All Forum Posts by: Aline Sevigny

@Deisy P. Use a property manager company, I don’t deal with them directly... I don’t show my houses, don’t check k their credit application, don’t collect payments, don’t deal with repairs unless I want to and in which I am part of the maintenance crew that is being dispatched/or to diagnose the problem and refer if needed...

Where to find them? Ask your local investors during REIA, ask your real estate attorney/title company if they know some names, see which ones comes back and call them! I believe the boon in Managing Rentals by Brandon Turner gives you the questions on what to ask...

@Filip Reutov

Wow!! That is a loaded question!!!!

- good side: no money out of pocket;

- but what when they moved?

- Will they want to take it and damage the property or yard?

- Will they want you to pay for it?

- What docs will you be using to make all those things clear?

Now on the “bad”/legal side I would ask myself:

- what if they don’t follow code and someone gets hurt?

- what if they come back because of a dispute or something else and “say” you told them you would refund them / or take it off their rent until pay off?

- what if it’s so unsteady or so badly done that someone gets hurt ON YOUR PROPERTY?

- what if they hurt themselves building it and they can’t work?

- what if they move out, everything went well and the next tenant hurt himself?

I usually always try to look at the “worst case scenarios” especially that I am in a similar situation with a garage that I did not give my tenant access because it needs too much repairs for what I want to do and she claims her dad is “a contractor” himself and would fix it for free!! 🧐🤔

@Thomas Tarry. Is this agent his own Principal Broker (I hope he is not)? The listing does not belong to him but to the Principal Broker- either you or your attorney should give him a call!

@Waleep Alvi

I just don’t! Yes they have three months but then without a job what about mo th 4, 5, 6..? you have to start eviction!! 😕. Not worth it... pass...

I would pay him if in the total bill is "acceptable": he fixed your problem, gladly it was an easy fix!  

I would look at it in a different angle:

- was it responsive and came quick/ call you back quickly?

- did he fix the job quickly and on the first time or did he had to come back several times to figure it out and fix the problem?

- do you think he would come quickly if you had another problem that you needed to fix?  

Moving forward: ask how they bill you ahead of time!  Fix fee to get to the property or service call fee? hourly? is he insured and licensed? does he have a business license?  Can he supply you with those documents? What if the problem does not get fix the first time, will he come back, how quickly and charges to come back the second time? Does he take a % on the parts? what does he offer as a warranty on his work and the parts used? 

I am usually looking for not the cheaper but not the highest either who answers all those questions... when you find someone that you do not have to micromanage, sometimes paying just a tad more is worth for your sanity... it depends on what you are seeking... :)