All Forum Posts by: Sue Hough

@Tim Coppola I agree with @John Warren, you can not discriminate based on the fact a tenant has a Housing Voucher, that is highly illegal.  You can go to The CHA Housing Choice website and there is a PDF named CHA’s Rent Determination Standards which will give you a great guide to determining what amount CHA will allow based on the specifics of your property.

As @Scott M. stated, consult with an attorney very carefully if you feel the tenant may not be able to cover the balance of the rent.  Good luck!

@Paul Garcia I have begun using Silverline windows by Anderson for my last few projects.  Anderson bought them several years back and extend the same lifetime warranty as their higher end products.  They are a sturdy vinyl window with several options (grills, screens, color and so forth) and install nicely.  I have my own crew and we install ourselves.  Price range is on the lower end up to mid-priced depending on options.

If you need a competitive bid please message me, as my company August James Ltd, can do the install.  Good luck!

@Benjamin E. A minimum of 4,000 psi for walkways is required in Chicago.  I put in a 6 step concrete stoop which was 60” wide this past February with 8’ of sidewalk 3’ in width for $9,500.  This was from a business friend doing it on the side.  I was quoted upwards of $16,000 from my licensed contractor.  I do not anticipate any pricing has gone down since then, although concrete itself has stabilized.

Good luck

@Michael A Silva-Sampaio she needs to contact a great contract attorney NOW!!  If the builder, title company and lender are the same entity, or strongly related, there may be a conflict of interest, which would entitle her to her down payment back.  Good luck,

Welcome Ke’Ona!  You also want to check out your local MeetUps to network in person and meet even more great people…although many are active members of Bigger Pockets.  Looking forward to seeing you around!  Best of luck,

@Angel Moreno I’ve invested in Englewood in the past and had good luck about 15 years ago. I then pulled out for personal reasons. Currently I see the area as very promising and am investing there again. The area is on a block by block basis. Please make sure you look at each block independently, also look at it at various times of the week, for example make sure to stop by on a Saturday afternoon, stop by in the middle of the day and so forth. You want to make sure your block is stable. 

If you have some time on your hands and can wait a little bit, I think you’ll be very happy with the results. Good luck 

What @John Warren stated is true and accurate in the real world of construction and I agree with him.  One additional noteworthy situation is; there are unscrupulous people who will take license numbers and attach them to permits without the contractors permission or even using the contractor to perform the work.  This is not as common as it was years ago, but it still does occur.  This may cause your bircky to be cautious.

The bottom line is…do your due diligence and check references.  Good luck,

@Amanda Jones I would suggest partnering on this deal with the possibility of structuring the agreement for a specific amount of time and money.  Once you have a solid tenant for 12 months a bank should consider a large portion of the rent as additional income, increasing your ability to borrow. This may or may not help you obtaining financing on your own.

Good luck,

@Bertha Spezzia just a little FYI…many remodeling projects in Chicago take place without permits and this is the norm.  It’s the “don’t ask don’t tell” philosophy which seems to govern home remodeling.  As @Jonathan Klemm stated, nothing needs to be done.

Good luck!

@Mike Tsoflias something to consider is the appraisals which @Jonathan Klemm mentioned.  On the plus side, your insurance should be less expensive as a single family unit.  

Chicagoans have always been “understanding” of creative building classifications and usually will not let it get in the way doing business. Good luck to you!