All Forum Posts by: Marian Smith

@Babu Ramadoss If you are replacing the flooring and the house is vacant it is a much easier job for a painter. Get 3 bids. Might look at nextdoor or neighborhood facebook page for recommendations. And specify paint if you want good quality, no promar 400. I would be tempted to try behr scuffproof in flat.

Texas has no income tax and property tax makes up for that.  Taxes are high.  Prices are very high relative to local incomes.  No cashflow and contractors are scarce if you need to repair almost anything.  There is buildable land in every direction and while it will take years, builders always catch up and usually overbuild.  However, there are jobs and more jobs coming.  Prices will no doubt hold and imo worse case is a plateau if you are reasonably close in...appreciate with inflation at minimum.  But many investors are wondering if they should hold or sell into the frenzy.  You would be the frenzy.  

@Jerome Morelos I replace boxes only if I reconfigure the space. Can you fit a lazy susan in the corner? Use that blind space? If not, just buy new shaker doors/fronts off cabinet door world, etc. You can buy new drawer boxes too, but new drawer glides are what makes them feel new. Or repaint existing. Insides a high gloss white to wipe clean. Clean is what matters to tenants, but the new fronts will have concealed hinges for a less cluttered look. Tenants want easy care, so smooth countertops. The ikea laminates are in stock, cheap and nice colors. Lowes has a line without integral backsplash (bashsplashes are nice water damage insurance in rentals but not as stylish and they also allow you to just paint the rest of the wall behind the counters). I like white cabinets, charcoal/ black countertops, and a cute 8" black and white patterned tile backsplash. It gives the kitchen a custom look very inexpensively. White subway would be more classic but I feel you could paint the patterned tile white in the future...or any color if need be.

@Tikka Koti Are you planning on adding a second building and now the lot size is too small per zoning? Or what you considered part of the parcel is now known to be a neighbor's land? Or just feel cheated? Because if you were happy with the house prior to discovering the lot was smaller than stated then just buy it...or forfeit your deposit if you think it will eat at you forever. Everyone gets buyers remorse. There is also remorse for not buying. I have suffered both.

@Jacob Beg People pay 50k and more for an in ground pool. Why not sell to someone who wants a pool. I paid about 5k to replaster with a quartz chip product and retile the perimeter with blue pool tile a few years back. Big pool. A pump is $200-250 x 2 if you want a pool vac pump. We had a diatomaceous earth filter and an in line automatic chlorinator. Thats about it. Not complicated. So for a little above the price of removing a pool you can add value...unless no one wants a pool in your area. They pay up quite a bit for one here, central Texas.

@Joe S. I have gone from laminate to lvt and am circling back to laminate. We just got a rental back after 10 years. Single mom, 2 kids, large dog (pyraneese). The home selections or somesuch from Home Depot @ 79 sq ft was in fantastic condition except in kitchen, which wasn't too bad. But the Brazilian cherry color is now dated, which is the point. Everything is dated after 10 years so might as well do the lakeshore pecan or castle gray in laminate for $.79 vs 3$ sq ft and have it be dated in 10 years. New builds here have gone from gray to white oak or blonde pine. And a lot of the cheap stuff looks great despite the comments and installs great, too. just my opinion.

@Dorys Prentice With roommates it is smart to require each person to qualify for the entire rent. Boyfriend/girlfriend break up, etc. In your case, big fight or someone gets fired, etc. This policy allows you to turn them down. Adopt it.

Also, does your city have restrictions on # of unrelated people living in one house? Single family zoned for "families"? You could get a citation.

@Russell Brazil @Corby Goade The NYTimes journalist asked the question.  I think her question was centered on investor speculation: average investors, crazy optimistic cash flush California investors and young homebuyers focusing on scoring some amazing appreciation to then start a side business in real estate.  Plus the ease and fun of shopping online.  So is this the new normal?  IDK, but Austin is hot. Or was when the interviews took place.

@Phillip Vallelunga I bought a house with epoxy coated concrete floors. It was quite slick when wet. We put a thin (so inexpensive) click lock wood look vinyl over it which looked quite good due to the smooth concrete. The epoxy was an unattractive solid tan. I am sure a marble look would be nicer. Here everyone wants a wood floor.

@Nina Hayden and thanks! ever so much!