All Forum Posts by: Douglas Larson

I personally would never buy land (or any property) without a title search and title policy from a reputable title company. The fees depend on property price and if there is a mortgage. Selling with a quit claim might be ok unless you're a real estate agent. Licensed agents will always be held to a higher standard, especially if problems arise later with survey, encroachments, easements, liens. etc.

@George P.

 You must be amazing with a wrench because it always takes me an hour to take out the old unit and put in the new one! Then, there is the trip to dispose of the dead appliance. Home Depot takes the old one away, included in the special $49 rate. Call me lazy but I am stoked!

I have no affiliation with the big orange retailer and I often DIY things like dishwasher installation but I went to pick up a replacement for a broken unit at one of my rental homes and found a sale going on for the dishwasher (a decent whirlpool) for $348 and the delivery and install is just $49 right now. That's a big no-brainer for this lazy landlord! 

Just wanted to pass along the info to any other rehabbers or landlords.

Have fun!

So, is this "full-time" like Tim Ferris or "full-time" like Josh Dorkin? Because I'm totally down for the 4-hour workweek, but not the 80-hour workweek, respectively.   ;-)

Dude . . . can't . . . . live . . . . without . . . . my . . . . BP . . . . fix . . .

I don't have a problem . . . I just need it. That's all man!

Really, I can go without it for days. I'm totally in control.

But, Pleeeeaase get this thing fixed ok?

:-)

I lived in Hawaii for many years and first heard about Robert Kiyosaki there. I met some people who actually knew him and said that many of his stories were "embellished." That said, the book changed my life and many others. If you choose to read RDPD with the same metaphorical application of Richest Man in Babylon or Who Moved My Cheese, you can gain a lot! I really enjoyed one of Kiyosaki's follow-up CD books called "Success Stories." Great, real-life examples of bootstrap entrepreneurs that created successful businesses and investment strategies by thinking outside the box.

Have fun!

I always find it pretty quick and easy just to replace a faucet. Don't forget to buy new braided connector hoses too.

As @Mike Gallagher said, it has surprised me with light fixtures and other products that a manufacturer will have parts on hand and send them out for free, even if you have no paperwork. You do need to know the brand and part you need!

Have fun!

@Vicki Stewart 

Most cities in the country have unique, desirable areas where there are no longer 3 to 20 acre parcels to develop. There will always be desirable lots where there is great value in the right land. If you find a great deal there will also be smaller builders who can build on spec if you are willing to subordinate your interest. Now that lending on new construction has loosened up a bit, even small builders may just want to buy your land outright instead of partnering. Land has been a great part of my business model over the last 5 years but it is getting tougher to find the deals. If you are new in this space, it may be very difficult to make this your first investment strategy. 

The best place to begin might be to speak to a few smaller, upscale builders to find out what they are looking for and where. If they build on spec or if they have clients trying to find lots in certain zip codes you can then start your search. Finding a great deal on the local MLS will be difficult if not impossible. Driving for dollars, yellow letters to absentee owners and networking will be key.

There are other opportunities for recreational land too and I have dabbled in that space. You must have cash for deals though and be willing to do a lot of marketing and possibly owner financing to sell. Listen to Podcast #39 for more ideas on this.

Have fun and make your own luck!

@Andrea Jones 

Hi Andrea.

I love the IKEA double bowl DOMSJO sink and have installed about 10 of them, but only one in a rental that I still own. I think the durability is very good and I can say that they look much better than stainless steel sinks after a couple years of normal use. The only problem I've encountered is with certain metals leaving marks on the porcelain. I noticed that my titanium wedding band left a line on the apron front of one sink with only a light brush across the surface. It looked like a crack and was very difficult to get off. Silverware and pots don't seem to do this. Hope that helps!

Merry Christmas.

@Nat C. 

Hi Nat. Your "contractor" is either lazy or just doesn't know . . .

I have used a small masonry saw like this one on Amazonto cut many granite slabs. They are HEAVY as mentioned above but you can have some very nice results at a third of the cost of custom granite (about $15 per sq. ft.). I have done some small vanities with free or cheap pre-fab granite remnants and some medium-sized kitchens with pre-fab granite slabs. Just google pre-fab granite in your area and see what importers come up. Almost all of it comes from China these days. The pre-fab slabs usually come in pre-cut sizes (97"x 26") that are polished on 3 sides. I recommend the "flat-polish" edge and not the bull-nose because it is so much easier to but the flat seams up together at corners and long sections.

You might run into trouble with used granite only because it might not work with your kitchen floorplan. I will attach a couple pics of kitchens I did with the saw above and I really like the IKEA DOMSJO sink with this this approach because it keeps you from needing to polish an undermount sink cut and drill faucet holes. Polishing edges and drilling holes can be done but it's just more tools and more time.

Have Fun!