All Forum Posts by: Johann Jells

Really? No on has any input?

One of my tenants is freaking out because someone was creeping around on the fire escape and tried to open her kitchen window. She had the preventer tabs set so it didn't open, and her window alarm went off. The intruder scampered. So now she wants bars on these 3rd floor windows. 

I hate them, looks like a prison. They used to be ubiquitous around here pre-gentrification, but they are not so common anymore. It's especially problematic with the kitchen because it has to open and the fire escape prevents having one outside that swing out. I really don't want one inside, they're hideous and I've put a lot of effort into a nice renovation.

Am I wrong in thinking that the alarm and window locks did their job and she should calm down or leave? Or are bars still a common solution to this kind of security issue? Are there different types of alarms I should know about? I feel having my own cameras is pointless. What, am I supposed to monitor them 24/7? Thieves around here don't care about being recorded, they snatch packages off doorsteps right in front of Ring Cams. 

Sadly so true. I had a contractor do some porcelain floors for me, and they did a reasonable job of laying them, but then mixed the grout too loose so they didn't have to work hard to apply it! Losing joints within a year, I can just dig it out with my knife.  But I differ from you on wood, I've found if you get a real flooring contractor the work comes out well, but never let some GC who says his guys can do it near it. I had 120 year old wide yellow pine gouged by someone who didn't know how to handle the sander properly.

Generally if there's just a subfloor I lay laminate or vinyl myself. A year or 2 ago I used some of the '24 hr waterproof' laminate from Costco in a kitchen. Time will tell, but it still looks great and is nice thick 10mm.

Thanks. A broker acquaintance who is looking for a new carrier for us said sometimes they do this on a property that they are undermarket for rather than simply raise the premiums. Seems bizarre. I'm DIYing most of the repairs, which of course being a commercial property is a no-no. Presumably a new inspector will just take it all at face value.

Thanks, but the configuration of unlocked outer door and mailboxes + intercoms in the foyer of a multi is extremely common here. And the buildings are brick not frame.

Our insurer for an urban, commercial multifamily inspected our property and sent a cancellation notice pending correction of a laundry list of BS, including a sidewalk with a 1" max lip and Virginia Creeper on the side of the building and unconnected garage. WTF? Our sidewalk is in great shape compared to many in the area. Another ridiculous one was demanding that I repair the outer front door so it locks when it's never been locked in 25 years and locking it would prevent access to the mailboxes and intercom that are before the actual locked door for visitors postal workers and deliveries. We're looking for a new insurer, but I was wondering if anyone else had dealt with nonsense like this?

I have always done this with water/sewer in my units with their own heat bill since this is standard in my area, and did it for 8 years in my 4U with steam, the rationale being that the cost isn't what I pay, but the difference between what I pay and the cost built into the rent. But I've found that I suffer in the search engines when posting the units. The last time I posted a unit I broke out the heat and 'free' laundry into a $100/month flat surcharge. It's effectively $100 more rent, but I can advertise it $100 lower to compete with units where heat and laundry is not included. The tenants were not fazed in the least by this.

The doomsayers are not on the ground here. I just posted an apt for 20% more than the discounted pandemic price a year ago and I had 16 leads in 24 hr despite Dec 1st usually being a crappy move in date. Honestly, I'm surprised. My own wallet notwithstanding, I thought a 20% retraction in RE prices would be good for the city where, as Yogi Berra might have said, people drove the prices up so high no one lives there anymore. But people do live here, especially the younger set who have no interest in moving to some dull burb or small town where they can sit in a yard watching the grass grow.

I had an intruder on the fire escape of a multifamily last night and the tenants are suggesting cameras. I can't see what good they are except as security theater unless you have someone watching 24/7. So after a robbery you get to see footage of a masked and unrecognizable person wandering your common areas. What good does that do anyone? In my neighborhood people post Ring clips of package bandits all the time, these cameras are not a deterrent to the porch pirates, why would they be to burglars?

Then there's the cost, besides thousands to purchase I'd have to get a broadband service at the property just for the cams, at like $70/month. So why is this so popular???

This is NJ, where eviction for anything other than non-payment is very difficult, and I'm assuming evicting 2 'mentally disabled' would be even harder. With him there to keep her in check it is a tolerable situation. The apartment is a legal but nasty basement studio with a steam main running through it barely over head height renting for $600, I'm not leaving much money on the table. In the event it's ever vacant it would take a huge amount of work to make it attractive.