All Forum Posts by: Tom Fidrych

Quote from @Andre Crabb:

Quote from @Tom Fidrych:

You can go to the county office yourself and see what permits have been pulled for the property. Also, check with zoning to see if it is even possible to convert the garage into an ADU. Just state you are checking into the feasibility of doing it but don't say it has been done.

Generally, you do not want the county to inspect and tell you what is wrong as you may open a Pandora's box of fines and fees.

Some people just punk ADU's in and don't worry about the permitting but that approach may open you up to legal issues.

ok so I can just walk into the office and ask about permits for an arbitrary property?

do I have to tell them its mine? ...are they going to start prodding me with all sorts of questions? 😂

Yes, you can check the records of any property-either online or in person. I do this when I'm considering purchasing a property to see if what is advertised is recognized by the county or city.
Generally, I've found most planning dept people helpful. You could state you own it or not and are considering what development options are open to you.  When you own the property already, you certainly don't go in there stating there is a garage conversion and you want to see if it is legal. But is you are considering purchasing the property, then ask if it was legally done.

You can go to the county office yourself and see what permits have been pulled for the property. Also, check with zoning to see if it is even possible to convert the garage into an ADU. Just state you are checking into the feasibility of doing it but don't say it has been done.

Generally, you do not want the county to inspect and tell you what is wrong as you may open a Pandora's box of fines and fees.

Some people just punk ADU's in and don't worry about the permitting but that approach may open you up to legal issues.

Always get 3 quotes at a minimum. The contractor is correct in that the base for the asphalt has to be prepared. I've seen some ugly driveways in which they didn't prepare the rock layer properly if at all.

Make sure your other bids confirm and are in line with the number and thickness of base layers. 

Regarding the need for structural support: They are implying the foundation has an issue or the building is sinking. These types of repairs can be very expensive and often require an engineered solution. You could ask for a more specific explanation and then get an estimate from some foundation contractors. Probably not a good choice to unravel foundation issues on your first deal though.

Regarding the tight tank: Sometimes that refers to a septic tank that doesn't flow to a leach field. As such, it needs to be pumped out and that is an expensive ongoing issue. Maybe the tight tank was abandoned and now the building is attached to a sewer.

I

I'd start by ensuring you have the proper licensing and insurance for the type of work you will perform. Once you are licensed and insured, reach out to some property management companies. If your work is good, you will be as busy as you want to be. 

You want to use something that is UV stabilized-such as the vinyl slats people have mentioned. Some of those weed blocks are not UV stabilized and will break down if they are not covered with mulch. If you are going to use a sheet product, research how long it will last in direct sunlight.

Given the seller is pricing the home very low relative to comps, I'd assume they know the tanks have leaked. The price to remediate could be very expensive-far in excess of the homes ARV. You are best to contact local companies that specialize in tank removal and soil clean up to get a price range but I think you are risk taking on a large potential liability with this home.

I'd have the seller pay to remove them and have a qualified company test the soil to check for leakage. If the tanks have leaked, the remediation cost could be enormous. 

Sorry to here about your experience. I'd agree most of these courses are a waste of money but at $600 you got off pretty easy compared to a lot of other programs people have signed up for. 

kiyosaki has been calling for the end of the economic universe for a number of years and eventually he'll get it right.

Here's a link to an interesting article about him:

https://thecollegeinvestor.com/4726/ultimate-hypocrite-rober...

I'd try reaching out to the owners as well as the county to check the progress and any hurdles they are experiencing. As Jeremy mentioned, the settlement process can take a long time especially when there are disagreements on coverage extent.