All Forum Posts by: Jerry N.

@Michele Fischer Any relation to Miriam Fisher Metropolitan Tenant now part of AAA in Chicagoland area?

https://adata.org/guide/service-animals-and-emotional-support

Recommendation from another post here, https://www.biggerpockets.com/...;

https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PA/documents/HUDAsstAnimalNC1-28-2020.pdf

start with the Q&A on p 6

IMO Floor and decor while having beautiful displays, has crap for quality.  Their crap quality results in unpleasant experiences then trying to return the material too.  I don't recall their actual policy but we bought 8 cases of glazed subway tiles (same production run) and after opening the first case and setting out a few tiles realized there were a lot of pits in the glaze.  Opened all 8 cases and had 6+ cases that we wouldn't use.  Unfortunately, we had already done a small separate area that was going to match so we felt like we were stuck with that tile.  Brought the full cases back and tried to look for other production runs to see if quality was better.  They didn't want you opening the cases on the floor.  Okay, then how are you supposed to select it?  Bought 8 more cases, different run, expecting some quality issues.... back and forth several times, going to three different locations to find different production runs.  Absolutely not worth it. Customer service wasn't very helpful either.  Good to go there to get design ideas, they really do put together nice displays. 

Try Tile Outlet on Fullerton. The place has been around for decades (and still uses the same voiceover commercial). We've gotten tile from them for at least a dozen different jobs in the last couple of years, maybe even more than 2 dozen.  Any issues, always handled professionally and generously.  Not a beautiful show room, but some ideas and you can get samples.  The limitation is what they have in stock.  

One of your big costs will be if you need to dig out the basement to get enough ceiling height. I haven't read everything yet with the possible ADU. I'm thinking though the city will still have the ceiling height requirement.

@Henry Lazerow Thank you

following

@Account Closed Is your property in Chicago?  Several years ago, we looked into solar panels for one of our buildings (highest on the block, completely unobstructed sunlight south, west and east sides).  The biggest hurdle for us at the time was that we have a flat roof and investigating the city's installation requirements for a flat roof seemed like the code requirement would just be setting you up for roof leaks.  I don't recall much else and don't know if any of the recent code changes were in this area.  This was maybe seven or eight years ago and at that time there was still the hope of some nebulous green credits from the city.  Those credits no longer exist. 

Chiming in to follow.

@Account Closed Nice job. Roughly what was the size of the basement?  If it was in your notes, I missed it.  

@John Warren  showing of occupied apartments is not allowed.  I've heard this from several agents.

1st question on P 7

https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/Documents/Essential%20Business%20FAQ.pdf

Thanks @Kenneth Garrett and @John Westbrook.  John, great pictures. 

We have used all the free ones (thinking about 10 different sites) over the years, only trying Domu once a couple years ago.  While we've had hits from all of them, everyone we've actually rented to has been from CL or zillow. 

If you live in Chicago and are over a certain age, you might remember that the only place you used to be able to find a good apartment in the city was looking in The Reader. Probably a fair number of people on here aren't of that age.