All Forum Posts by: Gerald K.

Hi @Ben Craver ,

You're absolutely right - BP is a great community to connect with people. I know some people from Ft Wayne area. Seems like real estate there is really inexpensive so maybe good for buy & hold investors. What kind of properties do you sell? Residential SFHs, 2-4 unit, commercial? That area must be quite a bit different than out here on the west coast. The cold winter and heating costs, etc. Glad you jumped in and introduced yourself. There's a write up on here for real estate agents dealing with investors - maybe @Brandon Turner can point you to it.

This product explained on this youtube video here might be worth investigating - sounds really interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIyUHFYaWBA

The product is supposedly a bacteria that eats the urine.

Odorfix Plus - http://www.odorfix.com/default.html

Probably the best advice though would be to remove all the urine soaked material that you can and then maybe use this solution (use a black light to find the urine stains) followed up with a shellac based sealant.

We've tried a really strong ozone generator but eventually the urnine smell comes back if it's not removed or sealed. By the way, the urnine smells usually are strongest in warmer weather, so you might not really know if it's totally gone until the room is heated up.

@Gerald Nabua . Too many Gerald's in WA I guess. @Brandon Turner we know which one the thanks-for-intro was for.

I would say we get better doing things each year, but here's the mistakes:

Not writing a detailed plan outlining goals and alternatives as things change.

Trying to do too much all on our own.

Underestimating how long it would take to rehab without getting more help. (although we learned a lot in the process)

Not taking a time off work to help my wife get the rental ready the day the tenant moved out.

Not addressing tenant issues head-on but looking the other way.

Not installing a water detector alarm to a known common problem.

Including details of tenant responsibilities without an upfront process detailing what happens if they are not followed.

Not getting involved with BP and REIA until late this year.

(2014 will be much better!)

Hi @Steven Stokes ,

I'm up in Kirkland but used to live in North Tacoma years ago. I think it's a fairly competitive market over there. The waterfront and Pt Defiance park area is really nice. Hope to see you around the forums!

Welcome to BP @Gerald Nabua ,

We're over in Kirkland. Be sure to check out the Beginner's Guide, Blog Posts, and Podcasts. You can find them at the Learn tab up top. There's also a Snohomish County REI meetup: http://www.meetup.com/SnoCo-Connected-Real-Estate-Investors/events/138912582/ you may be interested in checking out. Hope to see you around the forums.

Welcome to BP @James Haffner ,

We're over in Kirkland. Be sure to check out the Beginner's Guide, Blog Posts, and Podcasts. You can find them at the Learn tab up top. There's also a Snohomish County REI meetup: http://www.meetup.com/SnoCo-Connected-Real-Estate-Investors/events/138912582/ you may be interested in checking out. Hope to see you around the forums.

Hi @Lisa G. ,

We're up in Kirkland. I bet there are a lot of people in the same situation as you needing to move and ending up as landlords. BP is a great resource of information. Here's some info on screening tenants:

http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/01/27/tenant-screening/

Washington also has the Washington Landlord Association (WLA) that you might find very helpful.

Welcome to BP. Hope to see you around the forums.

@Karyn T. ,

Welcome to BP. We're down in Kirkland. There are a lot of folks on BP from Washington.

You probably will also be interested in the Snohomish County Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/SnoCo-Connected-Real-Estate-Investors/events/138912582/

BP is full of info. Check out the tab up top labeled "Learn" and make sure to go through the Beginner's guide. Also check out the blog posts, podcasts and set up some keyword alerts for Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, etc.

See you around BP!

@Rennie K.

It would be best to discuss this issue with an eviction attorney at this point. I am not a lawyer, but turning off utilities, changing locks, or other self help eviction strategies can get you in trouble. Courts do not generally accept emails, text messages, etc. You can send letters with a certificate of mailing - which is your receipt. Dec 26th, get on the phone with a lawyer. The longer you wait, the worse things can get. Good luck.