the problem, these homeowners fell for a knockoff.rtists pretending to be associated with the government. >> you may be eligible for the 2015 home affordable modification program. >> reporter: and using president obama's name whilew preying on distressed homeowners. >> the homeowners who lost money in thisyz that efá theirá payments were#il going tom)n their lender's trust account. >> reporter: jonathan cohen, an attorney with the federal trade commission says the scam victimized a much larger group. over the course of a year cohen says 500 homeowners across the country fell for it. >> what these scams tend to do is take their last dollar. >> reporter: cohen said the scam worked in three phases. first, the company approved homeowners a loan modification. second, it asked the homeowner to make three trial mortgage payments. and finally the company allegedly staged an advocacy department to ensure homeowners made the payments. and that's when the ftc went undercover. you see, the ftc posed as an unsuspecting consumer looking for a mortg

our producer posing as the homeowner called in the electricians. they went through the yellow pages. he sat down in a downstairs bedroom to watch. >> i would like an estimate. >> [inaudible] horace: it was sometimes a bit surprising. >> i don't know what is going on. i cannot give you an estimate. horace: every homeowner should not be surprised to be charged a service fee. that range from $75 to $135 just to come to the door. for such a suppose it's simple problem -- >> i could have fixed this myself. horace: but really, it is breaker number 10. the problem is the connection. you did not look at that. you would think it would be an easy problem to diagnose and fix. >> it will take multiple days. horace: we are with abc 7 news. we are putting contractors to the test. >> there is a big problem with the wiring in this house. horace: we created the problem. you said it would be a big job. >> no, i did not. it takes several times to do this. and, um, this is really awkward. horace: of the eight electricians, only one correctly diagnosed and fixed the pr

associations in san francisco we support this is fair to homeowners that need extra money and to protect the single-family unit neighborhoods we've support the conditional use permit as long as it didn't violate the neighbors but this provides no protection to the homeowners that live here in zoned residential neighborhoods there's no question of before a short-term rental is allowed in a arrange neighborhood there's a approach to for permit right of action it only means that that hmos is have litigation even if a association files to file for cc&rs the violate can claim a violation average should be required to give the neighbors an opportunity to be heard as at the do with the zoning variance eye otherwise the city allows unauthorized bed-and-breakfast if people want to apply for a b and b license they should be encouraged supervisors that is a zoning issue please protect the zoning laws and the residential neighborhoods. >> thank you. next speaker. and hi, i'm pam i'm a homeowner with my husband in potrero hill we've been hormone sharing and the income allows me to start my own small

not increase the long-term intensity and not effect rental prices instead of is it human rights homeowner occupants restrict our free speech and jeopardizes our ability to support our community and schools then of us can say when life will throw us a curve i call on all to encourage you to keep the current lay and enable us to comply with it thank you. >> thank you susan guaranteeing and thank you for the opportunity to testify i'm sigh with the howard lgbt conferee i'm a professor at the city college in san francisco state i'm going to make 4 points hopefully, i'll get through tm all it is tough for a teacher to live in san francisco and tough that folks who want to age in place knowledge is power but greater certainly are you listening to our concerns most of my city college colleagues who have been in their jobs 20 years and more have been in san francisco we're union members noted low income but if with you breakdown our income we make that dollars an hour fooling all the times as san francisco state in the history department a new faculty live in the east bay with their commute it is

the homeowner is responding only on abc7 news coming up. kimberly: plus chief meteorologist doug hill will tell you what the subtropical storm off the coast of carolina means for our weather. robert: i'm robert burton outside m.s.g. for game five. i will take more than goals to win this one. it will probably take defen when you own a small business there's a never-ending list of small things to do every day. appointments... orders... deadlines... every one of them matters. so you need ternet you can count on. verizon fios is really fast with 99.9% network reliability because when everything is running right, all those small things you do every day can turn into something big. team up with fios for this great limited-time offer. kimberly: the d.c. board of elections announced larubie nay won special election in ward eight and beat out the closest competitor white by 76 votes. the race results will not be official until they are certified next thursday. it's a multimillion dollar mansion on q street off dupont circle with the starting price o

