All Forum Posts by: Jason V.

I automatically disqualify felons. A recent Possession with Intent charge is very telling. If they continue leading the life they have led, you will most likely be replacing the front door because the house will be raided. I understand that everyone makes mistakes, but a recent charge would be highly suspect and not worth the headaches later on. Just my two cents!

@Erik Reichertz I went with the Viewpoint 3000 window and was happy with it. I installed 18 of them myself, which took A LOT of time, as I had to add aluminum trim around the window stops. They look great and cost me a total of 3500.00. I originally went to Wasco and the saleswoman mentioned that average double hung windows cost approx. $500.00 with installation. If you are not handy, I would recommend doing what Dawn and J Scott are doing and having an outside contractor put the windows in. Good Luck!

I would be somewhat hesitant to buy in areas in which shootings and assaults are occurring on a regular basis. I think that tenant turnover could be an issue, as tenants move out after neighborhood experiences. On the other hand, shootings on these websites may not always be a confirmed shooting. They may be coded a report of "shots fired", but may be fireworks. Also, when you see assaults on the map, many of them are usually family orientated in residences or complexes and not people walking down the street. Block populations can make a big difference in the appearance of a crime map. If you have a densely populated neighborhood with 30 houses on the block, you will have more dots on a crime map. Hope this helps when you make your decision and is just my "two cents"!

True and wise words. I was just a little surprised at the amount of people and was wondering what the average tenant viewing is. The first time I rented the house, I had half the replies I got this time. Thanks for the input!

This question is for the Milwaukee investors. How many people do you usually get interested in your property? I put adds on Zillow and Craigslist and have had over 30 inquiries in the last week. This seems kind of excessive to me and I wondered if I needed to raise the rent. I have a nicer 3 bedroom, 1 bath house in a decent neighborhood for $1095 a month. The house is not very big, but has a lot of nice features.  I had an open house yesterday and had approx. 15 applicants view the property. One completed the application on scene and I am doing the background screening now. Is this normal, or do I need to raise my rent?

I would contact the law enforcement agency that is investigating this incident and request to speak with the detective assigned to the case. They will most likely have you file for an open records request for the report, but they may be able to fill you in on some of the details, including your tenants whereabouts or if they are looking for him. They may also be able to give you an idea of the tenants future in your unit.

I looked at all the window manufacturers and decided to go with the Viewpoint window from Lisbon Screen and Door. They offered the most affordable quality window that I could find in my price range. I almost went with a Home Depot window, but it got a lot of bad reviews online. The Viewpoint's seemed better and had a true lifetime limited warranty. I am going to be putting them in at the end of the month with family. I was going to pay to have them in, but figured since I had prior construction experience, I should just do them myself. Thanks for all the feedback from the group. 

Yikes! Six layer tear off!!! ...Congrats on the rental property. I have one in Milwaukee and am looking to get a second one in the West Allis area in the future. Keep us posted.

My fridge died this year and my tenant lost some groceries. I replaced the fridge and advised him to shave $50.00 off the rent. He was pleasantly surprised. My tenant never gave me any problems and kept the place clean. I agree that this is a case by case basis, but paying for the groceries may save some headaches down the road and prevent other things from "magically" becoming defective. 

Will do, thanks guys!