All Forum Posts by: M Marie M.

I take it that you are managing the property and not using a property manager?

My first gut feeling, and that's all it is, not legal advice, is to change the locks. Take pictures of the unit before you clean up the evidence of his abandonment and trash. I'm not familiar with the tenant laws of Virginia. Address this with your lawyer, and you're going to have to talk to a lawyer.

The government is gonna shut down (unless Pope Frank worked some miracle) soon, so find out if he's still working for HUD while you can.

@Brandon Turner that's sad, but fortunately there is insurance.

Recently a friend's apartment house (he's a renter) was PURPOSEFULLY set on fire by another tenant who had mental health problems. Luckily everyone got out alive. Unfortunately not everyone had renter's insurance.

I don't know if screening can help with mental diseases, that at the time of screening are controlled with meds.

You had maybe 7 good years. Your tenant can't live there. Now you can decide to start anew (demolish, sell the land, buy a new property and use the losses for taxes) or or rebuild. See part of this as a gift.

Yes, be careful.

There are a few scenarios of how a PA residence can be your primary residence while you spend time in DC. But you need to spend a lot of time in PA, pay income taxes in PA, have your car registered and drivers license in PA. If you're planning to rent to roommates, they'd be the ones to rat you out to local authorities if you are not spending enough time there. Also where your car is registered will be another thing that will expose you particularly if you park a car with out of state tags on the street in the District of Columbia.

Also beware of doing anything that can get you accused of mortgage fraud. I was on a federal grand jury, can't say anything about the crime, but amazingly even little white lies can be considered fraud if the district attorney is really out to get you.

@Donna Welschmeyer thanks for sharing.

I take it no references were checked with the 3 contractors?

On #4, did you ever get detailed invoices? I've had only one GC and his office started slipping and just sending me an email of "pay this amount", I used to get lovely tables detailing what I was paying for. I had to email back and insist on some detail because of change orders.

I totally agree with @Craig Wilcox. I tried getting a loan on the house I bought free and clear, but the appraiser had issues. The AC unit (heat works fine) that wasn't working when I bought the place and I hadn't bothered to remove it bugged him and the bank (SunTrust) asked me to fix it before they'd continue forward. There were a ton of little things before this point and I decided to heck with 'em and walked away. So the house never got financed or refinanced.  This was in 2013.

It's something I know I'll have to deal when I get ready to sell.

I'm sure I could have eventually found someone else to put a loan on that house. But I found a unsecured loan that was less of a pain since I only really needed $20K.

Hi there fellow citizen of the DMV welcome to BP.

 Buy- Rehab- Rent-Refinance-Repeat

Sound like you need to find a general contractor, a good general contractor. One where you've contacted his/her references and went to see his last or more recent job.

Yes, you are paying a contractor to do the work you don't have the stomach or tolerance or whatever for. Me, I don't have the time nor the skill. There are some things I can do (replace the fan in the bathroom; build wonky looking radiator covers; tile a shower), but many things I can't do and I have a full time job.

It also helps to find a contractor who can work with you and vis versa. Maybe you can find someone who is willing to charge for materials and labor. And even with a GC you will still need to be on top of things (checking in on the job site every other day) making sure things are being done to plan.

And have a plan. Drawings. Be they something you drew up or from an architect or designer.

Don't.

Ask yourself what are you doing exactly? Are you just postponing a problem and then your renter will have to pay two months rent next month. Are you creating a situation where they are going to get behind? Are you delaying the inevitable?

If it is a matter of a few weeks because your renter was hit by a semi was in the hospital for a month and is lucky to be alive, that's one thing. In that case, extend a little grace or later refund the late fee depending on the language of the lease. Otherwise, don't. 

Make sure you're not digging a hole for you and your tenant. For a lot of people rent is a huge chunk of their take home and it is hard to make up after getting behind. You're doing them and yourself a disservice.

Don't let it slide, talk to your tenant and figure out how this realistically ends.

 **groan**