All Forum Posts by: Alex P.

Timing. That is what you're missing. The market is high right now. Banks price off of market value and then new investors buy them at a high price because they're looking to get started.

So I've lived in a couple shipping container complexes while working in the oil fields, sound similar to your idea. I think if the need is large enough it might be feasible, the rents in North Dakota were the highest in the country so there was a need then. Seems like the way California is going. Those complexes always had the worst reputation, it was like living in a bunker. I would be really curious to see how you're visualizing the design so it doesn't seem like you're living in a jail cell. Also when the economy changed those were the first things to become vacant and torn down. I do realize California and North Dakota are vastly different but regardless..

Know what type of person you are. Some people make good landlords, some don't, identity that. Don't be afraid to use property management just for the sake of saving the 10%. You can lose a lot more by not using them.

So I ran into the same thing and got stuck with the bill. What I did to avoid it in the future was to have them put power in their name and I kept water/sewer/garbage in mine and they reimbursed me every month. Then added in my lease if they didn't reimburse me I could start the eviction process. Not sure if there is an immediate solution if you don't have anything in your lease. I would try to talk to her.

Whose name are the utilities in? If they're in her name she will pay them when the utility company shuts off the services. If they're in your name and you're being reimbursed, hopefully you have a clause in your lease addressing not paying utility payments and can evict.

You can do that if there is an option to put a pre-auction bid in. But not all properties will have that option, I seldom see that option in my area anymore.

Cabinet first people, how are you addressing the height difference? The flooring she's talking about will add 3/8 - 5/8 inches worth of height from her subfloor. So say I installed cabinets on subflooring, butted my flooring to kick plate of cabinets, dropped my dishwasher into place, the put a countertop on. How you getting that dishwasher out? You're not without ripping the countertop back off or ripping out 48" worth of flooring.

I'll run with it a different way. Installed cabinets on subflooring, ran vinyl planking where the dishwasher will sit, put the countertop on...slid the dishwasher in? Yeah you're not getting that dishwasher in because the countertop are too low.

No one has mentioned shimming their cabinets with plywood to match the differences in height, this would work but would add work.

Floors first for what she is doing. Plus it's a rental so she plans on holding it for some amount of time, if she wants to re arrange the footprint in the future before she sells she can.

Local mortgage company in my town. Life Mortgage, it is a division of Mann Mortgage. 

If your using glue down do flooring first. You will be stuck to the same footprint if you do cabinets first. It will also effect your appliance heights. Exception would be floating floors, the weight of the cabinets could prevent them from expanding and contracting and could buckle them.

You sure post a lot of political topics on these forums.