All Forum Posts by: Chris Christianson

As a former ASHI home inspector and contractor, I fully agree with Bryan. Give me an hour and I'll find mold in any and every house, at least here in Minnesota. $100,000 question is what type of mold is it and what's the cause. If it's due to leaving wet towels on the floor or hanging them on a wood door, the solution is simple. If it's a leaky window flashing then it depends on how long it's been leaking. Really need to get someone in there that has your approval to inspect using whatever means necessary to fine the cause and degree of the problem. Don't allow the tenant to cancel anything. It's your house, take care of it.

I'd also say I wish you had told me right away. Depending on the age of the heater and what was wrong, it may have been repairable. Having it replaced and then billing the seller shows their lack of character. That said, I'd pay them for the water heater, not the install, and have them sign a document that states everything else is working at the moment, then smile and move on.

In Minnesota, creating an LLC takes 10 minutes and about $130. I formed one a few months ago online, on a Saturday night. How much credibility should something that simple generate? I think Jonna and Duncan are correct. Represent yourself as yourself. You might find that some people would rather do business with an honest young newbie than a wealthy success anyway. As to the LLC question. That's a liability and tax question best asked your lawyer and or accountant. They can get in depth with your current position and your future plans and guide your business structure accordingly. .

Wow, what a great site. Thanks for all the feedback. I usually set the heat at 68 for showings. From the feedback we're getting I expect the house to be sold within a week or two so I think I'm just going to leave it there. 75 would certainly be a little too warm when you're coming out of 0 degree weather but fortunately for us, the sub-zero stuff appears to be done for now.

I have a welcome mat at the front door to wipe off the snow. A rug on the front porch for continued shoe wiping prior to entering and another rug right inside the front door to leave the shoes on. The inside rug is in front of a heat register so there shoes should be all toasty warm when they put them on to leave. Good last impression I figure.

Been a contractor for a long time so I know what to do to make a house look and operate great. Having fun learning what to do to make people buy it. Thanks again for all the feedback.

Quick question I'd like to see opinions on. We have our first actual "Flip" on the market right now in Minneapolis. In case you're not from Minneapolis, it's COLD! this time of year. To save on costs we keep the heat down around 63 most of the time. The disagreement we're having is whether it's important to turn up the heat prior to showings. It's a 1916 home. My argument is that the tile in the bathroom and the granite in the kitchen as well as the wood floors are really cold and make the house feel drafty at 63. My business partner doesn't think it matters.

Any opinions?

Hi @Robert Kretsch

I'm a local contractor and investor in the Minneapolis area. I'd be interested in talking with you further to see if we can be of assistance to each other.

It's the Illuminati for sure... ;)

Another thing I'd add is make sure that you and your drywall crew are on the same page as to the quality you're expecting. I'm just finishing a job East of Fargo ND where the local drywall/finishers told me to use a large nap roller and two coats of thick paint to cover the fact that they didn't know how to skim walls. I had to bring my mud slingers from Minneapolis up there to finish the job. A simple contract outlining the expectations would have saved me a couple weeks of headache and scheduling delays. Guess who has a drywall contract now?

I'm a carpenter, and a contractor, and an investor. I am sensitive to two things, my need to make money and my guys need to make a living as well.

That said, I just painted a 1400 sf home, inside and out using quality $65/gallon paint you won't find at HD. I haven't done my tally for the job yet but I spent well under $1000 in consumables and that was inside and out, 5 colors. His supply price must be cost x 2 and that's a bit out of line. As for his labor price I really can't speak to that since I have no idea how much scraping, taping, cutting etc there is. Good painters are not easy to find and aren't cheap but again, I'm not sure how good a job your looking for.

Taking another look at the numbers you initially posted, I'd say you certainly have a contractor that's on the higher side for handyman grade stuff but I can't call it out of line. At least, it isn't for Minneapolis. If he does great work, does it on time and you want great work done, I'd tell him you'll provide the paint (don't use anything they sell at HD, go to a real paint store) and pay him for the labor.

By the way, when I was filling my day's with handyman gigs, I was $60/hour and up with a 2 hour minimum. I take pride in my work and people called me back. I learned quickly that investors and most realtors don't want to pay for quality so I didn't do many jobs for them.

Sorry for being so long winded. Everyone knows that when you buy a car you can spend a little or a lot. The more you spend, the more car you get. Same thing with construction services. Take the lowest bid and you'll probably get the lowest quality. If that's all you're looking for then save the money but don't expect much in return.

Good luck

Welcome Jerry,

I'm in Minneapolis and have been focusing on South Minneapolis/Uptown. There is a decent meetup group in the cities that has monthly advertising sessions for the group founders but it is good for networking.