A quick word of warning to Silicon Valley renters hunting for a home: beware of scams online!
Some nasty folks are copying ads or online fliers from houses for sale on Trulia and Craigslist and reposting them as rentals at a below market price.
Then when consumers phone the number on the “rental property”, they are told that they have to pay a couple of hundred bucks to fill out the application – sight unseen.
Two of my listings have been scraped in the last year (once on Trulia and once on Craigslist). Confused consumers drive over to check out the place and are surprised to see the Sereno Group sign in the yard, call and ask me if it’s really both for rent and for sale. Nope, it’s not.
If it sounds too good to be true, of course it is. Google the address of any property offered for rent and see if the home is offered for sale, especially if the rent is on the low side or if the person posing as a property manager requires money upfront to see the house. If you run into one of these creeps who’s committing fraud, please call your local police department and turn ’em in.
