All Forum Posts by: Prashant P.

Think of it like a car dealership. They advertise in the paper that they have a certain model for $15,000. When you get to the dealership they don't have that model anymore but they can show you a model that is $16,000.

It just brings people to the door or generates calls.

Sounds like a bait and hook to me. There is probably some kind of catch like you have to have a 750 credit score to qualify. Most people wouldn't qualify but they get potential tenants in the door.

You will be surprised at how many people of those 35 people will get back to you.

I do not like open houses because they do not give you a one on one with the candidate. It is important to get one on one time because you are basically interviewing for the house. It gives you a better idea of how the tenant will be. Do they answer all your questions or stumble around? Do they talk on their cell phone while talking to you?

I would set aside an two hours for a couple of days and give each person a 30min window to see the place. Have one person come by at 10am and another at 10:30am.

In my opinion, it depends on your target market and the property you are trying to market. What works for a upper middle class neighborhood is not going to work for a lower income area.

I have felt that at times. Then I come to BP and read the stories of other people making money and growing their companies. Sometimes you just need a break. I also like to try something new. So if I have been doing flips for a while, I might start looking at buy and holds or commerical properties.

Just to give you another angle, a tenant review can be important as well. If I were a tenant and the PM did not answered my calls or fixed problems in my apartment, I would be upset.

Having unhappy tenants may result in a greater turnover. You have to remember that the PM has two customers you and the tenant. Anything the PM company does with the tenant is a reflection of you.

Meters is the way to go. I know a couple people that own large apartment buildings. In the winter the heat is included in the rent and can be controlled from each unit. So people crank up the heat and then turn on the window air conditioner.

Better to get seperate meters. Also check your town regulations, they might be required.

I would go ahead and paint the trim. Most people like white trim. The wood trim gives the home a more dated look

Jason, depending on your market an ADA compliant home can be very lucrative. I have talked with the local hoisin authority in my area and the have a large shortage of handicap accessible homes.

So if you don't mind dealing with the local housing authority ADA compliant homes can make you some money.

Like the other posters said, you have to find the source of the leak. If it is the bathroom above you could have an external leak like the bath tub caulking is bad and needs to be resealed. Or the the leak could be internal, like a bad toilet flange or a pinhole leak in a pipe.

The ceiling shouldn't be too much to fix. Maybe a couple hundred bucks.