If someone offered you a luxurious two-bedroom rental in Chinatown for $1,000/month, all included, you’d figure it was was too good to be true.

And you’d be right!

But here’s the devilish part: Not only have these lily-livered scammers resorted to false domain names; they now write personably and with few grammatical irregularities!

Below, a simple guide to spotting similar scams:

Read More “Craigslist + Move.com: How to Spot a Really Obvious Rental Scam” »

A miniseries in which we examine the Mystery of the Vacant Condo.

The property: 56 Galveston Place SW

The price: Two-bedroom condos from $124,900

The leasing agent: Rhonda Hamilton, Coldwell Banker Household Realty

Listed since: March 28, 2008

The story: Two and a half years ago, 56 Galveston Place was a shell of a building: gutted by fire and utterly unlivable. But when a new owner snagged the property for $250,000 (ballpark), the brick house became a four-unit, semi-luxe condo, complete with granite counters, central AC, and recessed and track lighting.

Read More “Plight of the Condo: 56 Galveston Place SW #2B” »

A miniseries in which we examine the Mystery of the Vacant Condo.

The property: 738 Longfellow St. NW #108

The price: One-bedroom condos from $179,000; two-bedroom condos from $199,000

The leasing agent: Eugene Gallagher, Gallagher & Co. Real Estate Inc.

Listed since: February 6, 2008

The story: Of the 66 units listed since February of 2008, 12 remain vacant. “We were moving these very nicely and rapidly until the climate of the finance market changed,” Gallagher observes, noting as well that a stricter screening process for potential buyers and the fluctuating availability of HPAP money have proved impediments.

Second Opinion: City Lights editor Mike Riggs, who lives a block from the property, expresses reservations about the neighborhood. “I’m not surprised they can’t sell it,” Riggs says. “MPD had an enormous, generator-powered spotlight right at the corner of 7th and Longfellow. Who wants to pay to go through a police checkpoint every three months?”

Read More “Plight of the Condo: 738 Longfellow Street NW” »

It’s about time. The good stuff starts about two and a half minutes in…