See the Miami Herald Article on Rental Scams. They weren't using Trulia, they were using other sites, but I think the mantra with the internet is always better safe than sorry. Six months of security is unusual, and I remain convinced that you have every right to be concerned.

I dont think that is possible, I believe most people are relocating to other states due to them finding better jobs, and this may be a way for them to save their home, by renting it out. If its on Trulia, its listed with a license agent. If they decided to foreclose, banks are paying tenant to relocate, I think you will be fine. We can request to have them to update you witha a Mortgage state every 90days until Lease is up.

Latisha Thompson
PIE Realty, LLC
404-914-6977

Dear Brenda Gibson -
You are smart to be concerned. Folks below gave you good advice.

There is a way to both pay them and safeguard your hard-earned money. You could ask the owners to contact a REALTOR or an ESCROW ATTORNEY and arrange for the money to be held in "TRUST" and used to pay the mortgage monthly. The owners' attitude should give a clue about their situation.

If you want to contact me, I will be happy to check the tax records about their mortgage and see what info I can find for you. At that time, I can give you a link to some of the fraud stories if you are interested.

In addition, if you go to our website, http://www.odatrealty.com, you may have complimentary access to a LISTINGBOOK data base for Atlanta that shows legitimate rentals. Just sign in and set your own search fields. Leave messages for us on different properties if you have questions. We'll answer on the site as well.

Have a happy day -
Lynn

Yes they could simply take your money and not pay their mortgager. Doesn't matter what state they are in. Like others have stated there are things you can do to protect yourself as a renter. Renting from the current owners is not a bad idea, putting 6 months up front not really a great idea. If you can put up 6 months rent to secure the property why not consider buying a home. You might even end up paying less on your mortgage.

Hire an agent. That is not a good idea to pay rent in advance unless you are saving a considerable amount of money. It is not uncommon for a landlord to default on their mortgage. I would not want to pay upfront b/c if the LL spends the money on something else and has a mortgage, he/she won't have money to pay their mortgage. Pay by the month and get a good realtor to help you with the lease and put provisions in the lease in case the LL defaults on the mortgage. What value is it to you to pay your rent for 6 months? Hire a realtor for professional advice.

You would come out ahead to do the normal month-at-atime, and leave the remaing 5 month's in a saving account.
That is aside from the other considerations that everyone has talked about.

Good luck and may God bless

Brenda,

There is always that chance, although not likely. I would just rethink the idea of giving that much money up fron to somewone you don't know. There is no reason to pay up front. Normally it is rent plus deposit and sometimes last months rent in advance. That should be enough to secure any good lease you desire. Get everything signed and notarized. You might want to speak with their neighbors as well as a security measure. You are interviewing a landlord as they are interviewing you. Good luck with your move.

Robert McGuire ASR
Realtor/Consultant
Your Castle Real Estate
1776 S. Jackson St. #412
Denver CO 80210
Direct – 303-669-1246

Find yourself a local realtor that would be willing to look up the property on Forclosure Radar just to make sure they are not in default. It is not 100% up to date but it is better than nothing. Even if it don't show there you should be cautious. If you can't find anyone to help you send me an email and I will look it up for you.
Gbuck@MGhometeam.com
Gordon Buck

Trust your instincts. Hope you haven't already written the check. There are a lot of scam artists who would love to run with your money. Use a reputable Realtor to help you find your short term lease or do major research on your own!
Sarah Chatel http://www.sarah-sells.com

Brenda,

A six month deposit is extremely unusual in Atlanta. Check the tax assessors website to see if they are listed as the owner of the property (this could be out of date by several month though) and verify their taxes are current. Consider using an escrow agent to hold the funds until they are due each month. You could also ask for their most recent statement from their lender indicating that they are current on their mortgage payments. Good Luck!

Yes, assuming they actually own the property in the first place. Did you check?

Michael Hammond
SellsRealty@gmail.com
404-538-5499

http://www.georgiamls.com/agentsite/index.cfm?SiteID=HAMMONDJOHNM

http://www.chapmanhallprofessionals.com

Tread very, very carefully. The Miami news is full of reports of folks who think they've done a seasonal rental only to find out that it was a scam artist. At a minimum, make sure the "homeowners" are just that by checking them against the local tax rolls. At least here, 3 months is the normal security, 6 months would be very unusual.