All Forum Posts by: Ben Skove

Yuliany,

I think I have more questions than answers. What do the current residents have to say about it? Other neighbors in the area? Is there any uptick in crime in the immediate area?

Is this is more of problem in regards to appearances, rather than the ex-cons causing problems in the vicinity? (If you pull a crime stats map, does it appear worse in the immediate area?)

Are the current rents in line with the area, or are they appreciably lower due to location?

I disabled tabs the same day gmail implemented 'em, so I haven't had the problem of the mystery of the disappearing newsletter...plus the program seems to have learned not to send it to spam, given that it gets read on a regular basis!

Box gutters...they're a lovely, historic element. They're architecturally distinct. The gutters themselves rarely clog.

But I hate 'em. I hate seeing them on a potential rehab. I know that almost inevitably they are going to need to be relined or rebuilt, and that it'll cost many thousands of dollars, turning a possible rehab into a pass.

However, looking at a house where everything else seems to fall into place, I wonder if anyone's had success with alternate, though less long-lasting, repairs. I've seen people do various types of rubber coatings, and even truck bed liner material, but have had the impression that these are temporary measures to buy a year or two before more definitive action is taken.

Has anyone found a cheaper but not shoddy way of repairing box gutters?

Thanks for that reference, Steve. Very useful.

@Duncan Taylor brings up good points. Here is the HUD 2013 information on service animals.

Given that some dogs provide therapy-type assistance to vets with PTSD or others with emotional disabilities, the disability may not be obvious. You are allowed to ask for documentation in those cases. Interestingly, you are NOT allowed to ask for documentation or medical records when the disability is readily apparent; in other words, you can't try to document how extensive a visible disability is.

As far as the types of dogs involved, here is a quote:

Breed, size, and weight limitations may not be applied to an assistance animal. A determination that an assistance animal poses a direct threat of harm to others or would cause substantial physical damage to the property of others must be based on an individualized assessment that relies on objective evidence about the specific animal's actual conduct — not on mere speculation or fear about the types of harm or damage an animal may cause and not on evidence about harm or damage that other animals have caused.

However, according to the Pet Ownership for the Elderly and Persons With Disabilities final rule by HUD you do not have to make an accommodation if the dog "pose[s] an undue financial and administrative burden." I'm curious how the courts have interpreted this when it comes to insurance and dog breeds.

No legal advice. In fact, I'd love to hear from a lawyer with ADA/HUD experience.

Thanks! Anything to manage the overflowing inbox....

The lead-based disclosure is not always enough, depending on where you live. See this thread: http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/52/topics/97882-lead-paint

Normally, it's the contractor who's at risk if they don't follow RRP; however, if you know or have reason to know that they didn't do the job right, I could imagine that you open yourself up to liability from future owners/tenants. Plus, it's the right thing to do, particularly when there are or will be children involved.

Disclaimer: no legal advice.

Donald,

I'm curious how comprehensive these policies are. Are they apples to oranges comparisons with NFIP? While I can imagine that cutting the premium in half can result from better underwriting, I can also see a lot of fine print "non-covered events"....

Hi Edita,

I just got back from looking at a 133-year-old house. They definitely come with their own set of problems. You also need to keep in mind your exit strategy - an old house flip in a gentrifying neighborhood can be wonderful, but an old house with deferred maintenance in a middling neighborhood...well, not so much.

The things to look into are the same with any purchase. You just have much higher odds of having more expensive things to correct - knob and tube wiring, asbestos, no insulation of any kind, etc. Also, lead paint will add an additional margin to work being done.

On the plus side, you'll often find woodwork, stained glass, and other ornamental work that's quite valuable. Structural members are often true dimensional (the house I was looking at had massive joists.)

If you're doing it from afar, you really need to get someone on the ground who has experience with old houses. I've run into a fair share of inspectors who, while well-intentioned, don't understand the issues with older houses.

I'd also suggest building in a higher slop amount, as there's frequently hidden damage or other lurking problems.

Good luck!

In Cincinnati, not only are smoke detectors required in rentals, but they have to be photoelectric, rather than ionization.

http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/fire/safety-prevention/smoke-alarms/

This came about after the deaths of two college students last winter.

I change batteries twice a year. Don't forget that the alarms themselves have an expiration date.