# Kinda Stuck



## dlane (Jul 20, 2016)

Hi all , I'll try to keep it short , two 1/2 years ago I lived on my 40 AC tree farm in Arkansas it was a lot of work keeping the jungle down, as I didn't have cattle or livestock, basically lived on the tractor 
All my family is here in California my brother suggested I move to his place while my place sells. I didn't want to leave my place vacant so I let a friend rent it. Turns out she doesn't want to leave so she's sabotaging any possible sales and I'm still stuck here. The place is a nice 40 ac with a 2 ac pond 3-2 older house 30x30 metal shop Several out buildings. It is listed with century 21 "I think renter is doing the agent so she can stay there." That's the only real estate co that would do 7%  all the rest won't go lower than 10%
Since I've Ben here I've acquired several decent machine tools in my brothers dusty shop. This area is the most expensive area to buy a house or anything else ,and the people are not good , machine tools seem cheep here as everybody went to cnc . I do have a good truck and trailer but don't really want to move back there . It would be one heck of a load to haul back there .If the place did sell I couldn't afford anything around here anyhow. It's nice being close to family as moms getting up there and dads gone now I know mom dosn't want me to go back but this is not my kinda place to live. Although north Cali would prob work somewhere within six hrs of Bay Area 
Sorry just venting


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## Billh50 (Jul 20, 2016)

Sounds like there is more to this story than your telling. If it was me I would take the time to go back and straighten things out. Even if it means getting rid of the renter and hiring another agency to sell it. You can always come back to mom after. And I am sure she would understand.


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## JimDawson (Jul 20, 2016)

An interesting dilemma.  If I had 40ac somewhere I think I would move to it.  You can always rent out the land to a local farmer and let them do the hard work, or get a herd of goats.  The area that you are currently living in would not be my first choice.  It sounds like the only thing really holding you there is your mom, maybe take her with you?

Getting rid of a renter that doesn't want to go can be a real PITA.  I know, I've been a slumlord for the last 20 some years.  I have one right now that is about to get a notice and another that's treading on thin ice.

It's a long haul, but may be worth it for your sanity.


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## dlane (Jul 20, 2016)

I don't think it would be a good idea to leave the place vacant as there are no immediate houses close by.  I'm needing to get all I can out of the place 10% commission is too much. 7% is to much but best I could find,  if it was out here ied be a gazillionare, but land out there is reasonable and the area is a much slower lifestyle "think Mayberry "


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## Ulma Doctor (Jul 20, 2016)

try listing on Zillow.
i have not personally done it, but it is an option.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=23&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiFqM3pmIPOAhWHKGMKHZbpCfQQ-TAIpQEoADAW&url=http://www.zillow.com/&usg=AFQjCNFx1gJJqM0cc_WC8fXXsnZNSfcv8Q&bvm=bv.127521224,d.cGc

century21 is only looking out for century21.
no disrespect intended, but you may need to be more proactive in getting rid of the varmit in your hen house and make bigger strides towards finding a RE agent who is hungry.


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## easttex (Jul 20, 2016)

Have you spoken to your tenant about the situation?  Does she want to buy the place from you?  Would she be able to?

Did your friend sign a lease?  If something nefarious is going on that you cannot otherwise remedy, as a last resort, inform her you will not be renewing her lease and she will need to find somewhere else to live.


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## randyjaco (Jul 20, 2016)

After living in the SF Bay area for 10 years, I would have  pulled the wagon full of tools to Arkansas myself. Good luck 
Randy


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## TommyD (Jul 21, 2016)

Gawd, I'd love to have that much land.

Did you check ALL the agencies in the area, even somewhat outside the area? I agree with the hungry agent approach, there has to be someone.

Start removal proceedings on your 'friend' and if you suspect something about the listing agent, call him out. 

Maybe a case for Judge Judy? Ya make money off of the show ya know. Maybe enough to consider a 10% agency?


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## dlane (Jul 21, 2016)

Tommy I thought the land would be great , till I had to keep up on it , its mostly pine trees but I tryed to keep 5acs mowed. In that area the grass / weeds grew 2" a day, seems I lived on mowers it got old quick I was there 10 yrs . I checked all agency's 7% was the lowest
The tenant knew it was for sale , in fact she lived there free the first year ,then I made her start paying rent with a month to month lease . She dose want the place ,but rent to own won't work for me as I need my own place sooner than later. The listing will expire in December.
Talked to agent yesterday he said he has some interested party's x3 "he could be blowing smoke" 
If I end up in another place it will be a shop apartment, no maintainence don't want one blade of grass to mow . The 30x30 shop I built out there had 3x 220 outlets 5 X 110 , septic ,water, for apartment wish I could find that within 6 hrs from here


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## David VanNorman (Jul 21, 2016)

I'de rather be on the 40acs . I don't know what the renter is like but you might want to move back and do the renter. Any place off the beaten track is much better than close to the big cities. Where I live is  30 to 40 miles from a good sized town. I can shoot my guns and live like a human. Good luck no mater what you do.


