All Forum Posts by: Karl B.

My favorite trap is 'The Better Mousetrap'. I also like the old school traps that have the large yellow catch mechanism (they're a pain to set but they're super sensitive and they always go off). 

I am not a fan of the old school traps with the metal catch mechanism as I've had too many incidents where they didn't go off and the peanut butter has been eaten. 

I don't recommend poison inside the property as the last thing you want is a stupid mouse dying inside your wall and stinking the place up.

Have all the damage documented (photos and repair estimates from a professional) and file eviction. In my market, when I evict, I can also sue for known damages, which makes the estimate and photos vital. Also bring pre-move in video and/or photos to prove the damage was not present prior to move in. 

Also, don't be afraid of threats of lawyers or court, if you know you're not in the wrong. 

I had a druggie tenant text me claiming a particular lawyer would be used to sue me because I wasn't going to renew her lease (laughable, I know). I texted back I looked forward to it. 

The next day she apologized profusely and claimed she was drunk. She still received a 30-day notice when her lease was going to be up. 

And this is why I place my own tenants. It's not hard to do (though it is like searching for a needle in a manure pile as I deal in C-class) and by being picky I typically have good tenants overall. 

I would tell the realtor they sent you a nut job. The least the realtor can do is place another tenant at no cost to you. 

And after that, I recommend you research how to place your own tenant; even if you're out of state you can hire someone to do a 2 hour open house for all qualified tenants. 

That's wild. I'm imagining the squatter climbing into the vent, making all sorts of noise, the tree limbs shaking as he/she struggles to get into the vent. lol

I'm wondering if the squatter ever spent a night in the attic while the new tenants were living there. I can see one of the new tenants hearing bumping up in the attic and saying, "Honey... I think there's a raccoon in the attic!"

Freedom - time-wise and financially. I also look forward to the day when the short term rehab stress subsides to once in a blue moon. :-)

When I lived in Los Angeles I self-managed my properties in Pennsylvania and did a fine job. I did a heck of a lot better than most (if not all) local PM companies would have done and I didn't have to pay 10+% for it. 

Far away and need to rent a unit out? Pay someone from BP who is local to your rental to do a 2 hour Sunday showing to show the place to all qualified parties. 

The funny thing is I see commercial properties with cap rates lower than what I can get with a CD. 

My market is definitely softening. Still competitive but the really stupid high-priced properties are becoming less and less common.

That being said... when a property comes on the market and it's a good deal they're getting a lot of offers. 

I'm currently under contract on my 1st solo no partners involved commercial property (the seller owes the IRA money so the deal has been in limbo - the seller closes on a different property in May and he'll use that money to pay off his debts so we can close. It's a really good deal.

I'm still making offers. I looked at a place today that needs some work and I'm making a solid offer tomorrow. The place is priced fairly but I want a deal. One of the units is in need of 10-15K in work and that will scare a lot of buyers off. I'm not excited about the place but the price is right. 

The past two years I've more than doubled my doors; and I still feel like I'm moving slowly! 

Bill them immediately for the damage. If they don't pay you, begin the eviction process and note the damage to the property in the complaint so they can't get off the hook by simply paying you the money owed for the damage. 

I had a similar situation and I took photos of all the damage, had my handyman give me a quote, and I presented the bill to the tenant. 

The best thing to do is to go to your local magistrate's office where the property is located and to ask one of the employees these questions. I would advise calling ahead to ask if you can stop in as the people working at these offices are often jaded as they have to deal with unruly, sometimes disrespectful defendants, which sometimes puts the office workers in bad moods.

Better yet, if you have a local apartment association in your area, join them and if they're worth their weight in salt they'll have resources for you that explain the local eviction process.