All Forum Posts by: Benjamin Von Blon
Benjamin Von Blon has started 8 posts and replied 57 times.
Post: Declining your first applicant (tenant)~ Whew!
- Raleigh, NC
- Posts 59
- Votes 15
Originally posted by @Kimberly H.:
Originally posted by @Trevor Western:
@Kimberly
I recommend you write out your qualification criteria for the apartment and stick to it. I print out a few copies and hand them to the potential applicants. I can then point them to the specific issue that prevented them from being qualified. ie. 3x income not there, or credit score below 600, or evictions in the past.
This protects you from any accusations you treated someone differently for arbitrary reasons. The reasons are all spelled out and everyone is treated the same.
Yes, I do have them written down, but haven't been good at re-iterating the same message every time. I've learned my lesson. Thankfully I only live 5 minutes from my rental, so I haven't wasted too much time showing the property to peole that are just fishing.
I think writing out your criteria and sticking to it is extremely important. You have to have concrete criteria and stick to it. If you make a change to the criteria, document it. In your original post, listing things as not a deal breaker, but not helpful is dangerous. You want to make sure you treat all applicants the same way. You'll probably get sued at some point writing in real estate, but make sure when it happens you have yourself covered.
Post: New Columbus, Ohio Investor
- Raleigh, NC
- Posts 59
- Votes 15
Originally posted by @Ed W.:
There is an independent landlording group that meets at Tommy's on Dublin-Granville. The focus is on helping landlords purchase more intelligently and manage better. Attendance is usually 30-50 with a mix of newbies and very experienced investors so it's a good networking opportunity as well. Even better, it's a free meeting.
There is no December meeting but they just released the schedule for January and February.
January 21st will feature Lonnie Alonso of Columbus Pest Control who will talk about a variety of pest issues.
February 25th will feature Dana Rose, the Administrator of the Code Enforcement Division of the City of Columbus
What time are these meetings?
Post: December Raleigh, NC Meetup
- Raleigh, NC
- Posts 59
- Votes 15
Hi, is this a regular monthly meeting? I am hopefully going to be moving to the area in the next few months and I an interested in attending local meetings. Are the meet ups posted each month on bp?
Thanks!
Post: Advice about Contractors on First Purchase
- Raleigh, NC
- Posts 59
- Votes 15
As someone that is still living through my first project, I want to be around. If I had a relationship with the contractor and they knew my expectations, then I would feel better about not being around.
Post: Property manager recommendations in Columbus Ohio
- Raleigh, NC
- Posts 59
- Votes 15
Originally posted by @Peter Lohmann:
Hi Brendan - I own a management company, but we don't sell properties. Two folks you may want to get in touch with are @david
I used to see your sign when I would drive home on Long. Did your office move?
Post: Property manager recommendations in Columbus Ohio
- Raleigh, NC
- Posts 59
- Votes 15
Interested in responses. I will likely be looking for a company in Columbus in a few months.
When you are interviewing a pm company, what are you asking and what are you looking for? How long does it generally take you to select?
@steve,
The zoning department told me just to complete the application for the zoning and variances.
I then met with someone from residential building. They said if the lot is rezoned, it still has to pass building code to receive the certificate of occupancy. The current space I want to convert is considered attic space. They said I have to show that it can withstand the appropriate weight per square foot and has proper support. They recommended and architect.
Hello everyone,
Does anyone have a reference for an architect in Columbus?
I am looking at the possibility of having a duplex rezoned as a triplex. I met with the city and discussed the process for the conversion. The first major step is determining if it will pass the building inspection if it is rezoned or how much it will cost to meet code.
Thanks,
Ben
Post: New member from Columbus, OH
- Raleigh, NC
- Posts 59
- Votes 15
From my understanding, no legal advice being given, you can manage your own properties with no problem, but to manage for others you have to have a license. From the original post I thought you were going to manage for others, but if it is only your properties then you shouldn't have an issue.
Post: New member from Columbus, OH
- Raleigh, NC
- Posts 59
- Votes 15
Hello and welcome,
A thought for your future plans - to operate a property management company in Ohio you need to have a licensed broker on the staff. If this is going to be you, you should consider getting your salesperson license soon because you have to complete a number of deals prior to qualifying for your broker license.
I can try to answer other questions about the license process as well, but the state department of real estate has been helpful in answering questions.
Ben