All Forum Posts by: Corina Eufinger

My piece of advice regarding Illinois or Wisconsin is to get it in Illinois first. In Wisconsin you must go through an apprenticeship with a licensed broker to apply for a brokers license. The whole process can take several years and require you to work for a broker in the meantime. In Illinois you don't have to work for a broker in an apprenticeship and after 2-3 years you can apply for the broker license in Wisconsin bypassing the apprenticeship.

I use Showmojo as a showing schedule and advertising tool. It sends the listings out to over 20 different sites and allows tenants to schedule showings on an online calendar. It also provides SMS text or email confirmation of the showing and its details. The profile I use is $99/year.

Welcome Robert! Congratulations on starting your real estate journey. It will be hard work but well worth the freedom and wealth it can bring. Please feel free to reach out for any advice you might need on Southeastern Wisconsin as I do business in that area as well.

If you don't have the move-in condition form I don't know a judge that would award you damages for the cigarette burn.  I never withhold if I don't have a move-in condition form.  You are gambling with having to pay double damages. If the security deposit was $500 and you withheld all $500, you would be on the hook for at least $1000 in addition to attorney fees  and court costs for you, and the tenant. 

 If you have a signed lease and it states no smoking you could charge for the fee outlined in the lease BUT that does not translate to the cigarette burn being chargeable or the paint be chargeable.  I.E. The lease may state there is $200 fine for smoking. You could legally withhold that fee from the deposit (as long as a Non Standard Rental Provisions was included in the lease and the charge is covered somehow there).  You could not charge your cost for painting without proof of move-in condition.   

Welcome to BP Andrew! This a great place for networking and knowledge.  Being a CPA will be a great asset for local investors on this board that may still use a nationwide service to do their taxes.  The value of a CPA with real estate knowledge should never be understated.  

I own properties in Janesville, manage investments in Southeastern Wisconsin and Lake County Illinois.  Please feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss markets.  

No, I didn't have anyone reach out to me.  So I am still in the market for a real estate agent.

If you use a general form off the internet be sure you areaware of the requirements in your own state for lease documents. I.e.. Wisconsin requires a form called Non Standard Rental Provisions in addition to the rental agreement. 

As a property manager I dealt with this issue regarding side by side neighbors. The smoking tenant ultimately resolved on his own to smoke in his detached garage. A possible solution other than draft blocker is a deodorizer in the hallway. Not a Glade nice smelly product but one that actually scrubs the air. If you use a glade scented diffuser the only outcome would be to have a hallway that smells like lilacs that took up smoking. 

I am a property manager and investor looking for a real estate agent that is willing to assist in the sale of bank owned real estate and other properties in Kenosha County. These properties are not turnkey and require work. To avoid conflicts of interest, I prefer to partner with someone who does partake in property management. 

My experience is that if you find the meters on the outside they are individually metered. If you find nothing outside, chances are utilities aren't separated. The water departments are usually willing to let you know if they are separate or not but don't discuss more than that. WE Energies has been very helpful to me with investor questions. Be sure you are calling the business/lanlord line though. Calling the general customer service you get less answers. They've even given me ballpark quotes on bill amounts for properties I'm interested in. Don't be discouraged by what the tell you for figures though nenecessarily. I had a 5 unit building that was running up $900 per unit for gas and electric. When I got into the building I found out 3 vacant had thermostats turned to 90, and there were unused appliances plugged into the basement and running.