All Forum Posts by: Marie S.

I've made the decision to get licensed. It just seemed like the next logical step in my RE journey. I'm so nervous and I can't pin point why. I'm not sure if it's passing the school or passing the licensure test. Is there any part of the process that you would have handled differently as a RE professional? If so, why?

No, I do not allow smoking in the building and no I do not allow tenants in the attic or the basement. This was spelled out in the lease. After rolling back the video of the attic, the offending tenant was given 7 days to leave. They were warned less than 90 days prior about smoking. They received notice in accordance with Iowa law. The kid taped the motion sensors together and removed one side from the door frame. This is how he kept from tripping the alarm. Simple fix...I moved the motion sensors to the inside of the doors. As for the complaining tenant, she has no shortage of things to complain about.

I've never had luck sending bulk letters. I have had luck sending to very specific letters to specific owners and dropping details specific to the property I am trying to buy (or collect a finders fee on). People seem to appreciate the time you spend on the letter and I've only had 8 out of the last 26 letters I've sent not respond. My on-hand cash is limited, and I don't have plans to wholesale. So unfortunately, I don't buy from every person that calls or mails me back an asking price.  I'm a buy and hold kinda gal. If I had the time, energy and money to wholesale, I 'm sure I would have a bit more advice to give.

I 'm not sure what happened in here. It's like a combination of wet welcome mat and burns. It's like... every time I showed up to the apartment, the devil appeared behind the door and snickered as I waited for the tenant to open. It's like the welcome mat scorched the paint right off of the vinyl. For the record, vinyl planks are not indestructible.  Last of the problem tenant gone... FINALLY!

@Pavel Sakurets  I understand not wanting to drive around but is this a " buy bulk unseen" mentality or is this a "Grab a list and drive to the properties on the list" mentality ? You could really miss some gems out there. It's like McDonalds. Everyone thinks that a job there is beneath them, but some one has to make my fries. Some one is getting wealthy off of me buying those fries. Shockingly, those fries are capable of outlasting any of my units. The return on your time invested might be the issue but if you get a list at this point, someone else has the same list and picking over the inventory. 

@Pavel Sakurets 

What you're talking about is specific to certain counties and states. Some cities, states or counties have an abandoned property list. Chicago is notorious for this. I would start looking at one of those offices in your area.

Please tell me @Will Barnard are going public with this? If you don't want to break the news, will you allow someone else? If it's happening to you, it may be or will happen to someone else. I'm sure we can raise $500 bucks and drop this on PRWeb. You can even attach any documents in public record to the press release.

I'm sorry you're having a hard time in this forum. It's hard to answer this question because you're missing some information in your questions.  The questions have been answered many times in many different ways. It just depends on what you're looking for.

My attempt to answer your first question:

If you're looking for empty properties in various conditions that require varying degrees of rehab, it sounds like you want to contact a wholesaler. They generally have lists of properties that they are trying to unload for a small profit.

If you're looking for move-in ready property then you want to find someone with MLS access; usually a real estate agent.

Otherwise, use the search box at the top of the page. Search for the word "list." There's a plethora of posts on the different type of REI lists, from auction notification lists to wholesalers' mailing lists; that might be exactly what you're looking for.

To answer your second question:

In all honesty, @Joel Owen hit the nail on the head. If you are looking for someone and do not know their current whereabouts, you want to involve a skip tracing service or try your hand at it yourself. If you type "skip tracing" in the search box, you get quite a few forum posts on the topic as well. Given that you do not want to go to the Post Office, I don't recommend doing it yourself. Talking to the neighbors helps. They can sometimes tell you "They moved to Alabama..." or "They moved a few blocks away on 2nd Street..." (sometimes they are tasked with pick-up-my-mail duty).

There are no easy, straight-to-the-point answers . Can you give us a little more information on the type of properties you're looking for? Price range? SFR, Multi, Mixed use? Condition requirements? Preferred method of acquisition?

Good luck. If you decide to stand up the organizations and get the word, there  are organizations that will help. Get with your local VFW, AMVETS, AUSA, and American Legion chapters.

It appears it was a compound issue. i found where the teen of another tenant went to smoke in the attic. They left the window open. The cold air was blowing directly on the ductwork. Not to mention that there were small gaps in the floor where you could see in the place. The insulation had compacted and separated. Also on the the brackets holding the duct broke leaving a small gap where the duct bends. Needless to say, the room is now the warmest in the apartment. Hopefully I won't get any complaints about that.