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All Forum Posts by: Jessica S.

Jessica S. has started 7 posts and replied 150 times.

Post: Brown houses

Jessica S.Posted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Portland, OR
  • Posts 154
  • Votes 67
Originally posted by Bill Gulley:
Yes, ^ if you get in some rural areas color can be an indication or statement by locals, it sends a message that the place belongs to a local person and not an out-of-towner where vacation homes or cabins might be. Locals don't mess with local owners' stuff in some rural areas. If you get in the woods in some areas you need to know the customs.
Now, in town, not an issue in that respect. Color goes to style and marketability being common for the area or at least not so different it stands out in a negative way. :)

In addition browns/tans can work well in a suburban setting where people are more apt to want their house to be unobtrusive and fit in with the community. Buyers in urban locales usually want something that they perceive to be more unique. Brown might be to bland for them.

@Account Closed , browns might appear dated to you because they have recently gone out of style. A few years ago brown was the neutral of choice, but now gray and "greige" have taken over that position.

Post: I'm a Plumber/Investor & I'm here to help

Jessica S.Posted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Portland, OR
  • Posts 154
  • Votes 67

What a nice offer! I don't have any plumbing questions right now or I would happily take you up on it.

Good luck with your future ventures : )

Post: Second Project, Another Keeper. Beach House - Another Rehab Loan

Jessica S.Posted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Portland, OR
  • Posts 154
  • Votes 67

Tim G, just wanted to say I feel your pain! My husband and I camped out in one of our rental properties last summer while we rehabbed it. It was a different situation because we were doing much of the work ourselves (talk about bringing your work home with you!) But the experience of living in a construction zone was much the same.

I can see in your photo that the toilet was pulled. Consider yourself lucky that you have two bathrooms : )

Post: Rehab 1 bedroom into 2

Jessica S.Posted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Portland, OR
  • Posts 154
  • Votes 67

Two bedrooms tend to have a smaller spread so they're generally not as popular with rehabbers (at least in my area) but that doesn't mean you shouldn't consider them.

Look for properties that can have bedrooms added without making changes to the exterior structure. An attic with a tall enough ceiling that can be finished out is a great choice. Basements are more of a hassle because of egress windows and moisture issues, but also doable.

@Ryan R. we have some little one bedroom houses in my area. Maybe things really are bigger in Texas...

Post: Home Officially on the Market

Jessica S.Posted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Portland, OR
  • Posts 154
  • Votes 67

Looks great! I really like all the wainscoting, and all the bright paint colors you used. Good luck with the sale!

Post: My First Flip in Baltimore

Jessica S.Posted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Portland, OR
  • Posts 154
  • Votes 67

Very nice work! I like the stairway detail. I'm surprised you were able to use that handrail. It wouldn't have passed inspections in my area.

Is that an Ikea light fixture? Did you do an Ikea kitchen, also?

Post: Business Plan critique for rehabbing

Jessica S.Posted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Portland, OR
  • Posts 154
  • Votes 67

Will you be showing this plan to possible investors? If so, I suggest you clean up your mission statement. Your first sentence should describe the scope of your business so it's very clear what you're doing: "We will buy distressed houses and rehabilitate them for sale. Another possible strategy will be to use the houses to generate rental income."

Even if you're just writing this for your own use now, you should edit into something you can show potential investors, partners etc. Just in case an opportunity presents itself.

Ps I answered your question about G 's in my rehab thread : )

Post: First Flip (with before and after pics)

Jessica S.Posted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Portland, OR
  • Posts 154
  • Votes 67
Originally posted by Michael Bingham:
Jessica, excellent job on taking a ho hum property and building a great starter home for someone. I really like the layouts you chose. Did you hire a GC or did you sub-contract yourself? I'm in the process of moving myself out of doing the work and finding subs or a GC, any advice?

Thanks! I'm glad you asked about the GC since it's something I've been thinking about lately. We are lucky enough to have a good friend who's a GC. He set us up with his subs who gave us the same pricing he would have gotten. It saved us a bunch of money.

The problem with being your own GC is that it's hard to get subs to give you a good price until you've worked with them a few times. It might be worth it to pay a GC 10% if the subs end up being 20% cheaper that way.

Post: First Flip (with before and after pics)

Jessica S.Posted
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Portland, OR
  • Posts 154
  • Votes 67
Originally posted by Eric P.:
That basement is pretty sweet! I like the bathroom too.
How many SF is the house? What type of countertops/flooring/cabinets do you put in a house in this price range in the area?

Thanks! The house is pretty small. We managed to squeeze 2000sq ft out of it by finishing the basement.

I like to use eclectic finishes which appeal to buyers in this area. I think most granite is ugly and quartz, which I do like, is too expensive. On this kitchen I went with butcher block countertops from IKEA. They're really cheap but if you put the right finish on them they look amazing. I splurged on custom cabs painted white with crown molding.

Most flippers in my area that are working on older houses prefer to refinish the original floors if possible. I've been seeing lots of kitchens with original hardwood, too. Buyers love it, and don't seem to care that hardwood in the kitchen is a pain in the you know what to maintain.

I didn't want to deal with pulling up old flooring in the kitchen so I went with marmoleum instead. That probably wouldn't fly in most places, but here in Portlandia it's a selling point with extra points for being eco.