I had to do three Cash for Keys today. And it's labor day. An REO agent's work is never done. The first one went smooth as silk. Exept that the guy didn't actually have the keys. A lot of that going around. "We never lock the doors, I don't know where the keys are." I believe it. That's how it is out here. Bucolic, like.Fortunately, I always bring my locksmith with me when I do my CFK. No keys, no problem, especially when the doors are at least unlocked.I had not actually been able to confirm with the second CFK that I'd be coming by. I'd been calling for a couple of days, but nobody had answered. Still, though, I had been in somewhat frequent communication with the occupant, and we were very clear that the CFK date was today, and he knew what was expected of him.The locksmith and I arrive at the second CFK - the front yard is just full of stuff: furniture, clothes, brick-a-brack. Fortunately, the house is indeed empty, as is the back yard. Unfortunately, the former owners had illegally converted the garage to living space and built an illegal unit in back and an illegal bathroom. Hate it when that happens. Anyway, I said hey, sorry, I can't really give you the money until all your stuff is gone. But do you mind if I have the locks changed now that all your stuff is out?They said sure, no problem, we're done. So I talked for about 30 minutes with the señora in Spanish, while the locksmith went about his business. We agreed I'd come back the next day once all the stuff was gone out of the front yard and I'd give them the check. They gave me six baskets of fresh picked blackberries from a local commercial blackberry grower. Last time they gave me raspberries. Nice folks.Next, on to Cash for Keys #3. This guy was one slippery character during the CFK negotiation. Although we were clear what his responsibilities were (e.g. to leave the place clean and with no debris, trash, or personal property left inside or outside the house) - what did I find? Well, he did a pretty good job on the inside. But the outside was still littered with stuff. Paint. PVC piping. Buckets. Garden tools. Tiles. You get the picture.A heated conversation ensued. Well, the heat was mostly on his end. He wanted me to show him the check. Yeah right! He said he'd sue me for not giving him the check. I said, "Go ahead, you won't get too far, you haven't held up your end of the deal." He said he'd finish cleaning it up today. Alas, the sun was already setting in the west, and I never do a CFK after dark, because it's easy to miss stuff. I told him I'd have to come back tomorrow.And so I shall. Tomorrow's going to be another busy day in the REO business. God bless it.
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