Party Crews Illegally Take Over Empty Homes For Raves
You know that big old McMansion that has been empty in town with a bit of acreage? The old Johnson House. Boy was there a shindig out there the other night. No one has lived there since the bank took it over but there must have been 500 cars there for the party that went all night. I wonder what that was all about.
Instead of scoffing at stories like this, it may be happening more than you think. With the plethora of empty houses across the country, young entrepreneurs are “borrowing” them for an evening and hosting massive parties with healthy cover charges.
And you the real estate agent may have given them access to the property. Here is an example out of the San Diego region.
In San Diego County, young people have taken over foreclosed houses for late-night rave parties, says Detective Jeff Lauhon of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. Lauhon says the culprits were well-organized in some instances: A young couple would get a realtor to give them a tour of a foreclosed house — usually in a rural area on a large property. The woman would distract the realtor while the man surreptitiously left a window open or door ajar. They would then return and invite others for parties that lasted until the wee hours.
“One main consideration they had was plenty of parking,” Lauhon says. “The people hosting called themselves a party crew. It turned into a business venture. They were charging admission, to cover the cost of alcohol and to make a good profit. It’s just another example of being an entrepreneur. They just chose to do it in a way that’s not lawful.” via USA Today
Very funny comparison. However you don't need to pay property tax on Barbies 3 Story Dream House. With the unemployment ...
My wife has actually decided to study for and get her real eatate licence just so we dont ever have ...
I like your analogy in this article. The real estate economy really is like a patient who you cannot ...
Real Estate is hyper-local. Every market is different. Phoenix has already hit bottom and is starting to recover. We have ...
Great to hear that the big boys
are predicting recovery sooner than
most think.
Thanks for the value! 
I agree--good analogy. You have to crawl before you can walk. Right now, at least in Austin, many people would ...
I live in the Philippines and I am glad we are not on the lists... 
I have a few Litograghs of Presidents homes , made by Richard V. Sebring. yr. 1990 Do they have any ...
Comment by Cary NC Homes for Sale on 23 November 2009:
My first reaction was “WHAT?” but if these “party crews” are taking the time to choose prime properties with lots of room, I’m _guessing_ they are also considering closeness to neighbors. I would imagine that if neighbors knew a place was vacant, and then saw 200+ cars of people show up one night, they would say something. But if these are properties with no close neighbors, it’s gotta’ be pretty easy.
I guess it means that as an agent, you have to take more time out of your schedule to do a walkthrough and make sure everything is secure before you leave.
Comment by tego on 24 November 2009:
I’ve heard of kids or Brokers getting a hold of their parents lock box key and looking up vacant houses to party. Now we have to lock up our booze and our Lock Box keys…
Comment by Discount Las Vegas Homes on 24 November 2009:
One thing you could do, especially for bigger or more isolated homes, is to have a security camera installed. There’s a lot of vacant homes here in Vegas but normally they just get vandalized. I hope the ‘party people’ at least clean up…
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