All Forum Posts by: Adam Anderson

I agree with @Jon Holdman You need to replace the line. Chemical aren't going to work and you will be just fighting as loosing battle rodding the line. The next emergency will likely be on a holiday when your tenant is throwing a party and the bathrooms experience heavy use.

In most states a degree in construction management can be used to count as some the the experience requirement for a contractors licence, but can't be used for all of it. You have to check your states licencing requirements to be sure.

Whether to renovate or to replace depends on the condition and materials of the existing cabinets. A solid wood cabinet can be made to look new by replacing the doors and refinishing the cabinets. 

The problem you often run into is that older kitchen do not often make very good use of space and are sized for smaller appliances.

To sum up sometimes new cabinets, sometimes spruce up.

If you can't get a single fiberglass unit in the opening I would recommend getting a shower base and tiling the walls. 

 I wonder if the risk is greater with a white collar felon. It usually take some forethought to commit white collar crime, while a lot of other felonies are due to poor impulse control.

Sorry to hear Massachusetts so difficult to get a licence.  Although I personally believe just about anybody can do it themselves, the licensing requirements in many states make it impossible without first working for a licensed contractor.

I will admit that I have done work in the past without a licence in another state, all it would have taken was an inspector to stop buy and I could have been in a lot of trouble. 

Texas doesn't have any licencing requirements, so you could always move here and do it yourself.

For those advising to go ahead and do the General Contracting yourself I would advise caution. Make sure you understand the laws in your state and know what licencing is required to avoid costly mistakes.

I want to purchase a home, and want to know if it is possible.

I have not had great credit in the past but currently have a 650 credit score. I have had late pays in the past, but have only 1 late payment on my credit in the last 3 years. My score is slowly going up over time.

The real issue is I was laid off work about a year and 4 months ago. I was unemployed for about 4 months and have been at my current employer for only a year.

I live in an area that has high house rents. I am currently paying $2,400 a month. We are looking at a $75,000 fix r upper. We have about $5,000 saved right now.

Will I be able to qualify for a FHA loan with 3.5% down? Or do I have to wait for another year to have 2 years of employment history. Would I have to have a higher down payment?

Income is $65,000 plus $12,000 a year per diem (Is this counted toward income? The IRS counts it)

I would talk to a insurance agent about additional coverage until the dogs are gone. Additional here are some resources for coverage of dangerous dog breeds,

Dog Bite Law

I read an article stating that dog bite related claims accounted for more than one third of all homeowners insurance liability claims paid out in 2013. 14 Dog Breeds Blacklisted by Insurance Companies. 

There is a real risk. Even though the dogs appear to be friendly there is a big difference in a pit bull bite and a chihuahua bite. If anything ever happens, You are going to be sued. Even if you are not found liable, you will have to defend the suit. I would not be willing to take that risk. You have to ask yourself if you are willing to take that risk.

Can you get a contractors licence yourself? I don't know about your state, but in most of the states I have lived in you can't act as your own GC and pull permits unless it is your primary residence. If you are just doing cosmetic changes like changing flooring and replacing fixtures you could do it yourself, but if you have any work that requires pulling permits you can get into trouble.