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

laughs

No way

I tap someone on the shoulder gently if I start seeing skyboxes on the map (400m altitude or lower) or if I get complaints.

Actually, with the new 4096m build ceiling coming, we are probably going to 2500m for 'do anything you want within RL law' skyboxes.

To prep for that, Zenmondo Wormser made a 5000m teleporter system available to any Caledon citizen for free, and we are waiting for the client upgrades for 4096m building to spread to everyone. After that, maybe a 6 month 'please upgrade' interval before I start enforcing it.

Why 2500m altitude?

Well, even with a draw distance of 2048m (RenderFarClip set to 2048 via special commands) you'll still get a great panoramic view with a crystal clear sky. And low lag for both the ground and the skybox in question, both being out of draw distance of each other even in extreme cases. I hope everyone else copies me. In fact, hit up Zenmondo for a 5000m teleporter and see if he's willing. It would do the grid good.

* * * * *

There's a huge difference between being cool, and being an absentee landlord that let an estate deteriorate.

What I find is that most people are *very* willing to try hard, go to great lengths to be a positive force on the estate - and if they have a few minor transgressions it's nothing much. Be an absolute jerk about the rules, and you'll get the same in kind. There are a million ways for people to be utterly obnoxious within any framework of rules. What, no rule against farting ostrich farms? Then it's ALLOWED right!?

Believe me, people pick up on intent and decency - be even a little tyrannical and it will come back tenfold.

* * * * *

Alliez, you totally rock. Hey, anyone considering me, check her out. You won't be disappointed. Known her since before SL and I am in total awe of her reasonability and decency.

I would not rent, never have rented other than small storefronts, and even then, only a few here and there. and those suck when you rent and get 0 sales

one day I will own my own sim, and maybe one day be able to expand it, I know what I want to do with a sim, but like a lot of folks in SL, can not justify the upfront cost (even when they have dropped the prices as they have done now, I still can not afford it)

I'm with you on this. I sometimes read people's suggestions to other people looking for estate parcels, to "check for covenant enforcement", and i usually think to myself - guess that leaves me out. I mean to me, it's important to enforce the covenant, but it's also important to not be a naggy pain in the a** to the residents. I take the live and let live attitude in our estate. If it's not a big violation, and no one is complaining, I look the other way.

legs, always look at their legs, then if its a woman, check out her make-up, if she can't make up right, what's the chance she's going to look after your investment for you, if it's a guy, and it says Private Island Sex God above his head and he's shining in bling with 5 guns strapped to his waist, I had problems giving him money too.

Well if reputation isn't apparent then next is time in SL, 3months and you're renting out sims? Hmm sorry not with my cash
6 months is way too much, I like 2 weeks minumum to show some commitment on the tennants part, if they want to pay over 4 weeks to recieve a discount the option is there.
I could recommend many already mentioned in this thread on reputation anyway, but you've been here long enough to make your own opinion.
<Shameful Plug> Of course I hear a certain roo overlord has 3x1600m blocks in Desire for rent

Considering the amount of estate fraud, 6 months is clearly unreasonable. Hell, 6 weeks makes me nervous.

If anyone actually signed up, I'd be amazed.

The fact that he banned you for being honest with him shows that you were right about his character.

unless some kind landlord walks over and pays your rent for you every so often.

i have found that most of my storefronts do not makes sales... there. they send people to my main store, where all my sales seem to happen. offering a LM to your main is a MUST!

Jackson Rickenbacher hands down. I have lived on her sim for well over a year. Jacki is well established and flexible. I have paid my tier months in advance without any worry. She and her staff provides excellent customer service. If there is a problem with a sim, we are notified through group notice at the rare times that this has occurred it was rectified in a matter or minutes or if there is going to be a delay, we receive timely status group notices. LL can really take a page out of her book there. I have seen her in a number of blogs outside sl and she knows her business.

I would suggest looking at the groups the estate owner belongs to. I know Jacki is a member of (oh I can't think of the name) sl's version of better business bureau.

I too am prejudiced.

I won't accept more than 2 months of rent from a tenant up-front. I keep a minimum of L$ on my account (preferring to build up reserves in USD), and limiting the number of months a tenant can pay keeps me from worrying about having enough L$ liquid for emergencies. I could always buy on Lindex or make payments with PayPal if needed, but with my policy in place I've always had enough for refunds and personal purchases without resorting to that.

(p.s. Thanks to my friends for the kind words.)

Thank you Desmond. I believe you have solved a problem for me here, as I begin to ponder the idea of getting 'hold of some land to goof around on again.

I would never pay to "buy" land from a private estate owner, and I would never may more than one month's tier in advance. Ever. Regardless of reputation, longevity, or any other factor.

Even someone who has been honest for a year can have a change of heart tomorrow. And even an honest person can come upon honest troubles. And there is no recourse.

Whatever else I know about a private estate owner, the facts remain that (1) they are strangers to me (2) LL offers me no protection for deals gone bad (3) and I cannot sue a peson I cannot locate.

Whatever reasons an established estate owner might have to be honest, the fact of the matter remains that I cannot evaluate that person's financial status to confirm whether honesty is more profitable for that particular estate owner.

Beyond that, I'd look for a combination of longevity and good recommendations. I wouldn't over-emphasize longevity, for the simple reason that, due to poorly-circulated information, poor estate owners can survive in the business for a few years. As to recommendations, I'd ask friends, and also just watch and read SL-related forums for a few months to see what names come up in what context. If someone has been around for two or more years, and that person's name comes up in a good context consistently in forums over a few months, then I'd think the risk of the transaction would be lowered somewhat.

But however sterling the reputation of a particular private estate owner, I'd never relax the criteria of (1) no buying and (2) no more than a month of tier upfront.

I've been leasing from the Otherland group for over two years - they have honesty integrity and a long well established business. I've never needed to look anywhere else for land.

A+++++++

http://www.otherland-group.com

This is a referral not a plug - as I am a client