All Forum Posts by: Christina Carey

@Justin Kuraitis - they are in Bankruptcy. A bunch of their properties here in Dayton were just auctioned a couple weeks ago by order of the BK trustee. Their unethical business practices - like putting lipstick on a pig and passing it for turnkey - have finally caught up with them.

Never heard of this. But would need more information to confirm.

Best inspector in Dayton is Bill Warner. BC Warner Inspections. He costs a little more than most, but he is worth every penny. Has saved several people thousands of dollars - either by way of a lower negotiated purchase price, or by deciding not following through with a deal that turned out not to be one after all. He is usually booked out a couple weeks, so plan accordingly.

A good alternate would be Tony Cherpeski, of Cherp Inspections. His reports are nowhere near as detailed as Bill Warner's, but he is still a competent inspector.

I have to disagree with Pillar to Post (at least in this area); we have had numerous issues with them over the years. Calling out non-issues - on one he claimed an issue that could only have been confirmed by opening a ceiling ... and he was wrong. Another they turned off the thermostat and failed to turn it back on, resulting in frozen plumbing. And then there are the many issues I've observed that they missed altogether. It's gotten to the point where we will not even let them in our properties.

Yes - typically once a year at a minimum just to look for maintenance issues, service HVAC systems, etc. Outside vendors will often alert us to issues, as will neighbors, either of which would warrant a visit outside of that. Pets, 1st time renters, students, are other scenarios which might call for more frequent visits.

Yes, there are drugs in every city, and yes, it's definitely more prevalent in lower rent / lower income areas. The few drug-related issues we've encountered have all been in C & lesser areas, and all but one were inherited tenants (the other was a section 8 tenant that eventually found other ways to occupy her time since she didn't need to work).

It's often a matter of which came first - could they afford better before drugs became a factor? Or is the drug problem a byproduct of living in an area where drugs are more prevalent? It's not a black & white issue, and I'm not going to dive into the psychology & sociology of the matter here. As others have said, tenant screening is everything. Well, almost ... another comment mentioned the possibility of someone becoming an addict over time - presumably after the person has been living in your property. The solution to that is strict rent payment requirements, and at the first sign of trouble, inspecting the unit, which should be happening on a regular basis anyway.

@Shaye Mann with your target neighborhood class, just about anything outside of Dayton city limits will be a fit. Some areas within Dayton will qualify as well. Fortunately, there are very few war zones/D areas here. That said, the Dayton market is very hyper-local. With little exception, it is nearly impossible to put a grade on any specific street or neighborhood. One block may be great, but the next one not so much. If you haven't already, your best bet would be to spend a couple days here and drive the neighborhoods to get a feel for the different areas, and not rely solely on input from someone who may or may not have your best interest in mind.

Also - you didn't mention what type of property you're seeking? Single families are less management intensive than small multis, so a C class SFR may be OK, but a small multi on the same block may not be.

I will agree with that statement. But the OP is doing research. He didn't say he was buying something tomorrow.

@Caleb Heimsoth I'm curious - what the basis for your opinions of real estate in Dayton? You're making statements about "junky" houses and the probability of someone being unsuccessful in another market as if you have experience here. Or are you just one of those people who get satisfaction by dumping on anything that's contrary to how you choose to invest in your own market, right, wrong, or indifferent?

In an effort to actually help the OP (a novel concept to some, it seems), people like myself, my husband @Darrin Carey, and @Nathan Rude have shared data and personal experience related to the surrounding market and economy in Dayton because it's the area in which the OP seems most interested in this post.

@Remington Lyman no idea why you seem so bothered by that (other than maybe @Nathan was right about the "agenda to sell") but this isn't a competition. Aside from you and your fellow Columbus agent in this thread, no one has said a word about the Columbus market being better or worse than Dayton, or anywhere else for that matter. As for your Economics 101 "lesson" as if explaining it to a 12-year old, and directing it to people who were successfully doing deals while you were still in high school, no less ... I'll give you a tip: if by interacting on BP your goal is to find clients as a shiny new real estate agent in your market, you might try an approach other than arrogance. Supply and demand in real estate applies to agents too, and there's certainly no shortage of them.

@Kevin Miller You might consider doing a little research before making a sweeping statement about an economy being "crap" based upon the misinformed statements of a few. Sales and rental markets are strong for the seller and the landlord alike, and were further strengthened by the housing shortage caused by the tornadoes, and I can assure you there is no shortage of jobs here in the Dayton area. Medical, biotech, defense, manufacturing, warehouse distribution, two universities, etc. The shortage of skilled labor here was already bordering on ridiculous, and was further worsened by the May tornadoes. And of course, there's plenty of entry level jobs in retail, food service, and hospitality. I find myself commiserating with other business owners frequently about not being able to find people who actually want to work - skilled or otherwise. If someone here says they can't find a job, it's not the economy - it's them. Whether it be incompetence, drugs, laziness/entitlement, or the idea that they are above doing a job because it's not what they want, or because it's not in the field of their underwater basket weaving degree. (I so wish someone would create a sarcasm font.)

Hi @Ryan Payne - we are in Dayton and will look at anything you might have. My email is in my profile/signature below. I'll see that before I will a PM on here. Thanks!