By Look who is back in business again in Area II:
A realty company banned from working with U.S. Forces Korea personnel in Seoul because it allegedly skimmed cash from inflated leases has been allowed to resume working with the military after promising to take “corrective measures,” according to military officials.
Julie’s Realty was put off limits in Area II in February 2008, because it was submitting lease documents to USFK for rents that were higher than the amounts charged by landlords, U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan spokesman Dave McNally said.
The off-limits restrictions were removed Aug. 1 after a year and a half of appeals hearings before Yongsan’s Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board and a promise by owner Julie Baek to allow on-site audits.
Baek also agreed that landlords would attend lease signings and that her representatives would attach a written statement disclosing fee arrangements with the property owner to all leases, McNally said. Baek’s company will also remain on probation for three months.
Baek said last week in a phone interview that she had known “for some time” that her business would be reinstated, but hung up on a Stars and Stripes reporter who asked for more information. Baek has said little to Stripes about the matter since 2008, except that she did nothing wrong and that the off-limits designation was based on a misunderstanding. [Ashley Rowland - Stars & Stripes]
The Stars & Stripes Ashley Rowland has been all over this Julie’s Realty scam and it is unfortunate that USFK isn’t being more cooperative in disclosing more facts about this case. You can read more details about the housing scam Julie’s was orchestrating here and here.
Basically what Julie’s Realty got caught doing was she would negotiate a contract with a landlord and than make a false contract with inflated prices in place of the one she negotiated with the landlord. So now she is back on limits again and according to a ROK Drop commenter shady practices are still going on with Julie’s Realty by following the traditional Korean housing fraud tactic of colluding with landlords.
The traditional Korean housing fraud tactic is that realty companies collude with landlords to jack up housing prices based off a servicemembers rank. These realtors know what each rank gets paid per month for basic allowance for housing (BAH) and if for example they have an apartment available that according to local rental rates should cost $1,000 per month, the realtor knows the soldier they are looking at renting the apartment is authorized $1,500 for BAH, the realtor will then collude with the apartment owner to jack up the price to $1,500 and then they will split the extra money between themselves. This scam has been going on for years. The off limits designation on Julie’s Realty was the first time I saw anyone doing anything to address housing fraud.
Here is a question for ROK Drop readers. If you found an apartment for rent through Julie’s Realty how much did you pay for that apartment and where is it at?
It is the sad reality. No mistake...
10:42 am on August 16th, 2009 1
What happened here was that Julie's was taking all the scam money and not sharing with the landlords. This is the only way you get busted for anything in Korea… by being a greedy thief instead of a regular thief like everyone else. USFK should end the housing system and just pay each person the same amount and send them out to fend for themselves. This would allow the free market to take over and all this graft and corruption would end.
5:03 pm on August 17th, 2009 2
USFK had all the evidence of Julie's crime, still allowed her to continue doing her business with USFK personnel outside Area II, now USFK let her resume working in AREA II. Who do think Julie has connections with to help her out? Some USFK Officers are helping her out to steal USFK money.
5:31 pm on August 17th, 2009 3
9:52 pm on August 17th, 2009 4
Hey, fellas, have ya heard the news
Ya know that Julie's back in town
It won't take long, just watch and see
all the fellas lay their money down
Her style is new but the face is the same as it was so long ago
But from her eyes a different smile like of the one who knows
11:22 pm on August 17th, 2009 5
USFK is here to protect American interests and Korea yet cannot even protect its own personnel from 2-bit shysters & street hustlers. How sad.
This of course leads to exorbitantly high rent, much more than a Korean would pay for the same property, therefore costing taxpayers more money. Everybody gets rich but the service member, civilian, contractor and taxpayer take it in the ass, every time.
I am amazed these "Area Commanders" (or whatever they style themselves these days) did not know Julies was off limits in Area II. What a cop out. Don't these guys ever talk to each other? You know, have a big VTC or luncheon – complete with hundreds of PowerPoint slides detailing each soldiers' spam purchases. Or, do they sit in their little fiefdoms oblivious to all outside their domain?
