Brad Snyder Realty

RENTER BEWARE:  If you like getting your security deposit
back, don?t rent from Brad Snyder and Sierra Vista Realty.
I was stationed at Fort
Huachuca for less than a year while I attended a military school.  Like all PCS moves, I was under a tight timeline
to find housing that was clean, safe, and affordable for my family.  My wife and I were relieved when we found a
nice three bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood which we leased from Brad
Snyder and Sierra Vista Realty. 
Everything went smoothly from
July to February.  My rent was always on
time and I had no significant contact with the property manager.  When I came down on PCS orders, I gave more
than the 30 days required notice to vacate. 
I received an email from Brad with a list of move out instructions.  Most of them were pretty standard, but a few
seemed odd (like the requirement to fill and repaint every nail hole, for
example).  None the less, my wife and I
together spent maybe 25 hours cleaning and painting and pulling weeds, making
sure to complete every item on the list. 
I used the recommended pest control and carpet cleaning companies from
Brad?s approved list.  Unfortunately for
me, I failed to recognize the most important part of Brad?s move out
instructions,
?ALL repairs or maintenance items that are necessary
to return the premises to the same condition as in the pre-occupancy inspection
are the responsibility of the Tenant. The cost of these repairs
and maintenance items will be deducted from the Security Deposit or charged to
you afterwards?. The Property Manager will have the final responsibility for
determining ?normal wear and tear? and what is the result of damage, abuse or
neglect.?
In my case, Brad Snyder determined that in spite of using his
recommended cleaner, a slight discoloration on the carpet constituted ?damage?
and that I had to replace all the carpet in that bedroom.  He also determined
that the outside of the house needed ?landscaping? and charged me for that too.  This is after I trimmed the bushes and pulled
the weeds myself, of course.  The total
came to $430 plus $150 for additional cleaning. 
To add insult to injury, Brad Snyder and Sierra Vista Realty got to keep
a half month?s rent (around $600) because my graduation/report dates required
me to leave town in the middle of the month. 
That gave Brad Snyder two full weeks to spend my deposit on ?repairs?
before the house lost revenue.  And it?s
all in the lease agreement, so Brad is covered whether it?s ethical or not.
Now I?ve moved many times
in many states and many countries with the Army.  I?ve learned that you can polish your house
with a toothbrush and the landlord is going to find something wrong with
it.  That?s okay.  That?s just how it works.  But after more than a dozen landlords in the
last 15 years, I have NEVER seen such an anti-tenant application of a lease
agreement.  EVER.  See Brad Snyder is very diligent to ensure
that you sign an air-tight lease agreement. 
It?s great for the homeowner and therefore Sierra Vista Realty?s bottom
line.  You?ll even like it too when you
walk into a freshly maintained property that you quite desperately need for
your family?s safety and comfort.  Just
remember.  You?ll pay for it on the back
end when the Brad Snyder uses the ?move-in condition? standard to justify using
your money to maintain the owner?s
home.  That is Sierra Vista Realty?s
bottom line. 
So if you like getting
your security deposit back, you must do two things:
#1. Don?t walk on the carpet. 
#2. You must attend the Brad Snyder School of ?Landscaping?.
?.Or maybe just don?t rent from Brad Snyder and Sierra Vista Realty.