All Forum Posts by: Sarah Grise

Big hello from Pittsburgh, Jean! Welcome to the "family" :)

There is such a plethora if info and insight on this site. My husband and I have been in the landlord business now for about 4 years and we just had had our first "tenant from hell" situation (and that's putting it nicely). It's a big learning experience but well worth it in the end! I obtained my real estate license about 14 months ago now, and I urge everyone in the investment world to do so - saves a TON of time if you typically look for homes that are listed (as opposed to FSBO's).

Best of luck!

Hi all. So I've got a client in which he (and I!) are trying to sell his farmland (plus little ranch house on the property) of 17+ acres. Does anyone know of a reliable place to do so? The run of the mill ways don't seem to be doing well :(

Hi all! So, I am a licensed real estate agent in Pennsylvania. I am not sure if each state has different laws when it comes to this, but...is it possible to be a R.E.Agent *and* an appraiser? I am wanting to get into the BPO field, however in PA I must hold an appraisal license to do so (and get paid at least). 

If I obtain my appraisal license, can I still continue my work as a R.E.Agent?

Good morning agents. So I've come across a situation that's a first for me. I have an investment property in a fantastic area close to downtown, and I need to place it into the MLS here soon. The problem....this house scares the daylights out of me. I swear it's haunted and is infested with junkies lol. Furthermore, there is SO MUCH stuff on the ground (furniture, clothing, boxes, etc) that I cannot physically make it to a wall to measure. The amount of clutter in this home...it would take DAYS to clean it out. There is however a house across the street which from the outside, and looking at the pics online, is the spitting image of this house I need to list. Am I able to put estimate measurements on the MLS and go off of this other house instead? I have a limited amount of time before I need to submit the measurements onto the MLS live and bypassing the room measurements is obviously not an option.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi all! So my husband and have been throwing the idea around of upgrading to a larger home, conveniently located across the street from where we are now. The not so good news is that we have a lien on our house. We took out a $50k Home Equity Line of Credit in which we purchased 2 investment properties with. We've been making our payments on time every month for the past 2+ yrs but I know this will be a major disadvantage should we sell. 

Wondering if there are any ways out there to have a bank pay off the HELOC for us and then we pay that bank back...? Any other options?

Thanks in advance!

I sure wouldn't pay that much money for that house! Granted I live in Pennsylvania and have NO idea what the housing market out there in Cali looks like...but that last room with just the bare bones...hmm....does it need electricity still in that room? What IS that room supposed to even be? Is that another angle of the (unfinished) garage? Looking at Google maps, the house looks like it's in the middle of nowhere and the closest city seems to be San Jose which is...2 hours away? It seems over priced if you ask me. Are you looking to live here yourself or rent it out?

Welcome to the circus!  :p

I'm sure you'll find this site has a wealth of knowledgeable people, many with years and years of experience. Best of luck!

If you're looking for a buyer, you can either go to a local broker and place the property on the MLS through them, or do it yourself on Trulia, Zillow, etc.

Hmm, not sure I totally understand. Do you mean place a contingency on it after submitting an offer? Not sure what type of "deal" you're referring to. Is it a foreclosure? HUD? Are there bids being taken? Most bank-owned properties, at least up here in PA are "sold as is" more or less.

This is a good one! Challenging too. The company may be paying the rent, however, your lease agreement can state that any and all damages will be the responsibility of the tenant. Your lease doesn't even need to mention "the company". Who cares how the rent is being paid, as long as it's paid, all of the other filler-stuff in the lease is between you and the tenant. The company isn't the one living in the property, this person would be. I would even add something in the lease that if any damage occurs, the company will be made aware. I would take pics of the place *before* the tenant moves in and after to have on file just in case you need it. All of your concerns can be put into your lease. For example, add a clause that says "Should company default on payment, it is the responsibility of the occupying tenant to provide rent", etc. Tailor it to the situation.

Hope that helps!