And I don’t mean the Paris Olympics, it way worse than that. The deadbeat Olympics!

Put a unit on the market last week. Two out of about 20 inquiries so far have made it through the automated pre-screening. So that’s doing its job. The two so far that made it through there, one has the typical septic tank credit report. The other one submits an application. Then I tell him that his girlfriend is going to need a submit an application as well. He says OK no problem, I’ll have her submit one. About 5 minutes later, the lovebirds are no longer interested in the house.

It doesn’t come as a surprise. It takes everything within me to not message them back and say oh good luck in your search and with your relationship.

I listed mine about 10 days ago and had no inquiries. I had in mind about what you said of lowering the rent. I lowered the rent. I have since only had two inquiries. One of them, never filled out a prescreen. The other did fill out a prescreen and things were looking good till I got to the bottom, and they mentioned having two ESA dogs. Pitbulls, no doubt. It was the only thing that would have kept me from showing the house, so I was trying to decide how to handle it. I asked her what the questions were she had, and she wanted to know what my requirements were. I sent them to her and never heard back. Perhaps they did some fibbing on the prescreen, besides the dogs that is. I guess I'll miss the puppy petting.

I'm test marketing on a unit now. I have four newly renovated ones to fill. Had something very similar occur last week after a showing. Girlfriend passed the pre-screen and brought boyfriend with her to the showing. This is a brand new unit mind you, but he's opening cabinets conducting an "inspection". I told them that they'd both have to submit apps at $ 50.00 per and then crickets.

These units will be affordable, but I don't think that will necessarily increase the pool of eligible candidates. I expect a long hard slough.

I've been running into this the last four months now. I do use credit score as a DQ criteria.

Most recently, woman submitted the prequal but uploaded her BF's credit score not hers. I asked for hers since two adults. Sure enough, dumpster fire. I saw their social media accounts and yeah, no.

I've had 143 who have filled out the prequal. Out of that 5 were eligible to proceed to the application.

Three backed out at the last minute (I dodged a bullet most likely) The last two never submitted their application; one of which has an "ESA dog" ™ I didn't want the flakey woman who is "kept" either.

I sent her the "Request for a Reasonable Accommodation" form

I plan to up my game and put up foam crown molding and then do a video presentation. I definitely do NOT want to rent to the average knuckle dragger in the neighborhood. Looking for B type tenants in a C hood that want to save a few $$$.

I've been at this a long time. Thirty years ago I would get about 1 good one out of every 5 or so applicants. Today it's 1 out of every 50 applicants or more. Things like evictions, bankruptcies, un or underemployment, below dismal credit, run-in's with the law were rare back then and are much more commonplace today.

MikeA, I'll take a stab at it. I think it's our loss of a unifying principle of existence generally, and specifically, the decline of Christianity.

We now have over half of Americans saying they either don't believe in God or have only a once/twice a year superficial participating in anything spiritually uplifting. People have stopped thinking in terms of living a righteous life and have substituted mediocrity and entitlement as their "goals", if such can even be said to be goals.

Even 40 years ago, if people chose not to be members of a church or participate, it was generally accepted that the Christian worldview was good overall for society. It promoted social order, values, and a pathway that gave us a national cohesion. That view no longer exists today as a national consensus. Today we have division, strife, and a general malaise. Young people contemplate and commit su1cide at higher rates than ever. Cases of diagnosed depression have soared. Young men are apathetic about starting families and rearing children. Women claim they "don't need no man". The family unit has been discarded in favor of single parenthood, shack ups, and "partners".

Applicants don't even call each other boyfriend/girlfriend or "fiances" any more... "Hey this is my partner" (for the moment).

In short, we've violated the 1st Commandment about having no other gods before the one true God. The gods of today are pride, money, influence, and self. We murder our children and wonder why God has withdrawn his grace. No mystery though; he's simply allowed us to go our own way.

Cue Fleetwood Mac... "you can go your own WAAAAAY!"

NE, at least you got some action.

I am 16 days in and barely have a blip. The one person who is still interested is going to cause trouble because the last people smoked.

NE, do you take it off the market before you lower the price, or do you just lower the price?

"If you could identify one thing that has caused this downward trend in society what would it be?"

May I pick 2 or more?

If I can only have one, I will blame it on previous generations for not being a good example at times and thus causing rebellion. One example might be segregation and racist.

"We now have over half of Americans saying they either don't believe in God or have only a once/twice a year superficial participating in anything spiritually uplifting. People have stopped thinking in terms of living a righteous life ......"

"Applicants don't even call each other boyfriend/girlfriend or "fiances" any more... "Hey this is my partner" (for the moment)..."

Could we look at the divorce rate and say that set a bad example?

"Young men are apathetic about starting families and rearing children..."

Given some of life's past, I can understand why. I never understood why people thought it was a good idea to bring life onto this earth. And some people really shouldn't have kids. They can't manage themselves, let alone managing kids. Then again, if I wasn't born, you would miss the pleasure of reading my post, grins....

BTW, Sid, I like your responses, I'm not picking at them, but rather debating them. I'm a 2 year old with lots of questions.

Look what happened -

Yeah, we had several insane asylums here in Va when I was growing up. It was a sad thing but it is even sadder when they are loose on the streets like the living dead. Not sure they were any safer, but supervised to a degree and had meals provided.

Between the dumbing down in our schools, the change in entertainment that presents itself as normal, and the lack of interest in spiritual fulfilment, we have just about destroyed ourselves from the inside out!

