All Forum Posts by: Louie Gabriel

I like UniFi Protect, but it does require a bit more upfront work as the cameras are wired. The bonus is local storage, with easy remote access from the app, and security. Personally, I would never trust a third party to store audio and video surveillance of my home or business.

Depends. You could talk to the mortgage company about her doing an assumption in the loan. I think this is usually only possible on a FHA loan. Otherwise she's going to have to refinance it into just her name.

@Yacoub Shack Make sure you check your state law regarding subsidized housing. It is Illegal to base a decision on if they have a voucher or not, so make sure you know the laws in your State. There are good and bad in every group and at some properties, we have a high proportion of subsidized renters and in others (more expensive places) we have none. There are pluses and minuses as others have said, you know a portion of the rent is paid every month on time and you have someone that in many cases can help manage a problem renter etc. There is, of course, more paperwork and hassle though.

Find a time when you know that nobody in your house will use any water for an extended period (like before you leave for work in the morning or before you go to bed at night) and shut your water off at the meter. When you come home/wake up, turn it back on and listen. If you do have a leak, your pipes will have lost a little pressure and you’ll hear the water rush through the pipes for a couple seconds when you turn the water back on.

This won’t tell you where your leak is, but it will tell you if you do or do not have one to begin with. Then you can decide if it’s even worth it to have a plumber come investigate or not.

Call your city police department and download their NO Trespass form. In order to serve it you have to physically meet with them at property and give it to them..or if your there you call police tell them you want a NO Trespass order made against the person that is CURRENTLY on your property and you want them removed.

I basically posted a NO Trespass sign and also filled out the form and put a copy on the entry to the people that were issues.. they never came back.

@Sami Gren I am skeptical of authority intervention--you do not want to escalate to confrontation. Can you make the stoop less attractive somehow? Like washing down the stoop with strong bleach, or cleaner? 

The Neo-Angle has an advantage because the door can swing from the wall to the center (blocking the toilet) while still retaining the towel bar at easy access as well as the built-in shelves - without blocking the exit from the shower. And they come pretty cheap. $1000 or less for full enclosure kits. 

I would change it at their expense if you think your going to have to change it later on when they leave. No point is spending your own money down the road if they choose to do nothing today, which they will. The tenant should be paying to have it replaced, if not today, when they exit, I would just force their hand and replace the lock now to take care of all legal or cost issues in one go.

Buildium's customer service is quick and good, however they have little pull on add-on 3rd party services like their ePay provider Forte. If using ePay, Forte requires you to personally guarantee the payments regardless if you have an LLC or corporation. This is unavoidable if you want to use this integrated service. Though, I'm told their underwriting is fairly relaxed, only requiring an Equifax 520 credit score.

Make sure to have all tenants fill out an estoppel (templates can be found in the forms library). This ensures that they are on the same page with info provided by past management. Rent, security deposit, owned appliances, repairs needed/requested, etc.