All Forum Posts by: Peter Burnside

Had a pipe blowout almost three months ago. Kitchen and basement are torn up from the water remediation and the insurance company has not yet given the go-ahead for the repairs.  Tenants have put rent in escrow until the repairs are done and are asking for a reduction in rent for the duration of the incident.  Insurance will cover lost rent if the house is not livable, but will not cover an inconvenience loss/ reduction in rent.  What would your next step be?

I've seen some other very helpful posts on emotional support animals.  I'm checking in particular on what questions I can ask.  Let's say it's a large dog, a breed frequently used as a guard dog, in a neighborhood with many small children.

In order to determine whether the animal poses a threat to the health and safety of others, can I not ask about the animal's training and temperament?

Seems like I can, following MN housing law below, but applicant does not agree.  Wondering what questions you ask in these cases.

I have a basement wall with some horizontal cracks and a bit of stair-stepping.  The inward tipping is between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch (difference between top and bottom of 7 foot wall) .There was a water issue because the driveway on the side of the house was tilted toward the house. I'm going to fix the driveway and water issue.

The basement guys would like to sell me support beams at about 10k, but can't really tell me whether or not this is a serious issue.  70 year old house.  Most of the wall looks fine. What are your thoughts on this?

I'm looking for a property manager for a SFH in St Paul. I'm especially interested in recommendations from owners.

A plumber installed a new kitchen faucet.  About 3 weeks later, the coupling to the galvanized pipe failed, causing a LOT of water damage.  To what extent is the plumber liable? And how would I pursue this?

Ugh. This follows my galvanized pipe post. Pipe burst in the kitchen and flooded cabinets, floor, basement ceiling and carpet, etc.

This is going to be well above my insurance deductible of $3200. I'm guessing it may approach 7-10k or more. I have a property manager working with vendors and I can't get to the property myself for another 2 weeks.

Any advice on working with the insurance company for the best outcome?

So this coupling failed and caused a lot of water damage.  House is about 65 years old.  Is the galvanized pipe the problem?  The plumber cleaned it, taped, and doped and cranked a new coupling on it, but I wonder how long it will last.  What should I look at/look for when assessing the condition of the pipes?

Is there a logic to pricing rent relative to the cost of paying a mortgage on the property if someone were to buy it at today's rates?

Ex. my current properties rent for about 112% of what someone would pay in a mortgage payment with 20% down if they bought the property now. (of course, my payment is much lower than someone would pay now, because I've held these a while)  Just wondering if anyone uses a rule like this in determining rent (in an area where there are few comps).

Let me know if you have a PM to recommend in central MN.  Thanks.