All Forum Posts by: Ryan R.

@Andrew S. no surprise about the structural engineer stating the obvious..

How is the property? Is it a rental?

oh.. a bit bull..http://www.cougards.com/tools/bit-bull/

That's one way to do it. In my area there are brand new duplexes for sale just waiting for investors.

Concerning price to build, you need to look at cost per sq foot for similar quality/feature new construction homes in your area. This will give you a rough idea.

Not an issue in my area. We don't have the cold temps that you might experience up North so maybe that is cause for concern.

Have a plumber perform a pressure test on the house and that will tell you if the plumbing has been compromised. Concrete is a pretty good insulator though.

I think it's okay to qualify prospective tenants but not find actual tenants until they've seen the specific property and agreed to the rents/terms.

In my experience, tenants who are willing to lease a property from you without seeing the property and not even knowing the specifics are either desperate or very naive.

Also be careful leasing to friends/acquaintances.

On my first rental, I went 3 months without a tenant (It was November-January). I had to pay $3,600 plus a few hundred to get it rent ready.

I like $5,000 as a reserve unless there is a large risk exposure; expected roof replacement, expected flooring costs etc. Surprise costs will come up, be ready.

Another tip, try to construct your leases so that they expire during the spring and summer. This may take the lease from a 12 month to a 15 month etc. but this will behoove you and your tenant.

You've got your work cut out for you. The first thing I would do is assess the land versus building value and find out which is more valuable.

Also look into restrictions for this area; some historic districts require period-era updates, which means you have to keep the original look/style etc. This could end up costing more money.

I'm in the middle of a full rehab on a house built in the 40's. Depending on lots of factors, building new can be easier, faster and cheaper than a large scale rehab.

I also purchased through Homepath and had no problems. They took a few weeks to get some liens cleared up but no big surprises.

The Pro contractors in my area do floors then paint.

From what I understand, they have a difficult time sanding and staining around the baseboard and shoe-mold without causing your painters to come back and touch-up.

If your painters damage taped off floors, they're doing something wrong.

Looks nice. The design and xeriscaping scream Austin.