All Forum Posts by: Mary Quinones

I would only buy properties which were Del vetted vacant. Our only tenant headaches come from inherited tenants.

We often buy tile, lighting fixtures and other reno items in Craigslist. Ex. Just picked up 200 sqft of high end glass tile (currently selling for $20 sqft) for $3 sqft. We’ll use some for a backsplash and a fireplace surround in a house we are working on right now, and store the remainder for another rental reno in the future. It is amazing how many people order way too much when they are renovating and then put the leftovers up for sale on Craigslist.

It will likely be around $140K, @Allan Rosso.

Thanks so much @Allan Rosso. I appreciate your quick reply and formula. I was thinking around $80K because, as you said, I do not want to lose out on the property.

I'm interested in a Fannie Mae property which has been in the market for 120 days. It's listed at $119K, having been reduced from $126K a little over a month ago. For what it's worth, Zillow's zestimate is $102K. The house needs about $20K in rehab to make it rentable. Any suggestions on what to offer? It will be an all cash offer. Thanks and be well.

It may be helpful to think about Asbury Park as a square with 4 distinct sections. If you have a map, use Main Street and Asbury Avenue and the dividing lines. The most desirable area is the North East section, followed closely by the North West, then the South East and finally the South West. We have two 2 family houses in the NorthWest and have not had difficulty finding good tenants. We are looking for our next 2 family house in the southern end and will most likely purchase one in the South West with the intention of renovating and holding it for the long haul. There is much infrastructure work being done in the South West and there are many older, formerly grand homes which were converted to multi family houses years ago. One thing to be sure to check is the conversions were done legally. We had to walk away from a fabulous house which was "unofficially" made into a 2 family years back, and current zoning regs prohibited making it a legal 2 family house.

We use Constellation - a pale grayish blue - from the Benjamin Moore Affinity line. Have also used Jute from the same line.

Hi, Michelle, We frequently buy materials (tile, kitchen cabinets, bathroom fixtures, countertops, light fixtures and ceiling fans) as well as appliances on Craigslist. Often contractors and/or homeowners over buy when doing their own renovations and sell the leftovers for a fraction of their original cost. I've also seen paint for Sale (usually an Oops! Mistake).It takes a bit of time and diligence to check every day, but we have done several beautiful renos this way and saved bundles of money. Best of luck to you.

Dish washer

Have you considered using quartz? It is very current, looks great and is so much more durable than granite. ColeenF's suggestion about searching for a remnant is a good one. We've also been successful finding quartz countertops on Craigslist under 'Materials'. That's often a great place to find backsplash tile, particularly for small kitchens and bathrooms. We've bought lots of high end tile for pennies on the dollar - all types, including marble, glass and stone tile - from contractors and home owners who have leftovers after their renovations. Best of luck to you.