All Forum Posts by: DuWayne Jones

Anyone with experience in probate investing might be able to answer this - how has the probate process changed for investors since Covid? 

Does anyone have a referral for a reliable handyman/woman in the St. Cloud, MN area?

Specifically looking for someone to help with exterior window repairs, broken glass in an older home. Might need more random repair work in the future beyond this, so would love to have someone local to call.

Any help is very appreciated.

Thank you

Thank you @Ben Dols! I appreciate the feedback.

Looking for referrals for property management in the Willmar, MN area. This would be for single family and small multi family properties.

Thank you for your input!

What are buyers paying these days for a tear-down opportunity in the Morningside neighborhood of Edina, Minnesota? This is a prime area for tear-downs and I see new construction in that area going for $1.5m and up, but not clear what price they are acquiring them for. I have a lead on a property there and would be interested in other people’s recent experience. Thanks

We know of a family whose parents are now both deceased and the surviving children want to sell the property. However, they are unsure if there was a will or if they are even the heirs to the estate. The property is in the metro Minneapolis area, but the family is out of town. U Does anyone have a good resource to help them sort this out? We are of course interested in buying the property, but we want to make sure we’re working with the right people. Even if this doesn’t turn into a good deal financially, we’d like to give them a hand in figuring this out. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

@Tim Swierczek - thank you for the link. It looks like the statute you refer to applies to real estate agents and not non-agent/investors like myself, but I will read through it. I am not an agent nor am I working with one. That being said, my intent is not to violate law, but to make offers that are legitimate and simple for sellers to understand. My confusion stems from some of the "simple" contract forms I've seen here on BP and from my local REIA which are one to four pages long and include what I understand to be the minimum required information for a real estate transaction. If the lengthy State Bar version and the added disclosures and addenda are really required, then so be it. I'm new at this so I'm looking for good advice. Is this unique to MN? Tomorrow I plan to discuss this further with my attorney for clarity. The last thing I want to do is proceed with a contract that lacks the required content - to protect me as well as the seller.

Thank you again for sharing your information.

Today I contacted an attorney to ask for a review of a simple purchase agreement that I put together that I was planning to use. The attorney I spoke with said I need to include multiple disclosures and addendum forms that are required in Minnesota for real estate transactions. She gave me links to eight different forms.  None of these disclosures are referenced in any of the simple 1 to 4 page contract forms I've seen and used as my reference material - except for the typical realtor versions or the State Bar versions.  I want my contract to be legitimate, but not intimidating or full of unnecessary forms.  Does anyone have advice on this subject - or recommend a real estate attorney in MN that I could contact for a second opinion?

Thank you @Marc Jolicoeur. That makes perfect sense and should be easy to work with.  I also doubt the seller wants to come clean but it could be a negotiation item.  One way or another, I would not continue with this non-permitted property unless there was a plan in place to deal with it.

And thank you @Jared LaLonde - that website has been a great source of information for properties I've looked at in the city.  I'm sure other cities have something similar.  I'm curious about your experience with the permit and inspection. Did the inspection uncover anything that needed to be torn apart and/or fixed?  That's my biggest concern.

I have a lead on a south Minneapolis property that is currently assessed as a 3BR house but in the past couple of years the owner has added 2 bedrooms with egress windows and a small kitchen in what was an unfinished basement.  This added 2 bedroom unit also has its own exterior door.  The problem is, I think this work was done without pulling the proper permits and having the required inspections.  As a 5BR house, this looks like a pretty good deal, and is in a great rental market.  How do I deal with this un-permitted work if I want to buy the house? I don't want to be responsible for any non-conforming work that will cost me money to correct after I buy it.  Do I require the current owner to clear it up with the city first? Should I make that a condition on my offer?  I'm excited to present an offer, but want to know how this should be handled.  Any advice is very appreciated.