All Forum Posts by: Andrew Katz

@Tanner Sherman that’s good feedback. I have some rapport as I’ve talked with her in the past and she seems mostly motivated by money. I figured the value proposition here would be to buy the property without a realtor saving her commission.

~1 year ago, I bought my first property, an owner-occupied duplex through a conventional loan.

I share a driveway with the 4-plex next door, and I'd like to buy it [off market] through an owner-occupied FHA loan (i checked with a lender and this is possible).

I have the owner's email and phone number, and I've spoken to her in the past. How do I approach this? Do I just send an email that says:
Would you be interested in selling XZY property?

Since I'd be buying this property off-market without a realtor, I assume I'll need a lawyer. What types of lawyers handle these transactions?

What else should I look into?

I had an inspection done, and it did call out electrical work, but I didn't see the 2 pronged outlets until I moved in.

This is located in the Tenney-Lapham neighborhood in Madison.

I just purchased my first property (Owner occupied duplex). I'm living here for the next 1.5-2 years, and then I will either rent it our or sell it (depending on the market). I'd like to make updates to my unit while I live here, but I want to make sure that the updates aren't too fancy for the neighborhood or won't decrease the home value. When I think about possible updates, I'm not sure what direction I should go. Examples:

• Worn hardwood floors: Do I sand and refinish or replace with wood laminate?
  Washer/Dryer: Currently they in reside in basement and shared with upstairs unit. I need to go outside to the basement which is a pain in Wisconsin winter. Do I add a W/D to each unit?
  2 Prong outlets: Do I keep as is? Or convert them to 3 prong outlets?
• Sliding French Doors: There non-working french doors 

Question: Are there people I can hire to consultant and walk through my unit for an hour and give me advice? What are these professionals called?