All Forum Posts by: Ken Musial

I tried the white version of the Rustoleum kit, and I thought it looked horrible.  Granted it could have been user error, but it seems like it just didn't adhere well to the glossy nature of the laminate.  I ended up replacing all of those cabinets with new ones a year later.  

For about half the cost of Bath Fitters, I hired a company called Miracle Method that re-glazes existing tubs and surrounds.  It turned out like new and has held up well for 2 years now.  

Thanks Greg, although my tenants don't stay rent free and I'm far from bankruptcy.  Since we all like to generalize, good luck to all of you ruthless slumlords and your 20% vacancy rates.  

I also have a poor tenant-screening story that could have ended up being a lot worse than it was.  Still, it was a valuable learning experience.  I Purchased my first rental property back in 2011, fixed it up, and decided to hold an open house.  Only one guy shows up with his young daughter and expresses his immediate interest.  He is fresh off of a divorce, lost his car via DUI, and thus has poor credit.  However, he has pay stubs showing a 5-year tenure as a commercial welder, so he more than clears the Income/Rent ratio, plus, no car payment.  My first suspicion of something being up was during a repair of the water heater.  I was installing a new one and he was hovering over me asking the kind of questions that a "commercial welder" would clearly know.  However, rents were usually on time over the next 16-months, albeit in cash.  Sometimes, it would be a stack of 100's, other times, a stack of 10s.  So, clearly, this guy isn't cashing his paychecks and asking the bank teller for a stack of 10s. This money is clearly coming from somewhere else.  So one day, I send him a text letting him know I'll be by around 6:00 to pick up rent.  No response.  A second text the next day.  No response.  A phone call goes straight to voicemail.  So, based on all my suspicions, I plugged his name into the Virginia Court System website.  There he was, incarcerated with 5 drug-trafficking and weapons felony charges.  I drove to the unit that night and the police/DEA had obviously served a warrant and the doors were all smashed in.  The police never contacted me, but I got the gist of what went down from the neighbors.  The guy never went to work at all but instead ran a rather lucrative ring right out of the unit.  His daughter didn't live there, but instead was a housed fugitive who had skipped bond in Maryland.  The police ended up doing more damage than the tenant, who other than being a criminal, was actually a good tenant.  At least I was able to use the security deposit to fix things up plus do a few needed upgrades.  Again, this sounds really bad and clearly shows my screening was lackluster at best, but it could have been a lot, lot worse.  

I own 5 rentals, and while it is indeed a business, part of the reason I got into being a landlord was to feel like I was doing something more meaningful other than sitting in a cubicle all day for a big telecommunications company.  I have had my fair share of late rent payments.  However, I always treat my tenants like they are extended family.  I have sent wedding gifts, I check on things every so often, I even brought food to a hospital.  What I didn't anticipate was how much this attitude becomes a valuable business decision.  When your tenants see that you care, they almost always care right back.  I have yet to have a unit trashed, and have had tenants stay longer than they would normally because they liked how I treated them.  Every time I was lenient on a late payment, efforts were made to get caught up, which is always better than vacancies or evictions.  Of course there are exceptions to this, but I generally try to weed these types of people out early on.  Perhaps my time is coming.  

With that said, I feel your tenant should be able to plead her case with you.  If you feel there is enough hope to go on, then you can make a calculated risk if waiting for her payment outweighs an eviction/turnover.  Either way, I applaud your compassion.  

Ken 

I recently had the exact same problem.  It likely has nothing to do with your yard since my unit is a condo with well-kept grounds.  I think the average tenant just carries a bit more apathy and it's probably a good thing that they showed their true colors to you right off the bat.  I have since tried to schedule as many back to back appointments as possible so the actual trip isn't wasted.  I also don't entertain another showing if someone calls me back after they missed an appointment without letting me know.