Good morning,BP! What was your worst deal?

Good morning,BP! What was your worst deal?

Specialist 路 Baltimore, MD 路 Member since 2018 路 130 posts 路 100 votes
Good morning guys and gals! I'm always seeing what transcends into a good deal. I'm curious though, what was your worst deal or hardest struggle with a property? Was it the PM? Did you make a mistake on the numbers? Location? Tennant problems? Please share! 馃榿
1Reply
26 views

Most Popular Reply

Member since 2018 路 46 posts 路 43 votes
8y

Buying a new car right out of school.  Dumb. 

I slowly dug out of a home renovation-to later become a rental.  A few years ago I began working on my house to prepare for renting.  Adding a bathroom and 2 other rooms.  Didn't use licensed contractors.  Used Thumbtack to get "a guy...I am Trustworthy was his motto".  It was my first venture in using contractors.  Eventually I needed a lawyer to get him off the property. I had to have his stuff towed away-another several month process. Found him playing guitar one evening in the property with a girl.  I wonder if he slept there sometimes. When I finally got licensed people, the plumber had to redo all the plumbing, elecrician had to rip all the wiring out.  I was basically left with studs.  Beercans found in walls. Luckily, the whole ordeal only set me back 25K.  Since then, I've made it up.  Now I have:

1. A contractor I trust and does work at reasonable prices

2. A licensensed eletrician.

3. Still looking for a reasonable licensed plumber, but the contractor usually takes care of this.

4. A good and reasonably priced property management company to deal with tenants.

I have to remind myself "Only used licensed people, only used licensed people."  More expensive, but I made up the money over three other properties with the work being good, fast completion, higher rents from better quality, and it was not really THAT more expensive in the end.  Thank God my brother is a lawyer and got me out of the above situation which took some time.

See this reply in the discussion

10 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Member since 2018 路 46 posts 路 43 votes
    8y

    Buying a new car right out of school.  Dumb. 

    I slowly dug out of a home renovation-to later become a rental.  A few years ago I began working on my house to prepare for renting.  Adding a bathroom and 2 other rooms.  Didn't use licensed contractors.  Used Thumbtack to get "a guy...I am Trustworthy was his motto".  It was my first venture in using contractors.  Eventually I needed a lawyer to get him off the property. I had to have his stuff towed away-another several month process. Found him playing guitar one evening in the property with a girl.  I wonder if he slept there sometimes. When I finally got licensed people, the plumber had to redo all the plumbing, elecrician had to rip all the wiring out.  I was basically left with studs.  Beercans found in walls. Luckily, the whole ordeal only set me back 25K.  Since then, I've made it up.  Now I have:

    1. A contractor I trust and does work at reasonable prices

    2. A licensensed eletrician.

    3. Still looking for a reasonable licensed plumber, but the contractor usually takes care of this.

    4. A good and reasonably priced property management company to deal with tenants.

    I have to remind myself "Only used licensed people, only used licensed people."  More expensive, but I made up the money over three other properties with the work being good, fast completion, higher rents from better quality, and it was not really THAT more expensive in the end.  Thank God my brother is a lawyer and got me out of the above situation which took some time.

  • Attorney 路 Northbrook, IL 路 Member since 2017 路 719 posts 路 549 votes
    8y

    @Daniel Brown Client bought a property with the intention of bumping it up and out based on his contractor's figures. The two of them had been working together for about five years and had probably done 100 rehabs together. Within one week of closing the contractor said he had completely misjudged the amount of foundational work needed to expand the home and needed $75,000 more to complete the job.

  • Specialist 路 Baltimore, MD 路 Member since 2018 路 130 posts 路 100 votes
    8y
    @Rich Senyszyn that's Incredible... sounds like he was learning more about the guitar and less about fixing your place.
  • Brooklyn, NY 路 Member since 2016 路 316 posts 路 130 votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Bob Floss II:

    @Daniel Brown Client bought a property with the intention of bumping it up and out based on his contractor's figures. The two of them had been working together for about five years and had probably done 100 rehabs together. Within one week of closing the contractor said he had completely misjudged the amount of foundational work needed to expand the home and needed $75,000 more to complete the job.

     Tell me the contractor worked with him on that price.  That is a rough one.

  • Brooklyn, NY 路 Member since 2016 路 316 posts 路 130 votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Daniel Brown:
    Good morning guys and gals! I'm always seeing what transcends into a good deal. I'm curious though, what was your worst deal or hardest struggle with a property? Was it the PM? Did you make a mistake on the numbers? Location? Tennant problems? Please share! 馃榿

     Sharing the pitfalls are just as important. 

  • Attorney 路 Northbrook, IL 路 Member since 2017 路 719 posts 路 549 votes
    8y

    @Calvin Lipscomb No, needless to say it put a serious strain on the relationship. The client used another contractor that did it for cheaper as a favor.

  • Specialist 路 Baltimore, MD 路 Member since 2018 路 130 posts 路 100 votes
    8y
    @Bob Floss II please tell me the contractor worked with that price... cause that's a hard pill to swallow.
  • Brooklyn, NY 路 Member since 2016 路 316 posts 路 130 votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Bob Floss II:

    @Calvin Lipscomb No, needless to say it put a serious strain on the relationship. The client used another contractor that did it for cheaper as a favor.

     No one is perfect and things do happen.  However, you have to extend yourself to make amends.

  • Rental Property Investor 路 Durham, NC 路 Member since 2016 路 7k+ posts 路 7k+ votes
    8y
    @Daniel Brown Paying an attorney to create a single member llc. You don鈥檛 need an llc. You think you do. You don鈥檛.
  • Brooklyn, NY 路 Member since 2016 路 316 posts 路 130 votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Caleb Heimsoth:
    @Daniel Brown

    Paying an attorney to create a single member llc. You don鈥檛 need an llc. You think you do. You don鈥檛.

     Need is really relative.  A lot comes down to what your long and short term strategies are.  

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.