All Forum Posts by: Les Jean-Pierre

I would not work with NYC government. I had a homeless family destroy my kitchen and it was an absolute bear to get the Department of Homeless Services to help. I also had a Section 8 tenant that I had to evict and again, no help from the city. The city simply won't help you when things go wrong. It isn't worth it in this environment.

Interesting conversation. I was contacted about an off market property in Brooklyn through a broker. It is priced at market but needs likely $150k-200k of work. It is not a screaming deal but I know the rental numbers  it could bring and I can make it work. I was thinking of offering about 10-15% under asking but you guys are making me rethink this.

I just had a thought about those mini splits. Maybe they would be effective but I don't really know anyone who has used them(I am not on good terms with the ground floor tenant).

I never separated the heat/hw. I should note that I got some energy upgrades from the state for a highly discounted price. It helped. My heating plumber told me it might make sense to convert each unit to electric heat(that is separately metered) and go that route. The ground floor unit is a store and the tenants put in one of those box HVAC devices you see on the side of buildings. Their lease will end soon so I was advised to take out their radiators when they vacate. I asked a plumber about separate water and he said each unit would have to have their own piping. I think ultimately, i will have to shut down the building and reconfigure everything.

As far as furniture assembly goes, my wife bought us a bed from Wayfair and Wayfair had an assembly option through Handy. Two guys came in and put the bed together in 30-40 minutes. Would have taken me two hours by myself.

I had a Section 8 tenant for 5 years. At first she was ok and I should say that she always kept the place clean. However, when I told her that I had to raise the rent and she should start looking for a new place to live, she freaked out. I ended up having to take her to court and wasted a lot of money kicking her out. I should say that the NYC courts are extremely tenant friendly. She was not compliant with many basic issues like allowing access to the unit. NYCHA, the Section 8 administrator, was absolutely no help at all. They could have easily told her to comply and that if she gets evicted, she would be terminated from the program. 

I would also say that the Section 8 inspections brought up phantom issues. Even other Section 8 inspectors said the issues were bogus. While, NYC's Section 8 is a joke, you should be aware of what could happen. If you have no other choice, I would say move forward with a properly screened tenant, but if the market is better for a regular tenant, I would say go that route. 

I manage 4 units. I give all my tenants my cell. I tell them to text me. Works well for the most part. I have had to read the riot act to some tenants that were contacting me too much.

The NYC DOB website is easy to use. You just punch in the address and all the violations come up. Also, go to the HPD site while you are at it to see if there are violations there. Finally, you can see any unpaid taxes on the Dept of Finance website. It is all free!

I think only a licensed plumber or electrician can call the city to schedule an inspection. The city will likely not send anyone out if you call. Are you sure the permits are still open? You should go to the NYC DOB website. Also, what is your lawyer/title company saying about closing with ECB violations?

Nothing has to go to the tenant?