All Forum Posts by: Jeff J.

We just turned an apartment previously occupied by a heavy smoker.  We primed and repainted the whole place and washed the carpet (tide and bleach) but there is still a smoke smell probably from the carpet (and maybe the blinds which are in great condition but are covered with tar).  What is the best way to get rid of this smoke smell in the carpet (and blinds)?  The carpet is in great shape except for the smell so we would hate to replace it.

Jeff

We will just stick with the two, although we also have a 2 bedroom condo in Huntington Beach CA where we have a terrible PM. I plan to find a better PM soon or maybe try to do it myself, if possible.

We would be in Fort Lauderdale.

Last summer when we were on vacation for a month in Florida, several severe events happened at one of the buildings in MN and I was surprised how easily I could fix the problems remotely with just a few phone calls. This started me wondering if I could manage the apartments once we permanently moved to Florida.

Thanks

Jeff

I manage two 11 unit apartment buildings myself but we are planning to move to Florida (from Minnesota!) in a few years. I would hate to hire a PM company to manage my properties. Is is possible (have others done it??) to manage my properties from another state? For example, could I hire a cleaning service and perhaps a maintenance man (who could show the vacant apartments)? I could screen tenants and set up service remotely. I could fly back a few times a year to check up or handle an emergency. Has anyone done this successfully? How did you do it?

Would some variation of Karpinski's "How to rent vacation properties by owner" work for a normal long term rental property?

My tentative plan would be the following:

1. caretaker would be "eyes and ears" and clean building, mow and shovel

2. caretaker would show vacant apartments and would fax/scan applications to me and I would screen. Caretaker has tenant sign lease and does checklist.

3. Caretaker would evaluate vacant apartment and let me know what needs to be fixed/cleaned. Send video of apartment to me.

4. Caretaker would inform me of any repair/maintenance needs and I would call service contractors.

5. rents would be mailed or deposited into my bank account.

6. caretaker is vital to this process so compensation would be ? Free apartment + ???

Any problems with this approach?

Thanks
Jeff

I have a 2 bedroom condo for rent in Huntington Beach, California. Over the next year or so I would like to upgrade it so the rent can be increased.

What and where should I start to responsibly upgrade it? Kitchen, bathroom, flooring (has carpet now),... to get the biggest bang for the buck?

Thanks

Jeff

I am paying off my rental properties (1 is paid off another at 4.75% in 5 years), That will create $10,500/month cash flow but my home I will pay the mortgage (3.75%) over 30 years with no extra payments.

My house money is cheap money and if it is paid off the money just sits there and does me no good. I am now retired at 60 and this strategy works for me.

We just got done turning around an apartment vacated by a heavy smoker. We had to wash (to get rid of the tar) and paint the whole apartment and use an ozone machine to help get rid of the smoke smell among other things (new blinds). I'm taking most if not all of his deposit but I had a question.

I would like to go smoke free but I don't think it can work in my area (even my caretakers are heavy smokers.

Has anyone charged smokers a higher deposit? That would help cover the higher cleanup costs. Any problems with doing this?

Jeff

I was going to try "scubbing bubbles".

Cleaning cooking greese off of the wall behind the stove? Any ideas on how to remove it?

Thanks

Jeff

I have a 11 unit apartment building and I was wondering what people feel the rent spread should be between old and new tenants? My new tenants pay $865 for a 2 BR and older tenants are paying $850. Does this seem about right or shlould everyone be at market rate ($865) no matter how long they have been ther?

Thnaks

Jeff

I have an apartment that was completely painted and a new carpet put in a year ago. The tenant is moving out and was a HEAVY smoker. I will be washing the carpet but can I get the smell out of the apartment without completely repainting the apartment again? It looks great but that smell!

Jeff