Most scholars believe the downfall of the Roman empire was a result of many of the same things we are struggling with today, loss of moral values, rampant corruption, and degradation of social boundaries.

What makes the good people quiet about it?

Are they afraid to rock the boat or step on toes?

Do they not want to be confrontational?

Are they afraid they are sinning if they question motives?

Are they afraid they will lose the battle?

They don't want to go against the grain?

Has it gotten to a point they are outnumbered?

Have they decided to join them if they can't beat them?

Have they given away their power?

If we find the answer, will we have the cure?

Where is the time that the tables have turned?

What happened during that time that made the shift in morality?

Why was it so strong to make a shift?

What would cause it to shift back?

6, my take. It all boils down to self-centered VS community-centered. Let me explain that.

In 1945 it was easy, the country was totally lined up around self sacrifice for the good of the US and their community. Servicemen learned the value of taking care of each other during the war. Those who came home from the war brought those values, lets call them morals or Christian values back and they became mainstream. Children were taught respect, to help those weaker than they were, and many moral values in things they read like Aesop's fables. They also were taught a work ethic and had jobs themselves. Discipline came from any adult as parenting was seen as a community responsibility.

As that generation aged and died a part of that went with them. Subsequent generations lost connection to, and even the importance of community. My case in point. When was the last time you had a face to face discussion with your neighbor? (I'd guess almost never). Instead people today snip at people they have never met on social media. What do they post? Their own picture, what they did today, their opinion as if it were fact on every topic under the sun. In short ME, ME, ME! Absolutely nothing to try and help someone or build another up. Nope, just tear others down so you have one more brick to build yourself up as your own god. It's like a ship going down and someone yells "every man for himself", all the social rules go out the window because we have to make it past the next few minutes and worry about the repercussions later. That's what happens when a society turns from community-centered to self centered.

Our little town is booming. My rentals are filled before they are empty. And I'm increasing the prices on all of them...again!

Same story up here. I've come to the decision to let mine sit empty. It's better to sit empty than let the wrong person in. All the recent applicants have eviction, criminal record Or Esa pitbulls. I had one try to apply with 6 cats.

Out of the last 6 applicants I didn't even let one of them fill out a application after the pre screening. This let's me know my pre screening is working

Ken makes a good point. What was the hippie movement all about? Rebelling against the societal norms. Why did they rebel? A good part of it was because they resented the "mold" of the community around them, they wanted more personal freedom. They desired self fulfillment (again that word self), to stand out from the norm (IE: to be the center and god of one's own defined universe). That started a whole downward spiral of self centeredness that continued to grow in subsequent generations until it is now the norm in the majority of society.

Easy, no fault divorce where Mom competes with Dad over which house can have the least amount of structure and rules; a favorite with kids on the surface--deep down kids really do crave structure; without it, they act out and implode.

Mom gets child support from Dad to use against Dad in a custody fight; false accusations fly, the courts (government) gets involved. Parental alienation takes place so Dad is pushed out of the home and out of children's lives.

In lieu of discipline, dangerous, mind bending narcotics such as ADHD meds and anti depressants are ladled down kid's throats.

No family, community nor personal responsibility is taught, children are given 100% authority and 0% responsibility.

"the govt cant control a man or family who can support themselves but get dad out of the house and smoking dope and they can control that whole family for generations"

I completely agree, not just dope but video games, social media, TV, or a number of other idols that becomes the center of their lives. The sins of the parent gets passed down to the children so the spiral down continues. It says in Exodus that "he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” This generational curse is hard to break, especially without a good supportive community to help them identify the destructive behaviours and get their lives straightened out. There's warfare for the hearts, minds, and souls of men going on.

My last opening was filled using a referral. It was empty for three days. I do have a chain of four of them coming opening within the next 45 days, I have one of them filled already three weeks before it is even open.

It is never about will there be an vacancy. That empty is always coming. It is a matter of how do you handle it and make the most money from it.

Ray I was with you until the last sentence.

How does automation not help with marketing and training?

Although it took longer than normal for me to get my last empty filled had it not been for the little amount of automation I have in place for marketing it would have taken much longer. Worse yet I would have had to do a lot more personally.

Instead I worked on a couple projects that had been on the back burner while the marketing did its thing.

You need to train your tenant on exactly what you want from them. How does does your automation do that? Having a docusign lease doesn't allow you to do that - I think it does the opposite.

I do use automation to remind to visit these tenants after a couple of days of lease signing and about 3.5 weeks later. if there is an issue, I want to get it corrected and get them back on the right path.

Of all my methods to market, I prefer using referrals. I want my tenants to figure out who is a good reflection of them. I think multiple landlords don't see the value of giving your tenants a small task to do that supports the larger mission. It could be having a 10 year tenant picking out the color of one gal of paint for an accent wall - a reward for signing another two lease. They have buy in then.

Guess I was reading too far into your statement earlier.

I was talking about using automation to get the tenants, or the would be tenants.

I still use generic docusign for my application as well as my lease. I love it.

Just yesterday I met the new tenants at the apartment I have had open for a bit. They had already seen it via a lock box showing. We had already talked via text and voice and all was set.

We walked thru all of the things they would need to know about the place. Talked about the heating and AC controls, trash day, blah blah blah. I let them ask questions and let them answer anything that came up for me.

They were happy, I was happy, they paid me and then they signed the lease online to make it all good.

Personal interaction is still very important to me. While I was explaining things they were both very happy about my process. I was as well because I put a face to the voice/text and got to feel them out as it were.