All Forum Posts by: Lauren Robins

Hey Brad, 

Finding properties in probate can be a lucrative opportunity, but it requires a focused approach and an understanding of the probate process. Probate properties are those that belong to an estate after someone passes away, and they can be sold by the executor or personal representative. The process can vary by state, but here are some strategies to help you locate probate properties:

1. Research County Probate Court Records: One of the most direct ways to find probate properties is by searching county probate court records. Probate cases are public records, so you can request access to these files. Many counties offer online databases where you can search for probate filings, including estate inventories and property listings. You’ll need to look for notices of the estate being open, which typically includes details about any properties involved.

2. Attend Probate Court Hearings: In addition to researching online, you can attend probate court hearings. Many probate cases involve hearings where properties may be discussed or sold. By attending these hearings, you can stay informed about potential property sales and even make connections with executors or attorneys managing the estates.

3. Work with an Estate Attorney: Estate attorneys often handle probate cases and may have insight into properties that are about to be sold. Building relationships with these professionals can be beneficial as they might refer you to estates in need of selling their properties quickly, or they might notify you of upcoming sales.

4. Probate Listings and Auctions: Some areas hold public probate auctions where properties are sold to the highest bidder. These auctions can be an excellent way to acquire property, though they typically require cash or a quick closing. You can look for upcoming auctions in the local newspaper or auction websites. Additionally, some websites and real estate platforms specialize in listing probate properties for sale, providing an easy way to find properties without having to go to court.

5. Direct Mail Campaigns: If you prefer a more proactive approach, you can send direct mail to the personal representatives of estates. You can find the names and addresses of these individuals through probate court filings. Sending a letter offering to buy their property may catch the attention of someone looking to sell quickly and avoid the lengthy probate process.

6. Understand the Probate Process: It’s crucial to understand how the probate process works in your state. Probate can take time, and in some cases, a property may not be ready to sell immediately. Understanding how long the process typically takes and the conditions under which the property can be sold will give you an advantage in your search.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.

Hi Paul! 

You're in a strong position to get started in mobile home investing, and it's great that your motivation includes both financial return and a desire to help solve the affordable housing issue in your area. With your brother's 20+ years of experience repairing mobile homes and his willingness to house hack the first property, you're starting with a real advantage many beginners don’t have—someone knowledgeable and trustworthy on the ground.

Since mobile home investing is different from traditional real estate in key ways (lower capital requirements, different rules in parks, unique buyer/renter profiles), it's important to get educated specifically in this niche. YouTube is a great place to start, with creators like Adrian Smude, who shares in-depth walkthroughs of mobile home deals, and channels like Trailer Cash Academy, which focus specifically on flipping and renting mobile homes. Books like “Mobile Home Wealth” and “Investing in Mobile Homes with Land” by Zalman Velvel are highly recommended for new investors. Also, joining Facebook groups or the BiggerPockets forums where mobile home investors gather can give you access to shared real-world experiences and guidance.

It's also critical that you and your brother get aligned on how this first deal is going to work. Since you're the investor and he's living in the home while rehabbing it, you'll want to be clear on the structure: Who buys and holds the title? Who pays for what? How do you split profits, equity, or future rents? This could be as simple as an informal joint venture agreement for your first flip, or if you plan to grow into more deals, you might consider setting up an LLC with an operating agreement that spells out your roles and shares.

To keep yourself moving forward and avoid analysis paralysis, define a clear set of criteria for your first mobile home purchase. Ask yourself what your total budget will be (purchase plus rehab), how much repair work you and your brother are comfortable taking on, whether you'll be investing in a mobile home park or buying one with land, and what the local market looks like in terms of resale value or rental demand for trailers. Setting these parameters will make it easier to recognize the right deal when you see it.

If you feel like you'd benefit from more direct mentorship, you might consider hiring a mobile home–specific coach or joining a structured course.

At the end of the day, the best way to learn is by doing. Your first mobile home flip will teach you more than any course or book, especially with your brother supporting the rehab and you focused on financing and exit strategy. Keep it simple, make your first deal your “learning deal,” and build from there.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.

Hi, Artiom! 

This is an exciting investment! To determine the highest and best use of the property, you’ll need to conduct a comprehensive analysis that includes legal, market, financial, and strategic factors. Start with zoning and legal considerations, as these set the foundation for what’s even possible. Research the property's current zoning designation and compare it to the local city’s comprehensive or future land use plan. Because the property is just outside city limits and near a major commercial area, there may be potential for annexation or rezoning to allow for commercial or mixed-use development. You'll also want to investigate setback requirements, utility easements, floodplain restrictions, or any limitations that might affect how much of the land can be developed.

