All Forum Posts by: Brian Lobb

The millage and all changes by which city within the county as well.  I recommend using the tax estimators on the county websites.

There's nothing wrong with asking, but I don't think they're required to provide.  However, since it's your due diligence period, you could walk away if you're uncomfortable for any reason, including the fact that they don't want to provide you with inspections.  I'm under contract right now for the second time in three months, so I've recently done a lot of due diligence stuff, mostly for free.  Had an arborist come out to inspect huge oak trees to make sure they weren't going to fall on house, and got quote on trimming them.  Had a pest control guy come out and tell me how bad a squirrel problem was in the attic and what it would cost to eradicate them and seal off the entire attic.  I think I also had an engineer come out to a different house about six years ago to inspect a floor truss in crawlspace that wasn't touching one of the ledger boards.  All of that stuff was done for free.  I even got copies of the most recent annual termite bond inspections from a termite company to make sure there weren't any weird issues there (one house I called and got it on my own; the other they wouldn't provide without seller's consent, which I also got).  Termites are bad in the entire Charleston area, and worse in some particular areas.  Anyhow, keep pressing for as much info as you can during your due diligence.  If they want to sell, they'll cooperate.

Daniel - I don't have an attorney to recommend, but I did have a bad experience with a contractor here in Charleston that led me to file a complaint with the BBB in Columbia and also post a lengthy review on Angies List.  In addition to that, if you really want to get the contractor's attention, you can file a complaint with the LLR.  I also was not willing to go the route of suing for about $2k worth of overcharges (amongst other general complaints), especially because we were getting ready to list the house and didn't want any liens or other legal things to wrap up.

Hey Carlos - Thanks for reaching out.  Yes, that sounds great.  Let's set something up.

Hello - I've been a BiggerPockets member for a couple months now, reading some articles and forum posts, but haven't gotten around to making my first post until now.  We recently sold our home to cash-in on the hot market, and will be renting for at a least a year while we plan the next chapter for our family.  I'd like to use the cash to possibly purchase a rental or two, either long-term or vacation-style, to create additional cash flow.  I would also be interested in a house flip or being an investor for a flipper, but with the plethora of competition in the area, I'm not sure if that's really going to be feasible.

In addition to wanting to make some investments, I'm also considering getting my real estate license.  I've been a government contractor for about 11 years and looking for a new career direction.  Sitting in front of a computer all day in a cubicle sure does get old after a while!  A steady paycheck is about all I really get out of my job.  So, for those local to the Charleston, SC area, what are your thoughts on the "Real Estate School of SC" located in Mount Pleasant?  Is that a good institution for the training needed to become licensed, or do you have any other recommendations?  Also, any guidance on how to get started with a local real estate company, once licensed, would also be greatly appreciated.  Perhaps we could get lunch or chat privately, if that's easier.

Thanks for all of the site content, everyone.  Looking forward to learning more!

Brian