All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

@Christian Brown What is your primary goal with the software? Many of the functions within the software, you could do yourself by doing a little leg work. This would save some money upfront that you could use towards your marketing costs. There are some great books on finding deals without using paid software. Check out BP's David Greene and Anson Young for quality materials. Another great author is John Schaub and his book Building Wealth One House at a Time. I'm particular to that book as that was the very first REI book I read (minus Rich Dad Poor Dad) and it really opened my eyes up to what is possible. The best thing is that it didn't push the software you had to have.

@Fabio Silva Welcome Fabio! I believe cameras are completely legal on your own property. The only issue that I have heard is a problem is if someone were to face an outdoor camera towards a neighbors window or directly at their pool. The camera serves as a security deterrent and is meant to deter criminality. There would be no expectation of privacy for someone walking down your street or in front of your property. Here's an article that goes more in-depth.

Legality of Security Cameras

@Timothy Wade This is from the Texas Property Code Title 8 Chapter 92;

"Sec. 92.008. INTERRUPTION OF UTILITIES. (a) A landlord or a landlord's agent may not interrupt or cause the interruption of utility service paid for directly to the utility company by a tenant unless the interruption results from bona fide repairs, construction, or an emergency.

(b) Except as provided by this section, a landlord may not interrupt or cause the interruption of water, wastewater, gas, or electric service furnished to a tenant by the landlord as an incident of the tenancy or by other agreement unless the interruption results from bona fide repairs, construction, or an emergency."

Texas Property Code Link

I'm not 100% that's the most up-to-date language but it appears so. To be ultimately safe, consult with your attorney. Good luck!

@Jason Boritz If you can figure out the actual address, a tax search on the township/county/city website should provide the information you need. For instance, New Jersey has a parcel view online that provides all of the data I need on a graphical interface. I see you are from LA so if that's where you are searching in particular, this would be of great use for that purpose.

LA County Parcel Viewer

Most areas have some type of "parcel viewer" that would allow you to easily find out who owns the property. Additionally, you can verify the information on the local area's tax site to confirm the information is up to date.

@Aldo Ornelas I personally develop my "lists" by doing just that. Driving around and looking for abandoned/distressed properties. I search the township/county/city tax records to look up who is the current owner. From there, I send letters to the owner advising I wish to buy their property. There are numerous methods and ideas on how to go about the actual letter which I recommend watching/listening to some BP material to see what works for you. I'm a big fan of the Anson Young material which provides a lot of information on what materials to mail. I personally have a small printed letter with a professional look to it, I handwrite the owner's name, address, and signature and mail them in a colorful envelope.

Whatever you choose to do, as it's been said many times; be consistent and persistent. Plan to mail to these addresses numerous times (think 8-12 times spread 3 weeks apart for each mailing).

@Jill Jay I believe the best person to contact to begin would be a General Contractor for an estimate if you aren't doing your own work. Did you have an inspection done? Granted the inspection may not cover the detached garage but I'm curious what the inspector had found. Get at least three written and itemized/detailed quotes from three different contractors. From there, you can determine which one you would go with plus see which contractor follows your requirements of a detailed quote.

@Noah Cull Welcome to BP!

@Cody Gray Welcome! I'm sure you could include language in your rental agreement that holds the subject responsible for repairs for damage liable. Reading this though, you will be living in the same house so my thought is are you anticipating unruly roommates which you could screen against, or are you playing it safe by anticipating what could happen? From my experience, living in the same home provides some type of "security" in that the people that are paying rent have to see the landlord every day and it would be unwise to act in a manner that would cause concern. With that said, stranger things have happened though so I can appreciate where you are coming from.

@Craig Easterly Welcome! Sandblasting or media blasting should work well to remove the paint. Sand might be the right consistency to remove what you need without damaging the property but I would do some additional research online to make sure you don't need to use walnut shells or the likes to prevent damage. Just figure that you'll most likely need a substantial amount of sand to do the entire house. Let me know how it goes.

@Tony Thompson Welcome! To start out, I would start by watching/listening to as many Bigger Pockets podcasts and Youtube videos as you can to see how you can build your buyers list.

Bigger Pockets Podcasts

Bigger Pockets YouTube Channel