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Adriana Ward assumed that the most stressful part of selling her home in Marietta, GA would be waiting for the right offer. Instead, he discovered that someone else had already claimed him as their own.
When their real estate agent arrived at the house on Twin Brooks Court in December for a scheduled showing, the warning signs were immediate (1). The safe was missing. The For Sale sign had disappeared. And when Ward arrived, he noticed that the windows he normally leaves open were closed and the locks had been changed.
When the police present knocked on the door, the man who answered said he lived there. Court records show Timothy Pyron told officers he had taken up residence in the empty home and was “nesting.” Investigators say he claimed Georgia’s squatter laws protected him from deportation, describing the situation as a “peaceful and hostile takeover.”
Cases like Ward’s are attracting more and more attention as homes remain empty for long periods of time. There are currently an estimated 5.6 million properties in the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas that are vacant, expanding the scope for unauthorized occupants to test the limits of homeowner protections (2).
As these disputes become more visible, are legal protections for homeowners finally starting to catch up?
Ward’s experience was jarring, but Georgia has already taken steps to provide homeowners with more legal support, and House Bill 1017 makes unauthorized occupancy a criminal offense starting in 2024 (3). Authorities can now also issue a notice requiring occupants to leave, allowing them to be removed within three days if they do not comply.
“It’s crazy that people think they can come in and take over someone’s house,” Kemp told Fox News (4). “Squatters are criminals, not residents.”
However, in many states, removing someone from a vacant property still requires a formal legal process. Typically, property owners must first confirm that the person is squatting on the property and then provide a written notice requesting that the person leave voluntarily. If that fails, the next step is usually to file a lawsuit for unlawful detainer or eviction and appear in court, where the occupants can attempt to claim legal rights to remain. The financial cost can add up quickly, with legal fees, court filings, property damage, loss of rental income, and cleanup costs. That alone can bring the total to between $740 and over $8,000 (5).
Ward says his experience exposed gaps that still exist in how squatting is handled, even in states that have taken steps to strengthen homeowner protections. In his case, the man who entered his home was not charged with breaking and entering. Instead, the only charge filed was for criminal damage, arising from damage caused when the lock was replaced. When he finally regained access to his home, the conditions were so severe, with abandoned garbage and lingering odors of pets and marijuana, that his eyes burned.
“I wish this didn’t happen to anyone else because it’s really traumatic,” she said.
She told Fox 5 News she has since installed cameras on the property to keep a closer eye (6).
For homeowners like her with vacant properties, prevention measures like these may be the best line of defense. Other measures may include checking the home regularly or asking a trusted neighbor, installing alarm systems, removing safes between visits, and documenting the condition of the property with time-stamped photographs.
Across the United States, lawmakers have moved to tighten squatter laws as these cases draw attention to how vulnerable vacant properties can be. In March 2024, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 621, which allows property owners to file a sworn form and have sheriffs remove squatters immediately, without a court process (7). In New York, property laws were updated in April 2024 to clarify that squatters are not considered tenants under any period (8).
Read more: Is retirement approaching without savings? Don’t panic, you are not alone. Here are 6 easy ways to catch up (and quickly)
Cautionary stories like Ward’s may make some real estate investors cringe, but there are ways to benefit from hot real estate markets across the country without purchasing a property that could sit empty while it accumulates value.
In fact, investors can enter the market with just $100. The Arrived real estate platform offers you access to SEC-rated investment stocks in rental homes and vacation rentals, selected and vetted for their appreciation and income potential.
Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived makes it easy to add these properties to your investment portfolio, regardless of your income level. Its flexible investment amounts and simplified process can help accredited and non-accredited investors take advantage of this inflation hedging asset class, without any additional work on your part.
What’s more, the American Housing Survey and the U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2019 that 31.4% of U.S. housing consisted of multifamily units, and the National Association of Home Builders reports that these units are only increasing in popularity (9).
If diversification into multifamily rentals appeals to you, you might consider investing with Lightstone DIRECT, a new investment platform from Lightstone Group, one of the nation’s largest private real estate companies with more than 25,000 multifamily units in its portfolio.
By eliminating the middleman (brokers and crowdfunding intermediaries), accredited investors with a minimum investment of $100,000 can gain direct access to institutional-quality multifamily opportunities. This simplified model can help reduce fees while improving transparency and control.
And with Lightstone DIRECT, you invest in single-asset multifamily deals alongside Lightstone, a true partner, as Lightstone invests at least 20% of its own capital in each offering. All Lightstone investment opportunities undergo a rigorous multi-stage review before being approved by Lightstone directors, including founder David Lichtenstein.
How it works is simple: simply sign up with your email and you can schedule a call with a capital formation expert to evaluate your investment opportunities. From here, all you have to do is verify your details to start investing.
Founded in 1986, Lightstone has a proven track record of delivering strong risk-adjusted returns throughout market cycles with a historical net IRR of 27.5% and a historical net equity multiple of 2.49 times on investments made since 2004. In total, Lightstone has $12 billion in assets under management, including industrial and commercial real estate.
As such, even if multifamily rentals don’t appeal to you, Lightstone could still serve as an investment vehicle for other real estate verticals.
Get started with Lightstone DIRECT today and invest alongside experienced professionals with experience in the game.
Lending Tree (10) reported in 2025 that American homeowners had $34.5 trillion in home equity, $600 billion more than just a year earlier. Now, with home values rising and homeowners moving away from new debt, investors have a new way in.
Homeshares gives accredited investors access to this overlooked segment: the billions in locked-in equity held in owner-occupied homes.
Instead of purchasing properties, investors participate through a portfolio of home equity agreements (HEAs), which allow homeowners to unlock cash with no monthly payments, while investors share in future appreciation.
The result is exposure to a large, undertapped market in major U.S. cities, without the headaches of ownership or the risk of being overleveraged.
HEAs come with built-in protection: They typically cover 25 to 35% of a home’s value in a lien-secured position, helping protect your investment if the market declines. And unlike traditional real estate, HEAs also tend to be resilient to changes in interest rates and offer attractive, risk-adjusted returns even during economic uncertainty.
With diversified portfolios of high-quality homes and target returns of 14% to 17%, Homeshares offers a convenient way to gain exposure to a growing segment of the housing market.
We rely only on verified sources and credible third-party reports. For more information, see our editorial guidelines and ethics.
MSN (1); Loan Tree (2), (10); LegiScan (3); @GovKemp (4), Leaserunner (5), Fox 5 Atlanta (6); Office of Ron DeSantis (7); New York Senate (8); National Association of Home Builders (9)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
