All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

Sounds like too much for a new investor. Vacation rentals take more market knowledge. Shorter lease periods mean high turnover. Plus they need work to get going and are only 1 beds. Plus are in a small town. Also it sounds like they aren't nearby you. All of those factors make the plan quite difficult and complex. I would look for something simpler. Especially starting out.

@Kevin D.  Since the interior duct work is in place, changing out the a/c is probably the better way to go. Of course I'm in the south where the a/c is needed much more. Not sure how big of a deal it is up in MA. If doing window units and the wiring is not in place then, re-wiring for window units would be an extra expense.

I would paint it. Painting is one of the cheapest ways to fix up a home. It would give you a good return on investment considering that you increase the marketability of the home. A good neutral color exterior with a black shingled roof could be more marketable. If you don't have a lot of funds, and the roof isn't leaking then you may could hold off on the reshingle of the roof. Perhaps give a concession on the house to offset replacement of roof to the new buyer and they can reshingle when they need to. Sometimes estimations of roof replacement are not always accurate. 

@Roy N.  Yes, that makes sense. The doors I am referring to did not have a bottom railing installed, which made them very flimsy.

@Roy N.  Thanks for the reply. One rental had the track door that I think you are speaking of. It was a solid panel door that hung from two wheels above. Unfortunately the doors were so heavy (even though hollow inside) that they continually fell off the track. To keep them on the track you had to learn where to place your hands on the doors, or otherwise too much force too high or low would displace the door. Hopefully your doors function better than those did.

Thanks Jon. I am leaning towards no doors too. Any door is subject to breaking. The only doors that don't break are the invisible ones and they are nothing to install. 

Thank you Joshua. I think you are right on. I've just been hesitant to "not include the doors". During the showings to potential tenants I oftentimes find that they will ask, "Will the closets have doors?" How do you respond to such inquiries? Do you suggest that "past tenants have used curtains to their likings". Thanks again. Oh, and I'd like to add: This question also pertains to the "washer dryer room closets" which often times have bifold doors to "hide them". Joshua, would you also take those doors off (say if they are in the hallway? I agree that bifolds and sliders often go unused once they break as the tenant doesn't know how to fix them.

It looks like your market is way too high to invest in for cash flow and you're probably going to want to look into other markets to do investing. Perhaps you can find some cheaper homes in areas not too far away from you where you can self manage. But giving the numbers in your question, $1650 for a 250K home is not great numbers. I know you mentioned you don't care too much about cash flow, but that is something I look for in order to hold property for investment. Buying without looking at cash flow can be quite risky. Its good that you have experience in property management and construction, now you just need to find a home that makes the numbers work. 

What have you found to be the best closet door for a rental? 

The best door would have these features in this order:

1) most durable

2) ease of installation

3) aesthetically pleasing

I'm not looking for anything fancy as it is a student rental. I have found that bifold doors are a headache to keep on their tracks. Installing a full door on hinges seems to be the most durable option so far, but takes more effort installing. Any other suggestions? Has anyone found success with cloth curtains, bead curtains, no doors, etc? Interested in hearing others thoughts. The current project has two rooms with these closet door setups.

Congrats Carlos Burgo .