Hi NE Philly,

After reading this board for a little while, I just wanted to point out that there are some "good renters" in the area. Like my husband and I for example.

We moved into a duplex in May, which turned out to be owned by a slumlord... We hired an exterminator (the place had some questionable creatures running around that we were not expecting), planted some grass and will be planting some flowers soon, painted the inside, fixed holes in the walls, and have been doing other misc improvements... Some of you might say ok, well that should be done by the landlord.. well yes, but since he wont make the place nicer, and since we still have to live here (we dont have the energy to move again, and we're saving for a house), we decided that it's better to do some little things ourselves.

We have good jobs and the husband's working on his MBA, i'm working on a nursing degree. We dont have bills in collections and we dont do drugs, we dont hit eachother and cause loud noises in the night, we throw out trash that we see in our front lawn, we dont steal, etc. We're 24, and we dont have any kids ,let alone 5 million kids that are running around your block peeing on things or slashing your tires or selling drugs on your stoop.

Coming from center city, where a lot of people rent, even higher end places, it's different out here in the good ol' northeast where a lot of people own homes. I just feel like renters in the NE get such a bad rap... I just wanted to point out that there are some good renters, and not to judge your renting neighbors as shitty neighbors them unless they prove you otherwise.

Maybe changing the attitude toward renters will attract more good ones to the area who want to start a family here?

Cuz already, we're thinking about buying a house outside the City...

Welcome to Philly...home of doomsdayer bloggers who have some validation to their posts but still cannot see past their own noses.

What you say is correct about their being quality renters in the City. More importantly, you brought up the example and our point of your landlord not caring. I know that this has a trickle down effect to most rentors....when you see you can't even get the most basic of basics done in a place you are paying to live in, you tend to not care. That then is passed on to your own actions and views of the community you are living in and it continues. Sad part is, most assume their rented property is owned by someone in the neighborhood, or outside who doesn't care and there from comes the attitude of "if they dont care, so why should I?"

This is where most people of the NE get their bad feelings against renters.

I would say its split 60-40...

60% are renters who care little about where they live since they don't own it and can't get anything done due to absentee landlords or limitations set so high that you really don't give a darn about doing any type of improvements, especially if you have to tear out everything you did when you leave. Also, you have the "if I fix this, I want a discount" attitude of most renters....which is not wrong since in theory the renter is doing the owner a favor by increasing the value of the property, but it's generally not something that will have a positive outcome for said renter.

40% are rentors like you, who really do care about their place, rented or owned. I know when I was growing up around here, people who rented homes took just as good a care of them as owners did. Today, with liability issues so high, and the fact that once again, absentee landlords are high, this good attitude is few and far between.

There are valid reasons why most people in the NE have a disdane for Renters and Rental properties...in order to draw those "potential owners" in that you speak of, you really need to look not at those complaining, but those collecting the fat checks on these often mismanaged, undermaintained properties (that may people HAVE to live in out of necessity, vrs by choice as they would in Center City.) who really are the thorns in the side of most of us owners in NE Philly. All the while, these same owners live in the suburban sprawl that surrounds the City they hypocritically scoff at.

More home owners are wanted in the NE....more importantly, more Landlords that give a darn about their places and the communities they are within are what we also want.

Passing judgement on anyone is always a sad thing, but you seem to pass judgement on us up here on our valid point you are seeing right within your own rental property?

To front that your trying to be positive about renting, then say you are more than likely going to look outside the City for a home is very intresting...makes me wonder what your motivation is?

Why not buy here?

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Buy Lawndale!

my house is next door to a Duplex. My dad warned me to look into it because it might be the dreaded "bad renters" next door. But the property looked decent and i loved the house so i bought it anyway.
Come to find out, a fiscally responsible young woman bought the duplex (at age 21!) and lives there herself in the bottom half. She rents the upstairs to a couple who seem to be late 20s, early 30s college grads. The owners park their 2 cars in the driveway outback. The upstairs has one single car out front.

Love them! They are my kinda neighbor!

In fact, I was warned that their fence between our front lawns was ill-placed and that their property (garden) was on my side of the fence but isnt to be touched by me because they own it (this warning frmo a nosey neighbor...) However, when I talked to the owner, she was so easy going and said to do whatever I wanted =)

Just saying what's on my mind. We don't want to buy here because of city wage tax, and because we can find better schools elsewhere. But that's just a preference. I was raised in the suburbs, and hope to move back (to a different suburb).

Though i'm sure more (young?) renters would want to buy here if they didn't see/hear the words decline, decline, decline, and the words renters/blight and certain areas/blight in the same sentence when it's just a perception. Makes a person feel not worthy, doubtful about the area... etc

I almost feel like the more we use the word decline, the more it becomes truth. Changing your mind set and attitude definitely has an effect on reality.

That's good to hear Nice when owners/landlords are nice and respectful, and take good care of their tenants.

I am a hands on landlord in the NE for 5 years and I can say that till today 95% of my tenents have been great. Pay ontime and are quiet.....

I own in different sections of the NE some on bustleton and Veree and others on blvd and welsh etc.

nobody has ever stiffed me for rent

i am today very happy, I paid about 190,000 on avergae for all the duplexes and I take alot alot of pride of owenrship down to lawn care etc. all new roofs and all new mechanics.

only good things to say about the ne

Neal

I and several others on here couldn't agree with you more. But seems that every time we try to post about all the positive things happening in the NE, particularly in my area, we get the doomsdayers who overpower thread after thread after thread....it has gotten beyond annoying.

I'm in the 25-35 age range...I have lived in the same neighborhood all my life. I have traveled all around the country and while I have seen many great places, there still will never be anyplace like my home, my neighborhood...."changed" or not.

I enjoy the diversity that exists in my area and hope that all the good that has happened around here continues.....I know it will, because I am still seeing good in it every day....just apparently those other posters don't care to see it or acknowledge it.

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Buy Lawndale!

If you think diversity is bad then move to the moon.

I live in nyc and in myneighborhood is 30% jewish 30% Black and 30% nobody knows and we all get along and all ( or most ) do care about the neighborhood and my house has gone in in value to over 900K and it is a great place to live.

The ne was white so long it had to change and hopefully people wont think diversity is bad.

Bad people are in every group....... we have to hate the bad people not the specific group....

Kudo's to you ,my husband and i rented from a slum lord and we fixed up the place ,this was about five years ago ,there is alot of apartment buildings in my area that have landlords that live in newyork and dosen't see what ther properties have turn into!!! But thanks to people like you maybe tennants will think if they live in aslumlords building doesn't mean they have to live like vegrants .Again kudo 's and good luck thank you for caring about the place you live !!!!!!!!!

I know that everyone who rents is not all bad, they are just too far and few between. And we have Low Rents, which brings us the bulk of the problem people

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Camille