All Forum Posts by: Russell W.

I have section 8 tenants that occupy two apartments in one of my buildings, and I find they are some of my best tenants. Not only is CHA paying above market rents, but as others have said the direct deposit arrives 1st of the month, every month, no hassle. The inspection process can be a bit of a nuisance, but as long as you know what to expect going into it, it's not bad. And once you know what the inspectors are looking for, it's easy to get the units prepped to minimize what gets flagged. Gotta also give a shoutout to @Mark Ainley for the his podcast episode 53 on the roundtable discussion. Definitely give it a listen, it provides a ton of value.

The fix for the first two images is simple; anyone can handle PVC connections, it's literally just glue. It looks like a 3/4" or 1" PVC... what's it for? An AC unit condensate drain?

Get input from your HVAC contractor but don't necessarily be sold on "bigger is better" in terms of the tonnage of the condensing unit. There are multiple factors that go into sizing the unit, square footage of the house being one, among others including location of return grille(s), ceiling heights, room sizes, etc. Knowing nothing else, 2 tons already sounds sufficient for a 1,200 sf house, but your contractor will be able to do a Manual J Calculation to correctly size the unit

Just sent you a PM 

I can tell you exactly what I would do because I'm going through this right now. Some background: one of my tenants is asking to break their lease early because they purchased a house; they still have 6 months remaining on the lease. They gave me about 6 weeks notice of when they think they'll be closing and when they'd like to move out. They've been great tenants some I'm happy to work with them to find a solution that works for both of us. 

Obviously it's in both mine and the tenants' best interest to find a new renter to ensure there is no gap in occupancy. I immediately marketed the unit for rent and also told the tenant they have the right to find their own subletter, so long as the new tenant meets the standard requirements I set forth for all renters (credit, criminal, etc). Remember, the current tenant is still obligated to fulfill their duty to the lease they signed, so if neither of you are able to find someone, it is still the current tenant's responsibility to pay the rent. With that said, I wouldn't suggest a specific timeline like you mentioned because if you're unable to find a new tenant it'll be you that is left holding the bag. 

Perhaps this is obvious but no one seemed to mention it or take note of it; once you've narrowed down your list to 1-2 plumbers you feel you can trust, you absolutely must have them come to the condo to see it in-person to provide an accurate bid. You mentioned none have done so. Without a walkthrough you can guarantee they'll find something unexpected and adjust their price (not down...) 

Since Bruce specifically mentioned the use of drill bits, I will also add those to the list of things you should not buy on the cheap. It's tempting to pick up the least expensive variety pack of bits, but the tips dull out extremely quickly and you'll find yourself drilling and drilling and going nowhere. This is especially evident on concrete/masonry/steel. Oftentimes the bits will just snap. Pay the extra money for a set of Bosch, Dewalt, or Irwin bits. Stay away from Black+Decker, Masterforce, etc. Even the variety driver bits (i.e. phillips, torx, etc) will jump and strip out.

If you have built good rapport with Partner #1 then you have him on your side to push for your interests. I would try to schedule a meeting with both Partner #1 and 2 together so you can get some face time with them and try to build that same rapport with #2. Lastly, even if Partner #3 seems out of the picture I would separately try to establish a relationship with him as well, because presumably 1 and 3 can control the "vote" as to who they decide to sell to.

For background/criminal/credit checks I recommend TransUnion Smart Move. It allows you to enter the prospective tenant's basic info and select the option if you or the prospective tenant will cover the cost. Then it sends them an email notification so they can verify their identity. You typically get results in 24 hours and it' provides a very detailed report. 

Just to throw in my two cents, something to consider for option 2 is the fact that you would likely need to replace some or all of the ductwork to each of the units. It is currently sized for a single furnace, meaning the cross sectional area of the main supply trunk is going to be larger. If you split into two separate systems you'll need to downsize the main trunk(s) to allow for adequate air flow (otherwise you'll find that you're not getting enough pressure at each of the registers). At a minimum you will definitely need to add a new return plenum for the second furnace so you are pulling return air from each individual apartment. I'm sure you have this figured already but thought I'd mention it.