All Forum Posts by: Nathan Grubb

I've been using Avail for a couple years now and I've really liked it.

I am currently going through the BRRRR process for a 2-flat. I live in the lower unit.

I have about 7 years experience working for remodeling companies and feel pretty confident in my rehab work, but I have a refinancing question.

If I add a second bathroom to the lower unit, I would like to just do it all myself. But that might mean doing it without a permit.

When I go to refinance, are banks going to pull those kinds of records when counting an added bathroom?

@Steven Hamilton II hey cool! I actually work in Grayslake.

@Sean Lambert got it right!

I asked my father-in-law, who has done a fair amount of remodeling in some of the wealthier neighborhoods in this area. He told me it was popular in the 80s and 90s among his wealthier clients who found the condensation to be unsightly. But he's noticed that as insulation systems got better, and central A/C systems got better, fewer and fewer people wanted or needed them.

And @Pete Barrow, you are soooo right. The piping in this house looks like it was mapped off of that old Python game from Windows 95. I'm definitely planning to rip out, at least, the galvanized drain pipes in the house. So far I've already had two of them rust completely shut in the year I've owned it. Fun stuff.

My wife and I purchased our first how this year. It's a duplex and we are hacking it, living in one of the two units. One of the bedrooms in our unit is used solely as an office for our business-related work (or at least it was last year; it's a baby room this year).

While reporting the rental income, and taking deductions, would it be better to file as self-employed or sole proprietor? Or, do I even need to declare something like that? What have you found to be the most beneficial?

Some other points of interest:

Yes, we own the property in our names.
No, we don't have an LLC or any other kind of entity.
I have a W2 job, and up until September, so did my wife. However, she did not quite that job to do real estate, she quit to go back to school.
I have a meeting with a CPA coming up, but after hearing so many horror stories of CPAs claiming they know real estate when they don't....I was hoping the BP community could give me a feel for the wind.

So, I'm examining the plumbing for my bathroom that sits in the joists of the basement, and I notice the valve pictured here.

One side is hot, the other is cold. From what I can tell, hot is on full-open and cold is completely shut.

The middle line runs to......the toilet.

Yep. The toilet.

Why on earth would someone plumb a valve just before my toilet, and then set it to ONLY feed HOT WATER to the toilet bowl?!?!?

Suggestions? Wisdom? Wisecracks? All welcome.

There's a lot of little "upgrades" you can do when renovating a rental property that are the "cherry on top" of an already well done job. Examples are things like:

-Granite countertops instead of formica
-5/8" drywall instead of 1/2" drywall
-ceramic tile instead of linoleum

What is your favorite upgrade that is most worth the money? 

@John Teachout great point. Frankly didn't even think of that. If they sufficiently cooled the kitchen with a window unit, and the attic space above is hot, then the poorly insulated ceiling would still form condensation in the same way, wouln't it? But it would be on the warm side. In this case, that is the non-plastic side of the panel, which would explain a lot.

 Thankfully, yes, I can drywall and the process itself isn't my concern. The ceiling is actually BARELY insulated, which is something I hope to remedy during this process as well, and before winter comes.

But I think your advice is right: I need to start seriously considering the central air. 

@Vicky L. ha! Ain't that the truth? I have to say though, I didn't even think of a humidity sensing bathroom fan, but I am totally going to look into that now.

@John Teachout that's a good perspective to have. I think if we redo that bathroom, we will probably do cement board with a membrane. I actually believe, but don't quote me, that cement board is code in my area for the whole shower.

Since it's the kitchen, we're really looking at vapor contact via humidity in the air. But being in Georgia, it's super interesting to hear that your humidity hasn't affected it that way. I was in Georgia once. I got a speeding ticket from the most polite police officer I've ever met, and lost 4 pounds from sweating alone. It would've been more, but the family I stayed with kept feeding me various forms of deliciously deep fried pork at every meal.