All Forum Posts by: Andrew S.

Quote from @Rick Wiedenhoeft:

Hey Steve, as a Realtor, I educate sellers that the primary advantage on a cash transaction is only speed. On closing day, whether cash or financing, seller gets cash. So if you're using it for speed, great. Otherwise it will rarely make a difference to the seller whether it is cash or financing. My 2 cents.

 I would disagree.  Financing is far more likely to fall through or be significantly delayed.  As a seller, I much prefer not dealing with financing conditions.  Much stronger! Cash is king

The best way (iron-clad for dealing with the IRS) is to get a formal appraisal on the value of the property.  If the value is higher than $17000 (or $34000 if your mom is married), then she will need to file a gift tax return next year (Form 709).  There is not any actual gift tax due unless the value exceeds $12 million, but the amount filed in the gift tax return will be applied toward that life-time amount (which by the way is subject to changing back to a lower number in the next few years, unless renewed by congress).

I'm running 2 40 gallon heaters in parallel in a similar scenario (4Br/5Bath).  Works like a champ.  40gal heaters tend to be relatively cheap because they are the most common ones produced.  2x40 is way cheaper than 1x80 typically.

Quote from @Nick Harrington:

My personal opinion on tools.... get a cheap one the first time you buy. If it breaks, it's probably because you are using it a lot, so then get the nice one of it! Worst case, you're only out the cost of the cheaper tool. 

That’s generally a good approach but in this case not practical because you lock into a particular platform from the start due to battery sharing.
In my opinion, for “occasional handymen”, the cheaper platforms are fine.  Just make sure the particular brand has a broad enough assortment so it features all the different tools you might want to buy at some point.
personally, I have the Bosh 18v platform and I’m very satisfied.

You may want to try one of the newer product to replace the wax ring.  They are made of foam and look quite sturdy.  I have used them with good success for several years now - no wax mess to deal with and possibly stronger.  Back when the wax ring was invented, there were fewer extremely heavy people whilst this had changed by the time they developed the new generation seals.

Quote from @Ryan Moyer:

Quote from @Andrew S.:

I know that it is all about getting those 5 stars, but I have to say for that particular review, 4 stars seems very appropriate to me. 

I disagree with this part, just because of the way Airbnb's review system is set up.

Airbnb will deplatform a listing that has a 4-star review average (actually, 4.2 or below).  By Airbnb's definition, a 5* review is "this place was acceptable" and anything below that is "this place is so bad it should be banned from being listed on Airbnb".

Historically, the way this would've been handled by a guest is a 5* review and then private feedback about those issues. Or maybe even mentioning them in the public review, but still 5*. Especially since mattresses are such a personal preference that can vary by person. It sounds like the host was using the Zinus memory foam mattresses that almost everyone in the STR space uses.

Airbnb has seen an influx of hotel travelers lately that are used to a hotel ratings system where 5* ratings are reserved for truly blown away expectations, 4* is pretty good, and 3* is average.  In any given market, around 80% of the hotels have a 4.2 rating or below, which by Airbnb's definition would mean 80% of hotels should be shut down.  But now so many hotel travelers are entering the STR space (especially with recent rate declines alongside oversupply) and rating similarly even though Airbnb's review system is set up such that an average stay is meant to be 5*.

If Airbnb is going to keep trying to capture the hotel market they really need to do something with the review system, either revamping it or making it more clear to guests.  I think I went 250 5* reviews in a row prior to recently where I've seen an uptick in 4*, often for things that are clearly hotel expectations, like the most recent one of a guest mentioning they loved their stay but were annoyed the communal pool area didn't provide towels and towel-drop and they had to take the towels back and forth from the house and dry them in between uses.

 I'm sure you are correct about the AirBnB rating system being unfair or not comparable to hotel ratings, but it is unrealistic to expect the occasional AirBnB user to know all the details behind the ratings and then account for them accordingly.  From the consumer standpoint, this is something AirBnB and the hosts need to try to fix.

Personally, I'm "old school" when it comes to feedback.  In order for me to give the maximum rating, everything better be perfect.  If that somehow isn't what AirBnB thinks, then that's too bad.  I agree, AirBnB and hotel industry should be somewhat aligned on this.  Don't expect the occasional customer to figure out the differences.

I know that it is all about getting those 5 stars, but I have to say for that particular review, 4 stars seems very appropriate to me. Issues that affect my quality of sleep will HIGHLY affect my overall satisfaction with a hotel or STR. So, missing shades to block the sun from waking me up at 4AM and a mattress that feels uncomfortable more than justify the deduction. Well, people are different, so no mattress will be perfect for everyone. As long as you chose some "middle of the road" hardness, that's probably all you can do - you just have to accept that someone might find it too soft or too hard occasionally. The blackout shad was easy to solve and probably should have been obvious from the start. You got that feedback and you fixed it. Good for you! Feedback process worked great and as intended. I know we live in a time of grade overinflation. Everything should get a 5 out of 5 rating regardless, but look at it this way: if this person had left you the same comment but still given you 5 stars, would you really have gone back and installed blackout shades, or would you have thought, oh, well, just a minor thing he mentioned, so no need to repair?

This way, you ended up with a better property and the next guest will be able to sleep as long as he wishes.  Everyone wins.

Hold firm.  You have all the cards.

Chances are nobody will sue, depending on how serious the tenant's injury is/was.  That said they definitely could file a suit against the PM and against you.  This is what you have liability insurance (and possible an umbrella policy) for.  No need to panic.

Of course, proper installation is a must.  Beyond that, I would at least ask the tenant why they decided to install the unit.  There may be a decent reason.  Lots of people have severe sleep disorders and greatly benefit from running very low bedroom temperatures for decent sleep quality.  It isn't really practical to cool the entire house to 60 degrees every night, so a window unit may be an extremely practical solution.

In any event, it looks like your lease gives you a clear option to make then quit and cure or evict, so if that's your preference, go ahead and crack down on them.