All Forum Posts by: Joseph Aghia

Everyone, thanks for your replies! We are going to focus on the kitchen, but try to see if its possible to do both.

We'll also try to find a tenant on our own first. And don't worry, we are definitely going to be doing all of the checks for the applicants. 

@Steve Vaughan, thanks for the response! I'm getting quotes now for both. Depending on the price, I might have to focus on one or the other. 

I'll check our Cozy and Smart move. Thanks for the info. 

I've seen a bunch of listings in my area where the renter has to pay the realtor fee. Is that not the normal method, or is it just a Boston thing? 

One thing both my wife and I agree on is we want no smoking in the house. 

@Tim Upton & @Steve Bracero Thanks for the welcome! I'll have to take a look at the podcasts. I just downloaded the Ultimate Beginners Guide from here. Tons of good information. 

Hi BiggerPockets!

My Name is Joseph Aghia. Growing up, my parents had a 3 family home in RI, so I'm used to some of the headaches of dealing with tenants. In 2014, my wife and I bought a 2-family home in the Hillside area in Medford, Ma. We are just a stones throw away from Tufts University and the new Green Line Extension stop (whenever it finally gets here). 

I'm an engineer working in Kendall Square in Cambridge. My goals for Real Estate Investing is to get a passive income stream that can support my wife and I once we retire. I'm also interested in eventually getting more actively involved in Real Estate Investing, but I'm just learning and reading up on this now. 

This is an amazing forum and a wonderful resource. My wife mentioned Bigger Pockets to me a few times, but I didn't check it out until recently. I should have learned that I need to listen to her more. 

Hi Everyone. I recently just found Bigger Pockets, and it is a fantastic!

I have a two family home in the Hillside neighborhood in Medford. When we bought the house in 2014, there were already tenants here, and they have been great. They just informed us they are leaving in July, so we have to look for new Tenants for the first time. 

So, here are my questions, if anyone can help. 

1. While the apartment is in good shape, the Kitchen and Bathroom need some work. Which would give us more bang for our buck, a kitchen remodel or a bathroom remodel? 

2. When finding new Tenants, do you find them yourself or post with a realtor? 

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!