All Forum Posts by: Mike Koprowski

Outstanding!!!    (major sarcasm here)

I just saw on my news feed that a "we buy ugly houses" franchisee admitted to running a Ponzi scheme......

and we wonder why we get a bad name?

You should have gotten that guy's business card so in a few years when he is losing the property you can "offer him a solution to his problem".

I was listening to some of the older podcasts recently and the guest was talking about a blog post he wrote for BP about what to say to someone when they say "your an investor? you must be a slumlord".  Think I need to go find that post!

Hey @Robert C.,

Was your tile installed on a cement slab? 

The only time I've come across this was when tile was installed over a cement slab that was freshly poured for a new car dealership.  

When moisture is evaporating up though the slab and ultimately through your grout joints you'll get water soluble minerals that are left behind on the surface of the grout, its called "efflorescence", and yes, its very hard to clean.

The only ways to avoid this is to check the subfloor with a moisture meter to be sure it's completely dry or installing a vapor barrier over the slab prior to tile.  I've heard of guys using a concrete sealer prior to installation, but I wouldn't recommend that because it could mess with the mortar adhering to the subfloor properly.  

I haven't heard of it being caused by a different mix from the manufacturer, that should have been worked out in the R&D phase.

I think it leads back to a moisture issue.

Application of an oil based sealer is certainly not supposed to be a necessary step, but sounds like it was a good "fix" for your situation.  

Like I said I've only had this happen to me once, so I hope it only happens to you once as well!

Hey guys,

Wanted to jump into this thread because you have some really valuable insight and I'd like to get your feel for things in our state.  Now, I'm out in western MA which I know may as well be another country as far a Massachusetts is concerned but I was just curious about what your seeing in the overall market.  The days of the 2% (and even 1%) rule seem to be long gone and anything listed on the web that meet the criteria are usually tear-downs.  Are you relying on pocket listings or target mailing to distressed properties or some other method to get your leads?  Clearly we are not competitors so I'd really be interested in hearing about what you guys are doing to pull deals together. Thanks, have a great weekend!

-Mike

@Jesse Rivera, 150hrs!! that is some serious stuff!!  But, hey if you love what you do its not really work right? 

I remember hearing a statistic (possibly on one of the BP podcasts) that it takes more hours of training to become a hairdresser than it does to become a real estate agent.  (Of course I have nothing against the hair dressers of the world).

This may sound a little weird, but if someone told me I had to sit through 150 hours of RE training I think I might be a little excited.....  You gotta soak it all up like a sponge, it can only make you better prepared!

@Joseph M Bongiovanni

Yea, 40 hours of classroom for us here in MA. I remember when it used to be only 24, makes me wish I got it back then. 

There are a ton of different "schools" offering the course, and even a few that will knock it out in two long weekends as opposed to one night a week for a few months.

Hey @Ricardo Murph II,

So, Ill lead off by saying that I've been a self employed tile professional for about 10 years now and I've done everything from the backsplash for the little old lady next door here in Massachusetts to our current project renovating 1150 bathrooms for one of the casino resorts in Connecticut and your question is one I get quite frequently.  

YES, epoxy grout is the very best option you can choose when it comes to grouting tile, its virtually bomb proof.

Its standard to see it in restaurants, hospitals and many commercial applications BUT, it's very expensive like you mentioned and also a serious pain in the a$$ to install.  I wouldn't recommend trying it yourself if you've never done it before. It's one of those things that's really best left to a pro.

But you have a few options...  You can choose a regular cement based grout which is about $14 for a 25lb bag from the big box store and that will cover your two bathrooms, its certainly the least expensive option.  I'd chose a darker grey or darker brown depending on your tile selection.  If you have solid subfloor construction the grout will last a very long time. Also  you can always seal the grout, but that's a maintenance process and needs to be repeated every 6 months or so.  

For my rentals I've been using "premium grout" (each manufacturer has a different name for it)  I like Mapei Flexcolor CQ.  its an acrylic based grout that resists water penetration, stains, mildew and mold so it has the benefit of epoxy without the price tag.  It comes pre-mixed and ready to apply so your looking at about $40 for a half gallon which should cover your bathrooms. 

With all that being said, there is no such thing as maintenance free grout...  it will get dirty, it will hold dirt, you will have to clean it eventually. The key is choosing a darker color that compliments your tile so you have less frequent cleanings.  You'll never recoup the investment you'd put into epoxy, and generally hospitals and restaurants only use it because the health codes require it.  Hope this is some value to you, let me know if you have any other questions I'd be happy to help out where I can. 

Best

-Mike

So far I've never had to deal with someone with an eviction, but from everything I've soaked up from the podcasts, blogs and forums her on BP, I will stay true to my leasing requirements and say NO.  Learn from others mistakes, this is not a "nice guy" endeavor.  Maybe you'll pass on someone that has changed their ways but why roll the dice?  Its cheaper to let a unit stay vacant for a few months than to lease to a bad tenant.

My lease states "a guest staying any more than 7 days" I think 2 weeks is too long and bad habits may start to form. Do you pay any utilities for the tenant? Electricity? Water/sewer? Will a long term guest have any affect your bottom line? If so that's a problem. Also, what if this goes unchecked and he becomes a "permanent" guest... then your leased tenant decides to move out in the middle of the night...but he decides to stay and not pay....that's also a problem, the scenarios are endless. Now, I totally get that as young adults you need to have your freedom to have "one night" overnight guests, or "not so serious relationships" I think you really need to talk frankly with your tenant about the situation. And the limitations that come with renting and see how it goes. She may understand your rules or she may choose to break them. If you have a real talk with her you should get a good idea of how it will play out and hopefully you can make a good decision for your self. Anyone over the age of 18 staying/living in my properties must be screened and meet my rental standards. Remember, it's your property and you most likely worked really hard to get it, don't let someone else put that in jeopardy. Good luck!

Nicely done! I also wish I was more focused at age 21. Keep up the good fight!!

Hey @Drew Zoller,

I had a similar situation with pet urine in my current live-in flip.  The odor was present when I bought the property and even worse once reno started. The stink had penetrated thorough the hardwood floors, through the laminate and padding right into the subfloor.  After a lot of Googling  the BIN 1-2-3 primer was the method of choice. It is a bit pricy but luckily I was only coating the subfloor, so I think I used 3 gallons. Now, you would have never know someone's dog or cat used this house as their personal fire hydrant.  Also, be careful! The primer smells BAD... Like the Monday morning after a frat party bad, I wore a respirator with VOC filters and still felt like I was a 6-pack deep. Good ventilation is a must.

$3-6K seems like a lot but I like to tackle these things myself, so if you have the time to prime the whole house yourself I'd take that route but certainly have a pro do the duct cleaning.

To us non-smokers that smell is instantly evident, and it gets everywhere so you've certainly got a project ahead of you. I hope the "very good price" your getting accounts for the time and effort your going to put into it, or the $$ you'll pay to have someone else do the work.

I wouldn't back out, but maybe there is some room for more negotiation.

Best of luck!