All Forum Posts by: Andrew S.

I own a cabin off of a dirt road in the Smokies also (just private use, not as STR), and you should pay close attention to what @Ken Boone   points out.  You WILL absolutely have trees and branches fall across the road (even during light rains or wind, definitely during heavy storms), and they can't always just be moved out of the way.  Often, a chainsaw is needed.  So if you can't easily get up there and clear the road yourself, make sure you have someone local you can rely on.  Also, as Ken said, dirt roads DO wash out, especially in Winter, so be prepared to scape and gravel occasionally.  Finally, when wet/icy/snow conditions prevail, inexperienced people (aka: STR guests....) CAN (and WILL) get stuck in mud ruts, soft shoulders, etc.  Do not underestimate these issues - they are real.  Not a huge issue if it is just for your own use (and you are willing to handle a chainsaw, toss some gravel, etc), but it is much dicier for vacation guests.  

All that said, by providing lots of upfront information, and meticulous maintenance, you can probably minimize these issues, so it may still be worth giving it a shot as STR. Just be aware that bad stuff can and will likely happen from time to time. Consider providing a backup power generator and/or wood fireplace also - most powerlines in the mountains are above ground and get knocked down all the time.

Agreed - the toothpick method is too flimsy.  But the Bodo method is too messy and too too slow in my experience.  Use ZZem screws system for a quick and rock solid repair.

https://www.amazon.com/4-pk-Sc...

Good for you - just make sure you get that NFA from the city/state though.  That is what will limit your downside risk.  It isn’t really about the removal cost so much as it is about the potential soil decontamination liability.  That’s where things can really get out of control.  With an NSA letter, 3k max downside is very reasonable 

Sounds to me that your bigger problem is that you need a better PM.  He should know ALL of this and make sure the property stays in compliance with City codes or gas company requirements.  What else are you paying them for? 

Dang!  Rough place!  I guess the golden rule applies: "those who have the gold make the rule".....

 My experience over the past 25 or so years has been different: Trane and Carrier have been the least reliable, and Goodman the best. My HVAC guy always tells me:"I'll put in any brand you want - if you want to pay $300-500 extra for a name tag, by all means go with a top brand. If not, Goodman will do fine. So far, he has been right.

There is a good reason for that.  For cold temperatures, heat pumps struggle to keep up because it is harder to extract heat from very cold outside air than from warmer outside air.  Typically, heat pumps will have electric backup heat strips (“auxiliary heat”) that will kick in when the heat pump cannot keep up anymore.  THAT backup heat is very expensive (unless you are in one of those rare places that has dirt cheap electricity).  So, if the backup system has to kick in often, your electric bills will skyrocket.  
Now, it IS true that in very recent years, heat pumps have been improved significantly, so that they have indeed become more feasible for many colder climates.  Perhaps there are a few folks in Canada brave enough to install them, but I can’t imagine that being a cost effective solution up there (unless you live in Western BC).

Since you have a gas line already available, you do have the option of installing a heat pump with a gas furnace backup.  In my opinion, this will give you the most economical operation overall.  However, the upfront cost will be higher.  For this reason, it may not make sense for you as you are planning on selling the property.

In fact, given that you are selling, your best bet might well be to repair the current system and just let the buyer deal with it.  Depends on how much it costs to repair, of course, but generally, I don’t believe in replacing appliances just because they have “reached the end of their lifespan”.  If they run, they run.  Even if they are 10 years past their expected lifespan.  Some HVAC systems can last 25 years, some will bust in 5 years.
 
Finally, I do agree that for your situation, a mini split is likely NOT the way to go.

Given that the problem seems to have “coincided” with a malfunctioning water meter reading, as well as all the troubleshooting effects that have already been put in place, it is hard not to suspect something funny going on on the billing side.  It is remarkable how varied the responses are that one gets from (public) utilities, depending on community, region, state, or even depending on the particular individual you happen to talk to.  All you can do is talje to as many “officials” as you can and try to convince them to waive the excess amount.  If they just won’t budge, you or the tenant will be stuck paying up - it is basically impossible to “win” and argument against a dug-in public utility (for some pretty amazing examples, search for various outrageous water utilities threads in the Atlanta area of this forum). 
in any event, to answer the OP’s initial question, if this were my tenants and they were as high quality as described, I would very likely make up the difference (or, at the very least split the difference) for them.  It seems like this is very likely a one-time problem and while $400-500 hurts, it is not a killer expense.  In the long run, retaining a good tenant will likely be worth far more.

But that’s MY approach - I’m sure others feel differently.

This is the kind of stuff that gives all landlords a bad reputation.  To me, these look like old, worn out cabinets, counter tops and appliances.  I would never even CONSIDER charging my tenant for this repair after a 3 year stay, even if there were “move-in pictures” where the counter looked ok.  Clearly, this is normal wear and tear for such a dated setup and in such a vulnerable location.  If it were me, I would fight the landlord on ANY deposit withholding for this.  You are in a pretty tenant friendly state, so you are very likely to prevail in small claims court, based on the info you have shared.

I get the appeal of security cameras but do you guys really have the time to regularly review footage from multiple properties?  Or do you just store the footage and visit the data “after the fact”, if/when a problem occurred?  I mean, even if the feed is motion activated, there has got to be tons of data that needs to be looked at, no?