Two Inspections in Two Days
Tuesday, January 06
The weather was just plain NASTY this morning. We had freezing rain and the roads rapidly became slippery. My wife needed to be somewhere at 9 am and didn't want to drive on the icy roads. I didn't particularly want to drive on the roads either, but I took her to the appointment anyway (it's alwa...
Another Section 8 Inspection
Monday, January 05
Today was a busy day for me. It was supposed to start with a woman moving into one of my 3 bedroom duplexes. I still had a few little things to finish before she moved in, so I started early today (at about 9am). I went to Lowes to pick up a few items and then went to the duplex. One of the items...
Back to Business - FINALLY!
Friday, January 02
Now that the holidays are over, we can finally get back to business! As I've said before, the rental business (and many other businesses) just absolutely die during the holidays (from Thanksgiving until after New Years). People are thinking about Christmas; buying presents; traveling to Grandma's...
Electrical Fire
Sunday, December 28
This is my sixth year in the rental property business. With several dozen rentals, I've had just about every bad thing occur that is possible. However, this morning I received the call that I've always dreaded. It was a call that one of my buildings (a duplex) was on fire.Before I get too far int...
Copper vs. Pex in the Cold
Tuesday, December 23
The last two days have been an interesting study in the relative merits of copper water line vs. Pex water line (with brass Sharkbite connectors). In yesterday's blog, I discussed how a mistake on my part resulted in a frozen waterline in one of my apartment buildings. Today, I would like to disc...
Self-Inflicted Wound!
Monday, December 22
Today I found out what happens when an absolute idiot (me) mismanages a rental property with the outside air temperature near zero. Here's the story:My plan for today was to pay a few bills; go to the post office; go to the bank; sign the lease with a new tenant; and then finish the laminate floo...