All Forum Posts by: Steven Anderson

My agent pulls this info for me off MLS all the time.

When showing the home we have nice inside house plants and a nice welcome mat in front of the front door. The dual purpose we get is a joke that's a bit more welcoming and then they effectively get them as gifts too.

@William Lunsford here's my two cents

I think your insurance rates are a bit high. My view is to insure the loan value, but the FMV and insure replacement cost. Even in Harris County, I think .8-1% of insured value is appropriate unless you are talking a 50-60 year old home.

Given the cost of a PM I would strongly suggest managing your properties yourself.  I've always believed no one will take care of your things as well as you will.  Now, once you scale up then maybe get a PM.  And because you have experience managing your properties you will be much better equipped to screen PMs such that they will manage your properties in a manner that you can be comfortable with.

Steven Anderson

Berkley Properties

Fred Heller i don't believe merely adding a water softener solves all the issues. There is still the issue on cost/benefit and required ongoing costs to buy and supply salt. Assuming a water softener is not the best option, I was looking for other alternatives for preventative maintenance.

We've recently purchased a buy and hold in Texas and the water is very hard. It's 5 years old so I'm sure there's build up. I'd like to try to reduce the effects of zero maintenance during this period and implement an ongoing maintenance program for appliance longevity. Any good suggestions for specific maintenance tasks and intervals to best minimize the damage to appliances? The water softener system seems cost prohibitive at this time. For example I've read about not just draining but flushing the hot water tank every 3-6 months. Anyone use vinegar or other products to keep lines cleansed? Clean the water heater heating element? Run something through the dishwasher? Thank you for your replies and feedback. Steven Berkley Properties

With smoke stains and other smells I've found that priming the walls AND CEILINGS with an OIL BASED primer (not water based) did the trick before I repainted.

We used rocket lawyer in the beginning and while it was definitely convenient, the lease is weak relative to the TAR forms. Given the specific property laws in Texas you really need to try to find a way to go with the TAR 2001 form. It's updated constantly based on law changes and it's very pro landlord.

Ida Grochowska I googled various move out instructions for property management companies in my state and took the best from each that I liked and made my own. I'm happy to send you mine but note I'm in TX. It can at least get you started. Send me a PM with your email and I will send. Steven Anderson Berkley Properties

Russell Brazil most starter SFHs here north of Houston don't include W/D. Some don't include a refrigerator.

Here north of Houston for 1 % deductible for $150k RC your monthly premiums would be between $70 and $80 per month