All Forum Posts by: Mark Yuschak

Yes, same here. It has never been an issue for me, either. I have friends who invest in neighboring areas who can only pull their own permit if it's their primary residence.

It seems to be a township/city ordinance and is not uniform county or state-wide.

I agree with Steven Hamilton II. I find Menards to be a great compromise between Home Depot and Lowes. They are slightly out of the way from my projects, but the service is always great and prices are really competitive. Plus, I never have an issue getting them to match a Lowes or Home Depot coupon.

The Home Depot I typically deal with is just now starting to give me a problem with the Lowes 10% off coupons. They flat out told me they are not accepted from contractors anymore. I replied with "good, since I'm not a contractor". lol. I always use the same cashier at the Pro Desk and haven't had any subsequent issues.

Lowes has never given me an issue with accepting competitor coupons. However, I rarely shop at Lowes unless it is for appliances or lighting. Otherwise, their prices are too high with limited selection.

I think the worst of the worst for reality shows is World's Worst Tenants on Spike TV.

Absolutely horrible.

Larry K., what Will is referring to is what we in the eastern portion of the US call a "mortgage". The western states consider a mortgage a "deed of trust". One in the same!

Does the basement have drain tiles which lead to a sump crock? If so, is the sump crock full and/or the sump pump not pumping out the water? By nature, that will cause you elevated humidity levels.

Are the walls sweating water?

If you have no standing or visible water, it could just be that your basement is naturally humid. As stated, basements, by their nature, are always more humid than anything above ground. Your only practical solution is to let a dehumidifier run (particularly in the warmer summer months).

Welcome from the east-side of the state!

Just out of curiosity, what town/lake is the beach house in?

In my market, it is desirable to have a finished basement. So, that's what I do on all my properties (if the ceiling height allows it). When I finish a basement, I get pretty extensive. I always add a bedroom (even though it can't be considered one if there's no egress), a bathroom, and a bar. The bar gets granite. Always.

And, if possible I add a gas log fireplace. If that's not feasible, then I buy an electric one and include it with the sale.

Around here, these are HUGE resale items and offer superb bang for your buck.

Since you have a walkout, is there a way you can make a bedroom around an egress window? Doing so could up your bedroom count.

Fannie Mae (much like every other REO) contracts are not assignable. Check the addendums, and you'll see they exclusively spell out that their contracts are between the parties on the PA and addendums and cannot be assigned to a third party.

Michigan is 30 days as well. However, we are off the hook from returning the deposit if the tenant does not leave a forwarding address with the landlord within four days of their vacancy.

I would check your state law to be sure.