Why would you care if they use your photos? I think it is to your advantage for your buyers to be happy. And, if they do get that rent (and you find out about it), it would be a selling point for you.
I’m guessing the rights to the photos are owned by the agent.
Houses in HI rent for amazingly high rates, depending on location and condition. Considering the place could be used for two families the rental doesn’t seem that outrageous to me.
Photos are most likely will be treated as work for hire made for the realtor. I think the realtor has to have a say who and how can use the photos.
If they plan on renting the house furnished and the furnishings are not those in the photos, I think a prospective renter would be annoyed.
If they plan on renting the house unfurnished and are just showing the photos to show what’s possible, as I renter I wouldn’t care.
But I really think your realtor should care. However, she might not want to make a fuss, as she might be hoping for the listing if/when they decide to sell. Regardless, I think it’s the realtor’s issue, not cb’s.
I can’t see any place where the listing specifies if it is furnished or unfurnished.
Maybe they got permission from the realtor to use the photos.
The default on a long-term rental would be unfurnished
In HI, many rentals are “partly furnished,” meaning rental has some or all appliances and often little else.
I’m sure it is being rented unfurnished, although it does not state. The photos legally belong to my agent and she would have to give ‘permission’ for their use. This issue comes up a lot when a listing expires and the owners change agents and then the new agent wants to use some of the previous photos for their new listing. That is a big no no. New agents especially like to re-use ‘location’ type photos of a neighborhood, or view shots.
I sent link to my agent and she was not aware of the house being put up for rent with her photos. But, I don’t think she cares because she would just want the buyers to be happy. Have no idea who came up with that ridiculous rental price. My guess is somewhere around $3,500-$4,000 to rent a similar house. I’m more worried that they need to build some railings on the retaining wall area downstairs due to liability issues - if they are renting the house.
Cb, the railings are now not your problem! 
Fingers crossed for the next project!
For your own sake, I suggest you delete the link(s) to the listing and just forget about the house so you can focus on the next project. You’re not responsible for what the new owners do or don’t do about any potential liability issues. If your agent doesn’t care about her photos being used, then it doesn’t matter other than you’ve learned something about those buyers to keep in mind should you ever deal with them again. You put so much into the houses you flip that I can understand how it might be difficult to let them go, but it’s better - IMHO - to not concern yourself with them once they sell.
I look forward to seeing the next one.
1 Small House on Silvergate
I received a call yesterday from the listing agent. They have a verbal offer for $799,000 and would I like to match that price, all cash, quick sale??? I politely declined explaining my reasons about needing to build a 2 car garage and a master suite, and issues with trying to get the converted garage permitted. He was very nice about it, but I declined. He said there will be several more ‘deferred maintenance’ houses coming out of the same estate (his uncle passed, his aunt is selling the houses off) and he will call me with those properties - but they are not in the Point Loma area.
I am busy combing through everything that is coming up for foreclosure auction. Nothing with potential this week, but there are a couple I am interested in next week. I’m hoping all of my competitors go on vacation next week and I’m the only one standing there with money ready!! One can only hope
Fingers crossed! Sending good karma your way.
Flip or Flop
Since we are watching that flip they did in Costa Mesa… I was watching a new episode of the show and they flipped another house in Costa Mesa. At first I thought it was the one that is for sale now but the exterior was very different. It was a very small house, but they did that same style with concrete floors and reclaimed wood on the kitchen island. In the TV show, the floors looked nice and the reclaimed wood island looked nice (but it doesn’t look nice in the newer Costa Mesa photos). They also did a very dark wood grain type floor tile for the bathtub surround (which I thought looked dark and awful).
They got multiple offers on the house and it sold for $650,000 - over their $639,900 asking price. So, I’m guessing that they thought they had a great new design style and replicated it on this next Costa Mesa house that they are trying to sell right now (with the grandma exterior/windows)
I was talking to the wife of a guy I used to work with at a Christmas party last weekend and she said they are going to look at the Costa Mesa house! They watch the show and it is one of the areas they are looking at to possibly buy a place.
Maybe the low-ball Coronado family will rent the house.
7 Upcoming
I spent some time with the wonderful elderly woman who has been sitting on her vacant house in Point Loma for awhile and is ready to sell it. I told her I am very interested in buying her house ‘as is’. One of the things that have been keeping them from selling is that the house is still full of stuff that needs to get donated or sold at an Estate Sale. I told her I would take care of everything, they didn’t need to do any more clearing of the house. Also told her that I could buy it all cash and no commission need to be paid. I gave her my card and she promised that she would have her daughter in law call me. We will see what happens.
I have driven the house and walked around it (didn’t tell her that!). It is adorable and would be a great project. I peeked in the windows and I can see that they have stuff everywhere that has been cleared out of cabinets - house is clean and well maintained but definitely in original Grandma condition.
CB - will keep my fingers crossed for #7. It sounds perfect for you!
Awesome! The woman would be foolish if she doesn’t sell it to you.
cb, perhaps you should provide her with some references regarding your ethics and abilities.
The woman seems to want to defer to the ‘daughter in law’ who is a broker, but lives about 45 minutes away from the area. She seems to be getting very frustrated because she has asked her to get the house for sale for at least 3-4 months but nothing is happening.
But the strange thing is that I think that this house that I have the lead through the owner herself might be the same house as the one that a local agent called and told me he would have coming available in January. The size and shape seem to match, although the local agent would not tell me what street the house was on.