Next, you'll want to evaluate the market context. Being near a commercial intersection and bordering a shopping center, the site has intrinsic location value. Study local demand: Are there businesses looking for retail space nearby? Is there unmet residential demand, such as for rental units or townhomes? Look at rental rates, recent sales comparables, vacancy levels, and cap rates for both residential and commercial properties in the area. This will help you understand what potential uses are supported by the market. Additionally, assess nearby developments or planned infrastructure improvements, which could either enhance or compete with your project.

Financial feasibility is a critical part of your analysis. For each possible redevelopment scenario—such as renovating the existing home, converting the property to commercial, creating a mixed-use building, or selling the land—you’ll need to estimate both costs and returns. This includes acquisition (if applicable), construction or renovation costs, permitting, utility connections, and carrying costs over the development timeline. Consider your financing plan: Will you use cash, loans, or investor capital? Factor in interest rates, debt service, and the return requirements of any partners involved.

Once you have cost and revenue estimates for each option, build out comparative financial projections. These pro formas should include total project cost, projected gross revenue, operating expenses, and key financial metrics like net operating income (NOI), cash-on-cash return, internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period. Include a realistic project timeline and assign a risk level to each option. For example, converting the property to retail might have a higher return potential but also higher risk, longer timelines, and more regulatory hurdles.

Finally, think strategically about your goals and capacity. Do you have the capital, team, and patience to see through a commercial conversion, or is a faster residential renovation more aligned with your risk tolerance? Would selling the land to a developer or forming a joint venture provide a better outcome with less exposure? Consider what exit strategies are viable under each scenario—holding and renting, flipping, subdividing, or selling to another investor. The highest and best use will be the one that is legally permissible, physically possible, financially feasible, and maximally productive within your specific constraints.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.

This type of situation is a common gray area in rental property management, where it's unclear whether the cost should fall on the tenant, the property manager, or the owner. Since the tenant is new and was unable to access the mailbox due to a broken key in the lock, it initially appeared to be a maintenance issue—possibly due to wear and tear or misuse. However, after the vendor's inspection, it was suggested that the tenant may have simply been trying to open the wrong mailbox, which complicates who should bear responsibility for the $75 service fee.

If the issue was caused by the tenant using the wrong mailbox—especially if they were given the correct key and number—then the tenant should reasonably be responsible for the service charge. On the other hand, if the property manager gave the tenant incorrect mailbox information (e.g., the wrong box number or key), then the manager arguably caused the confusion and should absorb the cost. If no one is clearly at fault and the issue resulted from a simple misunderstanding, it's often the case that the landlord ends up footing the bill, unless they push back or have a policy in place.

In your case, the fair and prudent course would be to ask the property manager for clarification: Was the tenant provided with the correct mailbox number and key at move-in? Was there any actual damage to the mailbox or was the key simply inserted into the wrong lock? And who made the decision to dispatch a vendor before confirming those basic details? These questions can help determine where the fault lies and, consequently, who should pay.

If the answers point to tenant error, it would be appropriate to ask that the tenant be charged. If the property manager provided inaccurate information, you can request that they cover the cost or at least share in it. If no conclusive evidence exists and this seems like a one-time, honest mistake, you might choose to pay it as a goodwill gesture—but make it clear that tenant-caused service calls in the future should be billed directly to the tenant.

Ultimately, you may also want to use this opportunity to establish clearer procedures with your property manager for how similar situations should be handled in the future. Setting expectations now will help you avoid unnecessary expenses and confusion going forward.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.

Yes, as a landlord, there are several low-cost and straightforward ways to report bad tenants to databases that track rental history and tenant behavior. These services vary in their reach and effectiveness, but many are accessible to small landlords and can help warn other landlords of problematic renters.

Some of the most popular tenant reporting services include RentPrep, TenantReports.com, National Tenant Network (NTN), and Experian RentBureau. RentPrep allows landlords to report tenants who owe unpaid rent or have violated lease terms, often through their debt collections services, which can eventually impact the tenant’s credit. TenantReports.com provides similar options, enabling landlords to log delinquencies and lease violations. The National Tenant Network is more commonly used by professional property managers but also offers individual landlords the ability to submit tenant performance data, including evictions and payment problems.

For landlords who want to impact a tenant’s actual credit score, services like Experian RentBureau and TransUnion’s ResidentScore (through platforms like Avail or TurboTenant) allow landlords to report rent payments and missed payments via third-party services. These missed payments can then be recorded on a tenant’s credit report, assuming the rent was collected through an integrated rent payment service. This can be a strong deterrent to nonpayment and lease violations, as it affects the tenant’s financial future beyond just rental references.

