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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories The new normal under climate change? Public Meetings: March 2-6 Mail Tribune 100: March 1, 1915 Since You Asked: Who cleans up around the Medford library? Emergency services, March 1 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, March 1 Two injured in White City house fire Family, friends of Central Point fire victim try to cover costs Feds charge California couple with medical device fraud Emergency services, Feb. 28 Politics and Elections Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. 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'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional OSF kicks off its 2015 season Music Rogue Valley Symphony showcases Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Ronny Cox plays the Unitarian Fellowship Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government ... Public Meetings: March 2-6 ... GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling ... Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government ... Public Meetings: March 2-6 ... GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling ... Renters, beware More landlords are renting foreclosed properties, leaving residents on the curb Homes and apartments are being rented at a reduced rate to lure in renters to get their cash before a foreclosure takes place, financial sources say. Comment By Damian Mann MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Posted Nov. 8, 2008 at 1:10 AM Updated Nov 8, 2008 at 1:23 AM By Damian Mann Posted Nov. 8, 2008 at 1:10 AM Updated Nov 8, 2008 at 1:23 AM What to look for --> Renters should look out for certain things that might suggest an apartment or house they're thinking of renting might be involved in a foreclosure. If an apartment owner offers an unusually ... » Read more X What to look for Renters should look out for certain things that might suggest an apartment or house they're thinking of renting might be involved in a foreclosure. If an apartment owner offers an unusually large amount of space for a surprisingly low rent, that could be a red flag. If a 2,200-square-foot house with three bedrooms and lots of amenities is being rented for, say, $900, there might be something wrong, such as an impending foreclosure. The rent could be artificially low to attract a tenant, who pays first and last month's rent, as well as the security deposit, only to find the money is in limbo because the property went into foreclosure. Renters who have doubts can ask the landlord if the mortgage payments on the house or apartment are current. Prospective tenants also can check the Jackson County Web site to see if property taxes have been paid. Go to www.jacksoncounty.org and click on "Front Counter." Ask how long the landlord has owned the property. If the unit is being managed by a property management company, renters should try to find out as much information as possible about the owner. » Social News Kimberley Wyttenberg's new home is only about 300 feet from his old home. The 54-year-old Medford man said he was evicted from his place at Ridgewood Condominiums because it was in foreclosure. He found an apartment in the same 98-unit Alameda Street complex just a few doors away that was under different ownership and not being foreclosed. Wyttenberg said his situation seems somewhat ridiculous but it's actually working out well for him. His new apartment is bigger, and it rents for the same $965 a month, although he is out about $2,000 in moving expenses because he hired a moving company. He said he's more concerned about other renters in the development and renters across the valley, as well as the owners of the complex and the banks that are involved. "I know that there are a lot more people that will be bleeding more than myself," he said. Wyttenberg has good reason to be concerned about renters getting caught up in the foreclosure mess, said James Beard, vice president of North Pacific Financial Corp. and owner of S & J Properties, both in Medford. Beard said he's been hearing disturbing reports that renters who have put several thousand dollars together for first and last month's rent and deposit could end up losing it. He said homes and apartments are being rented at a reduced rate to lure in renters to get their cash before the foreclosure takes place. "The renters are clueless out there," he said. "It's 'renters, beware.' " Beard said it would be easy for unscrupulous property owners facing foreclosure to bilk a tenant. "At the end of the day, you know it's a crime," he said. "But at the end of the day, who is going to prosecute? It breaks my heart." He said in the confusion of the foreclosure crisis, banks often kick out renters even though it would seem to make more sense to keep the cash flow coming in. "What happens is that your banks are just moving so quickly that they haven't figured out the policies and procedures," he said. Beard said the situation likely will get worse, because he expects the foreclosure crisis to peak during the first quarter of 2009. He said there are no statistics on the number of renters who have been harmed by the foreclosure crisis, but he said he's heard reports from every community in the Rogue Valley. "I've seen it more in the last six months than in the last 26 years," Beard said. Renters are in a difficult situation, but they can take steps to protect themselves, he said. "If (the rental terms are) too good to be true, they need to ask some questions," he said. For example, if a very nice apartment with lots of space is renting for $650 a month, that's a heads up, he said. Likewise, if a three-bedroom, 2,200 square-foot house is renting for $900, there might well be something wrong. He suggests renters ask their future landlords whether the mortgage payments are current. Renters might also want to ask their future landlords how long they have been landlords, although that question can be hard to answer when a rental unit is managed by a third-party company, he said. Roxanne Broderick, owner of A la Carte Property Management, said she is appalled at what she's hearing in the rental industry locally. "I know of a property management collecting rent, and they know the owner is not making the payments," she said. "And I think it's wrong." Broderick said three months ago she was helping a friend find a place to rent in Central Point. After her friend had paid the first and last month's rent and deposit, they were cleaning up the yard when they found a foreclosure notice attached to a door. The owner didn't seem to want to return the money, she recalled. "We told her that we had contacted the police, and she immediately returned it," she said. Roberta Claudson, manager of Southern Oregon Rental Owners Association, said more reports have come to her office lately about foreclosure problems. One tenant who was being forced out of an apartment had paid the rent faithfully, but the landlord hadn't been making the mortgage payments. Claudson told of another tenant who had a lease option to purchase a rental. A certain percentage of the monthly payment was supposed to be going toward the down payment. Then the rental went into foreclosure, and now the renter wonders whether she will get her down payment money back. Claudson said she expects similar situations to increase as more foreclosures occur in Jackson and Josephine counties. "All these things are hurting lots of people," she said. On Friday, Wyttenberg, who works as a geologist for the Oregon Department of Transportation, continued moving into his new apartment. He said about half of the 98 units belong to John and Cathy Schleining and could be subject to foreclosure. John Schleining is a local developer. A woman who answered the Schleining phone declined to comment. Wyttenberg will have a familiar neighbor in his new home. Alex Ammossow, who used to live below Wyttenberg in his old apartment, also moved out, and now will be living above him. Ammossow moved out of anxiety that his former apartment might be foreclosed. "It's really an unfortunate thing," said Ammossow, 44, who was formerly a mortgage broker but now is trying to make a living in construction. He said he blames the fiasco on the financial institutions that wrote the loans. "The greed of the industry caught up with them," he said. Wyttenberg takes a more philosophical approach. "Everybody loses," he said. "I lose, the owners lose, the bank loses." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476 or [email protected]. By Damian Mann MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Posted Nov. 8, 2008 at 1:10 AM Updated Nov 8, 2008 at 1:23 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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