All Forum Posts by: Michael Campbell

Good info - thank you.

Have you had one of these inspections done?

Justin, have you thought about options for reducing your utility costs without major upgrades?  I imagine that a tenant who doesn't pay for utilities doesn't care much about running the heat or AC all day or leaving their lights on.

Do you have programmable thermostats?  Maybe you can work with your tenants and set a thermostat schedule that is in line with their schedules?  

What are your setpoints for heating and cooling?  Do you control these systems or do the tenanst control them?  

Replacing incandescent lighting with CFL's could also save you some money.

Steve, can you elaborate?  Where did you find this information about the annual inspections?  I was just looking at Bridgeport's code book and only found the following regarding inspection of rental properties: 

§ 425-7 Inspections; right of entry. The Building Inspector is authorized and directed to conduct inspections from time to time to determine whether there has been compliance with the registration provisions of this article; provided, however, that no such inspection shall be made without prior notice to the owner and occupants of the structure and no inspection shall be made at times other than during normal business hours unless authorized by the owner and occupant. For such purpose and subject to the qualifications herein set forth, the Building Inspector is authorized, upon justification based upon a reasonable belief of the existence of a violation, to enter and examine any dwelling or yard, or part of either, at reasonable times, and every owner shall provide him access thereto.

Thanks everyone for the input.  It seems like the appropriate solutions is very specific to the region, so I'll talk to a local nursery.

Hello!

I own a rental property that sits on top of a hill with a very steep front yard. Parking is in the back of the house, and the front yard is never used.  The grass is a pain to cut because of the steep hills.  Does anyone have any ideas for maintenance-free alternatives?  I've seen some houses that look like they have ivy lawns instead of grass.  Has anyone done this before?  How difficult would it be to replace grass with ivy or some other alternative?

Thanks in advance,

Mike

Hey Erik,

I realize I'm a little late to the party here, but I thought I'd add my two cents anyway.  I just bought my first house in Bridgeport (a duplex fixer-upper).  I was initially looking in Conshohocken, but like you said, I felt like I had missed the boat.  So, once I came to that conclusion, I began searching elsewhere and Bridgeport seemed like a great option.  I think there is a lot of room for the market to grow, and I can't help but feel a lot of people are going to be deterred from Conshohocken by the increasing prices and start looking at Bridgeport.

Best of luck to you!

I'm in the process of buying my first house, which is a duplex. I just had my offer accepted and now I'm trying to work out the financing. I spoke with my mortgage advisor today and he says that with a duplex and a conventional loan, I will be required to put at least 15% down, which changes things pretty significantly for me. I made the offer assuming I could do conventional financing with 5% down. I looked at an FHA loan, but the monthly payments will be higher than I'd like. Has anyone else encountered this issue?

The lease states:

"...upon termination of the lease, the entire remaining balance of unpaid rent for the remaining term of this lease shall accelerate, whereby the entire sum shall become immediately due, payable, and collectable."

I realize that not all leases are the same, but there are certainly things to expect in any lease, and I'm just wondering what the penalties are in a typical lease for moving out early.

Based on the lease, it sounds like I owe for the entire lease term. That is the part that had me confused. If/when I decide to move out, I will discuss it with my landlord. Thanks for the help.