All Forum Posts by: Kristine Ann

Unfortunately you really need to treat with bait boxes.  Closing up holes is part of preventing them from coming back in and also preventing them from traveling throughout the house.  

The pest control people can put locked bait boxes in the basement, attic, and outside to treat for mice. The problem you will run into if you want to do this through the HOA is that there will be a small yet vocal group of pet owners and animal lovers that insist that treating for mice is harmful to their pets or cruel to the mice. If the pest control could put a bait box at the outside front and back of your own personal townhouse, it would probably treat for all the mice in the immediate area, but I don't know if that's even allowed in a condo community.

I would get a few other residents to bring it to the HOA. Play the politics of the HOA. The HOA is just a group of people and they just need to be convinced with the things that matter to them the most. They don't care about the scratching noises. Focus on the health concerns that mice bring.  Also the destruction they do by chewing through wiring and the resulting fire risk.

Finding and buying foreclosures takes a lot of leg work.  

Are you looking for bank owned REO? If you do a little digging there is probably a realty company that specializes in REO listings in your area. You can get put on their email list. You can also check individual bank sites for homes that they own and want to sell.

If you are a cash buyer and can close quickly with as little red tape as possible, the main thing you'll want to do is make sure people in the area know that they can call you for a quick sale.   You can place "I buy houses" ads in the area you're looking at.  You can also let local realtors, churches and charities know that you are looking to buy houses quickly "as is" but you only pay 60-70% (or whatever your policy is) market value.

Look at the HUD home website for buyers. Also auction.com and xome.com can be helpful but I'd be cautious bidding on those sites as the auctioneer will up the bid until the reserve price is met. Also it's important to see the house before you bid on it.

This is an auctioneer in rural NY state. They auction farm equipment and real estate. You probably have something similar in your SFR area:

https://www.williamkentinc.com/advantages-to-selling-real-es...

There's also www.auction.com 

Also, I would never, ever use your insurance agent again.  If an insurance agent was selling you a policy that required a 6ft fence and 24 hour security, they knew full well you didn't have that and didn't read the policy requirements.  Really slimy.

Call your local auctioneer to auction it off asap.  People get excited about auctions.

In the future, I'd look into ways to make the property look occupied.  Cheap curtains hung up on the first floor, a welcome mat, lights on a timer, battery operated fake candles on a timer, big size 11 men's shoes and big men's jacket hung by the front door, two empty dog bowls, a tie out in the back yard (for a dog), fan on a timer, foldable table and chairs with a tablecloth and centerpiece, and radio playing on a timer.  

@Paul Novak Sounds like the landlord next door might want to sell at a good price. 

It isn't your responsibility to make sure the neighbors are quiet. Maybe gift your tenants a white noise machine and make sure all their locks are secure.

You're new tenants probably won't renew their lease.  Be prepared for that.

I think it's great that this post is basically pinned to the top of the tax lien and foreclosure forum.  He's lucky there weren't mountains of rotting garbage to deal with.  The place actually looks nice and clean.  I'd rather no toilet than the opposite worse-case scenario.

People need to be informed of the risks.  A lot of the tax deed auction houses I see need to be demolished.  I occasionally will get one and restore it as a labor of love, but they are all in very rough shape. 

I wonder if he dealt with occupants differently, they wouldn't have destroyed the place?  

Staging makes a huge difference.  Completely vacant homes show terribly.   With that said, how much you spend on staging will depend on the neighborhood and your property value.  If you are in an upscale neighborhood, you can rent furniture for a month.  

I deal with mostly lower cost starter homes, so I stage very minimally. But I do still stage.  It is a lot more trouble to lug these items in and out than you think.  You'll have to remove everything before closing, sell them, or leave them and lose them.

Primary Bedroom:

I stage the primary bedroom with a real (cheapest I can buy) or a fake bed.  Nice bedding is a must, but it doesn't need to be expensive.  Hanging a large picture or something at the head of the bed usually looks nice.

Additional Bedrooms:

Any additional bedrooms, I stage either as an office with a writing desk and computer chair, a workout room (yoga mat and pretty exercise accessories), or a nursery with a neutral white or wood toddler bed and a changing table.  I keep things simple and focus on furniture I can bring in myself.  

It sounds weird, but I stage the closets too.  I'll hang up a couple nice work outfits in a small size for both men and women with nice wood hangers.  I'll also hang up some new children's clothes if I have a nursery. 

If you look up staging, there are some easy hacks, like using foldable tables as beds. 

Living Rooms:
In living rooms I don't bring in any large furniture.  Usually just a large potted plant, a standing lamp, maybe an ottoman and a large area rug.

I will often bring things from my own house.  Otherwise, I buy the cheap trendy furniture at target and then offer to sell it to the new owners right before closing.

If they are coming in to visit the college or the hospital for a couple days, no. 

You can have a couple yoga mats and some light weights in the house if you feel it would add to the guest experience.  A college or professional athlete would just find a gym appropriate to their needs and pay the day rate.  

That's unless the gym is next door to your property.  In that case, yes, build a relationship with the gym and refer your guests for all sorts of classes and personal training.  

It sounds like at least some of the charges to your security deposit might be valid.  Here is how I would deal with it if I was the tenant.  

Whatever you don't feel is correct, you can write the landlord and state that you disagree and why.  Keep it super professional and short.  If you don't hear back in a timely manner (like in two weeks), write another letter and say that you are going to be taking it to small claims court but you are willing to settle for "x" amount out of court.  If you don't hear back in 1-2 weeks call one last time to settle out of court and make sure a check hasn't been mailed. Then file your suit.

In court you'll have to argue your case.  It might be difficult to win because at least some of the charges sound valid.

The juice stain is valid, especially if it is really obvious.  The carpet probably needs to be replaced or professionally cleaned.  I shampoo the carpets between tenants without charging, but if there's a stain it is a lot more time and expense to deal with.  A bright red grape juice stain on white or beige carpet is damage beyond normal wear and tear.

As far as the garbage and the dumpster, if there is trash removal included in your rent, it probably doesn't include furniture or excessive amounts of large pieces of garbage.  Getting mattresses, couches and other large items picked up is expensive.

If you caulked holes from the tv installation, it sounds like the patches were done incorrectly and will need to be redone. Holes are patched a certain way.  Larger holes need mesh and then need to be spackled over and then sanded, primed and painted.  Caulk isn't used to patch drywall because it is very soft when it dries. 

Charging to paint walls after two years is a little iffy.  I would be painting anyway between tenants and wouldn't have charged you, unless you had put up murals or painted a very strong color that needed primer and several coats.

I really don't see the hardline advice you're getting of "if they don't sign, evict them" benefiting anyone in this situation.  They are good tenants and you should continue treating them with the respect and consideration of nice neighbor. The culture in some of these communities in rural NY need to be respected and I think you are doing a good job trying to do that.

I'm not sure where in "upstate ny" this is (I hate that tag. It's way too general) but you are right to give them wiggle room and work with their situation.  There is Westchester County "upstate" and there is Saranac Lake or Tug Hill "upstate" and they might as well be different countries they are so different.    If  you end up approaching this with an antagonistic attitude like many are suggesting, it's not going to fly well and you'll damage your relationship.