All Forum Posts by: Scott P.

You're welcome @Nigel Witherspoon.  It's possible I misunderstood your original question.

In my area a "developer" looks for farmland or possibly lots in a city that have a building that would likely be demolished or perhaps used to have a building and are now empty.  A "builder" on the other hand, comes to land or lots that are already "developed" and then builds a house, or an apartment building, or a commercial building, etc.

If you think maybe I misunderstood jut let me know and I'll answer again.

@Charlie John, Thanks for asking.  I would say small.  About 20 units here, a commercial building there, kind of thing.  The thing about me is that I've done things from more than one angle as opposed to a much bigger Player who does only one type of work from only one angle but has a large business doing it all.  

At some point I'll be able to put something together to share I believe.   I haven't been able to make time yet to even add my photo and fully complete my profile here. For now I'm enjoying using the time I have just to share experience.

I would look for:

1. Is it zoned R1, R2, R3, etc.

2. Is it on an existing street or road?

3. If water, sewer, and natural gas available at the street?

4. If water is not available, how difficult is it to have a well and what is the ground water quality at various depths?  Or how difficult and costly is it for the nearest water company to bring water?

5. If sewer is not available, how difficult is it to have sewer ran from the nearest treatment plant, or how difficult is it to install a package plant or what are the soil conditions which leads to what types of septic systems are allowed.

6. In my experience, getting electric service and land line phone is not difficult but that needs to be verified.

7. Also if natural gas is not avail, be sure that propane is.

8. i might consider how difficult it is for state approvals as well as local approvals.

This is all off the top of my head as far as what I've done in the past to develop small areas.

I do.  Most recent build was 2006 completion.  Still have it.  The bubble in my area wasn't huge though.

I bought nothing during the downturn although I have friends who did.  Obviously it turned out well for them. I suppose I was too risk averse.

I'd do my standard walk through to list what all needs to be done.  I'd leave all the cabinet doors open, shut off pilot lights (assuming it's not winter and i need heat), then I'd set off insect bombs as i walked out the door.  I'd return 7-10 days later per instructions on the chemicals and I'd do it all again.

Then I'd come back and get it ready for rent.  If there is an insect problem when i returned, I'd call the professionals. 

I wouldn't settle the deposit refund until I knew the outcome of all of this....

@Greg Balue, What you're asking for is an excellent plan; however, I believe what the GCs are telling you is reasonable. It would not be a red flag in my area.

What you're asking for is more common in industrial work, and maybe commercial work, but not residential work.  If you had a long standing reputation of paying on time, not expecting total perfection, and awarding a lot of work, then they might do this for you for residential work.

I prefer to give them the detailed breakdown if I want the pricing back that way.  I list all the fixtures by brand and model, etc.  I tell them I'll buy all the mat'ls up front and have them delivered so that they are not out the $ up front.  I'd tell them I'm not sure what all I can fit into the budget.  So I broke it down to save them time so I can have their # to help me decide what I can do now and what I'd do later.  If all this doesn't apply in your case, for example if you need all of it done now and they know that, then I would take a different approach to getting the data I want from them.  Just put @Scott P in a Reply and I'll go down that trail of thought it you'd like.

I would consider it to be refundable not non-refundable.

I would immediately continue taking applications from others and tell other I have a deposit.  Others are welcome to be 2nd in line, or first, if the party who made the deposit is not approved and I therefore refund their deposit.

If this 1st party submits the App and you approve it, I'd then follow my normal practice which is that the 1st month's rent and the deposit come to me by cashier's check.  (I pay up to $5 for the cost of that check.)  Then, when the lease is signed and the utilities are in their name they can move it.  I'd give them the choice to have their initial check back or let me hold it for rent on month #2.  (I hope you haven't deposited it? That would cause a problem if it bounces...)

@Patti Robertson and @Christopher Melvin Brandy, It's okay as far I as I know for a person to pay another person to let a house sit empty for a month.  So having the prospective tenant pay $1500 to keep a house empty for June, for whatever reason the payor decides to do this, seems okay to me.

Do you guys agree?

I'm wondering if I'm missing something.

When July 1 arrives, the person who paid $1500 may or may not decide to rent a house from Christopher and that person and Christopher may or may not have a deal with Section 8.  That seems like a separate issue to me.  Christopher has a potential choice to take $1500 and enter into a lease with one person, or he has a choice to take $1500 and leave the house empty for 1 moth for another person to decide if she's able to lease it or not.

@Stephanie Pieri  I understand.  

My understanding is that clay tile sewer lines are commonly plagued by root problems.  I had tree root issues with PVC sewers which I'm told shouldn't happen.  I actually ended up having 2 trees, one poplar tree and one oak, I think, cut down, and I had the stumps ground.  Then, I replaced the pvc sewer lines.

Would you be willing to tell us what kind of problem(s) it is?  

In general, I call a license plumber and have them fix everything.  I'd rather to that than deal w/a nagging problem.  

Digging up sewer lines is sometimes a different company for me.  I've done that twice.

My exact answer might vary depending on exactly what the issue is though.