All Forum Posts by: Martin Neal

@Greg M.

You’re right about the entire kitchen being off. Again, I tried to save some cabinets, save the flooring, make it all come together and it didn’t work out as planned. Normally I try to redo everything to ensure it all flows and match but it didn’t work here. I hate the brown tile and probably need to re-tile the entire kitchen. In other townhouses, the stove is where the fridge is and vise versa. This is a class C property so I didn’t want to go overboard. A hood will be placed over the range.

@Brian Pulaski

You are right about trying to make them match and it didn’t work. I intend to put hardware and a hood up but took this picture after seeing this for the first time. The cabinet does hit the stove and I didn’t realize it until shortly after buying the stove. I want to move the stove all together because it’s so weird where it is. I’m getting close to the end of my budget but I will happily spend it to fix this design problem. Thanks for your input.

@Kai Van Leuven I am a fairly young guy too but people always tell me I act very mature for my age so I guess my advice would be to dress the part, act the part, look the part.

Here is my process:

Right on the phone, I weed people out with basic questions:

Why are you moving??

How soon are you looking to move??

What is your credit like??

Any criminal history??

How much do you make monthly??

How long have you’ve been with your current employer??

Any Evictions??

After all of those questions, I say to them this, It appears that you are not qualified because (insert reason here i.e. you don’t make enough money to pay the rent, I require 3 times and you only make 1 times the amount before taxes), however, You are welcome to fill out a application and we will screen and consider all applicants accordingly.

All the bad seeds typically drop out right there. None of the questions I asked are discriminatory and are fair questions to ask.

Just be patient and wait for the right one to come along. If it goes months without renting then you have to question your product and your monthly price.

@Natalie Schanne That’s a good idea. I took the photos so I could start advertising for rent. I like to do the same with my rentals as you do. I’m getting about $35psf for granite as well. Thank you!

@Mike McCarthy Thanks Mike. Hardware is coming but it was not put on just yet.

Hello BP Sorry for the errors in advance, accidentally pressed post before I was ready. I'm renovating a kitchen and the cabinets did not turn out as expected. I brought the top cabinets and tried to save/salvage the bottom cabinets. I had both cabinets sanded and stained and this was the results. This is a 2 bedroom rental that I expect to bring in $1000-$1100 a month on the south side of Chicago. I wondering how I should proceed. 

Option A: Leave it as is (Cost $0)

Option B: Have the cabinets professionally painted gray, black or blue ($950-1200)

Option C: Buy new Expresso cabinets ($1800)

I'm a strong believer in "the style of your unit will attraction a certain type of tenant". I don't want to attract a bad tenant who likes mediocre or substandard quality but I don't want to waste money if this is an acceptable kitchen either. I have hardwood on the first floor and laminate on the second floor.  What is your opinion?? Thanks in advance.

@Tim Krouse I’ve seen wholesalers have one contract supersede another or as an addendum to the standard contract. Either way, they get paid.

@Fred Thimme I would definitely get the third bed. It will accommodate more guest and allow you to earn more quicker to buy the W&D.

@Christopher Reeder Rehab Cost?? Total Rents?? Sounds like a good deal.

@Shawn Dawson define what you want from life. Listen to the podcasts. Read the BiggerPockets books. Formulate a plan. Execute it.