heritage grants and more Pueblo Chieftain A New Perspective: Here Comes the Groom | Real Estate Insights Piedmont Exedra Dawson County weekly real estate transactions, July 18 Central Nebraska Today State lawmaker joins Westport commercial real estate brokerage as vice president Hartford Business Journal Boston Real Estate Times Unveils 2025 Excellence Award Winners: Honoring the Visionaries Shaping New England’s Future Boston Real Estate Times Private Credit Surges in 2025 as Real Estate Developers Bypass Banks The World Property Journal Real estate news: Senior apartments in Tustin sell for $83M; Fullerton Metrocenter snares $118M Orange County Register NAR Real Estate Forecast Summit National Association of REALTORS® New York Housing Market Trends 2025: Is the Tide Turning for Buyers? Norada Real Estate Investments Today’s Mortgage Rates: The States Offering Lowest Rates – July 18, 2025 Norada Real Estate Investments Los Angeles Water & Power commits $100 to real estate debt Pensions & Investments Property management with an owner’s mindset J.P. Morgan Corcoran McEnearney Announces Evan Lacopo to Lead the Number One Real Estate Office in Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria Living Magazine Real Estate Market Report (June) highlandscurrent.org Licking County real estate transfers for June 30-July 4 range from $200,000-$14.6 million The Newark Advocate SRS Real Estate Partners Arranges $4.53 Million Ground Lease Sale of Walmart Property in Deltona, FL citybiz Banner Real Estate Group Breaks Ground on 334-Unit The Faywell Multifamily Development in The Heart MultifamilyBiz Bridgemarq Real Estate Services® Declares Dividend Yahoo Finance Moon Becomes Next Real Estate Frontier, NAR Reports Higher Foreign Investment In US Huntsville Business Journal CBRE Announces Strategic Leadership Appointments Across U.S. & Canada Advisory Business Boston Real Estate Times Gravelle advises on current real estate market in Grant County Columbia Basin Herald Mapletree Sells Sun Belt Warehouse Portfolio to EQT Real Estate for $241M Commercial Observer Operation Pawssible: Greenbrier Humane Society gets a boost from local real estate company Mountain Messenger GenesisM Breaks Ground on 154,000-Square-Foot Biomanufacturing Facility in Bedford, MA Boston Real Estate Times AGC MA Announces 5th Annual Building Advancement Externship to Bridge Educators with STEM Construction Careers Boston Real Estate Times What's the most expensive property sold in Rhode Island? July 18 real estate transactions The Providence Journal Frederick Ford, real estate executive and first Black Union League Club president, dies at 98 Chicago Tribune The Pipeline: Commercial real estate roundup for 7.18.25 Richmond BizSense Home Buyers: Stop Freaking Out After the Home Inspection National Association of REALTORS® LOCAL REAL ESTATE TODAY 7.18.25 KQEN News Radio Home Buyers May Have Accepted a New Norm on Rates National Association of REALTORS® Tips on spotting real estate investment opportunities and avoiding risks, from experts at GR Property Group Community Impact SRS Real Estate Negotiates $4.5 Million Sale of Walmart-Anchored Property in Metro Orlando Shopping Center Business Top Stocks for Real Estate Investment Elite AI Stock Forecasts - Massive wealth growth Jammu Links News Miami-Dade’s self-storage surge a boom for real estate IslanderNews.com July Economist Snapshot: What Will the Big Beautiful Bill Mean for Commercial Real Estate and Housing? Urban Land Magazine Hunt Companies Acquires Controlling Interest in Carter, Strengthening Real Estate Development Platform Business Wire Stage Point Europe Launches Its RWA Token $SPET, Setting it up as a Bridge Between Crypto and Real Estate Morningstar New plans unveiled for Water Street’s second phase Tampa Bay Times Vend Leans Into Verticalisation As Real Estate Revenue Grows 11% In Q2 onlinemarketplaces.com Is Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Inc. a good long term investment - Explosive market performance Jammu Links News Cary Grant’s widow has listed the estate they shared for $77.5M — featuring a complete overhaul New York Post Drake Real Estate Partners closes largest fund yet after pivoting to institutions Private Equity Real Estate | PERE Real Estate Transfers ~ June 25, 2025 The Bedford Citizen Real estate sales in Jefferson, Bullitt and Oldham counties for Jan. 2-5, 2025 - The Courier-Journal Real estate sales in Jefferson, Bullitt and Oldham counties for Jan. 2-5, 2025 The Courier-Journal Wood County Recorder reports on second quarter real estate activity BG Independent News CCI Real Estate Obtains $67M in Construction Financing for Mixed-Use Community at University of Georgia REBusinessOnline Real estate transfers: Lake Township condominium complex sells for $5.61 million - Canton Repository Manitowoc's real estate transfers include a sale of nearly $1 million to Riverside Dairy Herald Times Reporter |
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