All Forum Posts by: Amia Jackson

Hi  @Moe Daoud,

I know this may not answer your question, but I think you may be looking at the wrong areas in Philadelphia. Are you only looking at Turnkey investment. 165k seems really high for duplexes in most of the city.  Our triplex was 165k all in.  It's in Germantown. 

Philly has so man properties zoned RM1 that can converted to duplexes and triplexes without a zoning variance. What are you considering a C class area?  I see great deals in Wynnefield, Overbrook, Sharwswood, Germantown, Parkside ect. Not to mention great opportunities on the fringes of gentrifying areas that you can get dirt cheap. 

We buy in Kensington. They'll give you a great deal if you pay cash. Just drive up Kensington ave around Allegheny. Lock you car though, despite the gentrification there's still a lot of heroin addicts.  Sometimes the Restore in Maple Shade has  good stuff. The one on Washington ave is not that great. 

 I have 2 non obvious disabilities. There have been several times that I requested reasonable accommodations. I've ALWAYS had to provide some evidence. The first time I had to be officially tested and pay out my pocket.

You cannot ask someone about an accommodation for disability that is obvious. IE a blind person requesting a seeing eye dog. However if the blind person was asking an emotional support animal that you can ask for verification that demonstrate that they have a disability and that the accommodation would help them with that disability.

You have the right to "reliable documentation of a disability and their disability-related need for an assistance animal" according to HUD. That means you don't have to accept just anything. The verification must establish that the person had a DISABILITY. Not just an illness. It must rise to to level of a disability. Second the accommodation must match the disability. If a person who suffers from a mood disorder that substantially limits sleep wants a rooster to wake them up, that can be a reasonable accomadation. If that same person wants a rooster for their mild anxiety, that's not a reasonable accomadation.

http://hrc.vermont.gov/sites/hrc/files/publication...

Sometimes a person can have a mental illness that does not rise to the level of disability. Some common examples are depression and anxiety. Those diagnoses are not in themselves proof of a disability. The depression has to be major and substantially impact a persons life. I believe that it also can not be diagnosed within 6 months of a death of a loved one. There are a lot of factors that go into a diagnosis of a disability. Generally any mental/emotional/mood disorders must comply with the DSM-5.

- I am a person with a disability who has request reasonable accommodation in multiple states and in a federal program.  

Here's what the US Department of Justice has to say:

18. If a disability is not obvious, what kinds of information may a housing provider request from the person with a disability in support of a requested accommodation?

A housing provider may not ordinarily inquire as to the nature and severity of an individual's disability (see Answer 16, above). However, in response to a request for a reasonable accommodation, a housing provider may request reliable disability-related information that (1) is necessary to verify that the person meets the Act's definition of disability (i.e., has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities), (2) describes the needed accommodation, and (3) shows the relationship between the person's disability and the need for the requested accommodation. Depending on the individual's circumstances, information verifying that the person meets the Act's definition of disability can usually be provided by the individual himself or herself (e.g., proof that an individual under 65 years of age receives Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (10)

or a credible statement by the individual). A doctor or other medical professional, a peer support group, a non-medical service agency, or a reliable third party who is in a position to know about the individual's disability may also provide verification of a disability. In most cases, an individual's medical records or detailed information about the nature of a person's disability is not necessary for this inquiry.

Once a housing provider has established that a person meets the Act's definition of disability, the provider's request for documentation should seek only the information that is necessary to evaluate if the reasonable accommodation is needed because of a disability. Such information must be kept confidential and must not be shared with other persons unless they need the information to make or assess a decision to grant or deny a reasonable accommodation request or unless disclosure is required by law (e.g., a court-issued subpoena requiring disclosure).

https://www.justice.gov/crt/us-department-housing-and-urban-development

We're planning an EDDM campaign. We are planning to hit 2500 people 5 times for a total cost of $4700. We advertising in a rapidly gentrifying area with a lot of distressed homeowner. We had success in the area with DIY flyers. If we get 1 deal from 5 mailing we'll make profit. 

 If a person is asking for a reasonable accommodation for a disability, you are most certainly allowed to ask about the nature of the disability. Some states even allow you to ask for a diagnosis. This is especially true if the disability if not readily apparent which is almost always the case with mental and emotional disability.  The ADA calls is "Sufficient Medical Documentation" 

In a nutshell you can ask for

1. The qualifications of the doctor performing the diagnosis and how they come to thier conclusion. 

2. The nature, severity, and duration of the disability 

3. how this disability affects one or more major life areas. 

4 .How the accommodation would allow the disabled person to be helped in those major life areas. 

Accordingly if the accommodation is a ESA that person must provide evidence the have an emotional disability, the disability substantially limits them in one or more life areas, AND that the pets help them in that/those area. You also have the right that the person requesting accommodation complete medical testing if the nature of their disability is not apparent. The accepted for of testing for emotional and mental disability is the DSM-5. It's pretty much the only thing used to certify a mental or emotional disorder. 

Don't know about the FHA but for the ADA you can say that you are not disabled when you get hired and then ask for reasonable accommodation for your disability once you begin work. The thought is that people would be worried of discrimination and will unlikely to disclose. Since you can't discriminate anyway when the disclosure happens doesn't factor in because theoretically it should be the same outcome. If she did disclose she should have still been able to rent the place.

First, get documentation from the tenant that owns the cat. She must demonstrate that she is disabled. That mean that she has a severe mental condition, (bipolar disorder, major and chronic depression, severe eating disorder ect. ) she then has to demonstrate that the cat performs a service that helps her condition. It can not be generic.  Ask for the qualifications of the doctor, and see if she was evaluated on the DSM-V. Don't let her hand you a note from the doctor. 

Only dogs are considered to be service animals. in order for a cat to be it sounds like a bunch of BS in order to keep the cat. Unless she can demonstrate that she has a condition that severely limits a major aspect of her life AND the her can helps to fix that limitation. The cat is not covered under the ADA or FHA.

Lastly even if the cat is covered (probably not) you can still argue that the accommodation is not reasonable. I would argue that it jeopardized the health and safety of the other tenants. If the cat is causing a rash on a tenant than it is grounds for removal. 

@Joseph M.

Our triplex is in Germantown Philadelphia. We are looking to buy and sell wholesale deals in North Philadelphia West. 

When people say that Philadelphia Neighborhoods are "appreciating" what they really mean is gentrifying. Pretty much all of the hot neighborhood in Philly right now are formerly/mostly poor black areas. I know this because I happen to be born and raised in in some of the hottest areas in the city right now.

Since I'm black and from these areas, I personally  have no problem renting to low income people,  or people of color. A lot of investors looking to buy in what they call "Brewerytown" expect the neighborhood is going to turn into rich white yuppies overnight. It's not going to happen.

They Key to investng in Philly is to know your neighborhood, or find someone who does. It really a block by block city.