I was just sitting here looking at my finger, which hurts 24/7 and has for two years, when the thought of this subject came up. You see, my finger is missing the tip and after two years I still have the craziest sensation in it. It was taken off through my window by an angry homeowners dog, which had been sic'd on me as soon as he saw my camera. Had to drive to emergency and get stitched up.
So whats happened to you agents? Here is a recap of my experiences.
1. Been shot at. Really. Bullet went into tree just past my head. Yes, I ran and drove the he** out fast.
2. Been cornered by subjects neighbors, who formed a line in front and back of my vehicle. It was a small one way dirt road in the woods by Portland. Reminded me of 'Deliverance' lol. Apparently they all stood up for each other. The only photo I had was a womans hand holding the shovel that she was going to use on my window before I started honking and just drove through them. A guy scratched a mark in my paint from bumper to bumper. I sent that photo to the BPO company as my explanation for not getting pictures and they accepted it no problem.
3. I was going into a long driveway when a (I know it sounds fake but this next part is true) a black suburban with darkened windows appeared in front of me. 4 guys in cammo jumped out and told me to get out. I had a hard time turning around as they drove up to my bumper but made it, only to have then chase me about 5 miles before pulling off.
4. Was doing an interior. A little older woman was very mad at the bank, me, the world in general and growled at me through the door but let me in. She followed me around, becoming more agitated by the minute. As I walked through the door to leave, she started screaming and chased me to my car. She grabbed the door handle and hung on all the way to the street and about another 20 feet as I tried to get away. I only went about 1 MPH so she wouldnt be killed.
5. Had a really backwoody type low IQ guy (urban home though) come out and spit chew at me then he pointed a drawn bow and arrow at my chest while cursing and saying there was nothing wrong with his loan. I had not asked though, so he knew he had loan trouble. I still wince while thinking about that 4 blade hunting arrow pointed at me. Jeeze.
6. Fleas. Lots of em. I walked into a house. Had almost white pants on. After a few minutes I looked down and was horrified. Could hardly see the color of my pant legs! Didnt know how so many fleas existed in a vacant house. I swatted and slapped and ran out, not wanting them in my truck carpets but couldnt get them all. Drove to a quickmart and got some RAID bug killer. I know it can kill humans too but didnt care! I sprayed my carpets and my pant and socks. When I got arrived home, I went into the back yard (High fence) stripped and hosed myself before going in.
7.I guess my favorite was an interior that was supposed to be vacant. The back windows had been broken and the agent told me they had to chase squatters out 3 times. There were empty food and milk containers all over and cement blocks with boards on them to use as chairs, etc. Clothing was here and there on the floor. I heard something and pushed open a bedroom door to find a large woman in a wheelchair and a scraggly looking guy trying to 'make a baby' in the chair. Should have taken that photo and sent it FARVV, lol
How bout you folks?
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Don't need to conceal it. If you don't have a concealled carry permit that's illegal. I've always just strapped mine on. Perfectly legal in NM and in the roughest of areas noboby messes with you when you've got a 38 on your hip.
Its legal to openly carry in Oregon. OR is an interesting state. VERY conservative on one hand and VERY liberal on the other. For example, its legal here to go nude anywhere you want. Its covered under the states 'free speech'. No one does though but you could. OR gives concealed permits to most people who have no bad records. Dont want to change this site from a BPO forum to an NRA one, lol, but in all states with carry permits, violent crime is down. Thats fact. In Calif, you seldom drive without seeing the 'bird' but here one never does! I think its because anyone could be packing and everyone knows it. And as a carryer, you think twice about starting any problems too. Oh well. Until Jesus comes back and take us, this is what we have to put up with.
Already done. Charter Arms snub .44 special hammerless 5 shot revolver. First two are Glaser safety slugs, followed by copper cased hollow points and finally one teflon coated engine block stopper. (but dont tell anyone)
Keep them coming! this is awesome entertainment for a Monday!!
