All Forum Posts by: Bob H.

Sylvia's tips are very good. Also...

1. Use a satin finish on interior and exterior walls and maybe semi-gloss in kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms. It is well worth the small extra cost. Don't use flat anywhere. Use semi-gloss or (better) high-gloss on baseboards and other wood trim.

2. This might be more than you want to undertake on a rental, but Frog tape or similar _green_ tape is good for a contrasting line between paint colors. Typically that's at the edge of an accent wall where it meets a wall of the base color. Tape is needed if you have contrasting colors on an outside rounded corner. Apply tape and press it down thoroughly with a tool. Then paint the edge of the tape with the paint for the _other_wall to seal the edge. Then paint the wall that you're working on. Before removing the tape, lightly cut the edge with a utility knife to break the paint seal. This is for fancy stuff.

3. For the basic edge between a ceiling and floor or between wall and baseboard, just cut in by hand. The smaller the brush you use for that edge, the better the result. Use a small brush for the careful edge and a larger brush to cover a strip of 3 inches or so that you can overlap with the roller.

4. For doors, particularly a front door or back door, use oil-based paint, at least on the exterior. It will take longer to dry than latex does, but the results will be much better. Latex paint often dries too fast and leaves brush marks.

Avoid San Francisco and some other Bay Area cities that have rent control and other policies that limit your property rights. There are other places to invest in the Bay Area, although purchase prices generally are very high compared to rents.

Can anyone suggest a general contractor or appraiser who is experienced with rehabbing older homes near the charming downtown area of Prescott, AZ?

One thing to consider is whether you need to change the kitchen layout. Refacing works if you intend to leave the kitchen, dishwasher, sink and refrigerator in their existing locations. Sometimes remodeling requires some changes. For example, maybe you want to replace a range hood with a microwave or replace a tall double oven with a single oven to get more counter space. In these cases you need new cabinets, but otherwise refacing works well if structure and shelving in the cabinets is in decent shape. Refacing's still not cheap, though.

That's a great question. It depends on the property. At one of my rentals, I might remove the carpet upstairs and install laminate flooring to match, as closely as possible, the laminate downstairs. In another, where I already have replaced old kitchen appliances with new stainless-steel ones, I might replace the old sliding patio door with a nice french door with blinds in the glass -- as the beginning of an eventual kitchen remodeling -- and maybe replace old bathroom lights, faucets and towel racks. In a third, I would finish the interior painting that we started before the current tenant moved in. About two-thirds of the interior needs new paint. In the last, I'd paint the exterior.

Hello, Belle.

I live in Cedar Park after moving from the Bay Area 2 1/2 years ago. I'm happy to help any way I can. I would not replace a shower cartridge if it's not dripping. Doing that on demand is not a big deal. I replaced one in my 1995 rental a couple of weeks ago, and it's the only one that has needed the work out of eight showers in my rentals. It took about a half hour after I got the part. For a bathroom floor, ceramic tile is much better than laminate because water won't hurt it. You might try some of the new tile that resembles wood if you like that look.

My view of appliances is that tenants want to be able to move right in, and you will lose some prospects if you expect people to provide a washer and dryer and especially a refrigerator. If you worry about appliance repairs, consider a home warranty, and you may get one from your seller as part of the deal.

You haven't mentioned the exterior of the property your're buying, but consider exterior painting and dealing with any rotted or poorly sealed trim. It makes a big difference in curb appeal and longevity.

Sadly, that approach will not work. It's very hard to gain control of an association board. The vast majority of homeowners have no idea of what the associations do and are not willing to find out. Typically, associations almost beg to get a quorum at annual meetings so they can elect directors, and quorums are achieved by persuading many homeowners to turn over their votes by proxy to the association president or another insider. This means it's hard to elect even one board member who does not go along with the management company, because it's more work to question things. Also, much of the decision-making is done in private, through email and conversations among board members. The idea that HOAs are democratic mini-governments that consistently respond to homeowners is a myth.

I own three homes in two homeowner associations that have exorbitant fees charged when homes are sold. In one neighborhood, the management company charges at least $500 (and won't say exactly how much) for emailing HOA documents and a statement of the account to a title company and then creating the new owner's account. In another neighborhood, the management company charges $490 for the same service and the association tacks on $300, financing the association disproportionately from homes that change hands.

The clerical work involved in these transfers probably takes no more than 30 minutes, but homeowners are stuck paying because title companies won't close escrow without the HOA managers' documents. In my experience, association board members do not pay attention to this and are unresponsive to complaints, because they don't like to question the management companies. Does anyone have a solution to these ever-growing charges?

Hello.

Does anyone have a recommendation for an investment-oriented buyer's agent in the Fort Collins area or the Denver area, particularly one with experience in short-term/vacation rentals or corporate housing?

An easy fix -- but not as thorough as some others mentioned here -- is to install vinyl tile in the kitchen sink cabinet and bathroom lavatory cabinets. It's cheap and quick. It won't protect you against a flood, but it prevents cabinet deterioration from leaking cleaner bottles, etc.