As the owner of her own real estate company, broker Addie Owens has seen her fair share of crazy shit in real estate. But what happens when she finds herself at a home she dubs “The Panty Palace”? Tune in to hear Addie’s reasons why she never visits a vacant home alone, and why safety measures are as equally important for your clients are they are for you. Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone. Never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting The Leigh Brown Experience. Time Stamped Show Notes: 00:40 - Addie’s Background 00:48 - She’s from a small town in the middle of Florida 01:03 - She’s been in the business for 13 years with REO properties as her main source of business 01:12 - She has 2 kids, ages 18 and 19 and she is married with a dog 02:00 - The “Panty Palace” 02:20 - She was contacted by a bank and assured that this mobile home was vacant 03:07 - She contacted a locksmith and planned to meet at the mobile home together since it was in a heavily wooded rural area 03:32 - The locksmith arrived early, and called her to confirm the house was vacant because he saw signs of life like a running fridge and food on the counter 04:10 - She thought it could probably be a squatter so she called the local authorities to help handle the matter 04:30 - She arrives and can barely get to the door because the ramp is covered by overgrown Jasmine vines 04:54 - Managed to get inside only to find the place littered with beer cans and a dirty stained chair 05:35 - There was also a two-foot deep perimeter of Sunday circular ads throughout the whole house 05:58 - The local deputies arrived and in the master bedroom they found “mounds of panties of all shapes and sizes” that were strewn everywhere 06:49 - Inside the second bathroom they discovered little plastic bottles that were filled with tiny amounts of fluid and they realized he was collecting his own fluids along with a freezer in each bedroom the police wouldn’t touch without a warrant 07:54 - While they were there, the occupant came back to the home 08:27 - Occupant was about to eat lunch when the locksmith came by so he fled because he had told the bank he had moved out 09:44 - She couldn’t secure the house until the eviction process got started 10:38 - Property Preservation crew calls to tell her the occupant built a shack at the end of the property and had been living there since his eviction 10:57 - She ultimately declined the property because of the unsafe situation 11:56 - Addie’s Safety Measures 12:12 - Now she always schedules an appointment with a locksmith or Property Preservation before visiting a vacant lot 13:24 - She modified her email signature to include that she requires a copy of a driver’s license before taking clients on showings and encourages her other realtors to do the same 13:41 - There is always the opportunity for squatters, you can’t take your location for granted 14:12 - It’s beneficial to have a mentor help walk you through some of these challenges 14:58 - Addie’s contact information: visit her website at www.addieowens.com where you can contact her directly 3 Key Points Don’t go visit a site alone, especially if it’s in a secluded area Squatters can happen anywhere, never take your environment for granted Have established safety measures in place to protect both you and your clients Credits Audio Production by Chris Mottram Show Notes provided by Katie Allard