All Forum Posts by: Dave Kush

 That makes sense. It's a lot easier to see if the curtain is inside if there's a tub vs shower.  I have tub-shower combos.

 Thank you!  Assuming the mounted rod has a better appearance?

 That was exactly my concern.  The ones I have in my home require cleaning and maintenance, and I have my doubts about people keeping up with it.

Good Afternoon!

Here are a few to get you started.  Get specific and ask follow ups. These are somewhat general...

Did they pay on time? How frequently were they late?

Did you refund the whole security deposit or were there repairs?

Were there any complaints from neighbors or police?

Would you rent to them again (why/not)?

Were they reasonable about repairs when needed (time needed, facilitating access)?

Did they abide by the rules of the agreement?

Why did they move?

Two other small pieces of advice that are gold, as far as I'm concerned:

After you've covered the basics ask, "Is there anything you can tell me off the record?" You will be surprised how often that will get you more information...often critical information.

Second, if at all possible, try to get on the phone with the landlord prior to the current landlord.  If they are a bad tenant, the current landlord might say anything to get rid of them, but the landlord prior is under no such pressure.

Good Luck. Let us know how it goes!

I don't see an issue with that if the tenant is willing. My first concern as a tenant would be that you are going to increase the rent in month 2.  I usually do 1 year, then go m2m after that. Where I am at, I only need to give 30 days notice on rent increases or lease terminations on M2M, so that is nice.  Then I try to give a 90 day notice on rent increases.  

I recommend small rent increases every 6-12 months rather than large ones less frequently. Tenants will adjust better to the small increases.

Apologies if this is redundant. I tried to find an answer posted already but didn't see one.

Do you install tub/shower doors or just go with rods/curtains?

I don't mind installing a shower door for a bathroom remodel, but wanted to get input.  All of the units had curtains, not doors, when I bought them.  This does not appear to be an issue for the tenants or the property maintenance (ie, no calls about tiles, soft floors, rot, etc).  

My personal opinion is that a shower door is nicer, but wondering if that's going to create maintenance headaches later.  What do you do for your rentals?

My properties are typical mid-grade rentals in good neighborhoods (ie, not luxury apartments).  Do you find that tenants have much of a preference either way?

Thank you for your replies!

Dave

That's nice profit! Congrats!!  

How did you locate the property?

Any lessons learned?

Dave

Don, great post. 

I had to laugh because this is the top trending post. The two directly beneath it are "how to make an offer and negotiate" and "First time working with a wholesaler...."

Hi Jason!

That is kind of complicated, depending on the scope of the project. Contractors usually bid the job... They don't necessarily break down all the components and then charge you a fee to manage it, etc. The will typically estimate the job and mark up all the products and services. Some will let you look under the hood and negotiate, but most won't. 

You'll get a lot of opinions from, "just hire all the subs yourself and manage it" to "listen to everything the contractor says." It's somewhere in the middle. 

As a brief, useful source of info, I recommend the sections of David Greene's BRRRR book on contractors. Explains a lot about different ways they operate and what you can do to ensure a good relationship, good work, and reasonable prices. I had been investing for a while when I read it and still found a lot of practical advice.

It can be different everywhere. Start at the county courthouse where you plan to focus. Some have online systems, and others require you to go in person. Essentially, you're trying to get a list of the filings before the cases are decided.