All Forum Posts by: Kristine Groemping

We had our first contractor nightmare.  I guess that makes us official real estate investors.  We just discovered he dumped demolition material including sand and concrete in our backyard.  Instead of buying dirt this is what he used to fill in the egress window hole and then proceeded to spread it across the whole backyard.  It's as deep as 8 inches in some spots and maybe only about an inch deep on the right side of the property. Now we have to pay to get it removed and the backyard resoiled.  There is a lot! Maybe 2 dump trucks worth of material.  I'm curious if anyone has experience with having to dispose of construction material and the costs.  I got an estimate for $1950 to properly dispose of this material in the DC/MD area.

Our solution to fix this problem is: 

1. Remove the material- obviously we can't grow anything in this and it's a water drainage issue with the basement. We have had water issues in the basement in the past.  We just finished gutting the whole thing and would love to not have to do it again. $1950

2. The yard is on a pretty steep slope so bringing the soil from the back of the yard to the front and adding topsoil to the rest (basically grading the yard). $1450

3. While we are digging, installing a drainage system. $775

4. Grass seed + compost material to promote growth (2 inches). $450 + $400 = $850

This is our first major project so I would be ever so grateful for any feedback from this awesome community. :)

-Kristine

@John 

@John Collins that's great feedback! Could you say more about drainage?  My husband just wants to dig a trench in the middle of the yard that I guess leads to the neighbors. I think there might be a better solution that doesn't have to cost a lot.  

@Matthew Paul darn! I think you are right. This is our first BRRRR property. I think I'm having a hard time thinking in terms of ROI. I keep getting caught up with how I would like it to be (as if it were my home). We will be living in 1 of the 3 units for the first year but after that, it's strictly a rental property. This is probably a problem of just being new to the whole thing.

So recap... landscaping doesn't add value and I should just do the bare minimum necessary for the outside?  Curb appeal doesn't really apply here?

Thank you for all the ideas!

I did some research and I'm thinking of turning it into a picnic area where tenants and, in the meantime, my husband and I can use it for hanging out with friends. I like the example in the link below. They used a combination of sod, rocks, and mulch. Pretty low maintenance while maximizing the use of the space.

As for the front yard which is a sloped hill (pretty steep) overtaken by weeds, I'm thinking of planting native grasses to MD a section at a time to avoid soil erosion.  The landscaper recommended terracing but that's going to require more maintenance than I'd like for a rental property.  Not to mention $$$. 

https://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=5360

We bought a short sale back in Oct 2019 and have been doing the renovation on it since.  Unfortunately, we had our first terrible contractor experience and have to hire a new one to both redo and finish the work.  Meanwhile, the front and backyard are a mess!  

The front yard is on a pretty steep hill and is covered in weeds.  There are some trees that need trimming and smaller ones that need removing.  The backyard is an unleveled pile of dirt.  The construction crew had to dig it up for egress windows.  There is more of course (drainage and concrete issues) but for now we really just want to get it cleaned up and presentable.  

This is in an area of D.C./MD that does not demand the best of the best. I would say a B- neighborhood boarding an A neighborhood. The landscaper we had come out today was horrified by the state of our yard and quoted $50-60K.  This would totally be understandable if this was our forever home but it's a rental property.  I'm not really sure what I should be searching for.  

How do we hire someone just to come out and clean up (post-renovation) on an almost foreclosed home that was neglected for a long time and needs a lot of work and debris removal?  Is that a landscaper or something else?  We want to do some basic work on the yard of course but it doesn't have to look like an A+ property.  The demand for rent in that area will only go so high (about $1200). What we need is someone who is used to doing work on foreclosed homes.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this. Thank you.

Kristine

I was practicing driving for dollars and I found an abandoned home in San Diego yesterday. I did my homework and discovered that it's going to auction this month at the courthouse. Starting bid is 96,245. 3 bed, 1bath, 1800 sqf with an oceanview. Looks like it needs a lot of work. I'm planning on going to the auction for the sole purpose of learning. 

Is anyone familiar with foreclosures and/or buying at auction in San Diego? Any advice? 

Good morning everyone! 

My name is Kristine and I'm new to BiggerPockets. I'm an active duty Navy Nurse in San Diego, CA and I'm interested in both real estate investing and making a career change to being a real estate agent, while using travel nursing as my primary income.  I made the bold request to resign from the Navy and decided to move to Colorado once I'm out.  My husband and I are interested in investing in the Colorado Springs area.  We're thinking flip and fix, rentals, and/or airbnb depending on the market.  Even willing to get super creative and live in an RV while travel nursing and buying properties.

Questions:

1. Any recommendation on real estate agents?

2. Real estate companies to work for as a newbie?

3. Advice on investing in Colorado Springs or Colorado in general.  

Thank you in advance. I listen to the podcast everyday and love it!  I can't wait to meet and start networking with the people of this community.  Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Kristine