the suspects take off, some on foot, leaving the car. >> the homeowner refuses to back down. he fires off round after round. one of the bullets hits the windshield of the car. this woman covers crime for kvoa, an nbc affiliate station located in tucson. she vividly remembers seeing the video and being shocked by the brazenness of the crime. >> you had a car pulling into the driveway, you had four men leaving the car. they were wearing hooded sweatshirts. and then there was like this barrage of gunfire, and you could hear, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. it was unbelievable that this would happen in broad daylight. >> the gunshots pierce the quiet serenity of the neighborhood and residents are concerned but feel that the homeowner did the right thing by shooting back. >> i'm very watchful where we live, and think everybody has a right to defend their property. >> the police release the surveillance video to the media. it results in a flood of anonymous tips that eventually results in arrests of two of the four suspects. >> we have a warrant outstanding for your a third suspect, and t

first, the company approved homeowners a loan modification.ond, it asked the homeowner to make three trial mortgage payments. and finally, the company allegedly staged an advocacy department to ensure homeowners made the payments. and that's when the ftc went under cover. you see, the ftc posed as an unsuspected consumer looking for mortgage modification so they gave them this address in mt. airy maryland, and the scammers took the bait on an empty lot. >> we made the first trial payment. >> reporter: cohen says this surveillance video shows one of the defendants' girlfriends cashing the check and with that the judge froze assets and put an immediate halt on the business. the ftc has filed a suit under five california men. and the money? yeah, where did the money go? the ftc says the men gambled it away in vegas and then there's country club dues helicopter rides and sports memorabilia. >> i like them to see this interview so they can see how much they hurt this woman here this woman here, this man here, all of us. they hurt us bad. >> i thoug

there's no cost to the homeowner. no generator required. we will do everything for the homeowner.he cost we would sell it to the homeowner, we sell it on the cost per cure -- per kilowatt hour -- per kilowatt hour is less than the utility. you would probably say between 10% and 15% off the current utility cost. we don't think that's the best design. to go off grid is not good design. that's an outcome of that policy. best design is to have a solar system still connected to the grid and have that power generating asset, that little power plant providing services to the utility. that's the best design. emily: do you plan to do this in any other states or expand abroad? lyndon: absolutely. we will bring the service to all the states we operate and expand internationally. where do you go first? australia, nigeria, many african countries where the cost of energy is $.40 per kilowatt hour. we wrestle on where we would expand to first. emily: wendy you think a large number of people in this country will be able to live off the grid? lyndon: i think that is design. if we end up there, it'

of people showed up we live next door to a hotel not a home awhile asked when the absence at the homeowner didn't offer it from 10 to 13 told us a month he will make more money are we talking about out rhd homeowners care far in their home you can see the airbnb it is the one with the weeds when did this eye become commercial no one is talking about the ill conceived part of law there are people abusing the system and no recourse for the neighborhoods the so-called home sharers are thank you for the opportunity this into a full-time business airbnb is wealthy and intimately the neighborhood as well as the elected officials they're well finances to overthrow the zoning laws and they this is not a sharing economy but a rent economy where everything is for sale. >> thank you. >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> good afternoon doug nielsen homeownership in district 8 you moved to san francisco 40 years ago and started a career in the hotel business and then went to work for the visitors bureau i'm new retired my wife will retire next year we own our home and also have a mortgage it is our d

thank you. >> next speaker. >> hello, i'm linda i'm a 4 of resident of san francisco and homeowner i'm sad that the short-term rentals are being blamed for the large share of the affordable housing issues it is a complicated issue i've been a tenant and lucky enough to be a homeowner and host one of the reasons i'm a host is balk my family situations i have 4 children and 13 grant children my husband and i own our home want to be able to rent it in a way flexible for us to accommodate visits from you our family and our home to be available for guests and family members out of town releasely we need income i'm retired and my husband will be we have grandchildren in college short-term rentals has been a way to bridge the gaps financially and. >> what to afford me the luxury of being able to be a community divorcee spent over one thousand hours in community volunteer mainly with the rec and park i love this kind of work but cannot do that without income to help take care of our family needs that's why we're hosting the other thing that troubles me people don't take care of their homes peo