Yep, Julie might look good in a skirt, as well as all her staff, but they are what they are. Thieves.
I'm sure she has now reevaluated her business practices and seen the light. Thanks USFK for rehabilitating this poor hapless street urchin and giving her another chance to do what's right!
12:01 am on August 18th, 2009 6
If the Area commanders don't want to talk to each other, could always just read the ROK Drop.
8:30 am on August 18th, 2009 7
It would probably be beneficial for the entire leadership to read here. Sometimes it seems they truly cannot see the forest for the trees.
7:53 am on March 13th, 2010 8
Area I and Area III personnel now have the pleasure of being taken advantage of by the-commander-of-the-camp follower Julie.
Of course newly arrived personnel do not know the shady dealing that occurred in Area II.
8:56 am on March 13th, 2010 9
When we eliminate the impossible, only the possible remains. So, who is Julie paying off and/or blowing to allow her to continue this crime spree?
2:22 pm on May 4th, 2010 10
Sad thing is, the real facts (property management contracts with owners or landlords) versus (leases with USFK members) was never explained. and Stars & Stripes with their slanted reporting only gave one picture. Let all the other realtors open up their business and personal bank accounts like Julies Realty did, and you might be surprised at what comes out.
2:32 pm on May 4th, 2010 11
Having a Property Management contract with a landlord or owner is not a scam. Ask any US realtor. Nothing says you have to use a realtor, and you can take the BAH/OHA and find a place on your own. The use of a realtor can be of benefit to the USFK member. There is always a choice for the military member, DOD civilian or contractor. IMCOM-K previously (when they were known as IMA-K) tried to set up a "one-stop-shop" )Meaning a single entity for the USFK members to use (then KRPM), but, shock, it did not pass the legal muster and was deemed illegal. Present system might not be the best, but the Housing Chief (especially in Yongsan and always a woman like most of the realtors prefer) needs to keep pressure on the process at all times. If they did, you would probably see improved service, more satifaction by the military community in Korea, and LOWER rental rates.
2:40 pm on May 4th, 2010 12
RentMe…Knowledge of what happened to Julie's Realty in Yongsan is an open book thanks to the one-sided reporting of the Stars-and-Stripes. CID and KNP investigated her operation in Area I and III several times and as was NoWrongDoing. Let us not forget that that Housing Offices in Area I and Area III Approve ALL LEASE AGREEMENTS. So if you feel you are being taken advantage of, talk to the Housing Chief's in those areas. Supposedly they have those positions because of their wealth of experience and customer service credentials. If newly arrived personnel want to know what "shady dealings" took place, ask housing. Then think about asking Julie's, and then form an opinion.
2:51 pm on May 4th, 2010 13
LeonLaPorte…Everyone would agree, USFK needs to protect the American Taxpayer, and the USFK military member, civilian and contractor. "Area Commander" (or these days 'Garrison Commanders")were fully aware that Julie's was off limits in Area II (ever see the off-limits listing?) it was there for everyone to see. In Area II, every lease contract was approved by the Housing Office staff. So they failed in their fudiciary responsibilities. The same old people in the Chief's positions because the Command refuses to put in new blood. Just look at Yongsan. A vacancy, well qualified applicants on the referral list from CPAC, but surprise, no selection, because they wanted someone local that could be manipulated by the realtors and the realtors association. Surprising in Yongsan for the last five plus years there has been no real change in the Yongsan Housing Office.
