All Forum Posts by: Matt Clark

Tanya A. The non-conforming issue may not be a big deal. Usually that means you can’t make any significant change, i.e. you can’t make a single family into a duplex, you can’t build a new deck, you can’t make it commercial or change the zoning, etc. You can only repair/replace what is already there. And I’ve never had trouble insuring non-conforming properties, but you can confirm the specifics of your situation with a quick call to your insurance agent.

Michael Thomson to echo what has already been said, it varies from market to market, and different asset classes within those markets. We run a highly responsive and customer service oriented Class A urban portfolio, and our turnover is 50% annually. It varies by a point or two some years, but has been pretty consistent since 2012. And no, we never have an empty unit for 6 months. That extended vacancy indicates a problem with staff, pricing, or both.

Tanya A. A “non-contributing” structure in a historic district is not eligible for historic tax credits, but is almost certain to be governed by locality-specific historic renovation guidelines. Meaning, you still have to jump through a lot of hoops, but there is no tax incentive to do it. And if you can glean any info from a previous owner you should try, nothing wrong with that!

Crucial Conversations- Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson et al.

John T. Definitely not a lease addendum issue. Just tell one of the tenants about the nice improvement in the appearance that you plan to make, and then ask if you can use their water. If needed offer them a $50 credit on their rent next month. They won’t mind!

Daniel Lee the point is that a gas line should not leak - at all. If the pressure drops due to temperature variation, then the pressure should rise again when the temperature rises. If that doesn’t happen then the pressure will continue to drop over the course of several days, and the plumber needs to fix it.

Robert Fisher try Marco Coring and Cutting out of Roanoke. They did one for me about 7 years ago for about $800. That’s just the concrete cut, and in my case there was no engineering required. I was a licensed contractor at the time and did everything else (permits, etc.).

If you suspect unscrupulous business practices report them to your state’s licensing board.

Joshua Hollandsworth if the city is soliciting input from neighbors, that indicates your proposed use does not conform to the current zoning code. It sounds like you are applying for a special use, special exemption, or whatever particular term the locality uses. And in that case, yes, the zoning authority may deny the application based on negative feedback they receive from the neighbors. Of course I don’t know the specifics of your situation, but that is what it sounds like to me.

Dulce Beltran a good rule of thumb is based on rent per square foot in a given market. The highest 25% of rents = Class A; the upper middle 25% = Class B; the lower middle 25% = Class C; and the lowest 25% = Class D. But in reality these “classes” are subjective, and different people will have different interpretations even within the same market. They are more general definitions rather than specific.