All Forum Posts by: Dale Stevens

Also, once the tile is in, be sure to properly SEAL the grout. 

I had this issue, that I forgot to mention. I had a PIA tenant that had a Pit Bull that he claimed was a service animal. The dog was REMOVED because the ADA still requires the owner to register and tag the dog as any other animal would be registered. I didn't feel bad, because it was obvious they weren't being honest.

The rules/regulations seem to be constantly changing. The ADA does not require a dog to to be "REGISTERED" nor can a local municipality require it. So asking for paperwork doesn't mean a dog would be determined to be a service dog.

The dog must be UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE PROVIDER at all times. That is the key. If they go out without the dog, it isn't a service dog. Plain and simple. IT MUST BE UNDER CONTROL OF THE OWNER AT ALL TIMES!

You can ask a person if they aren't obviously disabled, for documentation of both the disability and the need for a service animal, but there is no 'registration' of the animal themselves that is official.

Here is a link to the ADA on service animals: http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html

Here is one for the Fair Housing Act: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?i...

Someone posted that they don't go to a REI Meeting if there are dues? Are you serious? You expect someone to spend time organizing, planning, marketing, hosting, etc Let alone any fee the hosting location may want to charge.

I do not like the standard model of Travelling Guru invited in to sell me something after I paid to get in. But I do find that paying for membership in an organization that forbids selling is well worth it. There is one locally here in the Chicago area, that i pay about $10/month (annual fee), and from that group I have networking and found contractors, private lenders, appraisers, traditional lenders. 

It is funny, people don't mind paying points for closing fees on a loan, but if a club charges $100 or so for membership where you can get into deals, learn, etc it is way to much.

I also want to commend those that defend "mentors" charging for their time. I would be concerned if someone regularly gave freely of their time, considering TIME is the most valuable resource we have. Everyone has the same number of hours in a day, it is how we use those hours that determine our level of success.

I attempted the path of "buying lunch or coffee". I was shut down, got no real information, etc from that path. All those worthy of a coffee, didn't want to waste their time, told me they have been asked that a million times, etc. Then if you offer to work for free for them, they told me, yep, they did that. Then as soon as I learn enough I go out and compete against them using their knowledge and they got nothing for the education. That in the time it takes to tell me and teach me what to do, they could do it themselves, especially if there isn't a long term arrangement. 

So I paid someone. I realized the value in it. There hasn't been a single day since, that i have regretted for one moment doing that. Getting the connections, let alone the ability to pick their brain, has been amazing. It saves me so much time in building those items myself. I probably would have given up seeing how involved it really is to get GOOD connections. 

You pay for concert tickets to sit so far away from someone just singing a song you can hear for free on the radio... Why? Their time to be live. Well, why do we expect to get free from someone we look towards as an expert in the Real Estate arena?

YES.. they can. As long as there is a legal judgment they received back then, they can enforce it whenever the find him. I have judgments that if I stumble across a tenant, etc I will go after it legally. 

His best bet, would be to call the former landlord and work out a payment plan or lower the payments/balance, and remove the garnishment order.

A solid GC in Chicago should know all those numbers to give you a bid. One of your larger issues will be schedule the re-inspection not to mention ensure any fines/liens are cleared due to these failures. You may need to bring an attorney in to court to help clear some if there are any recorded issues.

@Justin Pillion I think you went to the group run by Bock and Chaplin right? While I haven't done transactions with them, I know many that have and EVERYONE of the people that did are still waiting to get their money back. Be cautious!

With that being said, most REIAs do have presenters that SELL you something. Most clubs get a percent of the sale. There are some that do NOT allow a sales pitch. Some that are closer to a 'meetup' but still have presentations, networking, etc. Just no gurus, no sales. Look for those groups. I found one here, and it is when I finally got serious and made real estate a priority. 

To the OP, yes, usually when they toss around HUGE NUMBERS, it is a misdirection. There are rare deals where HUGE money is made. The Guru types always harp on those, as if they were the norm. They aren't. However, good solid money can be made in Real Estate, just don't think it is a get rich quick concept.

Yes, the areas you mentioned are solid areas, but with everything, make sure you stay on top of it. The key is to be fully educated on the areas, the codes, the laws, the processes, taxes, etc. It may sound overwhelming, but getting that information up front might be time consuming, but once you have it, it is amazing how quickly you "get it" and can move forward. I wish you nothing but luck and success. 

Yes, asking for pricing is tough. Why? Because each market has different cost factors. Cost of labor changes by locality for sure. But other factors are involved. What type of windows are you getting? Wood? Vinyl? etc? What are the u values (value of heat transfer). Some people cheap out and go low end. I tend to be somewhere a tad higher on my rentals. I like a good r-value and ensure they are capped and proper insulation done around them. WHen a tenant feels cold air, sees larger gas and electric bills due to the need for heat, they tend to move out.

Add up the cost of vacancy and there is your reason to go higher. 

As to if you are doing a FLIP, I just read an article this morning on Realtor.com about the top investments that return on value. #1 was INSULATION. So dollar for dollar good insulation lowering utilities bills is something people are after. So having good windows should be part of that. 

Just my $.02 worth. 

Yes @Terry Beall many bloviate without knowledge. Some do it to stroke their own ego, others do it as they are selfish. My faves, including many on here, attend classes taught by others. Run here, record a podcast, that basically is what they just learned, and hope you think they are the expert. 

I attended a local class, two posters on here, attended that, and a few others by the same instructor. Now I see they are claiming they are self taught and one if not both, are pushing you to pay them to teach you. Sad really, just be honest. 

At least what they teach works, but be honest about where the education came from, and that it means you, will always have a limit to your teaching because these two people, never learned how to move to the next level from the instructor. 

I don't mean to scare anyone off, just be EXTREMELY careful the advice you take, the source of that advice. In the end, you are your own best advocate, and you need to be sure for yourself!