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All Forum Posts by: Wesley W.

Wesley W. has started 112 posts and replied 1915 times.

Post: Letter to tenants when building is being sold

Wesley W.#1 General Landlording & Rental Properties ContributorPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • The Vampire State
  • Posts 1,952
  • Votes 2,413
Quote from @Steve K.:

Calvin’s template sums it up nicely. I might just add a line like this about the existing lease transferring: “You can be assured that all of the terms of your existing lease, including rent amount for the duration of the lease, will remain in place even once the property is under new ownership, as the new owner will be obligated to honor all of the terms of your existing lease.” I find this helps calm some of the anxiety that tenants may have about the property being sold. I also try to minimize the impact on tenants by stacking showings all at once during a “showing window” on a Saturday or Sunday so they aren’t bothered by a bunch of individual showings. I also like to do a pre-inspection and fix most of the stuff on the inspection so I can give that to potential buyers and ask them to write their offer considering the current condition and with as much “as-is” language/ contingencies as they feel comfortable with. I also price the property such that I usually get multiple offers and at least one that is “as-is” so that the transaction is clean. Nothing is worse than having multiple cycles of flaky buyers with a bunch of contingencies in their contracts having multiple inspections at an occupied MF, buyers coming through talking to tenants and talking about stuff that is wrong with the property and mentioning mold tests, etc. There is a huge benefit to setting it up so you get a clean offer and limit the impact on the tenants as much as possible. A great listing agent who specializes in this property type will help you with all of this, and can possibly even get the property sold to a buyer they already know with little fuss so you don’t even have to tell the tenants until after the sale, which is ideal. 


 Valuable feedback. This is just what I was looking for.  Thank you!

Post: Letter to tenants when building is being sold

Wesley W.#1 General Landlording & Rental Properties ContributorPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • The Vampire State
  • Posts 1,952
  • Votes 2,413
Quote from @Calvin Thomas:
Quote from @Wesley W.:

@Calvin Thomas

I self manage.  I am the single point of contact for tenants.

I guess I'm not asking the question I need the answer to.

Consider reviewing these templates. 


 Thanks, Calvin!

Post: Letter to tenants when building is being sold

Wesley W.#1 General Landlording & Rental Properties ContributorPosted
  • Rental Property Investor
  • The Vampire State
  • Posts 1,952
  • Votes 2,413

@Calvin Thomas

I self manage.  I am the single point of contact for tenants.

I guess I'm not asking the question I need the answer to.

Post: Letter to tenants when building is being sold

Wesley W.#1 General Landlording & Rental Properties ContributorPosted
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@Charles Carillo Interesting.  I imagine this may be market specific.  Here, prospective buyers typically walk through small multifamily properties while it's listed for sale.  Then, there's an official "walkthrough" and inspection (if desired) that is also performed during due diligence when the property is pending.

The only exception I have seen as a buyer is one time, a listing for a 6-unit building required the property to be under contract before a walkthrough.  This was at the height of the buying frenzy a few years ago when loan rates were virtually de minimus, so the sellers were doing all sorts of things that defied local custom.  Anyways - we got the property under contract, then when we walked through, it was the proverbial dumpster fire.  Each tenant was living in filthy conditions, there were structural issues, code violations, unsafe conditions, etc.  This property was being marketed as turnkey.  The pictures in the listing did not accurately reflect the reality.  Needless to say we canceled the contract.  I'd never do it that way again.  I felt like I was buying a pig in poke, whereas a 15 minute viewing would have saved a lot of people lots of time.

In your market, investors are happy to put down an EMD without putting eyes on the inside of the asset? To me, on a retail property that's just bananas.

Every occupied small multi I have purchased in my market has been marketed as described in my initial paragraph.

Post: Letter to tenants when building is being sold

Wesley W.#1 General Landlording & Rental Properties ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Charles Carillo:

@Wesley W.

I am unsure if I would send a letter when a building is being sold. Buyers back out, and now you must calm them as they know you are not sticking around with a property on the market. I would only send one once the property has been sold. Personally, I have only sent letters to tenants when buying or when changing management; never when I have sold.

An interesting take.  Have you sold occupied buildings before?  Since there will be a real estate sign placed in the yard, and buyers agents will be bringing their clients through the occupied units to tour the property on a regular basis, I'd like to get out in front of this to set expectations and inform my tenants directly before they come to that conclusion on their own.  

At the very least, I am required to give proper notice of entry for the appointments.  I can only imagine how the showings would go if I blew off my tenants and did not inform them of my intent to sell and the processes associated to that end.

