All Forum Posts by: Ryan Heywood

Also might be worth figuring out why the house gets smokey enough to set the alarms off. Does the kitchen have a vent fan? Is the filter clean. I would be adamant that they stay installed, and document it in written format. You'll need to be able to prove that you provided the house with functioning alarms. You don't want to end up with it being your word against theirs.

@Mclean Smith this is great, thanks for taking the time to give such a great response! I’ll definitely look into the plants you’ve recommended.

That is a good point @Matt K., I'm guessing the quality of the contractor will also be a factor in how detailed you need to be. I'll need to find the balance between being thorough vs micromanagement. I've got a security light install next, it will be a good second round.  

@Brian Pulaski you nailed it exactly. With a detailed SOW I could have outlaid all of the areas that needed to be completed as well as details like pressure treated posts, 1 inch clearance from the ground, two foot post depth, etc. I need to make it easy for myself to throw together a SOW, that way I can avoid neglecting it on thew smaller jobs. It would also make shopping the job easier as you've stated. Live and learn. 

The Goal: Have the two wooden fences that create enclosed patios replaced before I paint the building. The fourplex is in Phoenix while I live and work in California.

What I Did: First I talked about the repair with my father-in-law, he lives very close to the area and got me several quotes. He's very good at getting a cheap price and ensuring good work, but sometimes this comes at the expense of priority and reliability. I also had asked my PM, and their quote for a replacement was a little bit more, but still comparable. Hoping that they would get it done sooner I gave them the green light. The cost came to $1,850.

What Happened: After a couple weeks the PM got their tech over. It must have taken them part of a day. I then got a email stating the work was done and several photos from a distance. I had my FIL check it out, it turns out they only replaced one fence, and the quality of work wasn't very good. Lots of gaps and sub-par materials.  

My Mistakes: I did not give a detailed scope of work, I was lazy and basically just asked for them to "repair the fences and some trim". Thats it, and any other details were shared over the phone and leaving no record for me to reference. This is entirely my fault. Now I'll have to fight for every little detail, as nothing was specified. I also paid the PM up front, leaving me with basically no leverage. It will be hard to get someone to come back and fix work that they have already been paid for, and any repairs will likely be done in a resentful and half-assed manner if done at all.

Lessons Learned: I need to get a system figured out for composing detailed scope of work proposals in a timely and efficient manner. I should make sure discussions are documented in email whenever possible. Have a third party verify completion of work when possible, or include provisions for photo/video walkthroughs in the scope of work. Always use a pay schedule tied to the completion of items on the scope of work.

Next Steps: I'm emailing the PM to see why the back fence was not completed. Ideally, I'd like to get reimbursed for the half not completed and invest time into finding a GC that can do a better job. Start researching an excel document for scope of work. 

I'd love feedback and suggestions. I hope this little story is valuable information for other OOS investors. 

@Rachel Bier Hope all is well! We'll have to have a small get together up here is St Helena, I'm always game for either coffee or wine. Picked up a four-plex in Phoenix since we last spoke and would love to hear about what you and Ethan have been up to. Have you been to the summit?

@Collin Chan awesome, seems you are up to speed. I'd love to chat ADUs, I'm hoping to kick mine off here in the next month. I'm out in the Sylvaner area, most southwest part of town. 

@Collin Chan the ADU is a good idea, you'll want to tread carefully with the vacation rental. Napa County limits short term rentals to no less than 30 days. We are getting ready ourselves to start an ADU project in Saint Helena.

https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napa-county-cracking-down-on-illegal-short-term-vacation-rentals/article_61303d46-8708-5861-9ac6-47c413eb3db1.html

@Aaliyah Iman Roosevelt is an area that I’d consider living in. It’s definitely different when compared to the uniform stucco suburban sprawl that makes up most of the metropolitan area. Very conveniently located. Some of the older houses have quite a bit of charm. You are probably looking at more work though with the older homes. Hopefully someone else will jump in with more insights.

I have family in Avondale, its pretty quite as I said. Lots of relatively new construction broken up by shopping malls of varying quality. Angle family might be hard to make work, prices are getting up there. Multifamily can work, but is harder to find. I've got two Section 8 tenants, currently working on bringing up the rents to HUD fair market, which is quite high for the area.

@Aaliyah Iman personally I like the Roosevelt area, I was just there last week. Lot of trendy spots popping up, as well as some nice new apartments. Definitely seems in the path of progress, and is also very close to downtown.

I have a fourplex in Avondale, definitely a sleepier area.

Cars can be a significant part or your psyche, many of us spend a lot of time in them. Yes, most are going to depreciate and you have to be honest with yourself as to wether or not it’s the right time. I personally love the Alfa, and in your position would jump on it. I have a 1960 Land Rover, and probably spend 10 percent of my time thinking about or tinkering with it. I intentionally went old, and since purchasing mine have seen values go up.

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/04/04/land-rover-series-ii-values-climbing

I love the fact that I only see a handful of other ones, but it also makes maintenance and parts more expensive. It took me several years to find a shop that I even trust with it. I also have zero plans on selling it. If I were you, I’d also look at the original Tesla Roadster. Limited production and groundbreaking innovation could lead to collectibility. The 300 SL is a good example of this.