All Forum Posts by: Grace Ng

@Russell Brazil Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I have been calling many companies and apparently not many have E&O insurance that covers the agent. I have not tried Long and Foster though. Maybe I should give them a quick call! :) I can ask another agent in the office to sell it on my behalf but I want my cake and to eat it too - I want the volume of sales to be clocked against my performance at work. Being a new agent, I find that the commissions initially are on the higher side so I would like to work to bring them down. After all, they are my properties, I don't want to "give" them away to someone else. If what I am saying is making sense.

@Stephanie Dobbs does your E&O protect you when you sell your own home? I might look at your brokerage too, if they operate in Montgomery County. Thanks for responding!

After being part of a national company, I am at crossroads because I can't sell my own properties. I called several real estate brokers and to my surprise I was told by one of them that in Maryland, the E&O does not allow the real estate agent to sell his/her own investment property. I just want to reach out here to see if there are any agents in Md who are buying and selling their own properties. The only way for me to do it is to hire one of my co workers and give them a nominal fee.

After being part of a national company, I am at crossroads because I can't sell my own properties. I called several real estate brokers and to my surprise I was told by one of them that in Maryland, the E&O does not allow the real estate agent to sell his/her own investment property. I just want to reach out here to see if there are any agents in Md who are buying and selling their own properties. The only way for me to do it is to hire one of my co workers and give them a nominal fee.

@Account Closed What a great idea to contact the fire department. I don't have a lot of time since I want her out by August 1 and if I want to give her 60 days' notice, I will have to hand it to her by June 1. I will call them on Monday. Thanks!

Originally posted by @Randy E.:

Good luck, @Grace Ng.  Keep us updated on what happens.  I'm very interested and hope everything works out great for you.

 Thanks Randy. To complicate matters, I leave for Singapore next week until August 1. 60 days from that date would mean I have to serve notice to her June 1. 

Originally posted by @Account Closed:

Hi Kristen, I am based in Maryland, or Greater Washington DC area as some would like to call it. 

I went to look up MD laws on service animals and here, a service dog is directly related to a person's disability. They have to be trained like a seeing dog, or dogs that help notify if someone goes into a seizure. However, emotional dogs do not fall under the category of Service animals.

So I have my answer, thank you very much, this has been a very good learning curve for me, even though I would have preferred not to have the experience at all! :D

Next...I am going to read up about the topic of hoarding and how to deal with it!!!!

Originally posted by @P. Martin:

Cash for keys and her voluntary quitting of the premises? 

 I'd like her to move out without me having to fork out anything, I think she caused me enough "cash out" already because I have to fix up the place. I will give her 60 days notice and then if she gets difficult, I will have to forcibly evict her. Just thinking about all the things I have to move out onto the lawn...oh help.

@Chuck W.

 I did not check out where she lived because she said she had been living with friends for a few months. Prior to that she had moved out of a rental already and I called them and they did not report of issues.

Very timely post! Read it, tucked away all the gold nuggets, hope I never have to use it but just in case, I pinned it! Thank you.

@Tyson Luthy

 Yes you are right, technically the lease ends in about 6 months' time. I have told her to look for a new place to rent but I want to get ahead of her and prepare myself for any sort of tricks she might pull to stay.

@Mindy Jensen

 I read your blog post link you sent, and I have started documenting our conversations. That was very helpful indeed! Thank you.

@James R.

My tenant sounds a little like your previous tenant!  I have a soft spot for the elderly and yes, perhaps I did let her push me around too much. It is actually one of my nicest properties, a townhouse which is worth $300K very close to the train station. I can't really see the condition of the floors or walls because she had them repainted and plastered with decals and posters. There are too many things on the floor for me to see the floor. I was going to assess everything when she moved out. Why didn't I say anything?  To be honest, I don't even know how to say to her that she is a hoarder. She is very oblivious to her living conditions. Who did you send to inspect your property with your previous tenant? What sort of language did you use to communicate with them about their habits?  Thanks!

@Account Closed

 I like the formal letter from the doctor idea especially if we are taking the focus away from proving what the disability is but more on how having the pet would benefit the tenant.

Thanks so much everyone!