All Forum Posts by: Russell W.

I'll second Kyle. I would be shocked if a unit could run efficiently, or even at all, after three years of return air passing over the coils without a filter. Just look at any filter after three months to see how much dust it picks up. Call the original installer. Interested to hear the outcome

Inspection Concepts. Just sent you a PM with contact info

I have the same problem in my personal residence. I tried a product called "Squeeeek No More". I'll cut to the chase- it didn't work too well. They're screws that are scored near the top. You find the floor joists, pre-drill a pilot hole, and then drive the screw through the hardwood floor, through the subfloor and into the joist. Once it drives into the joist the screw snaps at the score and is buried below the hardwood (you then need to use wood filler to conceal the small hole). In theory it sounded great, but like I said it didn't really work, for me. It could be an issue with the species of hardwood I have, but for about $25 it's worth a try, maybe it'll work for you. 

Gorgeous! Congrats on the purchase. Is the second story natural/unpainted cedar siding? If so, a good power wash with a diluted bleach solution can really bring back the natural color. 

To add to Mark's comment, they are also fairly simple to fix once found. Usually just a matter of tightening a union or other fitting. Finding it can be challenging if the leak is behind a wall, above a ceiling, etc. If all the gas pipe  in the basement is exposed then it shouldn't take long. Is the inspection/attorney review period still open? I would ask the seller if you can come back with a plumber to see if he can find the leak and fix it, then use whatever the plumber charges as the amount for the credit. I can't imagine this would take more than a couple hours, at most. 

I've used American Thermal Window before and have been pleased. They're not far from Logan Square. My project was smaller with only three windows, but they showed up when they said they would and knocked the work out fast. About a year and a half later one of the windows cracked during one of our extreme cold stretches (which was covered under manufacturer's warranty) and it was painless to have them come replace it at no cost. 

If the house is already ducted, go with a forced air furnace/AC. Perhaps the one HVAC guy that looked at it didn't want to use the in-place ducts because he thought they'd be too dirty, or maybe because they weren't sized/designed correctly, or maybe, just maybe, he wanted more work for himself. Get a second and third estimate. GFA with existing ducts is going to be your most affordable option by far, even if its high efficiency. Assuming the design from the 50's is sufficient then the worst you might need to do is have the ducts cleaned. 

That's a tough one, because like Lynette said you don't want them to not notify you when something major comes up (although given the nature of this particular tenant that may be unlikely). Depending on what the fixes are, and how labor intensive or expensive they are, if I found myself in this situation I would pick and chose the "repairs" as to what I consider part of my obligation under the lease. So for example, if they don't like the switch/outlet covers because they are ivory instead of white, I would kindly explain that I am not going to change them out. On the other hand, if they say that the pressure from the shower head is low then I would likely replace the shower head. The best answer is "it depends". I consider real estate a service industry to our clients (tenants) but you also don't want to let them walk all over you. 

First try installing one of the anti-allergen air filters, see if that works before spending a bunch of money. Seems unlikely that the ducts would be congested with dust after only 5 years. 

I'll echo the others by saying that yes, it's "ok" to still be coming out of pocket. You're still getting the debt pay down, depreciation, etc. Assuming you don't live there forever see how the numbers look fully rented. Additionally, if you can afford a 4-flat (and are comfortable managing it) I would suggest going for it over a 2-flat. One unit vacant in a 2-flat is 50% vacancy, whereas one unit vacant in a 4-flat is 25% vacancy. You can see how much more you'd be hurting in terms of cashflow in the 2-flat scenario. Feel free to connect or reach out with any other questions