All Forum Posts by: Ayana Morali

Hey all - I currently live in a pretty expensive area that skyrocketed during COVID. I'm looking to buy here (personal property though ideally it has an ADU) and as always, am looking for a deal. I am thinking of exploring the pre-forclosure market - I know there are some services one can pay for to see who is delinquent on mortgage payments etc. I was wondering if anyone had experience approaching folks in pre-forclosure and had advice on any best practices, etc or specific sites I should use...really any advice as to how to go about seeing if I can find a deal that way. Even if that advice is - meh, that's really hard to find a deal in a hot market b/c all-cash builders are already on top of that stuff.

Thanks in advance!

Thanks all! I ended up hiring someone that came highly recommended from a friend. He got me a bit more money but overall said I had done a great job in the past (looked at past 2 returns). Woohoo.

Anyway, the process was so damn easy that even though I basically got the same amount back and didn't miss much, I'm going to keep using him and save myself 2 days of headaches every March moving forward.

Thanks again for the advice everyone!

Will do - thank you!

Yeah that makes sense and was thinking it might be time to hire someone. Does that person need to be Cali based if I live here?

Also, if anyone has any recs, I'm all ears. I checked the network section but it doesn't look like tax professionals are listed there. I noticed Turbo Tax has an option to hire someone but am thinking that's prob not the best route?

Hey all, historically I've done my own taxes using Turbo Tax. However, I'm concerned I might not be getting the most out of my return. I'm trying to figure out if I should spend the time to really dig in and do all the research or hire someone. The plus side of hiring someone is presumably they're an expert, but the downside (as I've heard in the podcasts) is they might not know everything that is best for your specific situation and might not be super motivated to get you every last penny like you might be.

My taxes are not the most complicated compared to some here but also not the most simple..

- I own 2 investment properties (one in NJ, one in NY - both condos), one of which I completely renovated in 2020.

- I live in California and currently rent (though I'd like to buy a house hack in 2021 here). I have a W-2 job.

- I also do a small amount of freelance work on the side as added income.

Curious what folks here think...

Thanks all! Lots of great advice to sift through. I really appreciate everyone's input!

Yeah, HOA has power to foreclose if I withhold HOA dues.

All hands meetings are once a year, so it's not an option to attend a meeting for this. I am definitely attending the next all hands and will be running against the President and will present all of this to the owners - but that is a separate thing than trying to fix this issue ASAP. I was on my HOA for my other property and we would have NEVER let a leak go this long. That's why I'm so surprised by his behavior.

The President is fully aware of the issues, timeline, documentation, etc - he's just dragging his feet. It sounds like I just need to suck it up and deal with another month of leaking until they decide to pull the trigger on the fix?

Hi, I've got 2 leaks in my apartment - both stemming from an external issue. The front is the lintel, the back is unclear, some contractors say the lintel, some say the fire escape. I've had the issue for a year - 2 other times the HOA misdiagnosed the problem. This December, right before Xmas it was back. The HOA asked me to diagnose the problem. I sourced multiple masons and gave them my recs in mid-January. I rec'd one person that would cost $400 to diagnose the exact problem in the bedroom. They then said they want to go with a specific company that hasn't gotten back to them b/c they're busy. Yesterday they confirmed they'd go with the property management contractors but don't know when they'd be able to take care of it. The leak in the back is now active again. I sent them a video, no response. The president of the HOA acts annoyed with me when I follow up too much about this issue.

It's unbelievably frustrating. How can I compel them to actually get this done ASAP? Is this something I can call a lawyer about? Is there certain legal language I should use in an email with the president of the board?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

Hey all, I'm looking to refinance my property in Brooklyn - it's been 10 years since I bought it so my interest rate is astronomical compared to today's options. I have renters in there now and when I bought it I lived there so I'm sure I won't get as great a rate as if I still lived there but I think it'll prob still be better than what I have (4.875.

I have a few questions for the group - this is my first time refinancing...

- Is it better to go through a mortgage broker or to call around/use bankrate.com to individually reach out to lenders

- When bankrate lists "zero upfront fees" what does that mean? Are there still other closing costs to estimate with a refi? How do I calculate those extra costs?

- Anything else I should know or look out for in this process?

Thanks all!

Yup, it's very frustrating and I agree not how it should be. I also own a place in Brooklyn and the HOA there would be on top of it. But this HOA is VERY difficult to work with and the bottom line is it won't get done in a timely manner if I don't quarterback it.