All Forum Posts by: Justin Escajeda

Hello community, I am currently waiting to close on a property with 2 apartments (with tenants @ $600/month each) and three storefronts(all storefronts vacant). 

This is property is very ideal, mostly because I have to do VERY LITTLE work and sale price 79k. 

My question is, should I convert one (or two) of the storefronts into apartments?  You see the previous owner used two of the storefronts for decades for his own personal business and just closed up shop due to retiring. 

I am always confident that I can rent an apartment, and being that I am getting this for only 79k makes it seem like maybe I should because I have other commercial property and it is difficult to get a business to move (and stay). 

I appreciate your feedback!

Hands down two contractors that are the most investor friendly in Pittsburgh:

Florian Const: (Josh):

AMC: (Drew):

I cant post their numbers here, but if you pm me Ill get them to you

just looking for a little feedback, but after title transfer of a mobile home, iS there and obligation from seller on any repairs legally.  Mind you this was an as-is deal and disclosed everything I knew.  Thanks in advance

@Rebecca Mickler

I suppose you could google building material wholesalers in  your area.  Do you have any friends or family members who are in the building trades?  They also may be able to shed some light on your local scene.

Call people who are advertising selling their MH on craigslist, ive bought many homes from CL.  You can get them for nothing a lot of the times (aside from title transfer fees or maybe owed back rent to a park).  Find the people who cant afford their lot rent anymore, or talk to park owners to strike a deal.  Park owners do not always like to deal with investors, but they tend to like it better if can guarantee lot rent.

I say no, you have a NEW working electric service for the stove.  If they want a gas stove they can go somewhere else, or buy their own home and put a gas line in for a stove.  Never let a tenant dictate what you provide, if you start off your relationship with them by being very hospitable and providing extra things THEY desire, I believe this sets you up for them to subconsciously have a feeling of superiority over you.  You give a tenant an inch, they take a mile, I don't care what economic class their in.

Plain and simple, this is what you are providing, no more no less.  The type of stove they can use is hardly a deal breaker in my opinion. 

Hello community!  Looking for some feed back, Thanks!

I sold a mobile home to someone Jan 1 (4.5 months ago) on terms.  She paid jan feb, march, and april.  However, there was no may payment.  She said she is moving out due to traces of mold she found.  She entered this agreement AS IS, but I still had a contractor come in and remove the area where there was mold and put in new framing and board. 

I heard around the mhp that she is taking me to court, did I do something incorrectly here?  I asked my lawyer and she said it sounds like she is trying to get out of her agreement.  Id love feed back, thanks in advance!

That's tough man, I actually have a tenant who is constantly going in and out of the hospital and depends on nursing aides and other people (they come over a lot).  In any case, I somewhat feel what your going through. 

Good suggestions here about possibly moving him into downstairs unit if it becomes available.  This is for sure something youre going to have to keep monitoring, but in the mean time I would not over step any boundaries.  Because even though you may have a good relationship (which I just try to stay a bit standoffish with my tenants - so they are clear we are not friends), I would not ask too much about his condition unless it involves your agreement between the two of you regarding the rental unit. 

Flat out if I couldn't put new homes in I would walk, but then again, I would be buying the property for MH lot rents.  I have gutted, stripped, rehabbed, resold, and rented a lot of mobile homes and have never spent $10,000.  I would never buy a MH for that much either (unless my park demanded newer homes, maybe a 50 and over park). 

Sometimes, a MH is not worth fixing, when a lot of time has lapsed and the home is getting water damage.  Water KILLS mobile homes! 

What utilities do tenants pay? 

Septic system?

Condition of extisting plumbing and electric?

Age of homes?

Lots individually metered?

Honestly, make the homes livable.  Fix soft spots in floors (3/4" osb)  Windows - caulk and plexie glass, Roof - rubber, if exterior is trashed new siding on ferring strips, and white paint interior, carpet (no pad just glue).

Make sure 3 things work perfectly: electrical (may need to update), plumbing (pex lines with heat tape wrapped in pipe insulation, and furnace (don't slack on this).

These tenants want to move and thins to work.  You may not want to rent the homes, sell them (on terms) or for a very low price and transfer title.  You want lot rent, and this gives them something they own, youre incorporating pride of ownership here to someone who otherwise would never own a home.  Which gives them more incentive to keep up with it. 

I was just looking at a park this week and it was in a flood plain.  I called the local municipality building inspector afterwards, and he informed me that I can remove a home, but not move any in.  Easy decision, I passed.  In your case these homes better be in damn near perfect condition if I buy that park.  Hope this helps.

To be perfectly honest, I have done more marketing than I had done in past, but not as much as I liked.  We are on SpareFoot.com and have incorporated more internet ads.  We are about 80% full as of right now.  This is not my most focused business, although I want it to produce at full potential.  I have put so much effort this last year into my Masonry business and mobile homes.  Mainly because they produce the best. 

One thing that drives me crazy is how many people call and assure you they are coming to buy a unit, then they just never show up.  It is worse than showing an apartment!  Do you have that problem a lot?