Another option is the Landlord Protection Agency (LPA), which maintains a searchable “Deadbeat Tenant Database.” With a membership that costs around $39 per year, landlords can report serious lease violations or unpaid rent to a database that other members use when screening tenants. While it doesn’t affect the tenant’s credit score, it’s still a useful tool for flagging repeat offenders to fellow landlords.

It’s important to ensure that any reporting is accurate, well-documented, and compliant with laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Documentation like a lease, payment records, formal notices, or court judgments strengthens your position and protects you legally. If reporting to credit bureaus or collections agencies, make sure the tenant was properly notified and that you’re following legal procedures to avoid liability.

If you’re not already using a rent collection platform, integrating one like Avail, RentRedi, or ClearNow can simplify the process. These platforms often include reporting features and automate rent reminders, giving you tools to better manage your rental business while holding tenants accountable.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.

Your strategy of suing former tenants in Connecticut small claims court for use and occupancy after foreclosure is both savvy and legally sound. It leverages a provision in Connecticut law that allows property owners to recover fair rental value for the time someone remains in possession of a property after their right to occupy it has ended. Even though you're having success with this approach, it's not a widely used tactic among other landlords or investors in the state, and there are several reasons why.

First, many property owners and investors simply aren’t aware that they have the right to file for use and occupancy in small claims court. They often assume that once a foreclosure is complete, their only recourse is to evict the holdover occupant. The idea of seeking monetary damages for the time the individual remained in the property post-foreclosure isn’t commonly taught or publicized, even though Connecticut law provide for such claims. This lack of awareness keeps many from pursuing what is actually a legitimate and potentially lucrative legal remedy.

Second, some landlords may believe that pursuing former occupants in court isn't worth the time or effort, particularly if they think the person won’t pay or can’t be located. The perception is that even if they win a judgment, collecting on it will be difficult. However, as you’ve seen, if the process is approached efficiently—using proper documentation, serving notices correctly, and presenting a clear case—it can result in consistent recoveries. Still, many investors are deterred by the assumption that it's too much work for too little return.

Another factor is the misconception that owners have no standing to sue for occupancy costs after a foreclosure unless there was a formal lease in place. In reality, Connecticut courts do allow claims based on implied agreements or equitable grounds for use and occupancy, especially when someone remains in the property without paying rent. This is a legal nuance that experienced investors understand, but many others do not.

There’s also fear of crossing the line into illegal territory, especially given Connecticut’s strong tenant protections. Some landlords may avoid filing claims out of concern that their actions might be seen as harassment or a violation of housing law. However, by structuring the case as a use and occupancy claim rather than seeking unpaid rent, you're staying within legal bounds while still holding former occupants accountable.

Lastly, real estate education and coaching—especially the mainstream content circulated through seminars, books, and online platforms—rarely cover this type of strategy. As a result, most investors never learn that use and occupancy lawsuits are an option, let alone a strategy that can be systematized for ongoing enforcement and recovery.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.

Yes, exactly! Let me know if you have any other questions. I LOVE talking about this stuff.

When you're looking to purchase a multifamily property in San Antonio using a DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loan, it's important to consider a few factors to help you choose the right lender and loan terms for your needs. DSCR loans are particularly attractive for real estate investors because they evaluate the property's income potential rather than the borrower's personal income, making it easier to qualify for larger loans.

There are a number of reputable lenders in the San Antonio area that offer DSCR loans. Longleaf Lending is one option that offers DSCR loans with interest rates starting at 6.6% and loans ranging from $75,000 to $3 million. They also have a minimum FICO score requirement of 660. LYNK Capital, located in Raleigh, NC, but with services nationwide, provides loans with no personal income verification required and offers up to 80% loan-to-value (LTV) ratios. They specialize in 30-year rental loans and also cater to multifamily property investments. Tidal Loans is another option, offering flexible terms and no seasoning requirements for their loans, starting at 7%. They also have lower minimum credit score requirements, making them an accessible choice for many investors.

To select the right DSCR lender for your investment goals, you'll want to compare several key factors. First, look at the loan terms and flexibility. Interest rates, loan-to-value (LTV) ratios, and repayment terms are all crucial to understand upfront. For example, some lenders may offer lower interest rates but higher fees, while others may provide more flexibility in loan structures, such as interest-only payments or longer repayment periods.

Another important consideration is property eligibility. Ensure that the lender finances multifamily properties, as some may specialize in single-family homes or specific types of residential properties. Some lenders may also have stricter requirements when it comes to property conditions, so verify that your investment property meets their guidelines.

The credit score and documentation requirements are also crucial. If you have a complex financial situation, look for lenders that offer loans with no personal income verification. DSCR loans are often more flexible when it comes to income verification, but each lender will have different guidelines.

Finally, consider the speed and efficiency of the lender. If you're working with tight deadlines or need a quick closing, ask about the typical processing and closing times. Some lenders can close in as little as 15-30 days, which could be a deciding factor if you're in a competitive market.

