All Forum Posts by: Adam Belasco

Hi BP,

Thanks in advance for any help!

Background: I recently purchased a 5,400sqft duplex that was running on one hot water heater which was located in the basement. The property has three floors plus a basement so naturally I'm rehabbing this property to be a triplex (each floor its own unit). Each of the three units will have their own hot water heater located in a utility closet in their unit plus a dishwasher, washing macine, and then one bathroom per unit, with the exception of the first floor which will have 2 full baths (total 4 full baths in property). The property will also have a sprinkler system installed throughout.

Question: Currently we have a 3/4" line coming into the house in the basement from the main line which we're then going to expand to 1". Is that enough to support the 4 full bathrooms throughout the house, one hot water heater in each of the 3 units, plus dishwasher and washing machine in each unit? I was told that it'll be fine, but I'm wondering if I need to spend the extra money, permitting, etc to have the line from the main be changed to a 1" and then tie into a 1 1/4" line in the house?

@Brian Randall sorry for the delay on getting back to you. That's super helpful to know and I may dm you if I have anymore questions once I get the property under contract.

In case anyone is wondering I spoke to an appraiser friend and he said there's no official rule on how to appraise HVACs vs mini split systems. He said he appraises them as the same, but in the event that someone doesn't appraise them the same he doesn't think there would be a downward adjustment.

@Jobie DeVinney-Walsh and @Seth Borman thanks for the tips and insight. Do either of you know how they play out from an appraisal standpoint? Does an appraiser look at them the same?

Hi All,

I'm considering purchasing a 3000sqft townhome to BRRRR that currently has window unit A/C and radiator boiler system for heat. After walking the property with my HVAC contractor he recommended a mini split may be the way to go instead of adding duct work for an HVAC. One of the biggest reasons he recommended this is to preserve ceiling height in the basement which is already a bit shorter than I'd like. We would place the condenser on the roof so it would be out of sight and not an eye sore.

The question: Since I'd be turning this into a modern home with nice finishes will the property appraise the same way regardless of if it has HVAC or a mini split system?

Thanks in advance!

@Herbert Lewis congrats on the success you had on this deal! If you don't mind sharing what specific part of Baltimore was this property in? I'm always curious to know where in baltimore city/county people are buying investment properties (fed, fells, canton, etc).

@Richmond Williams welcome to the BP community! 

I grew up in the Baltimore area and have lived in the NOVA area for the past 2 years so I know both fairly well. As a couple other people have communicated there's a lot of factors that go into answering this question.

Where do you work, are you willing to make the long commute each day if you have to go into office, what's your budget, etc. I haven't house hacked in either, but from a barrier of entry perspective typically the Baltimore area will be the better option. From an appreciation standpoint NOVA currently wins that battle, but I have high hopes that in the next 5ish years Baltimore will be a completely different city (all speculation of course).

Good luck with your decision!

Hi @Eric H.

I'll preface this by saying I'm not a lawyer, but I am a realtor, and I can tell you that "No rental history" is not a protected class under the Federal Fair Housing Act. On top of that MD expands their protected classes via state law to a few other areas, but again no rental history is not apart of that extension. 

Hope this helps!

@Brandon N.

Glad to have you on BP! As I'm sure you already know there's a wealth of knowledge here so dive in!! 

I'm an agent and investor in the Baltimore area as well. I would love to connect and hear how the first couple of months have gone for you in regards to your newly purchased 3 unit, that's exciting!

@John Williams

Hi John, thanks for reaching out and welcoming me to the BP site! That's awesome to hear you've done a flip, I'd love to connect as you mentioned and hear more about how that whole process went for you. I haven't listened to any of the rookie podcasts yet, but definitely plan to in the future!

Looking forward to connecting!

@Alana Bates

Thanks for reaching out and welcoming me! Like you mentioned there's a lot to learn, but we're in the right place for sure. Good luck with your first multifamily!