All Forum Posts by: Mariel DeVito

@Eddie L. Depending on who you get your HELOC with, you may or may not have added costs. I applied through PenFed and we just did a desktop appraisal which is enough for what I need. Zero costs so far. I haven't used hard money yet but I am cautious as (1) not sure how solid the lenders are and (2) higher %.

I used zillow rental for my first house rental. My issue with it is that it is tied with the MLS. I found this out because the realtor I bought a recent house from won't close it out in the system (due to paperwork - a separate story to tell) so I can't make pull it in my properties in zillow rental so I can list as "for rent". Another BP member suggest apartments.com so that's what I'm trying now for my new house rental. It charges the applicant the same amount as zillow rental and gives me what I need to make my decision.

Hi everyone! I have decided that I will start managing all of my rental properties (versus hiring a property manager).  Any advise on how to find and get partnership with a local handyman to help you with day to day fixes that may come up?  

Is there such a thing?  If seller financing is not an option, what other loan options can I take that doesn't require SS checks?  I've bought and sold recently and I just hate to put another ding to my credit.  Thoughts?

It depends - if the housing market is competitive, I don't think a landlord would want to know that he's going to have to flip to a new tenant months later.  

Following - This has peaked my interest as well. I'm curious to know what other BP folks will say.

@Matt Ziegler thanks for sharing. I was using zillow rental but have encountered that it is tied to the MLS so if the property hasn't released yet, then the site won't let me add it to my existing rentals. I'll give apartments.com a try!

A role of a real estate agent can vary.  If you are so inclined, you can offer her to be your transaction coordinator in your deals (versus being the single agent rep).  This limits what she can do for you and doesn't tie you to her.  You can still search and look for deals on your own.  Frankly, I'd just have an open and frank conversation by saying that you don't want to mix business and family matters as you value her as family too much to lose it.

@Chris Heinmiller Nope.  If you read the disclaimers, it will say that they are not responsible for you, as the winning bid, on how to (physically) acquire the property should it be occupied.

@Will Gaston I love that mantra.  Thank you for sharing!!!