All Forum Posts by: Jason Tougas

Good morning Travis, I have a great agent that is helping me do the exact same thing you are wanting to do in San Antonio. Him and I have been working together for months and he has produced some great leads. Reach out to me when you get a spare minute and we can compare notes and share references! Good luck to you

Welcome to the bigger pockets community. Here you will find a wealth of great information, amazing people and hours upon hours of addictive entertainment!

To answer your question- I’m not doing any additional video or FaceTime but do most of my property research from behind the desk. 

When it’s time to take a field trip and view a list of properties you just have to lace up the boots, bring some hand sanitizer and a flashlight and go find a great deal!

The buyer and sellers are now fighting over the release of earnest funds. What is my best course of action to ensure the funds come back to me since the reason the deal fell through is a result of the seller and not the buyer?

I recently had a contract fall through in underwriting because of the property would not meeting valuation along with several other issues on the sellers side. Since the property was not financeable, I was no longer able to move forward with the purchase and had terminated the contract.

The one I used for the year for free was the landlordy 2. This was really great for keeping me organized- it allows you to automatically send bills, add payments and also has time sensitive features baked in (for example a late fee applied on day 5). The free version only allows you to manage 1 unit for 12 months before you will be required to upgrade service. They offer several different options of service all for a 1 time charge (which I really like and helps you maintain your monthly cashflow). Landlord studio is a little more in-depth. Has a ton of features, can generate a lot of great reports & they are super user friendly with an outstanding customer support group. All of this comes at a cost though- they only offer 1 payment option or package type (I don't like this). This service costs the user $4.99 per month for the first unit and $1 extra per month per unit. They do not offer any "unlimited units" or flat rate for professionals. One really great thing with Landlord Studio is the background/credit check for tenant screening which is done directly in the app. This in my opinion makes it worth the cost above some of the others. One thing I have determined to really help keep me organized and on track is having everything I need in 1 app instead of multiple. My advice is find a platform you like to use that provides all the features you need to operate your business. For that- I have chosen Landlord Studio.

@Asya Evans

I have been trying several different apps to find the one I like most with the most convenient features.

Many of these will allow you to try a free version- I’ve actually managed a property for an entire year for free and it’s been a huge help.

Try these out and if you decide you like them you can always sign for a subscription.

1.) Landlordy 2

2.) cozy

3.) LandlordStudio

Thanks Charles, I made an attempt to post my contact information on here but was informed that it is prohibited.

@James M.

If you only need $20-$30k you can likely get a personal line of credit for that amount and very similar rates. This LOC can be used

For anything you desire and would simplify your situation.

I use my LOC to fund my rehabs and pay it off after the flip or refinance and start all over again on the next property.

@Robert Cummings

The easiest way to determine what is wrong with your outlet is to purchase a outlet tester. These are $20 at Home Depot or Amazon and will tell you exactly what is going on electrically. (Open neutral, ungrounded, open hot etc.)

@Michael Stutelberg

I quit installing carpet nearly 10 years ago as it becomes nothing but a nasty rag on the floor with renters.

Ceramic tile is great- it’s sanitary, durable and very easy to clean but takes skill to install and is generally more Labor intensive or takes more time. But again- it’s very durable. In northern climates the tile is cold On your feet unless heated so becomes less desirable. The flip side is in hotter climates this is a nice characteristic.

Laminate or vinyl click together flooring is also outstanding. It’s cheap, easy to install and very durable for pets or renters. This product is easy to clean and repair but doesn’t like water. Some products now are better suited for wetter applications.

Typically I install laminate through living rooms, bedrooms and common areas, tile in the bathrooms and mud room/entry foyers.