All Forum Posts by: Erin Caldwell

@Tyler Blackwell Wow, It's so good to hear that you are flooded with applications. Today I got the news that my offer was accepted for a triplex in Tacoma. This is my first experience landlording, and am glad I'm starting in a time where at least I wont have to fight to find a tenant! 

Hello everyone!

I am new to real estate investing, and am gathering all the information I can. I am looking in the Tacoma area for a BRRRR strategy 2-4 plex (aka a fixer upper). I have put in an offer on a triplex in South Tacoma, awaiting a response.

However, I'm wondering about all different areas in Tacoma. I linked an article below (the first one from Business Examiner), it says that rents in South Tacoma have gone up 10.8% in the past year. Do you guys agree with these figures?

Where are your rents going for each month in your neighborhood? I know each neighborhood and each property is so different, but I also know the market is changing so fast. Have you noticed changed with rents recently? Thanks for the help!

http://www.businessexaminer.com/blog/April-2017/Ta...

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/real-e...

@Timothy Tooker As far as renting those properties that are non-confirming duplexes, do you know if you're legally allowed to rent out a unit in it, would insurance cover damages if something went wrong because it's technically considered "single family?"

@Jim Y. Thanks for the insight. We would like to keep it as a multi family home, but just make it "official" on paper that it's multifamily. I'm guessing at this point that this property is on that list of illegal duplexes. I am planning on calling the zoning department today to find out.

@Andrew Johnson Thank you, that is an excellent suggestion.  I will check with the seller to see if they have that information first rather than going on a wild goose chase through depths of the City of Tacoma.

Patrick, 

Thank you for your input. That's precisely what I'm worried about, things like insurance, etc. I'll be sure to check with the local zoning department. I have been trying to decipher their zoning map and I just can't quite figure it out. Thanks for the help! 

I am in the process of looking for my first multi-family home (and first home ever) in Tacoma, Washington. I have put in three offers (obviously denied so far), but have learned a lot in the process. However! I found a type of property today on the mls that I have not run into. Through my research I am not finding great answers. Any help or insight is welcomed about the issue below.

The property I'm interested is zoned and listed on the msl as a single family home. However, it really is a duplex in every sense (separate kitchens, separate meters, entrances, garages, etc.)

There are currently no tenants and has zero rental history since it was built in 1969. Has anyone run into this? A home that is listed as single family but really isn't? Could there be some kind of underlying zoning issue that will end up terrible? Could I end up buying this, then never being able to actually rent it out? Also, has anyone gone about converting a single family home to a multi?

Thank you for your advice!