All Forum Posts by: Catherine German

Hi 

I live in Tacoma too. There are some great deals to be found here. Nice to meet you !

I like doing the a/c & d/w.

say no to shower doors, tenants do not like them. they don't want to clean the tracks or deal with soap scum on the doors and they feel that they are unsanitary. I used to be an onsite manager less than 6 months ago in CA so that would be my feedback.

the other stuff is not that important, it won't net much gain in rents.

your annual maintenance is critical on each unit  - caulking, changing flappers and batteries on smoke detectors, co detectors and changing air filters.

This is a great market for rentals in Tacoma/Puyallup and surrounding areas. At this time we have zero vacancy factor. There is not enough supply to keep up with the demand for housing. This is the time to invest if you are able to. Multi family properties are always a good investment. Some people prefer SFRs ; I like duplexes with attached garages for Tacoma/Puyallup.

I would not put them in. They are costly to repair/replace. If it's a deal breaker there are some companies out there who will lease and service them for a monthly fee. Look to see if these services are available in your area.

I really liked Luke Griffin with Bentley Properties. He helped me purchase my home. 

definitely familiarize yourself with Ca RE Laws and Fair Housing Laws...

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/pr...

It's a individual decision. I'm a property manager and I use a property manager to manage my rental property in another state - that is my choice.  If you want to self manage, that is your choice. No choice is right or wrong. Good property managers are hard to find, that is for sure.

Most likely the PM will refer the account an inside or outside collector. They may or may not collect on the damages. These things happen in property management (property damages) and they even happen with people who have credit scores in the 700's. Sometimes the original tenant will skip out early and his younger brother/friend or cousin will squat in there, throw parties etc.

It's a good idea to collect a large security deposit up front. That will cover these types of things. If you can get it turned and rented in 2 weeks, that is great. You can deduct all those repair expenses and get a new tenant in there quickly. So it's not that bad. No major water damage, no fire, no one died in the unit... Just another day in the life of a rental property owner.

Any time ! I took over a large property with a lot of deferred maintenance issues (I was the manager). These types of issues are delicate especially when dealing with elderly populations. Once you start the common area repairs and improvements you can start getting the rents up. It is a process.

I would say - Sir, we are able to do habitability or safety repairs ONLY on your unit at this time. The vinyl is a "cosmetic issue" and does not warrant replacement at this time. We thank you for your residency in our community.

Under Fair Housing laws if you do for one tenant, you must do for another so you don't want to start the precedent of doing cosmetic repairs for one tenant or unit vs. another.

I would go to the  Lakewood Vehicle Vessel Licensing location (google for address/phone)

and speak with one of the reps there. I'm sure they can walk you through the process.