‘I Buy Crack Houses,’ ‘Your House is Trash’ billboards drawing criticism in Cleveland

Fox8 News ^

[Impala64ssa]

John Williams' eloquent rebuttal here. "Killing the messenger" is NOT compassion and empathy. All the critics are doing is sending a message to the crack dealers that we're cool with y'all doing business in our 'hood. Besides isn't the first step to beating a drug addiction is to identify the problem?

[ConservativeMind]

“You can't do this in a demoralizing way,” Tania Mullins said. “You have to approach this with empathy and heart.”

New, kinder message: “I will buy your house and you can smoke crack while renting it back from me!”

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

It's kind of a dumb rebuttal. The real point is that he's saying he will be any property, no matter how distressed it is, so don't be afraid to call him.

Personally, being a resident of that area and having seen the billboards personally (right along the drive on 480...), I figure it is better for someone to spend money on crap houses because at least they not just going to let them sit there and fester indefinitely. They'll actually do something with the property.

[Dr. Sivana]

“We need to deal with them appropriately. We need to boycott them, not support them,” said Griffin.

Boycott an out-of-state real estate investor who flips houses?

How can you do that when you are not his customer?

[OrangeHoof]

It’s Cleveland. Try this in Chicago or Detroit. Put one next to Obama’s house. That would be funny.

[jacknhoo]

Seems like Mullins and Griffin are in denial. Seems like they would want someone to buy those houses and build up something more respectable.

[Made In The USA]

Objectively, are there a lot of crack houses there?

If so, maybe the Billboards aren’t the problem.

[Vaduz]

Not that long age in Chicago some crack houses were going for $25.00 haven’t kept track to the it of late but not much changes in Chicago it’s like Los Angeles it keeps getting worse.

[PAR35]

I figure it is better for someone to spend money on crap houses because at least they not just going to let them sit there and fester indefinitely.

The whole point of being a slumlord is to put as little into the property as possible while getting the most out of it as possible. The tenants are likely to trash the place anyway, so there's no point in trying to keep it up.

[AbolishCSEU]

Or a dreaded “land bank” could move in and buy up all the “deferred maintenance” properties for an obscene amount, then tear them all down.

[DIRTYSECRET]

The ‘I buy Crack Houses’-there is no sign like that in the news report. Like the fella on the billboard this couple are ‘investors’. Sounds like fake news.

[marstegreg]

My grandfather rented out a house in Cleveland in the 70s. After he died, it fell into disrepair. My grandmother allowed the renters to stay if they did basic maintenance. When they moved, the house was sold for under 20K. It was resold with no visible improvement for over 85K. All it is is money laundering…

[AbolishCSEU]

Yes and this market is BOOMING. Since the Scamdemic, the average tenant no longer bothers to attain a credit score over 600, steady employment etc., thinking the government will bail them out or the courts will take their side when they stop paying rent. These applicants want the Taj Mahal to destroy but want rent to be free as well.

I’ve had a vacant unit (beautifully rehabbed) since March with no real prospects in sight. Just a bunch of young people who believe in free rent and large menageries under the guise of “Emotional Support Animals.”

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Truth is hate to people who hate truth.

[BenLurkin]

City of Light
City of Magic

[PAR35]

Well, the old model was to rent to a legal Hispanic, and he would sublet rooms to his illegal relatives and friends. Split the rent on a 3 bedroom house 12 ways, and the rent becomes affordable.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

The ‘I buy Crack Houses’-there is no sign like that in the news report. Like the fella on the billboard this couple are ‘investors’. Sounds like fake news.

No, it's a real sign. Or at least it was - haven't been down that highway for a few days. But that is exactly what it said.

[sjmjax]

It’s a bad sign (no pun intended) when a culture loses its sense of humor.

You’re correct. It’s just a funny way of saying that you buy distressed properties.

[GOPJ]

Insightful - it’s unlikely the denizens living in run down ‘crack houses’ actually own them - so this gives the owners a way out. They can sell at a loss, but at least they CAN sell. Also if this guy buys enough of the eyesores and fixes them up other homes in the area will become worth more.

[AbolishCSEU]

We have basically low income, gov’t subsidized whites, blacks and puerto ricans.