Foreclosure Victims Stripping Homes
By: Diane Tuman, Zillow Content Manager | June 16, 2009
In the past, foreclosure victims have left their homes seemingly in a hurry. Once authorities get inside, they find furniture, clothes, toys and sometimes, sadly, even pets are left behind.
Now, the Arizona Republic is reporting the opposite is happening. In Surprise, AZ, police are reporting that hundreds and perhaps thousands of foreclosed homes are being stripped of anything of value. Dishwashers, ovens, air conditioning units, toilets, bathtubs, sinks, and even spiral staircases are all being removed, allegedly by the foreclosure victims, although “opportunists” could be part of this, as was the case with the $1 Detroit house.
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- Categories: Foreclosures
Comments
8 Comments so far
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Chad Dierickx on June 16, 2009 1:56 pm
This just happened to an acquaintance of mine who purchased a home that had been foreclosed on - the former owner took appliances, hardware, even lighting fixtures. Unbelievable. And it happened after the sale before the new owner could change the locks (hint: when you buy a home for auction, change the locks as soon as possible).
Foreclosure Victims Stripping Homes | Zillow Blog - Real Estate … | Free Foreclosure Doctor on June 16, 2009 5:00 pm
[...] Read more here [...]
Fireballsocal on June 16, 2009 6:33 pm
A quick browse of craigslist will show you where all of this stuff is going. You can pick up anything you want, second hand. Even used ceramic tile! I have been looking for garage cabinets and have found many complete sets of high end kitchen cabinets for sale, many with granite/corian countertops available at extra cost. Some even include the kitchen sink. ;>)
San Diego Home Inspector on June 20, 2009 9:38 am
Desperate times = desperate measures. My nephew recently bought a home in Mariposa County AZ and if it wasn’t bolted down, it was missing. In fact, even some of the bolted down items were gone such as the water softener unit, light switches, heater grills, even the furnace filters.
A client of mine in San Diego bought a foreclosure a few months back some of the more peculiar things stripped from the house included:
All the light bulbs from the recessed lighting
Most of the screws from the light switch plates
Some of the pantry shelves were removed
The gas lines for the water heater
The hoses for the washing machine
A few sprinkler heads in the yard
DG on June 22, 2009 1:31 pm
What do you expect when the homeowner is trying to work out a deal with the bank… and rather than working something out the bank would rather auction the home off for 60% less than what the owner owes. Why not negotiate a lower price so the person can stay in the home and mitigate the loss. Its like the banks want to lose more money.
Loan Modification on June 24, 2009 8:36 am
So true, DG…
My father taught me to always have a good long look at something before you buy it; if you’re getting a foreclosure for dirt cheap, and you can afford the cost to rehab it, then what is there to complain about? I do, however, am of the firm belief that lenders really aren’t doing ish to help homeowners keep their homes in comparison with what they could be doing.
Loan Modification on July 14, 2009 1:40 pm
good post, thanks
Jim J on August 14, 2009 7:32 pm
My house will eventually be foreclosed. I had to replace the A/C unit and water heaters in the last few months. I plan on taking those, the appliances of which I upgraded, the ceiling fans (6) and garage door opener which are all upgrades, also the newer more expensive lights in and outside of which are new will come with me. Well I guess I’ll leave the RV driveway and 2 gates oh and the pool and jacuzzi which I added also - they’re too hard to dig out. Hey it’s a matter of I paid for it and you ain’t gettin’ it.