All Forum Posts by: Catherine German

You can get a commercial account through Lowes which will offer a great discount if you purchase often. If you are interested in used appliances, TV Time Appliances in Lakewood is good for inexpensive used appliances with a warranty.

Ok, Tacoma doesn't scare me because I'm from Stockton, California but I know if you don't have a good presence here you can have that issue.

@Jay Hinrichs I would love to get some properties in the PDX area myseIf - I agree it's a great market. It's just a little spendier than say Western Washington where we have jobs AND lower unit prices. The neighborhoods are turning here in Tacoma so I do see appreciation in the future, but many people obviously disagree with me on that.

When I was looking in Oregon I got concerned about the lack of jobs there. Portland prices are high. You may want to look into Washington state - we are experiencing low prices to buy, high prices to rent and low vacancy factor.

There is a major shortage of rentals right now so if you are a landlord you are in a sweet spot. I have people calling me daily for a home to rent and no inventory. So if you can find anything from Puyallup to Olympia to buy and hold, you will have no problem finding a renter. 

Prices vary according to where you are and if it's a fiberglass enclosure it will cost a bit more but I have had great experiences having tubs refinished or glazed. Yes, it's a good idea to use soft scrub to clean but if you have a professional vendor they will do a great job. Check for reviews or ask an apartment community manager or rental housing association in your area for a referral. I ran an apartment complex and I had my tubs redone all the time. It saved a lot of $$ & we rarely had a problem with the work holding up. Just ask for a warranty from the vendor and you should be golden.

This is one of those situations that we all have to deal with sometimes. I guess  a lot of landlords just submit and give the full deposit back so as to avoid conflict and maybe that is what she was hoping for.

I have had to deal with so many of these hostile people who are basically just angry and hostile at the world and it's very unpleasant. They usually trash the place, repaint the walls all kinds of crazy colors and let their dogs pee all over the entire unit. They know they are in the wrong so they take it out on you, the lucky landlord. I get anxiety just reading your original post.

It's always better to avoid any confrontations or arguments with the tenant. I  send a written acknowledgement when I get a notice to vacate as well as a cleaning checklist, a letter explaining the process and a friendly reminder abount tenant responsibilities. I will also send an abbreviated version via email. Then 2 weeks before they vacate I send another friendly email reminder about cleaning, turning in keys, changing your address with the post office, etc. These "reminders" cut down on a lot of confusion after move out. They don't remove the conflict but they do lessen the drama.  Also when I do send out the itemized return of security deposit I always include copies of the actual invoices with the statement. This helps with the angry visits about why they are getting ripped off from the landlord. Hopefully you got your keys back and didn't have to take things any further, she may have just been testing you to see what see could get away with.

This is for someone purchasing a 6-10 unit apartment community but I will keep your info because I work with property owners on a daily basis.

1. Make sure the HOA will allow rentals.

2. Make sure HOA has good financials, Board and Management.

3. Make sure it's in a nicer area - Folsom in general is very nice & property values should stay that way.

I agree with the above 2 posters comments also. I have had a bad experience owning a condo due to board members who were bullying my renters so this is something I would think about if you are considering using it as a rental. This occurred at a very small association (16 units) and most were owner occupied. Something to think about.

are there countertops in there now which you can have refinished? If so you can get them refinished for about $350. There are companies which do resurfacing of tubs and refinishing of counters. It can save quite a bit to refinish vs. replacement costs.