All Forum Posts by: Jamie M.

I’m very familiar with the area - definitely a few things you should know, both about SF rental laws in general as well as the dynamics of that neighborhood.  I also have a great property manager recommendation who lives in the area. 

Hello everyone - I appreciate everyones advice and replies to this thread.  We ended up renting out the house with the in-law cottage included in the rental.  We sought and received legal advice on the in-law: it is deeded as an "accessory unit" and when rented together would not subject us to rent control.  We rented the property for $8,700 which is above my original expectations.  Net of all costs we'll still cash flow about $4,500 per month.   My plan is to aggressively pay down the mortgage, and in a few years consider where we are at.  Thanks again all!

Originally posted by @Ethan Cooke:

@Jamie M. - Definitely join SF Apartment Association. They are an association for landlords. They have all the standard property-related forms you might need and the language generally protects the landlord. Also, is it a multi-unit? So far I have chosen to invest in SFH's in San Francisco to avoid rent control laws. You may know that any San Fran MF built after 1979 is rent-controlled. So screen your tenants very carefully and get to know a good RE lawyer.

@Jamie M.

Thank you Ethan. It is a SFH, so only a single unit...

Hi All - I want to hire a handyman to cover a 3BD, 2BA SFH + in-law cottage in Noe Valley. Will be occupied by 1 adult and 1 child (the cottage will be vacant). I'd like to hire a handyman who will be available for small issues and fixes (note I am not hiring a property manager).

I'm willing to pay on retainer + by hour or project.  There are a few initial projects to start, and then projects will be as they arise.

Anyone have experience on what a reasonable and hourly (or project) rate is?  And would a place like Craigslist be the best place to advertise?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Thank you all - very helpful!!  Fortunately I already have almost all of these covered.  

Originally posted by @Thomas S.:

I wish I knew to study this web site and the landlord tenant laws before I started.

Learning this business on the fly is a recipe for disaster.

 cheeky!  I like it!  That was helpful, thanks.

Hi! So I decided not to sell! I'm a soon-to-be first time landlord in San Francisco. Any tips on things that I should know to include in the lease agreement, standard terms, etc? What do you wish you knew the first time around?

Hi! I'm a soon-to-be first time landlord in San Francisco. Any tips on things that I should know to include in the lease agreement, standard terms, etc? What do you wish you knew the first time around?

Originally posted by @Sam Dogen:

I'm going through a similar dilemma, but I bought my house in The Marina in 2005 and it is up 80% based on a written offer. I was going to sell it for $1,000,000 LESS in 2012 why I put it on the market for 28 days, but I received zero offers!

Sam

 Interesting - I read through your thread and it looks like you are seeing softening in the rental market.  That would make sense given new supply coming on, but also hard to reconcile over a longer period given the dynamics of this particular market...

So what are you going to do?