All Forum Posts by: Marian Smith

Either your surround is moving and flexing or you're using cheap caulk.  You need to remove enough caulk to get a large enough gap yo fill.  and pay up for a bathroom mold resistant caulk.  if the caulk is pealing off, you may be caulking over old silicone caulk...nothing sticks to silicone so you need to remove it.  then caulk.  poly seam seal is an adhesive caulk and I use it on the sides of the surround to keep it together.  

I also prefer tile surrounds but mainly because I think it looks upscale.   I use denshield.  Lightweight & waterproof. Score and snap.  I caulk the seams and bottom with very good caulk, $7 tube, not silicone.  tape seams with good fiberglass tape then mud them and any sunk fasteners (supposed to lie flush) and start tiling.  I soaked some for a week prior to using it...it is resin impregnated gypsum coated in fiberglass.  I use it on coutertops too.  

Tile is impervious to stain.  You could try painting the grout with grout colorant.  The stuff at HD is epoxy--aquamix by Custom.  You apply it with a toothbrush and it is a coating like paint--but it looks good, like cementous grout with a slight shine from sealer--it is applied thin.  Epoxy is pretty amazing stuff.  I used it for the first time this year but have not seen how it holds up over time.  Supposedly you get 10 years out of an epoxy paint job on a swimming pool.

if you tile, keep some extras so you can tie the floor to the tub surround....cut the floor tile in small squares to add to the listelle...if you think you may end up doing the surround soon (how old is your tub valve and what brand?)

I have been pleased with vinyl click lock floating floors and think it would perform well in a bath.  The luxury vinyl tile in a stone look is pretty, neutral and looks durable but after having removed sheet vinyl I don't like glue down anything--but tiles should be okay.  i personally would wait on porcelain tile until I was also doing the tub surround so it all matches.  But it is pretty bullet proof.  Last bath I tiled I used Fusion grout--no seal, no stain.  I am hoping it lives up to the promise.

So there is inflation...dental is doubling, but to be honest my dental coverage may have changed, I haven't looked closely...but healthcare is essentially same coverage as last year.

I am getting a 5 year ARM HELOC for $250--costs more if they do not use the county tax assessor appraisal but order one. If you could get a 10k HELOC and not have to pay it back in the event of a move (no idea if HELOCs typically stipulate that) then that would be a cheap way to go. Unless you save more refinancing to a lower interest rate.

Why not rent the condo?  A lot of investors start out renting out their starter property.  I normally wouldn't buy a condo as an investment, for one because I feel you compete with apartments, but if you already own it and it is in a good location in Austin and your board allows rentals, why not?  You don't have to worry about the yard going to hell because the tenants don't water or mow--and a 120k property will not have a sprinkler system.

I do think appreciation and rental demand is steadier for single families so I can understand wanting to switch into SF long-term.  However, while I know nothing about south of the river, north you will be hard pressed to find something worth buying for 120k.   I can't see sourh being much different.   

Are you moving somewhere else?  

@BrianL.  I think all those votes were against you because it sounded like you would not show your buyers a property offering 2.5% to the buyers' agent.

No one should have any qualms with you refusing to list a property for less than 6%, especially if prices in your area are often in the 100k range.  Your prerogative.  That is an upfront negotiation. 

I don't think you ever said you wouldn't SHOW a property with a 2.5% commission split.  That is what I was I was driving at.  Maybe we should start a thread asking if any agents or someone who has used an agent refused to show a less than 3% commission.  I would like to hear if and how that goes down.

And I only mentioned your REI clients because buying a nasty REO has been one of the best ways to drive a good deal. So working with someone who won't show 2.5% deals eliminates a lot of REO listings.

@BrianL.

Why do you "shy away" from less than 6% listings? Or do you mean to say listings where less than the standard 3% is offered to the agent bringing the buyer? Many REO listings do not offer a 3% to buyer's agent, do you shy from them? And if so, what do you coach your REI students on making offers on REO listings...a populat source for investments?

and thanks for responding.  I was hoping someone would say, "I'm super lazy so did that even though told not to and it is fine going on 3 years" :-).