All Forum Posts by: Connie Chan

@Mindy Jensen I love this idea of the $10k clause for damages. Very creative and gets to the heart of why you want the inspection. Will def try this next time I make an offer. Thank you for sharing it.

@Danny Chan it’s not too late legally. Just make sure you have documentation for everyone you decline if you are concerned about discrimination. And make sure the decline form or letter has been created with legal in mind.

@Christina Giovanetti I have the tenants message me via the software I use which is a mobile app called Tellus. So I get it as an app notification and I can respond right away. The reason I use the app: 1) read receipts this is huge for me. I haven’t had to use them yet but in an instance where I need to prove someone else saw the message it matters. 2) written documentation so there’s no he said she said. 3) tenants feel more comfortable messaging me at any hour versus calling. I actually want my tenants to know they can freely communicate with me if it’s important. I don’t want tenants who hesitate to report something I should fix sooner rather than later. 4) Tenants are more likely to share photo of the issue on the spot since you just tap the camera button. You can also do email but I prefer not using my personal email for this and I would worry it gets lost in my inbox somehow and again no read receipts. The big thing for me though is documentation. I knew of a friend who was taken to court once because a tenant claimed that the property manager didn’t address some reported mold issue. The PM luckily was able to find old text messages showing that he did. For texts, remember they don’t automatically get backed up. So that’s the issue with using iMessage over a dedicated landlord app like Tellus. You can also use google voice like Nathan suggests since google voice tries to transcribe the voicemails which is nice. My only issue with that is that my reply wouldn’t be documented and that’s what I’d need if a tenant situation ever got escalated.

@Scott Mac I’d say A or B. Somehow they look more “expensive” to me primarily because they feel more thoughtfully designed. I think it’s a complete toss up between A and B though so I’d go with whichever is cheaper between those two.

@Mitchell Johnson check out Tellus app. It’s not suited for hundreds of units but perfect for what you’re describing. Handles all of those things for me and their customer service replies super fast whenever I have questions. Best of all free no hidden fees, it’s mobile and also supports multiple users. I set my mom and husband as co owners of my rentals and they can see the things I input and vice versa (receipts, expenses, messages to tenant, etc). My tenants like it too.

@Aidan Mulligan agree with Nathan here. You can get the listing ready. Meaning write the description, take the photos, figure out how much you plan to charge. Then once you own it syndicate the listing out to get as much coverage as you can. I use Tellus app for managing my rentals and they syndicate listings for free on a bunch of sItes. I haven’t had to list through them yet but will when my tenants vacate.

@Rachel Luoto you’re DEFINITELY within your rights but have written documentation for the rejection and make sure there’s nothing in that rejection note that can be considered discriminatory in any way. There are good templates online or use landlord software that will give you safe language to use and document.

@Bevla Reeves hi! Bigger pockets is a great investment. Remember you can tax deduct your membership. In fact if you buy books on how to be a better landlord you can tax deduct those as well!

@Rehaan Khan hi, sorry to hear about your situation. But unfortunately the others on this thread are correct, you can’t legally get out of those HOA fees. They may seem high to you but hopefully you got a “deal” in the foreclosure auction such that your investment will still pay off.

@Colin Sweeney Yup! Tellus is totally free, no hidden charges. It works for tracking expenses and income and generates things like rent roll and downloadable profit and loss statements for whatever time period you want. It can also handle late fees which is nice when you don’t want to be the “bad guy” reminding tenants to pay the late fee. The late fee feature is especially helpful for my mom since she always felt bad asking for it! My favorite feature is the multi-user aspect. I set my mom as a property manager for one of my rentals that she lives near, this way she can see my tenant communication, and can even upload receipts that I can see on my side. For the tenant screening report, it’s comprehensive and free. They provide it through a partner and if you’re unsure of using it you can do what I did which is just message their customer service through the app and ask for a sample screening report. Hope that helps!