An owner called me from Texas about listing a home in Hollywood. She heard I was a short sale specialist and she needed someone to take care of selling the home. (She had moved out of the state already.)
She had a squatter situation in the past but had gotten them out.
I listed it and got a contract immediately. Short sales take some time and after a few months the owner asked me to check on the home.
I drove by and walked around the property. All seemed fine.
When I told her this, she told me she wanted me to walk inside the property.
So, I asked my broker to come with me to go check out the inside. We go around 11am on a bright and sunny day.
We walk inside and I notice that the bedroom doors were closed, which seemed odd.
As I started walking to the kitchen I could see that past the kitchen in the living room, some guys’s legs were hanging off a couch.
I freaked out and turned to my broker going, “Someone’s here!!!!” running out of the house.
We headed to the nearest restaurant and he called the cops. Until closing, anytime we had to access the property, you bet I had a police escort.
To this day I still am very cautious going into an empty property. And I keep mace in the car.