All Forum Posts by: Bruce P.

Hello, so my friend purchased a home built in 1961 in Ventura county (Moorpark/Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Simi/Agoura area) with popcorn ceilings with the intention to rent it out and/or Airbnb part of it.  They are doing minimal rehab work - swapping carpets for laminate flooring and some repainting and patching of holes in the wall. It also has popcorn ceilings so the plan is to plaster over them.

1) It seems like there's minimal regulation regarding lead paint abatement. Should my friend do a test for lead paint and if it tests positive do a lead paint abatement/removal?

2) How much would a lead paint removal likely cost? Several contractors told them most people just repaint over the walls. (IMHO it seems like lead paint is only a danger if you're doing activities that lead to paint particles in the air - .e.g, wall demolition, etc.)

Thank you @Greg Dickerson and @Brian Ellis, that's very helpful.

Thank you @Geordy Rostad, that's very informative.

Thank you @Luke Carl and @Paul Sandhu, those were very helpful recommendations!  I'm definitely leaning towards smart locks on all doors now.

Hello, so my friend purchased a home built in 1961 in Ventura county (Moorpark/Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Simi/Agoura area) with popcorn ceilings with the intention to rent it out and/or Airbnb part of it.  

1) Should they get an asbestos company to come out and test it or do it themselves?  And finally, what is a good ballpark estimate for removing asbestos for a home that is 1,962 square feet? (4 bed, 2 bath).

2) If the asbestos is just in the popcorn ceilings, is it better to just plaster and paint it over?

Hi, for a single family home built around 1961, does anyone have any brand recommendations for 3 prong outlets and 3 prong GFCI outlets?  Upgrading 2 prong outlets with a 100 Amp power box serving the house.  There's so many brands, I don't know where to start.

Thank you @Ken Latchers and @Michael Baum, this is excellent advice.

Thank you @Geordy Rostad @Keyonte Summers @Timothy VanWingerden @Tyler Weaver @Andreas W. @Account Closed (and anyone else I missed). 

Believe it or not folks, I had an electrician come out and look at it for an estimate and he said someone didn't hook up the ground for whatever. It could have been they just had 2 prong outlets on hand and/or it was cheaper/easier.

In any case, I'm thinking now of doing 1 or 2 myself (subject to some of the verification mentioned) and then letting a contractor do the rest, because while I'm excited to learn and get a "feel" for things to get better at estimating and becoming more informed, I do want to approach this from a point of scale.

Hi,

So I'm getting started renting out rooms. I'm thinking to make one an Airbnb and the other a long term rental. In either case, I think it might be a nice amenity for a guest to have a lock on their door to "feel safe".

1) Should I use smart locks on all the bedroom doors (keyless) or use a different keyed lock on each bedroom door?

2) If you think "yes" for smart locks, what do you think of this smart lock - https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Security-TurboLock-Keyless-Keypad/dp/B06WW2HHZC/ref=asc_df_B06WW2HHZC/ ?  The main feature it has that I like is a "master code" (for an owner) and then custom codes for the tenant. I'm looking for one that allows me to program the locks from the comfort of my computer which I imagine must exist.  But I'm also trying to be conservative with money.

3) If you think "no" for smart locks, what kind of keyed lock(s) should I get?

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Hi,

New to real estate. My friend suggested I convert the 2 prong outlets in my home to 3 prong outlets myself as a learning experience (there's probably 20 to 25 to do) for future real estate purchases.  The ground wire is already there it just needs to be connected.  I was thinking of doing 2 or 3 myself and then outsourcing the reset to a professional.  What would you guys do? Would you do the whole thing yourself? It also saves some $ but it also seems like it could take some time and I have a day job, so real estate is something I'm doing on the side to diversify risk.