in that unaffordable city for another 24 years this month i was hit with a tripled property tax homeowners insurance. >> earthquake shiners and preparation 45 fee i didn't have the typical fear of borrowing against my savings i've had the pleasure of host guest in my neighborhoods my home sharers give us them a place to stay i've listened to my guests they don't want the traditional lodging experience and helping them with businesses in the neighborhood and adjacent neighborhoods as for the proposed changes i don't think how railways the number of days and life enrichment committee the hosted and unhost making it more enforceable i don't understand how encouraging neighbors to sue neighbors makes my neighborhood better i disagree with the characterization based on the information i've provided the city associated with my listing and retract and feasible i ask you to reject the this legislation home sharers makes it affordable for my family don't let individuals eye home sharers as a result straw malt there's a political advise that has prevent san francisco from addressing the home afforda

our lives and crazy to make the careers better for others it is hurtful to see the san francisco homeowners they'll rather make for money than rent to residents in san francisco everyday at any work i see horrible stories of homeless children and homeless families entire families living in 8 by 10 room because they have no other options i'm sure they'd love to share a home and pollutant companions and help you to support maybe even with childcare you work with many mothers and fathers that have to commuter two hours each way two hours each way in order to come and work in san francisco we have teachers people that is important form of to be connected whether they're not able to i'd like to ask mr. supervisor wiener f is that you're against gathering the data b.a. but woer when we're talking about luxury moratorium it not on housing but itself luxury that is dpa many of the folks in the mission you're asking exactly for the database that addresses the financial impact why are you supporting a database that will harm the interest of the lobbyists that be quiet present in city hall but not whe

renters who would not leave and trashed the house while the homeowner was there. >> the homeowner i guessts to pay cash and then stay there after the airbnb reservation was up. so the service says they're not responsible. abc's kendis gibson has more. >> this is what one california homeowner called a living nightmare, watch as this couple roams this santa cruz house rummaging through the refrigerator, cabinets, the homeowner standing on the side helpless. >> worst thing i've experienced in my life. scariest thing. >> 33-year-old renting her master bedroom through airbnb last month weeks after the contract agreeing to a cash only payment not involving airbnb. that's when she says the payment stopped coming. >> i asked them politely, it's time for you guys to go. >> did they go? >> they did not. >> surveillance cameras rolling as the duo is served legal papers but they refuse to leave. the shirtless male seen creeping throughout the house at night, california law on their side. >> california law allows the tenant the 30-day notice because they have to find a new place to live. that's expens

tonight, the nightmare is finally over for one homeowner. we saw the tenants pulling away from the watsonville home this afternoon in a moving van. they wouldn't say anything to us. we first told you about this horror story last night. the homeowner says the tenants stopped paying rent weeks ago. she served them an eviction notice and they ignored it. >> finally, i called them the devils. they have left my house. we closed the deal where i had to pay them money to evict them. but thank goodness they are gone. >> the homeowner ended up paying them more than $1,700 just to get out of her house. >>> the warriors punched their ticket to the western conference finals tonight in dramatic fashion. >> weaving, trying to get the shot up. curry flings it the other way. and he's got it! >> it was unbelievable. well joe vasquez shows us steph curry is so good, people are literally singing his praises. ♪ when i find myself in a kind of worry, steph curry, you come for me ♪ >> reporter: sung to the beatles song let it be. it shows steph curry in all his g

tonight's weather made for a mess for drivers and homeowners. roz plater caught up with some of them. the store may not have lasted long, but a packed a big punch. roz: especially the work that was cut out for the folks at the fire and rescue personnel in montgomery county. fires and lightning strikes flooding and a water rescue, some of what they had to deal with. at one point, montgomery county fire and rescue went to an emergency status, condition red because of the high number of calls in the number of personnel assigned to each of those situations. some video, first, of a water rescue. this was a close call for two women in a child in a car, the 600 block of perry parkway in gaithersburg. this is one of a number of high water rescue scattered through the county. drivers going through stranded -- standing water, their vehicles disabled. juries were reported. we will also show some video -- no injuries were reported. video, this is from brookeville a small stream overflowing its banks. they turned cars around, i'm told the water subsided, and

