All Forum Posts by: Eric Bate

 It's not uncommon to not have a security deposit here in Chicago. The city has it's own set of ordinances regarding security deposits, and if you're not familiar with them, it can get you into trouble. I'm not super familiar with this, since I don't own anything in Chicago. But when the apartment building I live in here switched management companies, they refunded our deposits.

@Adam Tafel, I live out of state. Nextdoor is no longer available for me. I was on there while I lived in the duplex, but I closed my account because I really didn't like it.

Any new recommendations for this coming winter? Victor Lebegue was great last year, but he's not plowing this season.

@Jonathan Bender, my duplex is in the West 7th neighborhood in St Paul.

Thanks Joe! Why would you avoid prepaid contracts and flat rates? If the company has been in business a while and is reputable, wouldn't that be good enough?

I'm looking for a snow removal company for my duplex in St. Paul, MN. I live out of state.

This is my first time needing to hire this out, so please forgive my naive questions. How do you go about finding a company? (Craigslist? Angie's List? Google? Is there an app I should know about?) And how much should I expect to pay?

Of course, if you have any specific companies to recommend (or warn me away from), let me know!

Thanks,

Eric

I bought my first duplex in Minnesota in October, 2016. I lived there for a full two years, and then I moved to Chicago to be with my gf/fiancee. I rented out the unit that I was living in, so it's fully rented now.

Rent roll = $1,975/mo

Zestimate = $217,231

Remaining Principal on the loan = $105,165 (30 yr-fixed, 3.625%, no PMI)

I know I could sell it. I would get the capital gains exclusion on the unit I lived in. I'd rather hang on to it if I can, though. How could I go about tapping the equity to buy another property down here in Chicago?

Thanks,

Eric

I believe you've missed calculating closing costs into your analysis.

In your analyses, are you factoring in utilities? Or are you only looking at SFR where the tenants pay? Where are you getting your rent estimates? Also, what neighborhoods are you looking at? North Minneapolis can look pretty tasty if you're only seeing the numbers, but crime rates there are (I think) the highest in the region. Trulia.com has a crime map that will give you an idea.

Wow! I had no idea staging was that expensive. My realtor is a close friend of mine, and he did it for me for free.  I will say though, that @Brian Varmuza's guy did a breathtaking job on that one place.

I just bought my first property last October (duplex in St Paul), and I work a mix of W2 and 1099 jobs as a violinist.  I'm looking for an accountant that could navigate my taxes for me.  Any suggestions?  I filed for extension on my 2016 taxes, so those will be due in October.

Thanks!

Eric