I try to never get out of my car for driveby's. I have a camera with 10x zoom and can zoom in on the home for addresses too. If a home sits to far from the street I just take a pic looking down the driveway and see if I can get any views through the trees. I usually drive by property once to get a look and then turn around and come back and do pics. Try to go during the day when most people are working. I have had people start walking towards my car from the home but then I just drive away. More nosey neighbors than anything asking questions when I do these.
As far as interiors the only issue I have had is finding someone trying to break into a home as I went in the front they were trying to open a back window and when they saw me they pretended they were trying to gain access because they were wanting to buy as an investment. When I told them through the window that all the copper pipe had been stolen out of the home they left.
I have had cats left in homes that I had to take to the humane society on a foreclosure listing of mine and the whole home smelled awful and I paid to have the carpets cleaned just to remove some of the smell.
Never had anything that crazy happen doing BPOs, but I don't do interiors anymore. Hated doing them for short sales because if they didn't get approved I'd get angry calls from agents and owners. On occupied properties access is always an issue. I've had people tell me I need to come by at 8 or 9 at night. When I explain I need daylight for photos they say I'm at work, go take your outside shots and then come back when I'm home to do the inside. I got to the point I'd only do second opinions for REO but the last two when I called the listing agents to see if they were rekeyed they said "I don't know, I don't have time to check. Why don't you go by and check and call me when it's been rekeyed?" Why don't you piss off?
On drive by's I never get out of the truck, I pull up MLS and google maps before accepting and won't accept anything that's on a narrow dirt road or any place it looks like I could have a problem getting out of quick. If I see anyone outside, even a neighbor, I'll usually come back later. Still I've had people come out of houses yelling at me, been challenged by neighbors and been followed. A couple months ago I shot pictures of a place and after went to get gas. At the gas station a guy came up and asked "why were you taking pictures of my house." Turns out I wasn't, he lived around the corner, was on his roof working on his awamp cooler, and I had gone around the corner to check my photos on the LCD screen before leaving.
My goal is to get pictures without being seen. If I am I get out as quickly as I can and if someone follows me I try to lose them. I always have a gun in my center consol, just in case.
REO is a diffent story, I've had many similar experiences, but anytime I have to go into a vacant REO I've got either my 38 or my 357 on my hip.
Over the past 20 years there were too many.
A few
Stills, Yup no big deal any more unless they are dairy farm size
Meth labs, About 1 a year. Just call the local Sherriff's office. Don't use 911. those are monitored by crooks
Wild dogs in abandon houses. That is why I carry a .45 all the time. Put three dogs down over the years. Two at one house. Walked in Yelled, "Hello Realtor" and nothing. made two steps into the house and two huge pits came charging with teeth chomping. No barking. 3 shots did the trick. Then called the Sherriff's office.
A coyote transfer house. ( slave trade ). No one was there but still not a nice place in the inside. It was in a Million dollar neighborhood too. Outside the place looked just as nice as all the other houses around.
Houses of ill repute.
The worst houses were ( excuse me for being very blunt ) domestic partner break ups. They did not care who saw what.
Rocks being tossed.
Being Followed afterward.
Shotguns pulled ( I left quickly )
Lots of squatters.
Gang markings
It happens. Stay Safe everyone
Tom
Tom, sounds like you are in a rough area too. Most of my hard cases are in the little towns west of Portland, or up NE of Portland in the Mt Hood area. Those are true 'Deliverence' areas where people hide from the grid. Your remark about houses of ill repute remnded me of one case where I was met at the door by a scuzzy woman, She was quite happy and welcomed me in. The place was a hoarder dump with paths through the stuff. It had one bathroom and , God knows how or why, the toilet bowl had been all smashed of down to the water line. One couldnt sit on it! I guess they stood over it. Couldnt figure out why the woman was so happy to see me until she sort of led me to a bedroom where her daughter was sitting in her underwear. The girl was only about 13. Turned out the mom was a crack head and had been prostituting the child. She was hoping I would participate. I didnt even take home pics--I left and went straight to the police station. I called the BPO portal and told them to release me from that order and why. About a week later I saw a dump truck at the house with a crew cleaning it out---the police must have done their jobs.
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