All Forum Posts by: Sam Zawatsky

I am not sure how much the total renovation will be . I am thinking 8k for floors. 6k for siding replacement / frame/ termite repair, 2k for bathroom / shower/ tub refurbishing, 600 optional for 2 toilets installed, 2k for countertops + sink,  400 for light fixtures, then 4k optional for cabinets . So 19k without new cabinets . 23k with new cabinets

So, I’ve got this rental property, was currently renting at 1000 per month, but I am trying to get 1400-1500 per month now. It has cabinets that are original, 45 years old. The cabinet under the sink had water damage to the base, and I have the option of just repairing that and painting the inside of it. Or I could just get all new cabinets top and bottom. Which would you do? Also, the toilets are old, probably 15-25 years old. Do you recommend just getting new toilets put in, because I am having the old really worn and poorly laid tile floors replaced with full LVP so they would need to be reseated anyway. I was eyeing the American standard cadet 3 toilets if I was to replace.

So, I've got a rental property with tenants that I inherited. I noticed that they kept making more and more of a mess over time, and I have caught them lying to me about multiple things over the past 2 years. I gave them notice 3 months ago that I will no longer be renting to them, and they paid very late each month except for this last month. They kept telling me "sorry I'm gonna be late", and I didn't want to evict them with only 1 month left because I felt like they could be spiteful and do a lot of damage to the property. I do not have a security deposit from them unfortunately. So now they are supposed to be leaving in 2 days, and haven't paid rent for the last 5 weeks. They owe me $1300, and I feel like they are trying to get by and just leave without paying me the rent that they owe. I am considering my options on what to do, and I feel like I have the following options:

1.) Find out somehow where their new address is (not sure how to find this out affordably), and file a lawsuit against them in small claims court and hope they pay or eventually get their wages garnished.

2.) Allow them not to pay and just forget about it.

3.) perhaps something else that I haven't thought of.

Any thoughts?

I'm not dead set on the exact location yet. Could be one of the beach areas or maybe more inland. Does that make a big difference? If a high end single family home is $200/sf, then couldn't a basic build be closer to $125/ sq. ft?

@Ricardo Hidalgo Also, do you build the houses lifted off the ground by pilings? That adds to the cost that you wouldn't have inland. I may have to change plans f I cant build for less than $150/sq. ft reliably for basic builds

@Ricardo Hidalgo Do you find that the high flood risk and being at such a low elevation causes issues with hurricane damage and property insurance costs being high?

@Ricardo Hidalgo Could it be that you are paying a bit more per sq. ft to build near the beach than you would if it is more inland? I get it that it's more profitable on the beach because you can sell with more margin, but aren't the construction prices higher on/ near the beach?

@Account Closed Awesome, that seems like a great property. I'm wondering, why did you choose to go with a single story design instead of a multi story? Is it more affordable to go with single story?

Thank you @Account Closed! That is encouraging, because I feel like I could make my numbers work as long as its around $115/ sq. ft. I am currently living in Jacksonville, and my experience has been very negative with the majority of contractors in this area. They overcharge for everything, and seem to do very poor work. I have had better luck in the panhandle so far. do you have a picture of your new build duplexes? Id love to see what they look like!

Hello,

I have been interested in buying a vacant lot and building a duplex on it. I have never built anything before, and have only bought two single family homes that were built decades ago. I am hesitant to purchase land without knowing what I would expect to spend to build a 2200 sq ft. duplex, however. What kind of sq. ft prices could I expect for a simple build? I do not expect to get the best prices either, because I do not have many construction connections or ways of saving money yet. I would be getting a general contractor home builder to handle the construction. The area would be the Florida panhandle.