Post: Letter to tenants when building is being sold

Wesley W.#1 General Landlording & Rental Properties ContributorPosted
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Does anyone have a template they can share that they send to tenants when they are selling an occupied building?

Any other feedback on the process is welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Post: Choose Your Tenant!

Wesley W.#1 General Landlording & Rental Properties ContributorPosted
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I stopped reading Prospect #2 when I got to her income.

There is a reason why landlords have a minimum income requirement.  This lady might be Mother Theresa, but the first time she has a major expense (car breaks down, etc.) you may be left holding the bag. 

Prospect #1: I don't like the fact this guy was not forthright about rental history.  Tenants are at their best during the application process.  I don't get any better from this point.  When people show you their character, listen to them.

I don't care about their savings.  People have different spending habits.  If I ask them for move-in fees (2xrent plus pet fees), and they don't have it - that's when I get concerned.  They know they are moving, so should have planned ahead for those expenses.

What is your pet policy?  You have a chance to increase your revenue, so large dogs would be okay with me unless they were a viscous breed, but I would charge twice the monthly pet fee for two pets.

As someone else said, you are trying too hard to be a matchmaker.  A lot of your concerns are the tenants' decision.  They picked the apartment and the neighborhood; you didn't misrepresent anything.  People that live in the same building have to work it out and get along.

TL;DR: I would pass on both and keep looking.  Tenant screening is 90% of the game.

P.S.  I would get rid of the carpet at some point.  It retains odors, and most people get skeeved out by all the material that collects in there from previous tenants.  LVP would be much easier to clean on turns, and does not come with the health concerns that folks have with carpet.

If you are able to in your jurisdiction, you can collect an extra security depsit if you are worried about carpet damage from pets.

Post: Anooying and persistent agent

Wesley W.#1 General Landlording & Rental Properties ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Erik Estrada:
Quote from @Tina Lee:

Hi,

I posted a rental online, and an agent emailed me about his tenant, who has an unqualified credit score (around 600). I already had someone interested in submitting an application, so I did not reply to the agent’s email.

His email included attachments, such as a Fair Housing PDF and other legal documents, which I did not want to engage with. He sent 2 follow up emails, and I took down the listing about three days ago, yet he is still emailing me his client’s information along with the Fair Housing PDF and other documents.

I do not want to deal with pushy people or those who try to pressure me. The applicant I have now has a 720 credit score and is well-qualified.

Can I just ignore this agent since the listing is already removed, or should I formally inform him that the apartment is off the market? I mean what kind of agent will email you 3 emails in 1 week without you even reply to them 

Thank you.


 That's the problem. 

If you are ignoring the agent and not telling him it has already been rented, in his or her's head she is thinking, you have not gotten her email or it went to spam. 

There is no use in you ignoring the agent. That's just an unprofessional way to conduct business. She is obviously trying to help you secure a tenant, although not qualified to your standards, she is doing her job. 

Instead of ignoring her, you should kindly respond to her email and say it has been rented already. You never know. Maybe she might bring you another tenant for another future property that you may need a tenant for. Treat others with respect, and people will respect you back. 

 I have a different take.  This real estate agent should be savvy enough to read an ad and determine that her client is unqualified and move on to another listing.  I think it's unprofessional of HER to be inquiring to the OP, which is a waste of everyone's time.  Ironically, it could be a fair housing violation for the OP to place her client in light of the posted minimum qualifying criteria, which they do not meet.

Post: Anooying and persistent agent

Wesley W.#1 General Landlording & Rental Properties ContributorPosted
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Just tell her it's already been rented.  Without any additional information, it does sounds she was trying to bully you into taking her unqualified client with the fair housing stuff.  It's not her job to ensure you comply; it's YOUR job, and it's kind of condescending of her to send you that material as part of a cold approach.  After you've informed her that the unit has been rented, you don't owe her any additional explanation or justification (and I wouldn't give her one - it could only lead to headaches for you).

That's my take as a self-managing landlord.

Post: Tenant wants us to stop lawn treatments - asking for advice

Wesley W.#1 General Landlording & Rental Properties ContributorPosted
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Quote from @Bill B.:

If you save 2 years of weed treatment payments, how much more do you think it will cost you in two years to treat the weeds? (How much more than you saved.) That’s your only real cost. If you don’t care if they stay you could also have them agree their security deposit will be used to removed any weeds at the end of their lease. 


 He has prepaid for the service.