All Forum Posts by: Mark Hu

I've had my rental signs stolen frequently lately, and I was wondering if anyone knows how to make or buy them cheaply. The ones from the local hardware store are 7 to 10 dollars a pop and it is getting to be a drag buying them all the time.

Also does anyone know how to hang the signs on vinyl siding without drilling holes in the siding and creating potential water leaks?

I would like to ask 'NorthshoreB' what he means by checking tax records to verify owners name. I too would like to verify that the landlord on the rental application is actually a landlord. But I hope he doesn't mean going down to the records office and digging through all that microfilm! That would be very time consuming.

After some initial enthusiasm, I don't think tankless is a good idea in apartments. Tenants in US are not used to tankless, and probably won't like the low flow rate. Also they have no idea how to take care of them.

I saw some models for $1200, and that is before installation.

The fact is that no one does it exactly the way you do it. Even good contractors who do things well see things different then the owner and there are always conflicts of interest.

Then there are a significant number of contractors and unlicensed workers who are so bad it makes you want to do it yourself no matter what the risk.

I would not do a big job like the roof myself for the first time and expect to get ahead. However I would go for it if I had plenty of time, cash, and was learning a skill I could apply to other properties as well. Also I would be EXTREMELY careful.

Also I would get workers comp to cover anyone working for me. I suppose if I was extremely short of cash I would try to get by without, but it is risky.

We plan to start charging our tenants for stopped up sinks, clogged toilets, ect. What is the proper and legal way to go about doing this? Can we just send them a bill?

Going to the gym is good. It's also good to do these projects on a regular basis. These repair projects put the body through a surprising amount of stress, and it is necessary to keep in good physical shape.

Like my wife always reminds me, be sure to eat regular and healthy, drink lots of water, and don't overwork the hours (we have no boss!). Remember most projects are twice as hard as we think they are, and don't try doing too much.

These jobs always remind me why contractors get paid a lot. I'm saving a ton of money, but I'm definitely earning it!

wood construction I believe. The framing is wood beams, and the walls are stucco.

Does anyone know any good resources providing info on how to read credit reports? I've use them for years, and I've never been able to read the finer details of the report well. Now my vendor has changed the formatting of the reports as well!

I get my credit reports from the apartment association of orange county, and they get their info from Transunion and Social Search.

Right now I am fairly handy with plumbing. But I am grievously short on info about electrical, roofing, and balcony repair.

Where can I find good info on these topics? I know there are many repair books out there but most of them are pretty poor.

I have some balconies that were repaired badly by a contractor some years back. I would like to understand how to repair and seal them, so that I could do it myself, or at least keep a intelligent eye on the next contractor I hire.

Does anyone know where I can find this info?