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## dlane (Jul 21, 2016)

David I did have a range out there 10ft to 300yrds kinda like 3gun off the back porch .When I moved here I didn't think it would take this long to sell , so I sold my 660 grizzly and all my chain saws, I kept my tractor tho. As far as the renter , Ollie, that was the case but I couldn't get her to shut up "ever" 
The closest town Mena Ar. was 10mi pop of 6000 , 
when I bought it I didn't know the whole town was run by the kkk, wondered why I never saw any colored folks there , but there was plenty of trash , people's family tree was bamboo 
My weapons have cob webs in them by now


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## Tony Wells (Jul 22, 2016)

There is no room for bigotry or racism on this Forum, anywhere. Consider this your first, only, and last warning.


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## chips&more (Jul 22, 2016)

So, I’m in the Bay Area. Don’t need to commute to work at all or this post could easy have a different tone. As for the resources and weather, IMHO the Bay Area is hard to beat. The piles of crap in my shop can testify to the resource part!


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## GA Gyro (Jul 22, 2016)

Tricky situation.... probably gonna take some legal help to clean up... squatters have rights... which is a messy thing all in and of itself.

IMO you are probably gonna have to take an extended trip back there, with some cash and credit, and 'fix' some messy situations.

Better to have a plan... however other than getting rid of both the renter and the property... I do not have any suggestions.

One thing to think about:  Lets say (please do not take this the wrong way)... that your Mom passed soon.  
AFTER that was settled, what would you want to do...
Might keep those future thoughts in mind as you determine how to resolve your 'ranchette' issue.


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## RJSakowski (Jul 22, 2016)

Some decades ago I had 60 acres listed with a national realty agency.  They talked a good talk but when it came down to action, there was none.  I needed to move the property quickly so I went in and told them, since they hadn't come up with any offers in four months, I was canceling the contract with them.  They agreed to let it go and I listed with another realtor and had an offer in four days. What pushed the sale was the realtor coming up with the idea to split the buildings and 20 A. off.  The sale paid off the mortgage and gave me some profit.  I kept the forty and rented it out.  Twenty years ago, I sold the remaining forty which allowed me to buy my current property and some spending money besides.

Realtors like to move the cherry properties.  High dollar sales that can sell quickly without too much effort on their part.  That's where they invest their time and effort. Personally, for farm real estate, I like to find a local agent rather than a regional or national company.  Ask some of the farmers around who they would recommend.  Pick one who wears bib overhauls instead of a sport coat and tie and you will be ahead of the game.

I have also dealt with renters.  In particular, being an absentee landlord is difficult.  Not something that I would ever want to do again.  It seems to be worse for low value rent.  The people that you get  as tenants seldom have any respect for their own property, let alone yours.  If you do decide to continue with the rental, I would suggest trying to find a local advocate who can check on the property for you in your absence.  It might even be the realtor  you enlist to sell the property.  

Derrick, I wish you the best of lick in this challenging problem.


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## chips&more (Jul 23, 2016)

This will hit some people the wrong way, but I must. Realtors in my humble opinion are just smooth talkers that make outrages money doing almost nothing in a very short time. In the sale of real estate the title company does all the details, they are important. As for selling the property you can do that yourself. This is the short version, I hate to type this early in the morning.


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## 4GSR (Jul 23, 2016)

Mena, Arkansas, been thru there a couple of times over the years. Baldor used to have a manufacturing facility there. Yep, deep in the pine forest for sure!


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## Charles Spencer (Jul 23, 2016)

Tony Wells said:


> There is no room for bigotry or racism on this Forum, anywhere. Consider this your first, only, and last warning.



Amen to that.  I had been a regular on a forum related to a different subject.  When I joined the folks were as cordial as they are here.  It was allowed to degenerate with people posting mean spirited comments that related not at all to the subject at hand.

It's gone now as most of the people with something worthwhile to say ended up leaving.


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## olcopper (Sep 14, 2016)

Don't know how far Mena is from Little rock or Memphis but a direct flight would get you to the west coast in  3-4 hours if you have a family emergency.  A flock of goats and/or hogs will do wonders for keeping weeds down and neither require much care. Ship your tools and other belongings on a flatbed or in a container and make a leisurely trip back to the 40 acres without having to pull a trailer---- prepare to stay in a rental yourself till you can dump your "friend* the renter and the RE agent ---guess what I'm saying is : 40 acres in Arkansas is much-much better than the whole state of California.


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## dlane (Sep 14, 2016)

Have an offer on place not quite what I wanted out of it , they'll deal with renter.
Should close on Friday, I'll look for a shack out here somewhere


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## David VanNorman (Sep 15, 2016)

Hope you get it straightened out soon. Good luck.


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