All Forum Posts by: Marian Smith

@Joe S. I would use gel stain in gray and comb it to mimic wood grain, then poly. Or buy a new one, stain and poly but code now makes you tie the wood into the wall so easier to use the existing.

@Andy Sabisch Zinnser cover stain bonds well and covers the dark color well. And sands well if you get a little orange peel...I hate that. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how nice it will look. I like SW pro classic trim paint in latex and really like bm advance but it is a little pita to work with and clean up but dries flat and hard though.

@Chris M. There are flat fee listing agents as well as rebate buyers agents. The latter expects you to get the seller agent to show you any houses. They write up the offer and communicate between you and the seller/seller agent. I have paid list and gotten 2% back at closing, 4k. Not much if financing over 30 years at todays rates.

@Andy Sabisch I read on painttalk.com that the best way to remove wallpaper was to "skim coat and paint". my feeling is sheetrock is paper coated gypsum, so whats one more layer of paper. skim with a roller of watered down mud and a squeegie. if you have already started removing, seal the ripped up parts with guardz.

@David Taylor One way to confidently buy is to know your market thereby knowing what to pay...there was a commenter on STR pitfalls that listed overpaying as #1 error. Your work is double in that you need to get a firm grasp on market value and a good idea of rental returns, vacancy, etc for your chosen market. Once you feel you have a good idea of rental rates and occupancy as well as a value range and your expected costs, you may find it easier to pull the trigger. The author you tagged seems to invest in mountain cabins and beach locations...all listed on her profile. I assume you will buy a lake house nearby? That you can also use? Or is this strictly a business you want to run long distance? I guess that is the first question.

@Scott Mac Probably, a warm gray or greige. Think of it as a variation of builders beige, a grayer beige. Almond or yellow beige is out. Taupe or a pink-toned beige is supposedly coming into style, but I think renters would still prefer greige, beige, tan or cream. For newer builds maybe white or off white. Just imo.

@Christina Madison Thats a good compromise. My elderly parents bought a corporate owned condo without inspection because they assumed a large national corporation would have routinely maintained and repaired their property. Turned out not only had the corporate executive known about a flat roof leak into floor ductwork...huge mess...and not disclosed it, he had the damage repainted to disguise it. Attorney in family took them to court and got them to take the property back, after a year of much stress, clean up, etc. But it was 1.5 year of appreciation so back in the market to spend more on a replacement (and the corporation came out well due to appreciation too, which is a shame).

@Christopher Murphy Yes, tour it, and see what you can see. There should be a property disclosure sheet completed by the owner. And most offers to buy make the offer contingent on an inspection. A good inspector will make a note of systems that while functioning might be dangerous or might be nearing the end of its lifespan. You could call a plumber and ask for a ballpark on replacing cast iron in a 2 bath, two kitchen, 1400 sq ft house. Ditto galvanized pipe. Electrician for a rewire. Etc. Foundation repairs vary and the trees may not be damaging the foundation, but you could call and see how much to cut down a tree...if they can cut it low you can just use chemicals to kill the stump and let it rot. No way to ballpark a foundation repair but if there is evidence of shifting the inspector will recommend getting an opinion from a pro. Good luck!

@Yue Lehman Sorry you had to go through that. Thanks for sharing.

@Christopher Murphy How much will it cost to fix and how soon can you earn enough to pay for the fix by renting out one side? If doors and windows don't operate well, if they bind not due to multiple layers of paint, you likely have an issue. Bigger questions might be original wiring, galvanized supply lines and cast iron? It all comes down to money. If you can pay to replace worn or failing systems out of earnings over time, from renting out one side, it might be a plan. Especially if the location is where you want to live and it is habitable in its current condition.