Skip to content
×
PRO
Pro Members Get Full Access!
Get off the sidelines and take action in real estate investing with BiggerPockets Pro. Our comprehensive suite of tools and resources minimize mistakes, support informed decisions, and propel you to success.
Advanced networking features
Market and Deal Finder tools
Property analysis calculators
Landlord Command Center
$0
TODAY
$69.00/month when billed monthly.
$32.50/month when billed annually.
7 day free trial. Cancel anytime
Already a Pro Member? Sign in here
Pick markets, find deals, analyze and manage properties. Try BiggerPockets PRO.
x
All Forum Categories
All Forum Categories
Followed Discussions
Followed Categories
Followed People
Followed Locations
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback

All Forum Posts by: Lois S.

Lois S. has started 58 posts and replied 194 times.

Post: Plumbing repairs thru my Property Manager - rip-off?

Lois S.Posted
  • Investor
  • Brentwood, CA
  • Posts 195
  • Votes 52

I have several SF rentals in Contra Costa County, which I've managed myself for 9 years.

Also have 1 2-story apartment/townhouse that was managed by a friend's PM company. It wasn't a happy experience, so I found another PM with more established track record in the area, & have been generally satisfied.  I live about 50 minutes from the unit - on a good day, before the afternoon commute traffic makes it unreasonable to drive there.

So the current PM called one morning & said there was a leak from upstairs bathtub showing up in downstairs ceiling. Their plumber quoted $900 to open ceiling, look for & repair leak, repair sheetrock & paint. I approved the expense - in my mind picturing broken pipes and the ceiling collapsing if not done timely.

I just saw the description of work today on PM's website:  "New p-trap, sheetrock, caulking"

So, did I get ripped off, & can I or should I challenge the PM on the expense?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

He seemed OK when he left!  (except not mentally OK)

Would you post this on Yelp?  

I called a plumber that I’d used twice before to replace toilets in my rentals.

I’ll call him Jack, to protect the guilty.

The tenant let him in and he had started to work already when I showed up about 10 minutes later.

The problem was clogged drain that the tenant had already snaked and said they used an organic drain opener and a snake. (They did this before they notified me)

When I got there, I asked the plumber how it was going & he showed me the p-trap he’d already removed. I told him that I’d had this same problem about 15 months ago, and had used a plumber who works a lot on very old houses like mine. Previous plumber replaced a section of pipe in garage. So Jack starts bad-mouthing previous plumber & hyping his own work.

Jack says he’s going to snake the line & I went outside to do something else.

When I saw Jack come outside & start putting stuff in his truck, I asked him how it was going, & he started loudly screaming at me that he got chemical in his eyes & I’d lied to him about chemicals in the drain & I was an bad person & he should call the police, etc. He wouldn’t let me say anything & kept on yelling until he left.

Thinking about it later, I realized I’d never told him there were no chemicals in the drain because he didn’t ask. And, the tenant also told me that he’d told the plumber that they (the tenants) had put everything possible down the drain to try to clear it. So he’d been informed.

So Jack decided to have a tantrum because he didn’t take normal precautions such as goggles and protective clothing. It’s a poor workman who blames his client for his failures!

Post: PM & Turnover expenses

Lois S.Posted
  • Investor
  • Brentwood, CA
  • Posts 195
  • Votes 52

Thanks for all the replies.  I thought maybe I was being petty, but apparently not.

Post: PM & Turnover expenses

Lois S.Posted
  • Investor
  • Brentwood, CA
  • Posts 195
  • Votes 52

When a PM has their own staff bring property back to rent-ready condition, they present invoice copies of their necessary supplies purchased to the client/owner. 

If invoice includes tools that can be re-used, who pays for those? (for example, drill bits, small screwdriver, etc)

Is there a dollar limit you would expect PM to pass on to client  -  say XX dollars for small items ?  

How do PM's on this site handle expenses for rent-ready supplies?

Post: How much to offer in Cash for Keys in Bay Area?

Lois S.Posted
  • Investor
  • Brentwood, CA
  • Posts 195
  • Votes 52

If you didn't make a formal offer yet, include in your offer that the place is to be vacant at closing.

Post: How much to offer in Cash for Keys in Bay Area?

Lois S.Posted
  • Investor
  • Brentwood, CA
  • Posts 195
  • Votes 52

Offer him a moving truck & a helper to get him out before the deal closes.

Post: Check in with new tenants

Lois S.Posted
  • Investor
  • Brentwood, CA
  • Posts 195
  • Votes 52

Thanks for the replies

Post: Check in with new tenants

Lois S.Posted
  • Investor
  • Brentwood, CA
  • Posts 195
  • Votes 52

Shortly after a new tenant moves in, do you check in with them by phone, or email ?

If so, does this help your relationship with the tenant?

Any other feedback on this question?

Thanks

Post: Offer accepted in Antioch, CA, am I making a mistake?

Lois S.Posted
  • Investor
  • Brentwood, CA
  • Posts 195
  • Votes 52

@Jarrad Henry  I realize this is an old thread, but was wondering if you did go through with your purchase of the home in Antioch?

If so, would like to hear what has been your experience there.

Thanks!