All Forum Posts by: Aaron Carter

I have ripped out all of the laminate, as that was the worst treated it is enzymes, vinegar and water scrub, then sealed with BIN primer. Also sealed all the walls with oil based killz. Furnace has not been ran since I have fixed these things I just don't want to reintroduce anything with the furnace.

Long story short.Bought a multifamily forclosure built in 2001 previous owner had up to 30 dogs and 20 cats. 

I scheduled to have the ducts cleaned but after reading more info online , research suggested that cleaning the ducts has not proven effective in reducing smell or allergies.  I was quoted $450 for the procedure. House is on slab, ducts are under the slab.

We have fixed the flooring which has fixed most of the smell. My wife, one month old daughter, and I will be living in the main unit as our primary residence.

Has anyone had this done and had objective results? Is it worth the cost? 

Currently in the same situation. So far have removed all of the laminate, carpet, and carpet and laminate adhesive in the rooms to where I believe the smell is isolated. I have used two gallons of enzyme cleaner, smell still remains pretty potent. I plan on using Zinsser BIN primer on the floor but would like to get as much of the odor up as possible before applying. 

How did yours turn out, what steps did you take?

Will one of the units be your primary residence? What do you expect your rents to be? 

I am closing on a property tomorrow that I found on Hubzu.com. This is not a comprehensive list of foreclosures in a specific area, just those held, for the most part, by OCWEN. There are other posts about them on BP if you do a search. The terms of the purchase agreement are terrible and it isn't for everyone. But I think I got a really good deal on this place, my banker was even in shock I got it for the price that I did. 

If you decide you want a property through them get a Realtor and use your own title company. 

My experience with them has not been smooth but not terrible either. You just have to be willing to accept their terms and play by their rules. 

Love the podcasts, have listened to all of them, Keep it up!

We just purchased a foreclosure for our primary residence and they did "pet rescue," needless to say the smell is terrible. We close on it next Wednesday and I have done quite a bit of research on how to get out the smell.

I purchased a product called " Mister Max Anti Icky Poo" weird name I know, but this is an enzyme that will break a lot of the chemical bonds in the urine. Received a lot of good reviews on Amazon. If you have already tried other detergents then you need to do a "P-Wash" before using this product as the enzymes cannot get to the urine. It is recommended to air out the place really well as you let the enzyme sit because it will release a lot of ammonia. Supposedly this gets rid of about 80% of the smell.

I also ordered another product called "Stink Free Instantly,"which works as an oxidizer rather than an enzyme and will supposedly treat any left over smell that is left from the enzyme treatment. 

After that I am going to use ORIGINAL KILLZ, as this is oil based rather than the water based latex in killz 2. Supposedly the Killz 2 will actually make the smell worse. 

I will be treating our home after closing on Wednesday and will let you know how it goes.

I have a student rental and require a 12 month lease. If you can possibly get the lease to start in either July or August you are much further ahead in the long run because it is during this time that students will be looking for places. In my area most students are willing to start a lease in May because of the shortage of housing in the area and very few places are available in August. 

One thing to consider with students as well, since they will be staying for more than one year. I would suggest that after the initial lease is up you require that they either sign another 12 month lease or charge and extra 8% to go month to month. 

The last thing that you want is students who are month to month and decide to move out in February when there will be little demand for student housing.

Thanks for the input. I now have the house under contract for $142,000 we close on July 9th.

It also has a 2 bed 1 bath apartment on the property as well. Have a renter lined up for $800 a month including utilities as they are not separated.

Still puts a good dent in our mortgage. And with it being on 7 acres there is still plenty of privacy.

Don't have the appraisal back yet but I am conservatively estimating $190,000. Needs about 3000 in work. It was built in 2001 so I the house doesn't need any renovation. Just need to get rid of some left over pet odors...

It was listed at $227,000 last fall before it was foreclosed on.

My mom is actually my agent/broker. I used to be an agent and let my license lapse because I went into the medical field. Now coming back to real estate for investments. I am doing the leg work and my mom will give me the commission after closing which I will use for repairs.