All Forum Posts by: Lucero Galvan

Newbie: Property zoned for 2 unit multi family. Is it hard / worth going through rezoning process to get a third unit added to property? Town is asking for a planned proposal -I don’t have experience with zoning/re-zoning. Suggestions on how to go about this? 

NEWBIE ALERT: I am under contract for my first ever home and it's duplex (non-BRRRR). From an aesthetics perspective, what are the go-to renovations and supplies needed to be done and is there a particular order to do these renovations (I.e., flooring first, then walls, etc?)? What materials / renovations increase value (I.e., LVP, marble counter tops, stainless steel appliances, etc.)

Hello all, I have had long term tenants (5 years) which have given a one month's rent deposit at move in 5 years ago. Now, rent is much higher than when the original deposit was made and the tenant has been slacking on paying rent. For future purposes, how would I go about having long term tenants and their deposits being less than current rents? Or am I to have new deposits every time a lease is renewed? How can I protect myself with deposits with long term tenants that can end up costing more than what they deposited?

Thank you all for your feedback. @Nate Arrington, you mentioned that you're renting out your basement as an ADU. I may be getting too technical, but how is your basement set up to allow this? Many of the homes in my area have 100% underground basements or half of it is undergound with only one wall having windows (split-level type homes). Have you had any feedback on this or how did you make it work for the tenants to have access to basement (I.e., basement kitchen / bathrooms, separate entry / driveway, windows along the main living areas)?

David Greene mentions that there's many times where Realtors do not consider some home square footage when listing the home. Is there a practical way to find which homes these are on Zillow versus cross referencing with the information on tax documents?

I've seen different opinions on finding homes to house hack: look for small multi-families, find homes that have finished basements / or ADU, find homes to make a duplex out of OR don't do any of the above. For a first time investor, what are the pros and cons of buying a SFR and converting it into a duplex versus going ahead and purchasing a duplex. In my area (Raleigh, NC) for a duplex, my lender is requesting 5% down payment and 6 months of reserves equaling PITI, which would leave me at $0 in savings. Versus a single family home purchase would be 0% down. I'm trying to weigh my options.