Ok,
I have began investing in real estate. I was speaking to another investor at a REI club and he told me something that shocked me completely. He said that he bought a house for $5000. It was in poor condition, no hot water heater or furnace, holes int the wall, kitchen cabinets gone, etc. He said that he patched the holes, painted the walls and it was appraised for $35000. He then paid someone in the neighborhood (a bad neighborhood) to burn it down. A month later he collected the insurance money (a little more than the appraised amount $45k total).
My questions are:
1. How could he have gotten insurance for this house? Isn't there a pre-insurance inspection for homeowners insurance, or does it not matter what shape the house is in? This house was pretty much unlivable.
2. I was under the impression that a vacant house can not be insured. Am I wrong here?
3. Is there anything that local authorities can do in a situation like this? Would my testimony help, or would it not matter?
2007-08-14
15:25:11
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8 answers
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asked by
don c
1