What to do about this Craigslist scam?

I routinely post my listings onto Craigslist, (as well as a bunch of other sites of course!), but this is the first time I've seen this scam! I posted a lease listing on Craigslist this week. Here's the actual ad. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from another Orange County agent, advising me that her clients had spotted my $2,900 per month listing advertised on Craigslist for $700 per month! She suggested I take a look at the fake ad. They stole photos and some description from my ad, reduced the price by a couple of thousand, but it gets worse:

The contact email address they posted on Craigslist was fake, but they used the owner's name! They set up a Yahoo email account using my client's name, (email address hidden)! This means that they must be pretty savvy, to check the tax records & get the owner's name.

Interested to see the reply-email you get when you respond to the fake ad? See below.

I guess the next thing that would happen, after someone naively enters their information in the form below, would be for them to receive an email asking that a deposit is wired to their West African, (Nigerian), bank account. Here is the email response:

From: (email address hidden) Date: Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 5:13 AM Subject: Re: $700 / 2br - Two bedrooms PLUS DEN! Fabulous tranquil end-unit location with two pr (Irvine, CA) Hi,

I can see you are interested in the ad I have posted, I am currently in West Africa with my family where we work as a volunteer with the Missionary, here is the site www.missionary-blogs.com for more details about why we are here in West Africa .We spent less time in the States so we could not get a hold on any Realtor to handle this rent issue, although it was when we knew how long we are going to stay in West Africa that we decided to rent out the house. However, the initial plan was to sell out the house. which we tried, but sometimes the agents inflates the price and it takes longer to sell we are telling you this in case you find the house on another website, that is the old advert So we need a tenant to take care of it but since we are out of the state now, we have received some proposals regarding the rent because it is located in a very good area of Irvine, but we still have to make sure it is rented out to someone who can take good care of it.The keys to the House are right here with me and i could send it to you after all necessary agreement has be accepted by my family,It includes facilities such as water and heat laundry facilities, air condition, internet and telephone access and a car park and other necessary facilities, also comes with trash collection, pets are allowed as well as long as they are not destructive,we also want you to let us have trust in you as we always stand on our word. So if you know you are capable of the task,It is available for a long lease.The monthly rental fee is $700 per month including the utilities and the security deposit is $500 which is refundable back to you at the end of your stay if nothing is damaged from my properties.It is not the money that is the main problem but we want you to keep it tidy all the time so that we will be glad to see it neat when we come for a check up.You will only be able to drive by the house for now but not have a look at the interior until we have sent the keys and documents of the house to you.So we wouldn't want any violation on our property if finally rented by you. Please if you are ready now to occupy the house kindly provide the information below for record purpose RENT QUESTIONNAIRE - PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

Full Name__________________________ ________________________

Home Phone ( ) ________________________

Date of Birth_________________________ ________

Other Phone ( ) ___________________

Current Address_______________________ ________Apt#________ City__________________ State______ Zip________

Reasons for Leaving_______________________ _____Rent $__________

Phone ( ) ____________________________

Are you married_______________________ _____

How many people will be living in the house_________________________ ___

Do you have a pet___________________________ _

Do you have a car___________________________ _

Occupation____________________ ________

Move In Date__________________________ __

How soon can you secure the property with the down payment_______________

How soon do you want to receive the keys and documents of my property______

House Address: 105 Lakeshore,Irvine, CA 92604

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that we can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt and contacting you. Await your reply so we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you.Please Note that your rent only starts counting after you have finally moved into the house,so you need not to worry about making the deposit payment now and not moving in immediately,all you're doing is securing the house in your favor in order not to loose it to other interested applicants..

Hope to read from you soonest...

011-234-806-431-5450 or +234-806-431-5450 (call anytime)

Thanks so much

This Woodbridge townhouse is just steps from North Lake!

I just listed this great Woodbridge townhouse for lease.

Know anyone who may be interested in 105 Lakeshore?

Two bedrooms PLUS DEN!

Fabulous tranquil end-unit location with two private outside areas. Steps to North Lake.

Spacious master suite with huge walk-in closet, retreat, private balcony and wonderful bathroom with dual vanities.

Second bedroom has mirrored closet doors. Formal dining room.

PLANTATION SHUTTERS throughout. Vaulted ceilings. Fireplace in living room. Stained-glass in front door.

VERSATILE DOWNSTAIRS DEN with sliding doors to enclosed yard, (great for overnight guests). Light and bright kitchen with lots of counter space.


Enjoy your morning coffee in the breakfast area, while looking out the Bay window to your front yard with the nicest lemon tree you will ever see. Unique fridge with beverage chiller is included, as well as washer/dryer.

A MUST-SEE.

Walk to lake, parks, pools and schools.
See more

First-Time Home Buyers Prepare for Best Buyer’s Market in Recent History

While affordable housing prices, ample inventories, and historically low interest rates signal ‘buyer’s market’ for investors or move-up buyers, inexperienced first-time buyers may not know if the time is right to make a move into real estate.

It’s not about timing the market, but rather about time in the market.

Once you know how long you expect to own a home, look at the historical value performance of properties in the neighborhood. Remember that the neighborhood is important because there can be huge differences in performance from area to area, (eg Woodbridge to Woodbury), and also from tract to tract, (eg Landings to Seasons).

Be confident about your own job security, down payment resources and tolerance for upkeep, as well as the lifestyle you want today and in the near term. While homeownership may not be for everyone, it is the right choice for hundreds of thousands of people.

Today’s housing market, especially for first-time buyers, makes it almost impossible not to think about the possibilities.

To help first-time buyers know if they’re ready to look for the home of their dreams as we head into this year’s home-buying season, the experts at Move have created a ‘reality checklist’ designed to help them decide if the time is right.

Get your financial house in order
Before you decide to buy a home, it’s essential to make sure your credit is in good shape and repair any damage previously done. Know your credit score: thirty-five percent (35%) of successful buyers recently reported they didn’t know their credit score when they went house shopping. Having enough money set aside for a down payment is a key component to making sure you are ready to purchase a home. Also, it’s important to not put all of your money in the down payment as other fees or unexpected expenses often arise after closing.

Don’t fall in love with a house you can’t buy
Find out how much you can afford: establishing your purchase power upfront, including how much money will be required for a down payment and closing costs, is a must for first-time buyers. Look for special loans available from FHA and government sponsored loans for first-time home buyers that reduce the amount of money required to get into a home. I can put you in touch with a few Orange County lenders who can help you.

If now isn’t the right time, prepare for your future purchase
If now isn’t the right time to buy a home, make a plan with a target date for when you expect to be ready. Improving your credit, paying down debt, stabilizing your work history and calculating exactly how much you can afford, are the best ways to prepare for your future home purchase. It’s also important to refrain from making any new large purchases or applying for new credit.

Including 400 E Yale Loop, there are 95 for sale now.

95 Woodbridge homes are currently "for sale" - that's including my latest listing at 400 E. Yale Loop.

Have a look at some photos on my website.


Right now, the prices of Woodbridge homes for sale range from $1,350,000 for a 5 bedroom, 4 bath, 3,860 square foot home in the Gables tract, down to $230,000 for a 1 bedroom, 1 bath, attached short sale condo in the Laurels.

19 Woodbridge home sold in February 2011, at prices from $295,000 (for a 2-bedroom REO home on Fallingstar in the Laurels), to $1,140,000 which was the sales price for 25 Sandpiper, a 5 bed, 3 bath, 3270 sq ft beauty.