Man buys $330 000 home for $16

[Cyan]

Living with no power or running water for 3 years is quite a feat.
If he lasts that long and goes uncontested then he deserves the house.

Fixing : Then he doesn't need a house !

 

[Depravo]

I wonder why the youtube uploader felt it necessary to point out the man was black. It's as if he's implying it would be fine if it was a white guy.

That's your interpretation. Jesus, I hate it when people point that out. When will people learn that skin colour is a characteristic like any other and saying that a black person is black is *not* offensive and doesn't imply anything. All it means is, d'uh, the person we're reffering to is black.

But why emphasise it at all? We can see his skin colour in the video. Why not just "Texas Man Buys $300,00(sic) House For $16"? He obviously thought that little detail had an important bearing on the story.

Anyway, I say good on him. If it's all legal and above board then why not? I bet people all over the state are now scouring property records to bag a similar bargain.

 

[The Pi]

Would I do it? Hell yeah

Is it fair? First come first served I'd say.

He could just live as normal (where he stayed before) and just wait. $16 never hurts a wallet THAT much.

 

[Veho]

Living with no power or running water for 3 years is quite a feat.
If he lasts that long and goes uncontested then he deserves the house.

Fixing : Then he doesn't need a house !

Well he still needs walls and a roof

 

[Depravo]

He could just live as normal (where he stayed before) and just wait. $16 never hurts a wallet THAT much.

There's probably a clause that says he has to occupy the property for the full three years.

It wouldn't be so bad I suppose... Just like camping in a really elaborate tent. Get a portable stove and only buy food for your next meal. Pooing and weeing might get a little messy but I'm sure there's a workable solution.

I bet he has friends who will let him go to their's and watch his favourite TV shows, charge his mobile, use their wifi, take a shower etc.

 

[Sop]

Jelly of you americans. Here a low-low mid range house is $300 000, hell our family's house is probably worth 800-900 000 now. It only cost about 150K to build.

 

[Joe88]

I wonder why the youtube uploader felt it necessary to point out the man was black. It's as if he's implying it would be fine if it was a white guy.

That's your interpretation. Jesus, I hate it when people point that out. When will people learn that skin colour is a characteristic like any other and saying that a black person is black is *not* offensive and doesn't imply anything. All it means is, d'uh, the person we're reffering to is black.

But why emphasise it at all? We can see his skin colour in the video. Why not just "Texas Man Buys $300,00(sic) House For $16"? He obviously thought that little detail had an important bearing on the story.

Anyway, I say good on him. If it's all legal and above board then why not? I bet people all over the state are now scouring property records to bag a similar bargain.

I looked through the uploaders video's then looked at their favorites
it seems they are a racist

 

[Pyrmon]

Jelly of you americans. Here a low-low mid range house is $300 000, hell our family's house is probably worth 800-900 000 now. It only cost about 150K to build.

Bought a small house on a big plot of land for 25K. Built a house on it for 170K. Current estimated value: 450K. U jelly?

 

[Serina]

I absolutely love this story - that guy is awesome.

 

[Schlupi]

That is an epic win for this guy.

My guess is these people want him out because of two reasons:

1. Jelly and butthurt since they paid big $ for their homes and
2. Many white suburban people are racist. They might just be intimidated and offended that this black man "stole" this house.

They should get over it, and realize how stupid they were for paying full retail.

 

[KirovAir]

Lawl, awesome move of the guy.

 

[Foxi4]

That is an epic win for this guy.

My guess is these people want him out because of two reasons:

1. Jelly and butthurt since they paid big $ for their homes and
2. Many white suburban people are racist. They might just be intimidated and offended that this black man "stole" this house.

They should get over it, and realize how stupid they were for paying full retail.

That's not exactly how this works. It just so happened that the owner of the house died and had no relatives plus the company he was paying mortgage to was disbanded - a complete coincidence that allows you to use this loophole.

I find it hard to believe that the entire Suburbs area was a subject to this matter, it was only 1 house. It'a a 1 in a 1,000,000 case, but if you DO find a house like that, enjoy squatting for 3 years and take what's rightfuly yours.

As far as 1. and 2. are concerned, wouldn't you be Jelly? Also, you can't steal something that doesn't belong to anyone anymore.

 

[Ace]

1. Jelly and butthurt since they paid big $ for their homes and
2. Many white suburban people are racist. They might just be intimidated and offended that this black man "stole" this house.

Thank you for addressing this. I can't tell you how much I noticed this when I lived in an American suburb in Bolivia as a kid. It really makes me look down on white, rich suburbian people in general. When I moved to Sweden, the closest I ever got to this stereotype was watching The Boondocks. Now, with Sweden's 4th biggest political party being quite literally Nazi's... I dunno.

As for the guy, I wish him good luck. If he's perseverant and goes through with this, I only hope those white neighbors don't go around chasing him with pitchforks for it.

Given the conditions and his keen eye on the law, I would do the same in his shoes.

 

[_Chaz_]

A bunch of butthurt bitches jealous that they couldn't get their homes for such a deal.

I'm behind this guy 100% and anyone who wants him out needs to stop crying and be a good neighbor (they're bringing down the property value of their own homes).

 

[doyama]

http://www.lonestarlandlaw.com/Adverse.html

If you feel like reading a lot of the nitty gritty law stuff.

Basically the document he submitted only 'starts the clock' on the 3/5/10 year statue of limitations.

As for the water/electricity thing, he can just call up the utilities to have it turned on. The utilities don't care who owns the home long as you pay the bills. He probably scheduled it but, as utility companies are, probably just slow in getting someone out there to turn on everything.

 

[The Catboy]

If it's totally legal, then I really don't care.
I hate the fact that he is getting away with getting such an expensive house for so little, but he saw an opportunity and he went for it. Honestly given that chance, I would have gone for it.

 

[AlanJohn]

Oh I love texas laws.

 

[naved.islam14]

No, I don't think it's fair because everyone else in the neighborhood had to pay so much for a house, and that guy just paid $16!

 

[doyama]

No, I don't think it's fair because everyone else in the neighborhood had to pay so much for a house, and that guy just paid $16!

The circumstances surrounding this are pretty extreme

1) Owner walks away from title
2) Mortage company goes bankrupt

Even then the $16 only starts the clock on the 'squatter' rule. He still has to wait 3 years until he actually can get the title to the home.

Considering the neighbours pretty much 'love' the guy, they might be able to find some weird entity that holds some minor stake in the title to kick the guy out. Or they could just litigate him into oblivion.

 

[Shinigami357]

I don't think there's anything particularly wrong or unfair at all about this. In fact, it's genius [ingenious, even].

[1] In the eyes of the law, he had done no harm.
[2] It's keeping a perfectly liveable house in use [i.e. giving shelter], and as far as I'm concerned, that's what a house is for.
[3] He had not in any way interfered or otherwise harmed the pathetic people in the neighborhood.
[4] He is being smart, what with the current state of housing.
[5] He had not compromised the previous owner who had not claimed the property nor the bank [or whatever it was] who had already gone out of business.

Really, I think it is commendable in this day and age, to find a way to earn something [he did pay for it and he does have a few rules to follow] without really ever harming anyone else in the process. I say: f*ck them damn neighbors.