All Forum Posts by: Marcus Curtis

There are several factors that may be causing this and moisture may or may not be the true culprit. I assume this is solid hardwood floors? If so, you might want to consult a different installer. There should have been a vapor barrier/sound deadener installed on the subfloor prior to the hardwoods. This will help with vapor rising from down below.

A more realistic culprit in my opinion would be improper installation. There are two things to look at/recall. One, the flooring should have been stored in the room it was to be installed in for at least two days prior to being installed. This helps it acclimate to the environment and prevents any rapid shifting and expanding after installation. Secondly, there should have been an expansion gap provided during install. Simple really, this is simply a gap that is about a penny thickness wide every 6-8 feet. This allows additional room for expansion when the wood swells during higher humidity.

When in doubt, get a second opinion. I would say call another flooring guy to look at it.

If a landlord discriminates against an individual with a service animal (cat, dog, miniature pony etc.) they are in violation of Federal Fair Housing laws. They also are not allowed to charge a "pet deposit" or fee of any sorts.

The tenant must still qualify under rental criteria which is why it is important for any landlord of any size to have a written list of criteria.

Tenants are still responsible for their animals, it's poop, the damages it causes and if it is disrupting the Peace and Quite Enjoyment for any other residents they can receive a violation and lease may be terminated on that basis.

You can ask, after the tenant brings up that they have a service animal, for proof of disability and the need for the animal from a licensed doctor. Also, remember that medical information cannot be relayed via electronic communications under new medical records laws.

Nalo,

Putting interest rate aside let's focus on your goal at hand. You mentioned you wanted to save for your next investment property. I get that. But you also have the overhead of this car note each and every month.

Lets say your monthly payment is $300. You have 18 month remaining. In those 18 months you will end up paying $5,400 towards the car payments. Yeah, that would be nice to have in your bank account bring to the table when the right opportunity comes along to invest in another property. But what is the opportunity cost of continuing the financing on the car?

Each month you pay that $300 per month you are losing the ability to save $300 per month. Your greatest tool to saving is your income- right now you are $300 short of what your income COULD be.

Regardless of the interest rate, where best your money can perform and whether or not you are going to come across a deal to move on in the next 18 months; Why not pay it off and BE DONE WITH IT?

In my opinion, if you have a deal show up and $5,400 is what is keeping you from making the move you, being the high spirited entrepreneurial investor you are, will find a way to raise the money and lock in on the deal.

In my opinion, give yourself a win. Kill the debt and move on to focus on bigger and better things that will bring value to your life rather than remove it.

Adam,

I think the one thing to keep in mind when it comes to appealing your property taxes is that it has nothing to do with the true, market value of the property. The assessments are based off the millage rate (% per every $1,000 in assessed value). It has nothing to do in most cases with the income of the property, the real market value of it or anything else.

Your goal should be to convince the assessor that your taxes are unfair in comparison to neighboring properties within your neighborhood. So, the best thing you can do to be prepared is to point out to them that the Johnson's house down the block has a annual property tax $500 less than yours and the Peterson's house has a property tax $800 less.

If they cannot offer any reasoning behind the higher tax basis then they will have to reduce their assessment.

Several years back I closed doors to a failed business I started. I had outstanding payables of around $10,000 but had attempted to recover the funds many times with no success. Fast forward, just as in your case, I had closed the LLC and liquidated all assets.

I received a letter one day from a company that bought out one of the debtors with a balance of $8200 owed to me. Thankfully, all I needed to do is contact my Secretary of State to reinstate the LLC and DBA to setup a bank account.

My bankers worked with me in opening an account and closing it out as soon as I could cash the check. In short, just go and open your LLC and cash that check!

I would then charge them for the labor & materials (plus administrative fees of $50) for the damage. If it cannot be restored to its original condition then I would dock their SD or charge the rental account.

Of course, that is my interpretation. You should double check the lease to make sure their is no specific language regarding SD and damage charges.

My Dictionary defines buying as the following:

So, in essence, you are buying- you are obtaining the right to through the contract. Regardless if you the sell this to another to buy you are still essentially buying.

If you think about it, most folks never truly BUY a property anyways. Rather, they are buying the right to in exchange for (mortgage & deed). I could only imagine what a room full if modern day philosophers could come up with from this dilemma.

Eric- Where in Wisconsin is your deal? My first gut reaction is to recommend Citizen State Bank- They have an impressive lending rate and often times manually underwrite loans in-house.

Let me know what areas you are working in Wisconsin... I have a couple folks on the ground out there.

I would recommend contacting local Property Management companies. While you can hire an independent property manager you are going to want to make sure that whomever you hire has the team, resources and most of all the experience and knowledge to operate your assets.

There is a major, major difference between a legitimate property manager and a true property management professional that comes with industry and market knowledge.

Great Information!