All Forum Posts by: Ryan Scritchlow

would getting rid of the need to go to my web site help? ie in the initial email back to the prospective tenant it included the pre screening questionnaire thus removing one email?  I was using the steps to try and weed out the bad renters but at the same time I know I don't want to make it too complicated and lose out on a good one.

I have been getting busier and busier so I have started working on a web site to reduce the time required.  From looking on here this is what I have come up with so far:  This site is full of great information.

tenant emails a craigslist ad and gets an auto response directing them to our web site and to fill out a form to schedule a showing,  this form also pre screens the tenants, asks income, eviction, criminal,  questions ect.

my yard signs will also direct people to our web site and each house has a google voice number with the property details and again directs them to the web site.

  once on the web site it directs you to the same form as that we send you  from the initial email if your coming from craigslist.  If you do not meet my initial screening requirements you are directed to a denial page .if you make it past the pre screen once the form is submitted another auto email goes out that goes over my screening requirements again and also directs them to my online scheduler where they pick 3 days and or times that work for their schedule.  I then get an email to confirm which meeting I would like. 

I will be putting my application on line and collect application fees there as well.

We are also going to switch to erentpayments.com to collect the rent and the tenants are able to pay from my web site.

My goal here is to reduce my time invested down to showing only qualified tenants the property and do the actual screening of the tenant.

Has any one done this before?

what are the down sides to this?

will it scare away good tenants or just the bad ones which is the purpose.

What things am I missing?

After I get the kinks worked out on this I want to move on to phase 2 of my site,   where tenants can request repairs.  Initialy this will all just go to me to contact the correct person but down the road I would like to make it so that the tenant selects what type of repair is needed, tells the issue and then when they submit the repair request a WO goes to the correct repair person, ie the plumber, electrician, handyman, me ect. 

Again has any one done this before?

what am I missing as to the down side?

I usually have decent tenants and my quality of tenant has gone up a lot since I have gotten better as screening. My first ones were horrible,  thanks to all of you I have gotten better.   I also charge my tenants a $50 service call for repairs that as long as its not due to tenant damage gets refunded to them so I don't think I would have much of an issue with regards to unnecessary repair requests.  Contrary to popular belief doors just don't fall off hinges and windows done just magically break :-)

thoughts and feed back are appericated

I have a commercial property and was asked to rent some space out of a building I have and some out side storage.  Has any one ever rented space to a port a potties company? where there any issues as to the chemicals they use? is soil contamination and issue?  this particular company is very clean and runs a solid operation.  I just know they do use cleaning chemicals and was courious as to possible issues.

Those are some good articles but not from Illinois. I completely get service animals and have no issues with them as they have been properly trained. This potential tenant is a know it all type of person I do t care as long as I'm paid on time but I know if I ask about it he will be abrasive about it and tell me I can't do any thing about it as he has all ready stated his last landlord couldnt. I don't know if that is true or if his current landlord is making him leave and he is blowing hot air. I wouldn't have even questioned it until he showed me a photo and it's a puppy so it couldn't have had the training like an actual service dog would. I will ask my attorney and see what I actually have to do as it's not a service animal but a support animal. Thanks for everyone help I will post what I find out.

He is not the trainer the dog is for him. He is a younger veteran going to school on the gi bill

I have found some rules regarding service animals but this is a support animal and have found very little on a support animal.

I am in Illinois. I will allow a single dog of certain breeds and age in most of my rentals. there is an additional $50 a month charge and an additional 600 pet deposit. I have a potential tenant that is interested in renting a house. he mentioned that he has a support dog that is a German Shepard and that his current land lord dose not like it but cant do any thing about it. he showed me a picture and its a puppy. I don't allow puppies period or any dog under 2. I have been reading on here and that I cant charge the addition amount or deposit for a service animal. can I ask for documentation on service animals? what about support animals? What documentation can I ask for what documentation can I not ask for? how dose he prove it?

yes I realize that about the legals,

Good idea on the partial release and i did plan on talking to my seller about all of this I really dont think they will have a problem with that. Thanks for the advice and sorry for the rambling Ive been working on this for a couple of weeks now and I have tons going on in my head trying to make sure i get all of the details covered

Here is what I have

Im buying 22 acres on contract subject to a sucessful subdividing I will give them a down payment and then buy on contract with a ballon due in 3 years. Im all most all the way throguh the process and should be finished mid june. I had planned on putting in the roads as money and time allows over the next year and as soon as I sell on I would put in the well(yes this would be done before I actualy closed ) My best figures are this will cost me in improvments some where abouts 65k but I can spread it out over time or use the funds from the first lot sale to cover this.

Now on a different pice of commercial property that I own I have plans to be building two large buildings that are comprised of 3 units each, (40 by 60 units 3 per building) and on a nother commercial property I have plans to put up another smaller building. (3 30 by 24 units) Any ways long story short the builder that Id like to use for my buildings wants one of my 5 acre lots that im creating. He is willing to trade me my 3 buildings shells in exchange for one of the lots Im creating. This is great as he will build them over the next 3 years and I all ready have tenants lined up for the first large building. Now I all ready have the go ahead from the bank to build the first building it would run about 120k now here in lies my issue, each shell has a value of the large ones 80k each and the small one 35k but the large shells will take an additional 60k each to concrete and finish out, ie electrical and plumbing and the small shell will require 30k.

Any ways back to my question Since we are trading 3 buildings built over the next 3 years for my lot I would have to then pay off the guy im buying the land on contract from and I will be taking a note on the land that I traded to the builder for the value of the un built buildings which means Ill need a lot larger loan, I think ill get it but I want a back up. OR could I do this since Im buying the land on contract and i could hold the actualy final platting could I sell based only off the new legals, ie with out a pin, the lot the builder wants on contract to the builder with the deal being that he gets the lot free and clear once all my buildings are built, which would be the same time I file the final platt this would allow me time to get my buildings rented which in turn will pay for the driveways and wells on the land.

I guess after writing all of this to try and give you background here is my actual questions

Can I sell some one a property on contract that Im buying on contract?

Can I sell part of a property based on an un filed final platt and the new legals from that platt on contract while Im buying the entir property on contract?

I have a meeting with a local title company on monday aboud seeing if they can do a title search, provide title insurance and handle the closing, that way we can keep both parties costs down as low as possible while still protecting me, I should know more tommorow. I will post what I find out as they said they normaly dont do that as each party has their own attourneys normaly.