10:02 pm on May 4th, 2010 14
As a realtor in the US and in and out of Korea since the mid-1980′s, it’s always interesting to see comments made in a Forum such as ROKDROP. You are correct, eliminate the impossible, and all things become possible. One would think that after closing her Yongsan Business operation, being named as a realtor “Best in the Pacific” in 2008 and as I understand it doing everything that the Yongsan Garrison/USFK required, added to the requirements laid out by IMCOM-Korea, the decisions of the Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board, everything that transpired is available for review. One would suspect that understanding the Korean culture and the embarrasment of it all, coupled to the difficulty a Korean businesswoman has in that culture, an “atta-boy” should be given to Julie’s Realty and Relocation for not just throwing in the proverbial towel, as many of the Yongsan Realtors and Housing Office was hoping for.
12:20 pm on July 8th, 2010 15
Hey, was wondering if k16 realty is still in business? I lived over there for a few years and went through them. Would love to get in touch with them but can't find them anywhere. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!
1:24 pm on July 8th, 2010 16
Yes, the thieving scumbags are still in business and are supported by USFK. Good luck getting your (or the tax payers) money back.
http://juliesrealty.com/04company/0103locations.h…
1:37 pm on July 8th, 2010 17
The real estate agent who showed me the apartment I eventually bought and helped with getting the loan and everything is also named Julie, so I freaked out a minute about this.
My Julie is apparently a far more honest person than this. And pretty danged helpful, too.
8:05 am on July 9th, 2010 18
leon, wasnt sure if your response was in response to my post, but the link was for julies realty. Are they working with julie's now? They were always in competition with them from what I can remember. Their office was right up the road from k16, just a few blocks away.
11:50 pm on July 5th, 2011 19
Hmm… seems there is a misunderstanding on exactly who we should blame here. You see, Julie, or any other realtor is just re-selling a product, stores do it all the time. So the realtor negotiates with the landlord. The realtor knows the BAH allowances because they are posted on the internet, or made available by the housing office. No crime committed. The housing office inspector is the one that goes to make an assessment of the fair value of the rental fees. If they all agree on the price, and they usually do, then no harm no foul. Now, if there was only someway to get the rent undercontrol by having the realtor bring the landlord to the contract signing AND a next door neighbor who is renting. Just ask the korean neighbor what they pay for rent and that should be fair market value. Anything else is just a very bad business practice allowed by our US Government. As a side note I detest my Realtor, but if she was doing this, and she probably is, she is doing no crime. Sorry guys, give it up.
12:46 am on July 6th, 2011 20
daniel why did you dig up an article that’s almost 2 years ago?
1:14 am on July 6th, 2011 21
Orbit,
Great researchers often use historical trails to gather facts and make important decisions… This story is relevant to today’s price of bread in Area III and I’m always concerned about the price of bread in Area III.
really? you asked that question really? ROK Drop presented it as one I should read. I didn’t see an expiration date.
7:09 am on August 5th, 2011 22
# 20,
Because Julie lifted her skirt for Daniel?
Isn’t Julie’s also damn near next door to a military base entrance at Samgakji subway St. in Yongsan? I swear I’ve seen it in plain sight! I might stop in there, have her show me numerous places, pretend to be a soldier, get a price quote, then ask her what an English teacher would pay for the same?
9:23 am on August 5th, 2011 23
tnonetylr – you have a shaved head?
4:03 pm on August 7th, 2011 24
LOL I’d be more interested in julie’s bro
6:22 pm on October 20th, 2011 25
Heck, she does more than lift her! On her knees quite a bit. Anything to help improve her business! Encourages her “members” to also provide those “special services”!
6:25 pm on October 20th, 2011 26
Lifting her skirt, just ask around. A pretender. Pretends to be a friend, then when she thinks you are no longer helpful to improving her business, throws you under the bus. Ever notice how she likes to have her picture taken with those in the power chain, like the generals, 06′s and upperlevel civilians and contractors. Used to have a great business and reputation, but now? Soooooo sad!
6:34 pm on October 20th, 2011 27
26 This thread is still relevant. She’s still a thief and she’s still fleecing the government, blatantly. Her and her businesses (outside ALL installations) should be off limits for certain. She does have a pretty mouth though.