All Forum Posts by: Chelsea John-Williams

@Ryan Hazelwood I’m 30 with two single family investment properties 😇

I have a rental home in southwest Florida. The tenant recently called and said he had an ant problem that he tried to take care of by himself but was unsuccessful. I went to the property and sprayed for ants inside as well as outside. Now they're dying inside the home in piles. The fact that they're dying is a good thing but he is claiming that he cleans them up and more ants are found dead in the same spot hours later. Pest control companies are extremely expensive. Any suggestions?

I have a rental home in southwest Florida. The tenant recently called and said he had an ant problem that he tried to take care of by himself but was unsuccessful. I went to the property and sprayed for ants inside as well as outside. Now they're dying inside the home in piles. The fact that they're dying is a good thing but he is claiming that he cleans them up and more ants are found dead in the same spot hours later. Pest control companies are extremely expensive. Any suggestions?

Jared MontBlanc I have never heard of that before. Try another bank I have used BBT to get HELOC and had no issues buying houses.

That's the way I got started and it's been good so far. I was able to buy two homes and use the HELOC for the 20% down and repairs. If the market tanks I can always rent out my current house that I have the HELOC on and buy another property FHA if I needed to move that bad. I think it's a great way to invest.

I have used the peel and stick in the past and haven't had any issues so far. Fixing them, I would imagine, would be easy and it is so cheap it's worth a shot to try. If it doesn't work out your out $40-$100 depending on the space. I currently have them in the kitchen and bathroom and they're great. I may decide to go to tile eventually for long term durability, depends on the wear and tear.

I'm not sure what the market is like in Ohio but I would buy two properties with mortgages and 20% down ( keeping in mind repairs and closing costs) while maintaining your current job. Then possibly make the move to Ohio, find another job and get stable. By the time you're ready to buy another property you will have the job stability and some experience under your belt.

I think the whole point of the beginning of the podcast was to show that you don't necessarily need to know everything about real estate to get started. Everyone makes mistakes in real estate and hopefully learns from them to become better investors. Although I agree that it was not right to sublet illegally, I think the point was to show where she started and where she is at today. She did later say that she does not sublet any longer, she now owns the properties she lists on Airbnb or manages other individuals properties for them. 

Thank you everyone for your input. I ended up finding a tenant with no pets but this info. will be useful In the future. So excited for my first rental property!!

I just bought my first rental property, fixed it up and posted an ad that on Craigslist/ Zillow. I have heard the horror stories about pets ruining properties so I wanted to allow small pets under 35 pounds but also require a pet insurance policy for the liability and a $250 deposit non refundable for the wear and tear. Too aggressive?? I appreciate all the input as I am still learning landlording.