All Forum Posts by: Sandy Uhlmann

I am putting new countertops in the kitchen of a rental property that I am rehabbing. I plan to put in a double bowl stainless steel sink but I am wondering if the standard 50:50 bowl size is still the way to go or is having unequal bowl size the new trend? Also, are the box stores the best place to shop and get the best price for kitchen sinks?

As far as kitchen appliances, I shopped by local Lowes and elsewhere then found two places on the internet that gave me a side by side refig, a free standing electric range, an over the range microwave, and a dishwasher for less than 2100 AND no taxes and no shipping. They are probably the lower end items, but in a rental, this is more than fine. You can also save another $300 if you go with the freezer on the top variety of refigerator

http://www.interstateappliance.com/frigidaire-cntrctrpackage-1e.html

www.us-appliance.com › BUILDER PACKA

$1999 at US appliance

GES +?

I just thought I would share what I think seems to be a good deal for those in search of stainless steel appliances. Try asking about Builders or contractor packages if you need the full set. On the low end of things, I found a Frigidaire Stainless steel kitchen package for $1999 that included an electric (or gas) range, a side by side refrigerator, an over the range microwave and a built in dishwasher. The price was even lower if you chose the package where the refrigerator was not a side by side. Another plus is a lot of these sites have free shipping if it is over $999 and no tax. Try Interstate appliance: www.interstateappliance.com or US Appliance. Be sure to check out the instant coupons that US appliance is offering. I discovered I could order the same items in the contractors package separately then use the storewide coupon and it was even cheaper than the contractors package! (they wouldn't let you use the $500 instant discount coupon on the contractors package)

If anyone else has some great saving ideas, please share. It would be so nice to find a buyers network or find places that offer discount prices on items if you were a biggerpockets member.

Just purchased a home that has a stone foundation and siding. When we looked closer, for whatever reason, the previous owner had put siding over existing (painted) brick. My contractor plans to remove the ugly siding, tuckpoint the brick where needed and repaint the brick. I need some advice on what color of paint over brick has the best curb appeal? The house is getting a new roof this week so I need to decide on roofing colors and brick color ASAP. Would love some pics of houses to help me decide. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I am a newbie to all of this so I am asking for some advice. I sent a yellow letter to a home that looked like demolition was in progress but was stopped for some reason. Yesterday, I actually got a call saying that they would love to sell the house. They are motivated to sell because the demo just became too time consuming with young children and they could use the money. (they own it free and clear) They have completely gutted the home. They put a new roof on the home and they have installed a sump pump in the basement. The house need everything else: Electrical needs updating, HVAC, new windows, fixtures, appliances. They are asking $25,000. It is a smaller 2 bedroom, 1 bath home where the previous owner had apparently converted the only garage into a third bedroom. Other houses in the area are selling for mid 60's to low 80's. I estimate the home to be a little over 1000 square feet above ground plus a full basement. Before I look at the home, I just wanted to get some clue as to what a typical home of similar size that has been gutted should sell for. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks Jon, that is exactly what I needed to know. In the case of these homes, would whomever listed the property for FannieMae have already done an inspection of the property and have priced the property based on the condition it is in? Specifically, would they have considered that the house needs a new roof, has a leaky basement, ect.... and priced the home accordingly? Do photos of help in supporting the lower offering price? Also, with these properties is there a rule of thumb as to how low an offer they are willing to accept?

I am looking at a FannieMae HomePath property and I was wanting some advice on the amount to bid for it. This property needs a new roof AND has about 4 layers of roofiing that need to be removed. It also has some water damage as a result of the roof leaking. I realize that these properties are "as is" so I was wondering if I am better off offering the asking price minus the cost of the roof or offering the asking price and then,after the inspection demonstrates that a new roof is needed, negotiating the price downward?

Great idea!

Maybe it could be a "Joshua Dorkin's List". The only way contractors could get on the list is if they were recommended by BP members. It would be easy to spot contractors who pay for false reviews because those people who give a false or paid review would most likely brand new to BiggerPockets, giving us a big red flag. I would be happy to pay for this service if there were enough contractors in my area that were reviewed. This would be particularly helpful for those of us who don't have active REIAs in our immediate area.
Another benefit is that if they were contacted for work through BiggerPockets via a click system, they are more likely to do a quality job at a fair price or risk a bad review.

Danny,
There is a MidMo PREIA in Columbia. I haven't been to a meeting yet but there is one coming up August 7. They post their meetings on Meetup. Or google MidMO PREIA.