All Forum Posts by: Bradley A.

Hey BP,

Contingent on a Chicago area property that’s in need of pretty major lead remediation before the city will allow tenants to occupy a couple of the units.

City health inspectors have been through the structure twice and have issued an exhaustive list of items that must be fixed, including suggested methods for remediation.

Closing is contingent on these items being handled by a licensed remediation/restoration firm, or at the very least having the work quoted in order to obtain a credit from the seller.

So, can anyone recommend a well reviewed/reputable, licensed lead remediation firm in the Chicago area? I’ve been able to find a few with ok reviews, but for whatever reason getting ahold of these companies is more difficult than any other group of people I’ve worked with in the trades.

Thanks,

Brad

Hey Ron,

Sounds like a fun project. I work for a contractor in the western suburbs and we've always been happy with Perma-Seal. Larger company, competitive pricing, quality work - we've used them in residential and commercial applications without issue.

https://www.permaseal.net/

Check out X Plus Real Estate's house hacking events. We've been to a few and find them to be a great source of info and a nice opportunity to network with new investors. They're usually the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Pony Inn, but times and locations can change so look up and RSVP to the event before heading out.

New investor here, but $100-$200 a month per door isn't - in my opinion, terrible. Not great either, but it those doors add up quickly once you're getting into larger buildings or multiple projects. As others have said, not every deal will work but there's definitely opportunity all over Chicago. Just takes some looking.

Typically - from what I've observed, Bigger Pockets is a community of investors willing and eager to help those looking for answers. What I'm seeing in your reply is someone with nothing better to do than berate those BP community members looking for helpful, thoughtful replies. If you're informed on the topic of Forest Park, Chicago AirBnB rentals, why not share your wealth of knowledge and provide @Gillian C. the link or phone number she's looking for. If you can't do that, take your all caps nonsense back to the local news comment sections you usually peruse.

@Gillian C. You can contact Forest Park here, http://www.forestpark.net/dfp/contact, and without getting too too into the weeds it looks like AirBnB provides some useful information here: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/961/what-regulations-apply-to-my-city

No Alterations. Tenant shall not make or cause to be made any alteration or addition to the Premises, without the prior written consent of Landlord, and shall under no circumstances install any additional lock or security device to the Premises or the property which could impair Landlord's access.

@Cassi Justiz Come renewals, we may need to amend our lease agreements to include your bit about alterations/additions/fixtures becoming part of the real property at the expiration of the lease. Good stuff. This would have eliminated an appliance ownership headache we're dealing with now.

@Eden Amsalem There are cheaper plumbers out there, but we've been very happy with Apex Plumbing and Sewer. Smaller family outfit in the Avondale/Logan Square area. Professional, clean, timely, quality work.

@Amanda G. Can totally be fixed if the cracks are just in the panels. As mentioned by @Theresa Harris, just ensure the products used are rated for exterior use. If the door is unfinished on the outside, go with an oil based sealer/primer like Kilz and an oil-based semi-gloss or gloss exterior paint. If the door is finished, just be sure to give it a good cleaning and sanding before paint.

@Amanda G.

Hard to know for sure without seeing the severity of the check, but I’d suggest automotive bondo and exterior paint to repair. We’ve used this method for many similar exterior repairs with success.

If the check (crack in the center of a board) is severe, though, you may want to replace the door rather than deal with additional problems down the road.

@John Warren

Which supply houses/manufacturers do you recommend in Chicago?