All Forum Posts by: Steven Wiltz

I don't know your guy, but po-po are people, and some people flake. If he were to flake, he's got all the wrath and power of the legal system on his side. Good guy, great. Yes it's a deterrent. I just have read, and can understand, how some landlords say never. Also, never attorneys, paralegals, health care professionals, etc. Not necessarily my opinion, but it's out there. Always screen thoroughly and use your best judgment. And babysit them - keep a close eye, that is. NEVER, under any circumstances, "set it and forget it". Cop or crackhead, lawyer or loser. 

I misspoke: service animal, emotional support animal, and therapy animal are the classifications. The first is required to be trained to assist the disability, the first two are not pets and cannot be excluded, the third is and can. 

I say no. Service animal is for disability, therapy animal is for easing mental or emotional stress. They are "medical equipment". A comfort animal is one that goes into nursing homes to comfort people. 

A working dog is not a protected animal. I think you could discriminate, though I would find another reason to deny tenancy. And I'd think carefully about renting to a cop. 

if you're talking about a deposit reconciliation, then yes. Even if it's eaten up by back rent, court costs, & damage. 

dump him. All avenues of reset have been exhausted; some people just gotta go. You've turned it over to an attorney, let nature run its course. Be ready with vehicles and bins and a cleanout crew - when the sheriff arrives for physical eviction, they are only there to keep the peace, and usually for only an hour. You need to get in & get out & change the locks. Then work toward retreat. Good luck. 

it's like you're going to keep disagreeing with people's opinions until you get the validation you seek. See what Bryan Schultz said above. 

nightmare to maintain. Pssshhht. No worse than any other house. This is why MHs are easy and cheap to get, with or without the land: people's misconceptions, and the "trailer stigma". 

Easy answer: plywood. Lowe's and HD in-stock cabs & lam countertops are particle board, and won't stand up to the rigors of a rental. I like the granite tile over 3/4 ply; I just did that with porcelain tile. 

$3k for a shower sounds like a hired labor price. The way I see it, you can hire a licensed bonded contractor (still a shot in the dark on work quality), hire a handyman, or diy. Lowe's and HD and Menards etc. is about as good as you're gonna get on pricing. Habitat stores are a crap shoot on what they have. So either scrounge and do the work yourself, or suck it up. Welcome to rehabbing/landlording. 

PS: since this will be a rental, consider landlord-friendly repairs/construction. Easy to repair or replace, don't make it too nice or you'll be paying high dollar all over again after tenants trash stuff, use rugged materials. Case in point: I use VCT for kitchens and bathrooms. Very rugged, and easy to obtain replacement if damaged, heat gun loosens the glue. Also, lots of landlords like Allure vinyl plank flooring for look, durability, and the ability to replace a damaged plank. Good luck. 

You should not be looking for mobile homes, you should be looking for motivated sellers. If you really want a particular deal, but you want to pay less (10k vs 17k), show up with the cash in hand, and plop it in the table. All 100s. Boom. 

Might change their motivation level.