All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

Thank you everyone for your helpful replies!

I drove by there both nights this past weekend between 10-11pm and was happy not to find anyone in the property! Hopefully they won't come back anymore. Thanks all for your help!

I didn't officially report anything to the police but I did have my boyfriend call and ask what they suggest we should do. After being transferred to 3 diff people, they said they would step up patrolling the area. But In a big city like Houston, you know that's not going to happen. They probably get calls like that all day, everyday.

The property is on a corner lot so I only have one side neighbor. I offered to repaint his garage doors (which desperately need it) in exchange for him putting up with the all the noise from the jackhammering. He is an elderly man so I doubt he's even up at the hour the trespassers sneak in.

I guess I could reach out to the neighbors across the street but I hardly ever see any cars coming or going from those houses.

Hello BP community!

I closed on a flip property 3 weeks ago. The first day we arrived at the house, we found one of the secondary bedrooms locked. I had my boyfriend jump through the window from the exterior (which was wide open) and come and unlock the door. After entering, I found a ton of cigarillo wrappers with tobacco everywhere. Obviously, first sign somebody had been in there smoking weed. I cleaned that up and locked the window.

We demo'd everything all week and left the house on Friday afternoon around 5. We made sure to close and lock all the windows. Come Monday, we found the backyard patio full of the same stuff: cigarillos and tobacco. The back patio door looked like someone had used a knife to attempt to open the door. Cleaned that up and called ADT.

ADT comes out next day, takes over the old system, installs a Safeguard and that's that. Tech was a bit sketchy but thats besides the point. That entire next week was fine, no problems. Everyday we left, we locked the windows and set the alarm.

Left Friday for the weekend, return Monday to find another surprise. Someone had somehow pried open the only window with only 1 lock on it and moved all my chairs, which were outside on the patio, into the dining area. I'll let you guess what I find around the little formation of chairs? Yup, same stuff. And on top of that, they yanked the motion sensor off the wall and cut like 10 wires in the alarm panel.

Obviously, at this point I'm really pissed. So I call ADT, tell them what happened, and they said the tech that installed the Safeguard did it improperly because the alarm should never go offline even if the wires are cut. I mean really? Ugh, so frustrating.

Thankfully, we never leave anything behind other than cleaning supplies and a foldable table and chairs!

...The neighborhood isn't terrible but it isn't great either.. There is a group of teenage boys I've seen like 3 times smoking down the street but I'm not sure why they would break in to another house to do what they do in plain view during the day time.

Does anyone have any suggestions of other methods I should try or stories of similar experiences? I've looked into the cameras but I have a feeling if I invest in that, they will just find a way to destroy that too! Obviously ADT will be coming out again to fix the alarm but at this point, I'm not even sure that will work!

Thanks in advance for all responses!

Update everyone- There was actually no asbestos found in any area I had tested. Great news! Thanks everyone for your input and will definitely reference this forum when I cross this potential problem again.

Ed Lee- We thought of that as well but the ceilings are already low and if we hung new sheetrock over it, it would just make it feel even more claustrophobic. We actually have even considered raising the ceilings (once we have removed the asbestos, of course) b/c of how low they are.

Tina McNeely- Thank you for your input! I really did want many different opinions on this topic. Truthfully, it was never a doubt in my mind that I would have it removed by the professionals if it came back positive until I met with "John," the asbestos testing guy. He made me second guess myself and made me think twice about how truly dangerous it is. But after hearing what everyone on BP has to say and speaking with 2 other specialists today, I definitely will be having it removed by the professionals (even if it comes back 1% positive.) I think piece of mind is worth more than any monetary investment and knowing that I had it removed correctly will definitely make me feel better when it comes to resell!

I will keep everyone informed as to the results!

Jon Holdman & J Scott- Yeah I learned today just how much they vary. First guy that came today quoted $6500 for the water pipes and said moving the utility room was going to be very difficult and would cost close to $3000. That was a definite NOT! Then 2nd guy who came actually quoted the lowest prices but then when I asked him about filling out a W-9, he didn't even know what I was referencing too. Although his prices were better than the rest, I feel like if he was a qualified, licensed, reputable sub-contractor, he would definitely know about a W-9! So I'm back at square 1 and will be calling more plumbers for estimates. Hopefully next week is better!

Ben Hughes- Yea, I will definitely be getting more estimates! Today's meetings were not successful (read above) and I have a feeling at least one of the guys thought b/c I was a girl (and blonde at that, LOL) that I was really dumb and would fall for his crazy high prices! Little does he know I'm a member of BiggerPockets and have a line of experienced rehabbers on my side! :)

Rob K- Ok you made that sound way too easy! I would be a fool to pay someone $5000!

Ryan Richard- The house is on a slab. I will eventually have the plumber do an itemized spreadsheet once I actually find one who doesn't quote me sky high prices from the start!

J Scott- Yes, the base lines or main line. He called them both so I wasn't sure of the correct terminology. And I agree that Atlanta's markets shouldn't be too far off from mine so if your saying this seems extremely high, I will definitely shop around some more!

Thank you for your insight! I want to be as careful as possible so I definitely will be having the professionals come out to do it if the tests come back positive!

Matthew Watkins-Ah! Just the person I was hoping to talk too-

Do you know how much I could expect to pay removing popcorn ceilings in 4 different areas? I know prices vary by state but just a estimate would be great!

Dining area: 13x9
Living area: 23x16
Den: 14x13
Kitchen: 13x8

Also, if popcorn ceilings were previously removed on the property (no telling how long ago) and they contained asbestos and were not removed properly, could this mean the particles are still airborne?
Or have they already settled in other places of the house?
What happens If I disturb the places that asbestos has already settled such as the window sill or trim in the room?

Sorry for all the questions, but it seems like the more I read on the internet, the more confused I'm getting!

Rob Ainbinder- Yes, the ceiling is extremely friable. Even John mentioned how friable it was and how it should give us no problem when removing it. Personally, I don't think the beadboard ceiling would fit the style of the house but trey ceilings is definitely a possibility. It's actually a great idea and I will look further into this! Thank you.

Matt Devincenzo-Thank you for your insight/opinions! I couldn't agree with you more about the blown out of proportion thing. While it is a serious issue, I think, like most things, the media has made it a bigger deal than it is!

I suppose I will do more research and speak with more specialists about this topic. I will keep you guys posted and thanks for your speedy responses!