All Forum Posts by: Marian Smith

@Megan Dettenmaier I have vacant property insurance on my rehab and it doesn't cover anything inside, just the structure. check your policy...point may be mute.

@Leon Lee You might inspect the exterior for rotted wood, cracks, holes, anywhere bugs can get in. if they get in after spraying you might have a dead roach, which isn't that much better than at live one.

@Russell He will use next months rent to pay the most pressing bill and then you can send the letter when he truly does not have rent money and is truly delinquent. He is planning ahead...sees the train wreck about to happen but cannot stop the train, so give him credit there, I guess.

@Bill Brandt Either joking or a 20 year old. 20 year old who snoozed through economics 101.

@Donald J Glidewell I have insured 3 vacant houses with foremost, buying a policy over the phone.

@Krishna Chaitanya gadhiraju I would not spend alot of money repairing the countertops if your landlord will be the type to take all your deposit anyway. He can refuse to give you your deposit and bill you for the excess cost of the repair but you can tell him it was damaged when you moved in and damaged laminate always gets worse because the damaged areas let water in. Don't pay anything over your deposit. you should actually get your deposit back based on depreciated age of the countertop especially if it was already in a deteriorated condition. Why should you pay 100% of a brand new countertop to replace one that he has gotten 30 years use out of..or more. No judge would allow that. He would have to file in small claims to force you and he has no case with that old of a kitchen. You should take him to small claims if he keeps a large deposit. also, Next rental take move in pictures and note all damage on your property condition statement and keep a copy.

@Theresa Harris True, or a copy of the lease and an affidavit stating the situation.

@Jeremy Faulhaber there's a thread on Twitter talking about new home builders in Texas and one of the builder said it was of some concern selling too many homes too far in the future because when prices "go down" those contracts are at risk of being walked away from. point being the professionals are leery of this market. it's a very hot market with newly high prices and putting your Homestead at risk is just that, risky. I would rather see family or friends downsize to get seed capital rather than leverage up their home.

Some economist I follow on twitter posted a bar graph showing 34% of Austin home purchases were investors vs 10% in DC. I don't know if last year or month, but it gives you an idea of why you might do well to be cautious buying now in Austin...or why you mght follow the crowd because they expect above average appreciation.  Might depend on your risk tolerance and/or where you want to live.

@Eli Kallison Houzz has annual survey results compiled onto top selling cabinet styles and wall colors etc. In a three unit you definitely want to get the kitchens right. And you get three designs for the price of one if they are identical units. Plus your designer can tell you what color trends are emerging. I looked at mls pictures of sold units in my complex and saw what everyone else had done but I also added a lazy susan lower base that most did not. I did drawer bases. I am going to hire a designer on my next kitchen. I am working on a 40 year old track home rental where the u shaped kitchen has two useless blind cabinet areas and one drawer base with drawers that hit the range front edge. Some builder built and sold a bunch if these floor plans, so yes the pros make mistakes.