All Forum Posts by: Mark H.

Did the buyer default on the note? It seems odd that they would have went after you..

I'd use FHA property qualifying standards - "safe & habitable" - even to get an investor loan with 25% down, my credit union uses those standards.

There must be finished flooring in every room, no holes in the drywall, no peeling paint anywhere, functional Hvac, no broken windows, no exposed wiring (so all light fixtures need to be present), porch railings, Hot & cold running water, etc. Anything that's related to "safety" or habitability must be ok.

30 years without going to court?!

You deserve a medal!

You're doing *something* right.

I ordered from there, but it's been a while. I bought my last system from budget a/c supply in fla, their website stinks, but the pricing was better.

1855-473-64 84

I've also ordered from Theacoutlet.com before & had good luck.
For what it's worth, many of these Internet shops can sell you whatever brand you want, they're just gunshy about advertising them on the web, so you've got to call to get a price.

The "decontamination" you're being pitched is a scam.

Rule #1 - you can't "sanitize" a dirty surface.. pouring bleach or disinfectant/sanitizer (of any kind) on poo doesn't make it sanitary. Ask for the name of the disinfectant/sanitizer they're planning to use, then google it & find the label & msds.

I'd bet a chicken dinner that the use instructions start out with "remove gross contamination".. step two will be something along the lines of "thoroughly wet the area to be treated & keep wet for xx period of time".. If they "thoroughly wet" your insulation, you'll need new insulation.. And if they're not using it according to the label instructions, they aren't doing anything but collecting a pile of cash to make you feel better.

Rule #2 - anyone who is exposing themselves to an insulated attic more than casually should be wearing a mask or a respirator anyway. I'd be a lot more worried about exposure to chopped fiberglass or vermiculite than mouse poo.

Are the tenants of better quality in your units with a/c than the units without a/c? I would expect they are, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I quoted that piece because ten years ago, the price did spike dramatically.

Here's a more recent piece -

http://seekingalpha.com/article/525421-natural-gas-price-spike-will-be-bigger-and-come-sooner-than-expected

natural gas is a commodity, the same guys who are playing with oil and gold now could easily swoop in and play games with that market - they have in the past, there's no reason to expect them not to do it again.

At some point, the government does need to step in and force people to do the right thing. If you look back to 2001, there was a huge spike in the price of natural gas- it went from $2mcf, to $14mcf. Now it's at $2 again, and the rig count is down 46% from last year, setting you guys in the cold states up for a whoopin'. Saving $100 on a furnace & saddling your tenants with gas bills that are 10% higher than they *should be* might be ok at current pricing, but there will come a day when that 10% does matter.

http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/natgas/chapter1.html

In all fairness though, the OP wasn't talking about seeking "educated" tenants, he was talking about those with good credit & rental history - which in your example might have been fleshed out in the application process..

A "perfect" tenant isn't necessarily "rich", but lives below their means, they might have a paid-off car, no credit-card debt & several years at a "blue collar" job that pays more than 3x rent. They're stable & "collectible" if they default, but have no history of doing so & previous landlords are willing to give them good refs.

I posted a link showing where you can get a 90% efficient furnace, probably for less than the 80% furnaces you've been buying. If you think drilling a hole in a roof is a big deal, it isn't- watch it done sometime- drill hole, stick pipe through the hole, slide on the boot, a couple nails & a blob of sealant. It isn't rocket science.

As for the condensate water that everyone is worried about - check eBay- the pumps your a/c guy is charging hundreds for are under $40 shipped. They include a safety switch that *prevents* water leaks. If you don't need a pump, you can buy just the float switch for under $20. The only reason you could ever have wet drywall due to a frozen or plugged line is if your contractor is a hack and saved the $20 at your expense.

Please feel free to enrich your local Hvac guy to whatever level you feel is appropriate. Hopefully that will keep you feeling warm & fuzzy the next time the price of natural gas spikes.