All Forum Posts by: Tiffany Plovie

@Tasha Mckoy I think you have some wonderful advice already given here.

  I a definitely suspicious of the mold in the house (given the limited and small pictures). I have been in houses where the sump pump has failed, and they had to be gutted down to the studs. There were additional electrical problems, as the flooding damaged some of the wiring.

   FYI, the houses I viewed that were in similar states were priced so cheaply because essentially all of the value was in the land.  Would you pay 17k for the land alone? That is the true question.

@Mitch Robins Welcome to BP! 

   I am so glad that you found this community. Here you will find actual advice from people who have been where you are. I am located in Bellevue, Washington and would love to meet up with you for coffee or lunch and help you set your goals and develop a plan to reach them. I have been actively involved in real estate since 2002, so I guess you could I have seen some things!

   This forum is full of knowledge, but it helps to know where you are going first! ;)

    One of my goals for our local community is to develop a strong network of individuals so that we can learn both what to do and what not to do; to develop a working list of professionals that we know we can rely on for both their expertise and trustworthiness.

We are fortunate to have @Brandon Turner  in our own backyard. I do believe he is planning a meetup in the Olympia area sometime in the near future.

   In the Keywords section of your profile I would add 'Olympia', 'Washington', 'Seattle' and what other areas you might be interested in investing in.

@Julian Caiceros   Welcome to BP! You have already gotten some great advice. I was wondering if you have ever considered investing outside of the tri-cities area?

Let me know if I can be of any help!

As an investor, the moment I see a city hit a Forbes or Money magazine top 'whatever' list, I stop looking in that area.

Why? Because every other Tom, Dick and Harry who fancies themselves a real estate 'investor' will be flooding those markets, paying more than what a property is worth and creating undue competition for properties that are quickly becoming overvalued anyway.

I use these lists to provide me with data about the next up and coming markets. I look at areas just slightly outside the areas listed and look for deals there.

@Jared Butterfield It was really nice to meet you this past Saturday! I am so happy that you are enjoying your classes and learning about real estate. I know you will do well!

@Dan Chapman 

 I just re-read your post again, and overall, I am in agreement with the other posters. However, if you want to stick to markets that you know, I would definitely check out the post and link above.

@Dan Chapman and @Ali Boone  Seattle can be a difficult, pricey market to invest in. However, if an investor is willing to be flexible, great investment properties can be found within a 2-hr drive of the city.

   There was a recent discussion about where to buy and hold properties within Washington State. It can be found here:

http://beta.biggerpockets.com/forums/311/topics/131211-where-to-invest-in-washington-state-buy-and-hold

  Personally, I see a lot of potential in areas within Pierce County and downtown Tacoma.

@Dan Chapman Welcome to BP!

I am not going to be the one telling you that it cannot be done, rather how to do it.   I just had a long discussion this weekend with Brandon Turner and Michele Fischer (an upcoming featured speaker on BP) about investing in Washington state.

  I have been actively involved in real estate investing since 2002, and a licensed agent since 2005. If you have any questions or just need some advice about which areas to invest in (or just someone to get the deal done), send me an email.

@Heidi M. 

It sounds like this property has a convoluted history at best. There may or may not have been a deposit. I would provide an itemized list of damage done to the property complete with pictures. Until they can provide proof of deposit (or a lease agreement that includes a deposit), I would send them the list via certified mail. If they decide to get ugly and fight you on this matter, you will at least have proof that you attempted to comply with standard landlord guidelines.

I am so sorry you have to deal with this!

Hmmm... After re-reading your post, I am guessing that you are renting a SFH.

If that is the case, then no, according to FHA laws, you cannot charge more rent based on the number of occupants.