RSS FeedRoundup: Heard In The ‘Hood
Southwest Waterfront – Construction keeps rolling at the Waterfront project at 4th and M Street SW where they’re going to get an urban lifestyle Safeway (sound familiar?) to replace their current Safeway. Some in the PQ (used to) shop for groceries at this location. Check out the “construction cams” to get a real time look and see 4th Street SW reappear before your very eyes! [Southwest…The Little Quadrant That Could]
Columbia Heights – New independent DC business called Simply Soles, a designer shoe and handbag store, opens on Park Road. Do the ladies in the PQ want something similar downtown? [The 42 Bus]
NoMa/between NoMa and MV Triangle – How will Northwest One’s, a larger redevelopment project in No[rth of] Ma[ss Ave], financing hold up in the current environment? [DC Metrocentric]
Downtown West – You know that now empty office building lot at Connecticut Ave and K Street NW? The developer proposes putting in a surface parking lot to generate revenue until financing conditions get better. Appropriate? [WaPo]
Renter Beware: If It’s Too Good to Be True
A few months ago, I left a great job with a local law firm to go back to work on Capitol Hill. And as you can imagine, this career move made my bank account a bit slimmer. Okay, it’s practically anorexic.
Recently, I decided that I would move in order to save some money. But having grown to love Penn Quarter like a member of my extended family, I didn’t want to leave the neighborhood. So, for the last several weeks, I have spent every day on Craigslist looking for a bargain.
On Wednesday, I thought I’d found it.
The post listed a studio apartment in the 777 7th building for $1100 per month. It specified no move in date but gave lengthy details about the apartment, the type of lease required and the building itself. It also contained pictures of an actual apartment in the building and a list of amenities that I knew to be correct. Realizing that the rental price was anywhere between $500 and $700 below market for a studio in this neighborhood, I decided to proceed with healthy caution.
I emailed the prospective landlord on Wednesday and did not hear back until Saturday. His email stated that he was a businessman, often out of town, currently in London and looking to rent the apartment quickly. But that he would be back in six days to take care of any moving arrangements. Suspicious, I thought.
The email also gave contradictory information from what was in the initial post. The post stated that the apartment was 910 sq feet (big for a studio it seemed) but the email said that it was just 600 sq feet. The post said the rent was $1100 per month, the email just $800. The email also listed the building as having a rooftop pool. And there I had it, proof positive that whoever had posted this advertisement had never been inside the building let alone lived there.
From the beginning, I suspected that the post was too good to be true. Finding a condo that far below market seemed like an impossibility, but one always wants to hope that they are the lucky finder of the diamond in the rough. But one simple email, revealed that my suspicions were correct and I felt vindicated if not a little sad that this wasn’t my dream apt. at a dream price.
Internet fraud has become an increasingly serious problem and it is often committed by people living and working in Nigeria. Recently, Nigerian scammers have been using Craigslist to dupe renters and car buyers out of thousands of dollars.
These scammers often say that they are businessman who travel frequently, or people who had to move for work without much notice. They lure you in with generous breaks on the rent and then ask you to send the money to them via PayPal or EFT bank transfer. Before you realize that you have been scammed, it’s too late. They have your money and you have no apartment.
I was lucky that I had heard of these scams before I saw the post. But too many people are being taken advantage of by professional looking Craigslist ads showcasing great deals. So, here are some rules to follow:
- Never rent an apartment that you haven’t seen. Ever. Photos can easily be copied from real estate ads or online virtual tours. And even if the owner isn’t a Nigerian scam artist, you should always visit the place that you are about to rent to make sure plumbing works, utilities work, and that there are no hidden surprises.
- Never rent from a person you have not met. I made this mistake several years ago when I rented a PQ apartment through a broker. My landlord turned out to be a real estate speculator who was in way over his head. When he got foreclosed on in early 2007, I was forced to find a new place overnight because I didn’t know that the law protected me and the bank manager threatened to have my belongings hauled away.
- Never send your deposit or rent over the Internet. By now you will have seen the apt. and met the landlord, but either way, insist on paying rent and deposit by check. Having a tangible paper trail makes everything easier if things go wrong later.
- Check up on your landlord. A simple Google search can tell you a lot about a person. But since getting burned by an unscrupulous landlord who took off with my deposit when the bank shut him down, I dig deeper. Intelius will allow you to buy a background check on anyone for $50. This check will tell you if there are any liens or other problems with the property. It will also ensure that you’re not moving in to an apartment owned by an axe murderer. You know, if you’re scared of that kind of thing.
- Get a lease. Sometimes a landlord will offer you a month to month with no lease. But while this seems like a great way to ensure freedom, your lease protects you and your landlord so you should always have one. If you end up in court later, not having a signed lease will hurt you.
In an unpredictable city, if the deal sounds too good to be true it proabably is. No one in their right mind would rent a condo for nearly half its value, but a Nigerian scam artist looking to take advantage might offer up a too good to be true deal.
Caveat Emptor: Buyer Beware. Words to rent by.
**UPDATE**I heard back from the “landlord” again today. Using the name Kurtis Benson and a yahoo address, the scammer tried to convince me that he had 200 emails regarding the apartment but that he wanted me to have it. All I had to do was wire transfer the $1100 deposit to him and he would bring the keys by next week.
No need to see the apartment, he would simply email some very official looking papers. But he made a few critical errors. Wrong zip code on the application, misspelled fiduciary (twice) and again wrote down the wrong amenities.
People be careful out there.
Tangysweet Frozen Yogurt Coming To PQ! (675 E St NW)
Thanks to MtVernonTriangleStudent for letting us know that Tangysweet will be opening up their 2nd frozen yogurt location in the former Juan Valdez space at the corner of 7th & E St NW! The WaBizJo has more info.
The wording of the article makes it sound like Tangysweet will be opening up relatively soon, so that they can work out the kinks in time for the busy spring season.
More Muse Lounge Opening Info (717 6th St NW)
From the latest Downtown BID newsletter, we learned that the Muse Nightclub and Lounge (717 6th Street NW) opening is next week and not this weekend.
Muse Nightclub & Lounge (717 6th Street), a new club owned by Zhou Hospitality, will open on Thursday, November 6, with a jazz band and happy hour. The festivities continue two days thereafter with a private charity event for DCGreeks.com on Friday, November 7, and an official grand opening on Saturday, November 8. Patrons are invited to try their hand at salsa lessons and join in the happy hour on Friday evenings and rock to electronic music on most nights after 10:00 pm. The nightclub already claims to have the area’s “hottest resident and special guest DJs.” You be the judge.
The Downtown Update newsletter from the Downtown BID is available by e-mail and is a good way to stay current with what’s going on within the Business Improvement District, in addition to PQ Living, of course.