All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

Good morning Eric,

Removing the popcorn ceiling is really easy. You are correct, spray a small area with water and scrape. A 6 inch drywall knife works well. We usually hold a small box under the area we are scraping and catch the bulk of the popcorn. After the ceiling is dry it is best to sand the surface, this will remove any residue left on the sheetrock and give you a better surface to apply your new texture of paint.

Depending on where you are, check your local codes for disposal. We are required to have a test done before disposal for asbestos. This test gave a document to give to the local transfer facility proving it is safe to dispose of.

The test will also give you peace of mind to make sure you are not handling asbestos.

Gene,

The city web sites will give you all the information you need. 

I have found it beneficial to actually go down to the city and spend some time at the counter.

When there and in conversation I have been able to ask questions that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise.

When re-zoneong a subdivision I was putting in I was going for high density. My initial questions were around setbacks, when asking the clerk suggested charleston row housing which gave a better yard for the end consumer.

This made it more appealing for the city which made the re-zone and annexation of this property way easier.

Bethany,

we own property out of town and in Oregon. We have a group of subs lined up to take care of specific tasks, plumber for plumbing, electrician for electrical and a handyman to take care of anything else. We also found a property management company that will do the renter change out for a flat fee. All contractors and sub contractors including a handy man must be licensed to work in the state of Oregon and proof of insurance is a pre requisite for the state. You can check on all license status through the state contractors board.

We have had this system in place for ten years and have had 0 issues.

We do vet our subs however. We call references to make sure they have showed up on time, that their work is satisfactory, did they do what they said they would do ext.

Vetting a sub is as important as vetting a tenant.

Hi Phyllis,

I just read this thread and thought I would add my 2 cents worth.

My wife and I have flipped 11 of our own residences. We have a pretty simple system for determining whether it is worth it or not.

We always run the comps for the area and purchase the house at the low end of what everything else is selling for. We like instant equity. We always look for a house that needs updating and will do a full tilt remodel. Depending on what other properties like ours have in them will help us make decisions on what materials we will put in ours. We are typically in high end homes. Keep in mind it sounds like your house needs updating so for me I would expect to pick it up at the low end.

On the selling end because we have run the comps and know what the market will bear for a fully rehabbed house we can establish a budget around those parameters.

Once you decide what road you are going down here are a couple of tips on how to sell.

We always coach people to declutter their house. No one cares about your nick knacks.

Stage the house with what you have but keep it minimal.

This will help the new buyer visualize their stuff in your house. To much clutter will overwhelm their senses.

Curb appeal is a very important selling point. You only have one shot for that first impression. If your entrance is less than subliminally they will think the rest of the house is in disrepair.

I good first impression will let them be a little more forgiving in the rest of the house.

Derek, Winter time anything can be a bear unless you are a skier.

Most of the suggestions above are good ones. I would follow the manufactures suggestions and try to find a window of weather and blast the paint out. I built in New England for years and was always able to get the projects complete.

Depending on the extent of your flip watch for freezing pipes. These can wreak havoc on a project.

Winter time can also make it tough to dry your new lumber if you are reframing anything. 

Whenever I build new or remodel I make sure my lumber is dry to  14%. Wet lumber can cause mold.

Just a few things to look at.

Kim,

Your subfloor may be the plywood used to go over the joists and may be tongue and groove, if this is the case it may be tougher to replace. If it is a plywood underlayment and not damaged other than wet I would just dry it and seal it. If it is particle board I would replace it.

Here is a technique for getting rid of the oder for good,

Remove carpeting, padding and other flooring around the areas you suspect urine has leaked into the subfloor.

Apply an enzymatic pet cleaner (like Nature's Miracle) to the soiled areas and allow them to dry thoroughly for 24 to 48 hours. These cleaners contain special enzymes that convert organic waste materials such as urine and feces to carbon dioxide and water. They continue to eliminate the odors and waste materials even when dry. When you apply the enzymatic cleaners, do not oversaturate the wood to prevent it from warping. Repeat this step if odors remain after initial application.

Sand the stained subfloor area very lightly by hand to prepare it for the sealant. Sweep up or wipe away the dust. 

Paint the stained subfloor areas with KILZ Complete or Zinsser B-I-N, mildew-resistant, oil-based primers and sealants that block odors and stains.

I have used this technic on some of my rentals and it works well.

@Benjamin Alesi

Good morning Benjamin,

Welcome to bigger pockets. Tons of information and insights. Let your games begin.

Feel free to reach out, I will help if I can.

Leland,

Report bad contractors to the state contractors board.

Here is an article I wrote on what I do to hire contractors. Hope it helps.

