Residents: What do you look for in an Estate Owner?

I was just banned from 8 sims for telling the estate owner he was too new (born January 0 to trust to pay 6 months in advance tier with the hope that he will not cash out - it really seemed to upset him.

So that brings me to the question:

When looking for an Estate to invest in, what criteria do you choose in making your final decision.

At the very least i seek a reputation carved in time and customer service, next I like fair, competitive prices that do not include high up front "land sale cost". It seems many people charge you an upfront fee + an increased tier. The upfront fee seems rather unnecessary to me.

What do you look for?

I'm not surprised it upset him, however I wouldn't have banned you for it but I'm not a big fan of the ban stick anyway.

I weigh up the risks, won't invest any more than I'm prepared to lose and look at the covenant to see if there are umpteen clauses.

Upfront fees are to cover the cost of the island, so I can fully understand why people charge them but personally if I'm going to pay an upfront fee I'd rather buy mainland.

I look fer Wildefire Walcott, but I'm prejudiced.

WW is very cool.

I will never forget Desperation North and that spaceship.

Longevity, reputation and stake in SL. For example, breeze and Kandee Herrey have been estate brokers for years and have over 80 regions. I'd even trust them with 2 months up front. Anyone asking for 6 months is asking too much. Hell, SL could be shut down by then.

Sarah Nerd and Wildefire are two of my other favorite established landlords.

I dunno. That's a tough one to answer. I guess the length of time they've owned the estate would be one thing to look for.

I haven't purchased any land yet, but I was renting from one private sim owner for almost a year when they decided to call it quits in SL. That was a bummer for me, since my shop was just starting to get a decent number of sales.

Since then, I've had to move my shop three times. Hopefully the third times the charm and my current landlord stays put. ( Stay put you, and stop re-arranging the furniture. )

But, hey, you know there are no more guaranties in SL than in RL. Good stuff and poop happens in both places.

"Invest" might be the wrong word... "trust with your money" perhaps more accurate.

In the current land market, I could see a newbie estate manager do everything right... and still end up with a bad investment. For that matter, any of us.

Due to new region prices dropping unexpectedly overnight by 40%, mainland rolled out so fast that land prices drop into the gutter, residents locked out due to asset server problems &c.

Do you still have a waiting list, Desmond? That's the only reason I don't list you.

in an estate owner, i look for myself. i would buy my own land.

Huge.....tracts of land.

I do, and yeah, Caledon's full.

It's not quite the list I had last fall though; yes the land market does touch us too a bit.

There are private parties with land up for offer at any given time; I'm happy to pass on names but I'm a bit shy to do business in the Resident Answers area. It's one thing to yap about stuff in context of what I do, it's wholly another to "pimp mah estate" in Resident Answers.

The last time I searched for land, I sought an owner with a great reputation. Based on what I've read in this forum and what I've heard from others, I came up with a list of approximately 10 owners and checked what they had available. I didn't consider any owners who had not yet earned a reputation.

I compared costs, and found that if I stayed longer than six months, most parcels with an upfront fee cost less than those without. (Parcels without upfront fees almost always have higher per-month charges, all things being equal. That is understandable. Do the math so you understand approximately how long the non-upfront-fee location will be a better value.)

I wanted a commercial parcel, but one without clubs. I also wanted an attractive area.

Based on past experience, I read the covenants and then looked around to see if they were enforced. In most places, there were obvious violations. Because of the crap I've put up with in the past, this was more important than price.

Good reputation is tops with me. Longevity in SL is number two. Price is the third consideration. I went with Alliez Mysterio for these very reasons, and so far, I've experienced an excellent tenancy.

Reputation is everything.

Banning folks for having business ideals that don't suit you doesn't make for much of a reputation.

Like I said, asking 6 month's tier in advance is sheer audacity. I'd much prefer to be banned than pay that much upfront with no guarantees and no recourse should the landlord die, quit or embezzle mah funds.

I certainly wouldn't trust someone who would ban you just for honestly telling him that you wouldn't feel safe trusting an unknown landlord with 6 months rent.

Id ask people living on the estates I was interested in what they thought. Id ask how long they had been there...and what they thought of the owner.

People like to talk

You nailed what I would look for up there, Briana.

I also pay attention to their attitudes in places like forums and blogs when I can. I would never give money to someone who treats people with disrespect, For instance making a blog and using it as a means to attack people just because they *can*.

Edit to add: I would never pay anyone 6 months up front. They pay by the month.. so would I.

With him asking for 6 months in advance, I wouldn't have stuck around long enough to know whether or not he banned me.

Has he rented parcels to anyone else or was the region empty? I can't imagine how he could be competitive if he's requiring six months advance payment.

6 months in advance is quite ridiculous. I would prefer to start renting almost anywhere by paying WEEKLY to see how things worked out, unless it was someone I really really trusted.Some of my bestest friends own estates and none of them would even consider asking for 6 mos in advance tier.

Even in RL you pay rent or mortgage one month at a time.

Alliez rocks.

And yeah, there are a lot of covenant violations on a lot of estates. In Caledon alone, easily 30% are in violation of *something* and I don't rock the boat.

Admittedly though, it's usually pretty minor stuff. Skybox at 500m altitude not 512m, that sort of thing. As long as I continue to get rave reviews, I don't sweat the small stuff. A 100m prim dong would probably mean we'd talk pretty soon, though... grin

So make sure they are 99 meters or less if you want to keep them in Caledon.

Thanks Desmond for the compliment.

"dAlliez Estates" is in its 4 yr of business, having well over 100 estates and never asks for upfront money. We will only allow a person to pay 2 months in advance if they want to, there is no reason to even do that. Pay one month at a time, rl circumstances can change at anytime.
I do suggest to all looking for land, talk with ppl, research who ever you might deal with in the forums, do a search on them. It's just good business to do so. Never allow yourself to be pushed into renting land if you are not sure about it. Above all, ask questions.
At anytime, I am willing to talk with ppl answering their questions and believe me they dont have to rent from me. If we all take time to help the Community grow we too, as a result can't help but grow.

asking me for 6 Months up front they better hope they are in a virtual world and shut down fast before reality sets in..
asking for that much up front just smells of disaster and scam..

I live in Skybeam myself and could not be happier..i'll live my SL days out there..i love the region owners and they really do everything they can for residents..they are always thinkign of wayys to help in learning to build and having parties and dances and when a griefer shows up we all get to kick their butts lol
..code blue there and you are surrounded lol

QFT.

Such action is barely a good demonstration of their integrity. Has banning ever been used for such a vain reason before?
I hope you name and shame the idiot on SLU Briana! Good call!