All Forum Posts by: Denise Supplee

Hello @Jordan Quinn, consistently complaining tenants can be exasperating. And many situations provide much patience in how they are handled. In today's litigious world, it is especially important to proceed with caution. Many years ago, I had an elderly woman that kept calling for various types of repairs and problems. She often cited that if anything happened to her, she would sue. Several months after this went on, she ended up creating a bad fire in the building she lived. She left a pot on the gas stove and fell asleep and it lit on fire. Later, we found out from the family that she was suffering from dementia. 

First thing I do, is to be sure all that is said is documented. Remain calm. Send a maintenance tech or plumber to check (and document that it has been checked) the "issue". And perhaps communicate to her that you love having her as a renter and are sad she is not happy. Offer the ability for her to get out of the lease if she wants to. Again, make sure everything is in writing; such as a back-up email. Good luck to you and I wish you the best!

I have used Quickbooks for many, many years. And then was introduced to XERO, which is way cheaper but has many of the same features. Great for businesses and rentals. It also has the same feature as Quickbooks where it connects to your accounts and downloads. So far I am really loving it!

Hello @Lynnette Pombo, I get the frustration! However, even at the highest insurance rate of $15,000 - it is cheaper than losing a home due to fire or any other tragedy. It could cost hundreds of thousands of dollar to rebuild. I have seen people leaving Florida left and right due to the increasing insurance costs. I think I would try and negotiate, offering to pay a higher deductible and see if that helps. Good luck and I hope you find a good solution!

Hi @Ryder Payne - First off, I love that you are planning ahead at your age. Househacking is a great way to get started. It allows you to have your own space, build equity and reduce your living costs. I wish you the best of success! You will kick butt, I know it!

I believe you can go FHA as long as you live in one unit. A long time ago, I helped a client of mine do just that.

SPARK RENTAL OPEN OFFICE HOURS  Come and join us for a completely open question and answer session on all things regarding truly passive investing with syndications. 

Hello @Francis A. Florida is definitely becoming one of the worst. Sadly, there are many seniors living there. I help manage my father-in-laws property in Florida and worry all the time that he will be dropped from his policy. He was adversely affected by two significant storms. 

Look for reviews on Yelp, Google, etc. Search here on Bigger Pockets for their name and see if anything comes up. 

It is very important when renting part of a home that is either rented to others (or that you live in), to be sure you are very specific on rules surrounding the use of common areas such as the kitchen. The most common complaint I ever received when renting out rooms was other renters being messy or noisy. 

Hello @Austin Duncan,

I would urge you not to put all of your eggs in one basket. Diversify! That provides some extra security. You can invest in real estate syndications as well. I cofounded and run an investment club where we invest in a deal per month. Minimum investment is only $5K. And we have invested in large apartment communities, trailer parks, a vacation resort, and even an industrial steel company. Anyway, I wish you much success and am excited to see how you do!