As Dave runs both PickRent.com and RentVine.com he runs across email addresses of people that are trying to list homes for lease on his web sites that aren’t theirs to lease.  They aren’t agents for the owner either but instead scammers that hope to have people send them money and never legitimately lease you the property they have advertised. 

So far, I know of two of the properties I have had listed with my property management company, A Vantage Properties, have been “spoofed”.  Both times on Craigslist where they have “stolen” the wording and pictures I had.  Then when someone asked for more details, they sent interior pictures that did not match the style of the home.  Thank goodness, most times when I have a home listed for lease, I put a For Lease by A Vantage Properties sign out front or in the window as most people will drive by a home first.  Though there are some people that are moving to an area and are leasing “long” distance (sight unseen) so maybe the scammers are hoping that someone won’t notice until it is too late. 

So, if you are looking to lease a home, run the email address of the individual you are talking to through this new tool, http://www.pickrent.com/stuff/scammerdatabase.cfm  If you’ve emailed someone that you know is a scammer (you never see inside the home, they are going to mail you the keys from out of country, and other “red flags”), please forward that email address on to Dave by using the “contact us” link on the scammer database page.

Thanks again Dave for helping A Vantage Properties and other property managers, owners, and those looking for homes to lease with more tools to help stay safe from scammers.

Over the years, Dave and I have tossed ideas back and forth.  He’s asked me for opinions.  I’ve asked him for some.  He’s interviewed me when he was working on podcasts.  I’ve provided him with settings when he worked on creating videos for his web sites.  It’s been a good relationship for both of us.  Now I feel like I’ve taken advantage of him.

I’ve always been one that didn’t want to use a template site that looked like everyone elses.  So, I created my own for property management and added widgets and other tools to it over time.  I know enough about coding to be dangerous but not enough to make the site “all it could be.”  Dave came to me and asked if I would be interested in a template site that he would create and give away to property managers.  Since I had been spending a lot of time working on my web site when a new home was added or leased, and internet explorer changed again, I was ready for something new so I talked with Dave about his ideas. 

Dave worked on creating his template using my information as his subject matter.  We talked, he tweaked.  We talked some more, and he tweaked some more and then…. I had a new and improved property management web site for A Vantage Properties. 

Now my A Vantage Properties web site looks good no matter what web browser you use – YEAH!  To add or remove a property only takes a few minutes and a few clicks which is such a great time saver.  Dave even created “help” videos to walk people through on how to make changes to some of the different parts of the site.  I love being able to have rolling pictures in the header showcasing the homes I have available and / or leased.  I enjoy the ability to have a map showing where in the metro area the homes are that I have available. 

Thank you Dave Dugdale and Pick Rent for providing me with tools to stream line my day and web work.  It is greatly appreciated! 

So do you want to see what great widgets are available to you to use a property manager too?  Visit http://www.pickrent.com/widgets/tools.cfm so you can see what tools may be available for you.