All Forum Posts by: Kathleen Leary

Haven't seen many posts from women on this topic - I'm looking into getting my permit. I'm alone most of the time, either when rehabbing/working, travelling, visiting clients or showing properties. I have no intention of having some scumbag take advantage of that.

Not military or law enforcement, but I have long experience with guns - hunting, target shooting, etc. I have no doubt that if threatened, I would do my utmost to put as many holes in the bad guy as possible.

I've got a Browning 9mm, but it's a little heavy to tote around (for me). I'm interested to see the recommendations of others.

I have the same situation - my place is pretty nice, with a decent yard, flowers, etc. & the place next door has toys, trash cans, bikes, strollers, etc. scattered all over the yard. Weeds, bedsheet curtains, screaming kids at all hours - I'm not sure what the solution is. "Ugly" is not a code violation in these parts!

The (new) owners are only after the easy cash, naturally & have no inclination to upgrade either the property or their screening process. 

I'm interested in hearing what others have to say.

I take photos of the entire place - floors, ceilings, woodwork, etc., put all the pics on a CD & give a copy to the tenant at move-in. They are welcome to take their own, too, of course. 

This state requires an initial walk-through, as well. The paperwork details everything that's not in tip-top shape - tenant signs it & receives a copy. 

I have a list of repairs/replacements of all sorts with standard costs & labor rates for this area. (I found it originally on BP, I think!) I give a copy of this to tenants so that they can get an idea of what they will be charged for various damages at move-out. When they see that having a cleaning crew come in will cost them $200 (or whatever), it gives them a good incentive to minimize the destruction. No guarantees!

This doesn't help you much right now, but you might keep it in mind for the next time around.

I don't like blinds. That's me. I also don't like replacing them!

I do notice that (around here) some higher-end properties have 2-inch faux wood blinds. These are not rentals - spec homes, homes for sale, etc. Right now, that's a popular window treatment & it does look nice. But . . . 

Absolutely consider the best use of your $450 - fancy blinds will probably not allow you to charge more for the unit, but appliances, window A/C, extra storage, etc. will.

You have already trained them to pay late with no adverse consequences. It will be much more difficult to institute penalties, since you have established a precedent of no action on your part. 

If there are clauses in your lease spelling out late fees, etc. you need to enforce them right from the get-go. Otherwise, there's no point in having them.

You should (my opinion!) get this under control as soon as possible or they will continue to take advantage of you. Great suggestions posted already - put them into action TODAY.

With 3 bedrooms, you could potentially have 6 people (give or take) living there. One bathroom usually doesn't cut it nowadays. You definitely need to figure out a way to add at least a half-bath. 

I've lived in 1-bathroom houses my whole life - kinda inconvenient if there's more than one person in the house!

Not around here, unless it meets code for a bedroom, etc. Besides, since when does "living space" have a garage door on it? If it looks like a garage . . . .

Nothing. Here, they come out, assess the job & get back with a solid written bid in less than a week, usually broken down into supplies & labor costs.

If you're getting charged for an initial bid, I'd be very wary. Every location is different, but I'd keep my eyes open!

Always have a contingency in your initial offer, especially on "as-is" properties, that the offer is subject to an inspection regarding the foundation, structural integrity, etc. 

Get an inspection by the most reputable provider you can find. Their fee is worth every penny in peace of mind, regardless of whether they find that the house is about to fall down or that there's nothing to worry about. A structural engineer is certainly a plus.

The information can be used to negotiate price (if that's an option) or give you an idea of what's involved to fix it. The inspector I use is a wealth of information as to suggestions how to fix problems, current pricing, etc. (I hear so many horror stories about inspectors, I wish my guy could be everywhere.)

Good luck - & don't be afraid to walk away.

I change the filters. I also change the smoke detector batteries twice a year. I do routine maintenance checks while I'm there & chat with the tenants to see if anything is starting to fall apart. 

In addition to keeping on top of repairs (it's a very old house), I think my commitment to keeping up with maintenance creates an atmosphere in which the tenants are less likely to destroy the place. So far, so good!