First and foremost you are going to want to hire a GC with a good reputation. The easiest way to get a comfort level is to choose a GC that has been recommended by a friend. If you don’t know anyone who has hired a contractor you could google local contractors, building contractors, remodeling contractors, you get the idea or you could get a list from the local builders exchange.

Once you have contacted 3 contractors, you will want to sit down and have an interview with each of them. You do not have to do this separately, your time is valuable so set a time and hold a job walk.

This is where you meet with all three at the same time; go through your prints for a general idea of your needs.

Depending on the remodel at this time you can discuss a general budget for lighting, sinks if applicable, toilets if applicable ext. The reason for this exercise is to give the GC a general idea for budget. For example a lighting fixture could be $40.00 dollars from Home Depot or could be $500.00 dollars from Restoration Hardware, this is why most bids will come with a budget for fixtures. If you go over that budget you will need to pay for the extra.

A side note on this topic: Some contractors will put an extremely low budget number to make their bid appear much lower, this is why it is important to do a little homework and know what you want going in to your project.

During this first meeting you will also want them to supply you with a list of referrals, if the contractor is prepared they should have this list readily available, if they do not that could be your first red flag.

A benefit of meeting all three at the same time it will let them know you are serious about a competitive bid, they will sharpen their pencils.

Before you adjourn this meeting take the time to discuss time frames, what are their availabilities to start the job. Set a date when you want the bids to be in by. Do not be afraid to put tight timelines on this process, you are anxious to get going and there is nothing worse than waiting for a straggling bid delaying your decision.

Now that you have done this first step and the contractors are off creating a bid for you, take this time to do your research and qualify the contractor.

This is the time to call the referrals, contact the local state ccb.

One mistake people make after receiving the referrals is they don’t call. It doesn’t do any good to get the referrals unless you call them.

When talking with the referral ask these questions.

• Was their work satisfactory?
• Did they clean up at the end of each day?
• Did they return your phone calls?
• Were they on time?
• Did they explain the contract thoroughly?
• Did they finish on time?
• If there were change orders were they discussed and put on a change order form and signed?
• Did you get an itemized budget for owner chosen items?
• Did they provide a valid state construction contractors board number?

Before choosing I recommend getting 3 quotes, this allows you to see a range in the pricing. If the contractors are reputable there quotes should be fairly close to one another. If one is super high and the other two are close, toss the high one out. If one is super low and the other two are close toss it out.

The benefits of getting multiple bids, it allows you to get an average cost and gives you choice. As you go through this process you should develop a warm and fuzzy feeling for one of the builders.

In addition to calling all the referrals on each bid you will want to get a hold of your states CCB, (construction contractors board).

You can google to find the states website, once there you can go to the contact us page for the phone number or you can find the link that says check a contractor or something similar.

When you hit this link you will be able to follow the prompts and find out a wealth of information on any contractor.

Items to look for:

• Are they current with their license?
• Have they had any claims?
• Have they had any complaints?

I think you get the picture here, you really want to vet all contractors you are considering.

You can also ask the contractor for a list of projects they have done that wouldn’t mind if you stop by and look at the work. Here is one thing I know for sure. If the project turned out well the contractor will be proud to show it to you and if the clients were happy and like the work the contractor has done they will be exited to show off their new place. I mean who wouldn’t?

My wife and I just finished a 2300 sq foot remodel and are very excited to show friends what we have done.

Now that you have received all bids back it is time to go to work a pick a contractor, by this time you should be having a comfort level with a least one. If this person has the highest bid you will have to soul search to justify the additional cost.

Do not hesitate if the contractor you want has the highest bid, to negotiate. There are always places where the price can be shaved. A few examples could be in their contingencies, this is a random number to cover anything they may have missed in there bid. There also could be some additional money in the schedule, meaning if the project goes quicker than scheduled their general conditions for management should go down.

Most of the time the spread in quotes isn’t enough to sway your decision.

Hi Samuel,

I also live in Southern Oregon and invest in Oregon. Welcome to the investing game. My dad use to tell me the most expensive thing you can own is a closed mind. Don't know where he got that but I liked it and use it all the time.

My wife is in real estate and has a good pulse on what is going on in the market, just today we were out looking at properties to develop. Found a good multifamily lot in Grants pass.

I build up and down the west coast and have a project coming up in West Hollywood. If you are interested we could sit and have coffee. Just did that this morning with another fellow we met on BP.

Sat for a couple of hrs and exchanged ideas.

Let me know if I can help in any way.

Jared,

All the answers to your question above are valid.

It would be considered a refinance if the private money was done properly. It should be recorded and the purchaser should be the owner according to county records. 

If not, you could possibly treat it as a lease with option.

The lender we use likes to see 12 months seasoning if we want cash out, if we don't want cash out they don’t require any seasoning. 

When we use private money we always make sure their is not a prepayment penalty. This makes your options a little easier to move on