All Forum Posts by: Richard Benjamin Wilhite

Quote from @Kevin Sobilo:

@Richard Benjamin Wilhite, its unclear whether your expectations are reasonable.

For example, many pet owners allow their pet to run in a fenced yard or on a chain unattended. Then they periodically (perhaps weekly or bi-weekly) walk around the yard to clean up the poop. Unlike when walking a dog, they aren't present to see it happen or where so that is a common and practical approach to handling the issue for most people.

If the yard was to be shared as it sounds like maybe you needed a CLEAR rule to indicate that the dog cannot be left unattended and that any poop needs to be cleaned up as soon as it happens.

This may be more useful if you allow a pet with a future tenant as this tenant is already settled into what they are doing making it harder to change now. 

Yes, I've already drafted an amendment to include in the lease for my next tenant if indeed I allow pets again.

Quote from @Dave Meyer:

I had this issue once, at a property that was nearby where I was living. Weeks of poop in shared yard regularly not picked up. Other tenants were rightfully upset. Several friendly reminders were ignored. 

I didn't have a specific clause in the lease about dog poop, but the lease did state that I would charge $100/hr for any maintenance that was due to tenant negligence. I told the tenant I consider his dog poop situation necessary maintenance to keep the property in working order for the other tenants, and he was clearly being negligent. As such, if he wouldn't pick up after his dog I would, at $100/hr. With my 10 minute walk each way, plus 10 minutes there, I was going to charge him $50 3x a week to pick up after his dog. 

Of course I never had to do that, and he started picking up after the dog shortly thereafter. 

Thanks for the reply, Dave! I posted a "Quit or cure" notice on the tenants door with similar language and miraculously the poop has been picked up. Hopefully, it continues for the next four months she is on the lease.

Also, just want to say I'm a big fan of your "On the Market" podcast, and have been listening since it came out.

I have a similar goal of living in Europe, at least for part of the year, however I'm afraid I'd have to be a lot more hands off with my real estate investments. I'd like to reach my passive income goals here in the states first before making the leap. Cheers!

I'm "house-hacking" a duplex. I allowed the upstairs tenant to have a dog. It's in the lease. She pays modest pet fee per month. Over the last several months, the tenant has been letting the dog poop all over the yard and routinely doesn't clean it up. I text her, and she usually gets right on it, but most of the time she doesn't. And it keeps happening.

There's been several times that I've stepped in it, or my daughter (17 months), who plays in the yard, has almost picked it up before we stopped her.

There's nothing in the least about cleaning up the poop. I'm already not going to renew her lease due to other issues. She has four months left on the lease. 

Can anyone recommend a good local PM on the Eastern Shore, especially one that would do a quarterly walk-through of a property?

I'm also looking for reliable Handymen and Contractors.

My team is based in Pensacola and not everyone is willing to drive out to Baldwin Co or Mobile. Looking to expand my acquisitions in AL.

Any plans for future meetups in Chesapeake of Norfolk? 

@Sean Hudgins

What's your opinion of the Park Place and Kensington area of Norfolk just above Ghent? I'm looking at a sizeable quad over there at the moment, but so far I've only invested in B neighborhoods. 

@Patti Robertson

I know this thread is older, but I just moved to Portsmouth with and am considering investing in Suffolk. It seems the northern part of Suffolk is growing rapidly. But what about the downtown area?

I'm interested in small multifamily in particular. I've seen a few 5-8 units for sale around there over the last nine months for my price range.

I've mostly been looking in Norfolk and Chesapeake, but there doesn't seem to be much inventory at the moment.

@Tricia Miller 

I know this thread is older, but I just moved to Portsmouth with the
Navy and am considering investing in Suffolk. It seems the northern part
of Suffolk is growing rapidly. But what about the downtown area? I'm
interested in small multifamily. Do you think it's still a good area to invest compared to other parts of the Tidewater?

I know this thread is older, but I just moved to Portsmouth with the Navy and am considering investing in Suffolk. It seems the northern part of Suffolk is growing rapidly. But what about the downtown area? I'm interested in small multifamily. 

Did you ever get this resolved?