All Forum Posts by: Alex R.

@Ian Barnes Total newbie here and making mistakes along the way :) But school of hard knocks and learning a ton. 

1. Checked the main line out front of the house. No water meter. There was a water main break a few weeks ago and I think they took it out without putting one back in. 

2. Will definitely have water turned on next time before rehab :) 

Still at a loss though and am waiting on the city to open back up to get water turned on. 

This is great feedback. @Theresa Harris gave a great suggestion of annual inspections. It keeps with the maintenance piece and would be an opportunity for the PM to handle any issues that comes up. 

Build the relationship with the PM. Delegate. Have them build the relationship with the tenant. 

I love this great discussion!

Do you send questionnaire's to your tenants on ways to improve your services? The only feedback that I get from the tenant is through the property manager. I'm thinking of sending a letter to the tenants with a postage-paid reply envelope. I'm thinking some reasons for the questionnaire are:

1. It allows the tenant to bring up any issues. However, it's a double edged sword in the sense that there maybe unnecessary issues that they may want addressed. 

2. It allows the property owner to know whether or not the property manager is doing their job. 

3. Also, I'm hoping that sending this questionnaire would keep the tenant in the property for a longer duration. 

Would you agree a questionnaire is a good or bad thing? Any other reasons for doing a questionnaire?

All the best,

Alex

I'm at the tail end of a remodel and I need my water turned on but the City of Baltimore is closed. I can't get water. I've called 311 to try to turn it on, left VM with Department of Public Works.  I've escalated the issue with Baltimore 311 with no resolve. Tried to open the meter box, but can't find the meter. Lol ... Does anyone have any ideas? If all else fails, I have to wait till the City open backs up. 

Has anyone done business with this company for fire/smoke mitigation? Reviews seem negative but that tends to be biased with only people who have a bad experience.

I have smoke/water damage due to a fire in a neighbors unit in Baltimore. I'm needing to hire a mitigation company to mitigate the damages and do some emergency repairs (i.e. pull out insulation, damages in kitchen, drywall, etc ...). Any help and advice is greatly appreciated.

Hello,

There was a fire that happened in the unit next to mine and as a result, the fire department broke into my unit to ensure that there was no internal fire happening between our shared walls. In addition, there was water damage from the roof due to them trying to put out the fire from the roof top. 

My insurance is estimating the cost to repair at $15k, but when I had a few contractors come out, they stated that the cost to repair is anywhere from $75k - $100k. HUGE DIFFERENCE! Hence the need for a public adjuster to help me negotiate with the insurance company. 

Does anyone have any recommendations/referrals of public adjusters in the the Baltimore, MD area? A google/yelp search doesn't show very many. Besides the 7% - 10% fee that the public adjuster takes off the top, are there any other pros/cons to using a public adjuster? Any body have positive/negative experiences?

I look forward to your help and any advice.

Alex

@Mike Cumbie I was planning on boarding it up and holding it. It's currently in my name but I will be transferring it to an entity this year. 

Insurance is current and I have a vacancy policy enforced. I'd consider selling at a loss but I'm planning on just waiting it out. My neighbors have been great, it's just there's a lot of vacancy and drug dealing. 

Unfortunately, I bought a home in a war zone in Baltimore, MD. I've had a few tenants leave because of their concerns of their safety. The house has been broken into multiple times and is in a state of disarray. Furthermore, there is a roof issue which is caused from a leak in the adjoining row home next to mine. As a result, there is now mold and roof issues.

I'm seriously considering boarding up the property. Does anyone have any advice on some precautionary steps needed prior to boarding up a unit? Any tips of the trade? This has been a very difficult unit and it's been a complete money pit so far.

Thank you @Brandon H. for your input and providing those links. Yes I am looking at Ocala, FL due to the fact that the properties they selling are non-HOA. I haven't signed a contract yet, but i'm considering it. Will keep you updated.

Btw, would you mind sharing your analysis spreadsheet for your new construction? I'm hoping you can save me some time from re-creating it. :)

I'm looking at purchasing some new construction homes in Jacksonville, FL with a company called "Southern Impression Homes" (www.sihomesfl.com). They currently are selling 3/2 homes for about $150k and rent them for about $1,250. The ROI is decent for a new construction. Has anyone ever purchased from them? Their experience? Positive/negative experiences?

Furthermore, they have a property management company called Suncoast Property Management, LLC. Maybe that company name will ring a bell for some people.

If not, can anyone provide some advice when dealing with new construction builders who provide properties to investors for rentals?