How in the hell is home staging a 'win-win' situation??? Are dpeople really falling for this nonsense? Le me get this straight: a homeowner deperately wants to sell his vacant home. So, along comes a company like Showhomes run by Tresa Cwik and Andy Wilson in the Houston, Texas area... They pitch the homeowner they will provide furnishings for the home and 'stage' the home in 'showhome' condition so it will sell quicker... They pitch an unsuspecting consumer with rental ads enticing them to live in a beautiful home 'at the fraction of the cost'. So, the consumer aka 'the home manager' moves in and tries to comply with the 'rules' of the program - which basically are that they cant 'live' and 'use' the home comfortably between the hours of 9 am and 9 pm because the home HAS to be in 'showhome' condition during that time - EVEN WEEKENDS! With a 30 minute notice. The ad states on www.rentalhouses.com,
Listing ID #248708 that the 'contract is month to month'. However, when you get in this 'program' that's not the case. These folks refuse to let you leave with a 30 day notice, AFTER a 90 day minimum... And there's more...'inspections' of the property weekly by none other than Andy Wilson and his sidekick, Teresa Cwik. They will notify the 'home manager' of all violations - this includes water on the shower door, trash cans being left out where they normally are when people 'live' in a home, and soap dispensers in view next to the sink... Most people would like to wash their hands after using the bathroom. But, you can 'kiss that notion goodbye' as a home manager with Showhomes. Basically, their program is to use the person's furniture in the home so they will earn a 'success fee' from the homeowner without actually ALLOWING signs of anyone occupying the home / unit other than their furnishings!!!
After having an attorney review this INCREDIBLY DECEPTIVE, and NON-COMPLIANT contract with the TEXAS REAL ESTATE commission-also a few more thing were notated and brought to my attention... Be a home manager with this company and according to their 'home manager' contract (paragraph 4.5) you give THIS COMPANY INTEREST IN ALL OF YOUR FURNISHINGS for performance under the contract. So, if you're tryng to save money and all you have is nice furniture - YOU JUST GAVE SHOWHOMES ALL OF IT - if THEY believe you didnt perform!!!
And how is this concept make sense anyway??? Because when you DO cooperate and make the home look completely un-lived in from the hours of 9am and 9pm, you get a NOTICE TO MOVE!!! Because the home just sold and you have 2 weeks to get out... The contract also states that Showhomes decides whether to spuplement your furnishings with theirs. Its ALSO states that the 'home manager' ASSUMES ALL OF THE RISK too is anything of theirs is ever damaged, etc...
*THAT"S ALOT OF MISERY to go thru just to live at a discount in a nice place!!! Not to mention, ALOT TO GIVE TO A COMPANY!!! - security interst in all of your property on the premises??? IF you didnt want to spend money on a nice place to live, how does REPLACING ALL OF YOUR FURNITURE and THEIRS Sound???
This IS a win-win situation for only 2 people: the homeowner and THIS home staging company!!! Showhomes charges a 'success fee' to the homeowner and the homeowner gets the home sold. So, where does the home manager win? THEY GET TO PACK AND MOVE TO ANOTHER HOME! How Exciting! Showhomes also collects anywhere from $700-$4000 in a 'monthly charge' from the home manager which they pocket. None goes to the homeowner.
Showhomes' owner Andy Wilson and Teresa Cwik of Houston, Texas also lure homeowners into contracts boasting they have '500 homes nationwide'. But, they NEVER disclose how much of that marketshare BELONGS TO THEM! WHy? Because they dont really have any of it. Period. Ask for local references. They wont have any. Ask about home managers you can call to check the company out locally. They wont have any again. They lure the unsuspecting homeowners into a contract also making claims of having 'plenty of home managers' ready to fill the home... Well, weeks go by and guess what? No Home Manager! Try getting out of the contact you signed... DID i tell you there's a CANCELLATION fee to YOU because they didnt perform??? OH! I almost forgot! Their homeowner agreement states that 'they don't have to tell you who is in your home'. They will tell you the person has good credit and a clear background check. You wont meet them either. You just have to take their word for it. COME ON PEOPLE!!! You have over a 400k house and you DONT KNOW who is going to be living there!!!??? Call me cautious but that's just CRAZY!
And, the icong on the cake - Showhomes in Houston doesn't have a real estate license to PRACTICE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS!!!
They call themselves a 'staging company' trying desperately to get around the licensing requirement. READ the contract and it states 'property management' all over it. They call 'rent' a 'monthly fee'. They might think theyre slick but not slick enough for the licensing authorities and the Attorney General - where im headed to tomorrow...
"if it sounds too good to be true... It usually is...!!!" Showhomes makes money by charging fees: homeowner set up fees, home manager application fees, home manager 'one time' initial program fee, homeowner contract cancellation fees, and homeowner 'success fees'.
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