All Forum Posts by: Seth Borman

@Seth Borman: From your experience you might be right but from my experience as a licensed AC tech for the past 7 years i'm sure i'm wrong. From your experience can you please explain to her the difference between freon and refrigerant because i would hate for her to put the wrong thing in her unit. I think she should have a LICENSED HVAC Tech inspect her unit to see what is really wrong with her unit because she might not need to replace her unit at all. Licensed HVAC tech and Electrician, certified armstrong floor installer, Louisiana,Texas Alabama Lic contractor, BS in Construction Management University of Tulsa been actively investing since 2000 and have built 4 communities with over 275 homes, just in case you were wondering about "my experience".

I've done business with a lot of HVAC companies over the years, as an employee for a GC and an investor. The number times that I've been scammed, or close to it, approaches 100%.

The refrigerant matters because a shifty tech will sell you R22 and then next year try to upsell you to a new system using R410A, or worse, sell you a whole new R22 system knowing that prices to repair it will escalate every year.

But please, tell me why a refrigerant might need to be replaced every year?

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Originally posted by @Shawn Hurley:

Sounds like you might just need freon in your system and it cost about 30 to 75 a pound. The average unit that size only going to need about 4 pounds. And if you do need a new unit a new unit cost about $2000 a ton and most 3 bedrooms with 1500 sqft to about 2500 sqft only need 3 ton units. Knowing New Orleans a 4 bedroom can have anywhere from 800 sqft on up so if you do decide to replace the unit and need a good contractor inbox me and i will give you my guys number.

In my experience the only time they need refrigerant (freon isn't the same thing) is when they are leaking. If the leak isn't fixed then expect to have the same issue again.

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In Seattle? Two meters, two in unit W/Ds.

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Lidia Bowers paying a guru money won't teach you anything you can't learn here and from books.

1 Vote

Originally posted by @Manolo D.:

Camille Joos-Visconti Im not a landlord nor a lawyer but I could read and understand the law. So now tenants are month to month, so their tenancy can expire end of each month, every month, right? So it can end March 30, April 30, May 30. Now why can’t you serve him 60 day notice? I’m confused. The loophole you are talking about is, if they slip you payment and you accept it, then the next month goes on, what if, you WONT accept it? Close the bank account if needed, serve him a notice (the same 60 day), i don’t see why they will still attempt to pay rent on month 3, i mean, clearly there is already intent to not renew the lease on month 3 after you serve the 60 day, the mere notice alone “should” be an instrument to prove you do not accept any further payments nor lease 3rd month’s. You are reading a website that’s for tenants, you can also pick up the phone and call them ask as for a landlord advocate, have you done that already? if not, why?

You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. Nothing that you've said is accurate.

You can evict someone from a rent stabilized building, but it usually takes a lot of money if they pay on time.

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I'm really interested in the idea of building ADUs to offset this. A small ADU in a nice neighborhood is a good way to create a housing mix that will attract all sorts of people and create a strong community.

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Originally posted by @Laura C.:

Hey Seth, 500 sf seems small for a 2/1 with kitchen and bath? Haven’t seen many floor plans with that configuration, but would love to. Someone I know just built a 2/1 at just under 800 sf and that layout seemed ok on size. Can imagine similar but at 500 sf.

We have an in house architect at my day job who does plans like that. The kitchen is in the living room at that point. That said, people rent them at market rates all the time.

1 Vote

For $200,000 you can build a 2/1 apartment financed at 30 years with a fixed rate home loan... You aren't going to get that opportunity anywhere else. Your operating expenses won't be 50%, they've most likely be in the low 20s if you self manage, with property taxes and insurance being the expensive part.

If the unit is attached to the house then it will appraise as additional SF. If it isn't it will likely be worth less (but still more than you paid.

What's not to like?

As a rule of thumb 400 SF is a one bedroom, 500 SF is enough for two. Add 100 SF if you want a large unit. There isn't a lot of need for a large unit if it is well designed.

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Are you going to be able to get a building permit without doing a proper conversion?

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Originally posted by @Noah Jones:

The biggest issue with window units is that they can leak condensation indoors. How much are you willing to spend on new carpet, window seals, new hardwood, dry wall to avoid replacing the forced air system? If your system still heats but doesn’t cool, then it sounds like you have either a gas furnace with ac or a heat pump running off heat strips. If it’s the former, replacing the ac and coil should be in the $5k range. Replacing a heat pump and air handler is significantly more expensive.

I've been replacing 10 SEER heat pumps with 16 SEER heat pumps for $7,000. I replace everything so I can get the higher efficiency for my tenants.

2 Votes

All Forum Posts by: Seth Borman

Seth Borman has started 5 posts and replied 545 times.

Post: Air Conditioning options

Post: Air Conditioning options

Post: How to Separate Meters with Shared Laundry?

Post: Sell SFH to buy Multifamily

Post: Los Angeles rent control laws & a problem inherited tenant!

Post: So you want to make the neighborhood better, huh?

Post: ADU/in-law unit in Newark, Bay area

Post: ADU/in-law unit in Newark, Bay area

Post: Shared Fuel in Duplex

Post: Air Conditioning options