To help make the decision easier, consider comparing the following:

CoreVest Finance – Known for their experience in real estate investment loans, offering up to 80% LTV and flexible loan amounts.

Longleaf Lending – Offers fast closings with no income verification, making it an appealing option for investors with strong property cash flow.

LYNK Capital – Provides no personal income verification and is known for offering flexible loan terms and competitive rates.

Tidal Loans – Offers no seasoning requirements and interest-only payment options, which may be ideal for investors with a more complex financial picture.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.

If you have $100K in cash, you can certainly use it for the down payment and to cover some months of mortgage payments. However, if you don’t have the income to support a mortgage based on traditional loan qualifications, it might be more difficult to secure a standard mortgage in your name alone.

One option to explore is Non-QM (Non-Qualified Mortgage) lenders. Non-QM loans are a type of mortgage that doesn't follow the typical guidelines set by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. These loans often focus on factors like the property's rental income instead of your personal income. Specifically, DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loans are one form of Non-QM loan that looks at the rental income generated by the property to determine whether you can afford the mortgage. If the property generates enough rental income to cover the mortgage (and then some), it could make it easier to qualify.

If you're open to bringing in a co-borrower or partner, that could also improve your chances of securing financing. A partner with the income or creditworthiness to qualify for a loan could help you move forward with the purchase. Since you’re planning to operate the property as a short-term rental, this might also make sense from a business perspective.

Another option to consider is owner financing, where the seller acts as the lender. If the seller is motivated to sell, they may offer terms that are more flexible than those of a traditional lender. With owner financing, you wouldn’t need to meet the same income qualifications, and the loan terms could be tailored to fit your needs. This could be a great way to secure a property if you’re unable to qualify for a mortgage through a bank.

For a more short-term solution, hard money loans could be an option. These are typically higher-interest, short-term loans backed by the property itself rather than your personal income. Although they come with higher costs, they can be a good option if you want to quickly acquire a property and are confident in the future rental income. Once the property generates consistent revenue, you could refinance into a traditional mortgage later.

Similarly, a bridge loan might be a viable choice. This is a short-term loan that can cover the purchase while you figure out longer-term financing. If the rental income from the property is strong, you might be able to refinance into a conventional loan after you’ve established the property’s income history.

Lastly, there are short-term rental-specific loans (STR loans), which some lenders are now offering. These loans are designed for properties that will be used as short-term rentals and take into account the rental income potential, rather than focusing solely on your personal income. These loans are relatively new but could be a great fit for your situation.

Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.

Quote from @David Matthews:

Hi all, I have a 4bed 3bath single story ranch home with a basement. Upstairs is 3/2 with a primary en-suite bathroom and two beds that share a bathroom. There is a kitchen and living room on top floor.

downstairs is a 1bed 1bath with living room, office, and second kitchen. I was thinking the other day... is it more valuable to have this second kitchen / basement apartment OR, rip out the kitchen for a fifth bedroom? I mean specifically from an appraisal perspective, not potential rents. 

to be clear - there are many homes in the area that are 5/3 so this wouldn't stick out.  

If your basement kitchen functions as part of a self-contained suite—something like an in-law unit or an accessory dwelling unit (ADU)—then it could add value to the home. This is especially true if it’s well finished, has a degree of privacy or a separate entrance, and if similar setups are common in your market. Appraisers might give a positive adjustment for its functional utility, particularly if multi-generational living is in demand where you live. However, if basement kitchens are rare in your neighborhood or not supported by comparable sales (comps), that second kitchen might not contribute much—or could even be viewed as a less desirable “oddity.”

On the flip side, converting that space into a fifth bedroom can also increase appraised value, especially if there are many 5-bedroom, 3-bath homes in your area and they sell at a premium. Appraisers work largely off comparables, so if 5/3 homes consistently sell for more and your total finished square footage is similar, the extra bedroom could help push your home’s value higher. That said, the value gain depends on doing the conversion well. If it compromises layout flow or removes useful living space (like a rec room or bonus room), it might not be seen as a clear upgrade.

Given your area has many 5/3 homes, it’s important to look at what’s actually selling and why. Are those homes valued higher because of the extra bedroom alone, or are they larger overall with better layouts? Similarly, are basement kitchens or in-law setups found in any of the higher-priced comps? If so, you may already have an asset that makes your home stand out in a good way.

If you’re not sure which route to go, a hybrid strategy might be the safest: keep the second kitchen and stage or market the basement as a flexible-use space—such as a guest suite, home office, or multigenerational living area. This keeps future options open while allowing appraisers and buyers to see value in different ways.


Note: This information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. No attorney-client, fiduciary, or professional relationship is established through this communication.