All Forum Posts by: Jeremy Benezra

Not totally related but I remember coming across this video and found it for your enjoyment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGlJDxN2zlE

Sewage waste is your more difficult item to run.  Supply water is pressurized and can go uphill, to an extent.

Sewage waste flows by gravity and needs elevation drop in the waste line to flow.  So the waste leaving your shop needs to be higher in elevation than the sewer connection at the street or the connection at the main house.  Otherwise you'd need a sewage pump.

If you're shop didn't have a bathroom, just gray water, you could do a gravel pit.

I don't know if you're on sewer or septic nor where those waste lines run in relation to the main home and the doublewide. Getting electrical and water to the ADU is fairly straightforward, getting the waste out and to the sewer or septic system is harder as you need elevation fall in the waste line.

If you could get the doublewide up to a livable status as a rental, while you lived next door, you definitely would be successful in forcing equity.

I don’t think egress comes into play here.  Normally you just need to provide a large enough opening for people to get out during an emergency and for geared up firefighters to get in.

Why is accessibility an issue?  You can’t drive right up to the doublewide?

On King County parcel viewer they will sometimes list more than one structure on the property detail page.  You could see the square footage and specs for the main home, then click structure 2 and see that info for the doublewide.  That’s of course pending that King County even knows that doublewide is there.

I don’t see an appraiser giving a lot of value to a double wide with no plumbing in their value calculations.  But it might be worthwhile to get in contact with an appraiser and ask how they would value it.

If this was a rental property I'd say do it for sure.  Set up the additional unit, almost the entire rent payment will be an increase in cash flow.  You'd be adding a door, lowering the risk of that property being vacant, etc.

For a flip its harder to say. Depends on the market. Depends on if the buyer has a need for a MIL or if the buyer would want to have an ADU on site rented to someone else to help with their payment.

1/3 of an acre?  Is it in a Seattle suburb?  A lot of people on larger parcels have a need for a shop space and would maybe want that instead of another dwelling unit.

I heard another investor joke once that if you purchase too many "great deals" that have negative cash flows you'll make yourself bankrupt.  I agree the 2% rule doesn't apply to areas like Seattle but I'm adverse to any investment that I know will need money invested into it monthly, indefinitley.  

I'm looking for a recommendation for an electrician to setup a temporary power pole for me in Renton.  I'm building a duplex and using a lower cost builder who doesn't do any of the site work.  This is my first new construction project (I'm psyched! Its going to open a lot of new doors for me) but I'm having trouble coordinating the temp power pole.

Here's my understanding.  I have someone set up the pole and meterbox and  conduit.  Then PSE will come out and pull wire to the meterbox and install the meter.

So who do I have do that work before PSE?  Thanks! 

I wanted to bring this one back.  2 months after the last post, what do people think now about the climate of the greater Seattle market?  

For me personally I have a flip house in Bellevue on the market thats been sitting for too long and I am about to make another price reduction.  I'm still in the black by a good margin but I don't want to maintain the property all winter and there's no sure thing of selling in spring.

On the other hand, my Greenlake rental flew.  

Fantastic advice everyone!  Thank you!

Again this isn't my first rental.  I own a few and manage a few more.  Its just my first one inside Seattle city limits.

I will read up and think about joining the RHA.

Regarding pricing, I looked this property over a few months ago with my real estate agent friend and she thought I could get $3200.  I threw the listing up on Zillow at $3500 just to see what would happen.  There was only one other rental in the area that was more expensive at $3800 but its about 85 years newer than my rental.  I was shocked to see the huge response and interest, 4 showings in one day, etc.  

I actually ended up choosing the first group that sent in their application.  So I'm in the clear there.

My lease has the lead disclosure, bedbug addendum, mold addendum, landlord tenant law...

Luckily I'm a contractor first and a real estate investor second, so the renovation is the easiest part of the whole thing for me.