All Forum Posts by: Trevor Lybbert

You can check what the rules are with your state for unlicensed assistants. Washington State allows you to do certain specific tasks for a private owner without being licensed. (Literally spells out what you can and can not do) But a lot of tasks may require a real estate license. I would tread carefully! 

Kilz primer is good. There is this fogger spray called FireD that works pretty well. You can buy an ozone machine for $100 and run it in the space. If it is really bad there are companies you can hire to help. It really depends on the type of odor. 

The best thing you can do is to start going to local networking events and meetups. Check out this link: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521-events-and-happenings I am sure that your services will be appreciated if you start from a place of seeing how you can add value to whoever you connect with. Good luck!

Is your rental actively on the market or under contract to sell? 

Hi Sean, 

A few thoughts. Unless you are experienced, for an out of state rental, I would recommend getting a property management company. I would call the top 10 property management companies and ask who they use for a lawyer, the good ones will be more than happy to help. Then I would interview the most helpful companies for property management services. 

You always want to ensure all occupants that are legally adults are added to the rental agreement. A detailed application process does a lot to prevent these issues ahead of time as well. 

The specific details are very dependent on state law and the specific language in the lease. The good news is, it shouldn't take long for a good lawyer with landlord/tenant law experience to get you on the right path after reviewing your lease. 

Best of luck!

Zillow provides a rental estimate. It can be pretty off, but can give a rough idea. You could contact local property managers and the good ones should be able to help as well. Craigslist is a good one as well! The downside to all of these, is it is only showing what landlords are asking for the rent, instead of what they are actually renting for. But, if you can find comparable properties, it is not bad. 

I would listen to this podcast. https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/10/1... . Make sure you run the numbers for what new construction residences are going for, and subtract out construction costs, cost to install utilities, developer profit, etc, and you can get an idea of what a developer would pay for the lots. Double check the zoning to make sure you can really do what you want to do. I would find a good local real estate agent that can help make sure you get a fair price. Land has a lot of factors that can have a huge difference on the value.  

Building a new house can be quite a lot of work as a back up plan. If you can buy at a discount, it will give you a lot more options. You have a lot of options for selling the vacant land with seller financing as well.

Best of luck! 

Land is a whole different beast! I would speak with a couple of different local real estate agents, let them know you're interviewing a few of them, and have them give you a range of the value. If you're not experienced, there are a lot of important details to consider. Generally, the biggest challenge is a lack of quality comparable properties. Zoning, what utilities are in place or are available, easements, views,  and what a buyer would intend to use the property for are all important factors. 

I have used Columbia Debt Recovery in the past. They provide services in Oregon and Washington, and they have done a good job for me and they specialize in property management. 

You will definitely want to consult a local attorney that specializes in landlord/tenant law for the details. In general, it is worth it to get a bad tenant out. In my experience, if things don't improve after the cure or quit notices, things usually don't get any better. It would be worth the $100-200 for a half hour/hour of an attorney's time to ensure you are following the laws and create a plan going forward.