She bought a meth house with 21 squatters

How many squatters can you fit in a three-bedroom home? Drug trial researcher turned real estate investor Veronica Parkinson found out after purchasing a condo near Salt Lake City for $232,218. Check out what else she found inside.

Q: Why buy this meth house? “I’ve done dozens of properties with meth contamination, so I’m familiar with the process. This condo was referred to me by a meth remediation company. The seller couldn’t get her ‘friends’ to leave. I purchased it sight unseen, as is, while I was on vacation in Hawaii. I told the seller I’d deal with the squatters. She was very, very grateful. Even so, I was surprised by just how many squatters were in there when the police helped me clear the property. I mean, the place is pretty small!”

Q: How did it look inside? “It was as bad as I imagined. Since the drug makes users angry and gives them ‘super strength,’ meth homes tend to have punched-in drywall, kicked-in doors, destroyed kitchens, and unhinged writing all over the walls. Plus, recreational meth use leaves a sticky residue on the walls. The smoke gets sucked into the HVAC, then is distributed throughout the home and onto all surfaces that must be wiped down with a solution. Even though it was a relatively new house built in 2009, it required a complete overhaul that cost $90,006 and lasted five months. I even budgeted for a full replumbing in case the squatters had cut out and sold the copper pipes for money.”

Q: Did the condo sell? “It cleaned up nicely and sold for $369,900—a $47,676 profit. And as you can imagine, the neighbors were grateful.”

Q: What advice do you have for others who might want to try rehabbing a meth house? “Sight unseen, it’s best to just budget for a full gut job. I didn’t feel like I was taking a gamble, since condos are predictable with after-repair value, and I had budgeted for the worst case.”