homeowner tommy thompson said he and his wife became overwhelmed by their own collections.you get rid of this stuff? >> you would be surprised what we have gotten rid of. >> reporter: if he can sell it fast his family will avoid foreclosure. todd reports this home has multiple offers with a contract pending. >> the good bad, ugly, they all need a buyer. i am helping buyer and sellers. >> reporter: back at pablo bay, it seems jen was able to see through the zoo inside. >> it as a formal dining room and eating area. >> reporter: i missed that where was the dining room. >> the birds. >> reporter: oh, i missed that experts say buyers should do research. >> there is a wild card when you gate house. you can't get to the basement to see what the plumbing and boiler is like. you can't see what the view is like because you can't get to the window. so there is guess work. >> reporter: jen is ready to make a decision. you know all the work it will bring. are you still thinking of putting in an offer? >> yes. >> reporter: yeah? >> i would do it. >> reporter: you are not easily daunted.

in central florida, men dressed as ninjas breaking in to this home tying up the homeowner.timated 1.2 million break ins every year. a home burglary happening every 16 seconds in the u.s. high-tech security cameras and alarms are little match for a trained criminal. >> while on parole and trying to clean up his act, this convicted thief agreed to strap on a camera for abc news and gives up his secrets. >> all kind of good electronics down here. wow. >> reporter: so you can make your home more secure. chris patterson takes us step by step through the perfect break in using this abc news staff er's house. >> make sure no one is home. >> reporter: once he is sure it is empty. >> walk back here. perfect. >> an unlocked window is invitation. >> i'm in. i'm going to make sure the doors are unlocked in case i need to get out of here quickly. he said this homeowner, like so many of us makes it a snap. >> it doesn't matter race nationality, income bracket, age, almost every single person puts things in the same place as the next one. >> up to the master bedroom. first place i like to

many homeowners felt the burden of local taxes was too much. revolt began by collecting over a million signatures-- enough to place proposition 13 on the statewide ballot. proposition 13 would limit property taxes to 1%-- a 60% roback which would wipe out $7 billion of local government funds. journalist ron sobel covered the tax revolt for the l.a. times. the inflation of the 197os translated into the unescapable fact that many california homeowners were paying more in property taxes or faced paying more in property taxes than the actual mortgages on their homes. many of these people were older individuals on fixed incomes who, had this not carried, certainly would have lost their homes. they couldn't meet their tax payments. at the polls propositio13 easily passed with 65%f the te. and the tax revolt was in the national limeght. the victory for proposition 13 is the openg bate in a new american revolution. we have a new revolution against the arrogant politicians and inseitive buaucrats whose philosophy of tax, tax, tax spend, spend, spend, el

not increase the long-term intensity and not effect rental prices instead of is it human rights homeownerccupants restrict our free speech and jeopardizes our ability to support our community and schools then of us can say when life will throw us a curve i call on all to encourage you to keep the current

that will not get you a homeowner. that is a quick trick.egrouting. resurfacing cabinet faces. cleaning up grout. a quick paint job. highlight wall of something different. gerri: you do this all the time. >> every day. gerri: on your show. tell us what was your favorite reno? >> just finished the place of bruce willis. the nicest guy around. gerri: so what are his tastes? >> just a simple guy. just a good guy. one of my favorites. i'm a lucky guy. i get to do this every day. contractor only as good as they were today. tomorrow we'll find out what is going to happen. gerri: so what kinds of things did you do for him, just quickly? >> we redid the whole house. here is another thing taking a door, metal, strip it leave it raw. put lacquer on it. rehabing. rehabing is another thing. using reclaimed wood. that is hot. taking off barns and putting it as highlight wall. led lighting. that is another big thing. gerri: some new materials. so many new fixtures. really worth exploring. steven, great job. so nice to see you. >> my pleasure. gerri: thank