All Forum Posts by: Tim Booz

@Charlotte Chew

We use cozy, and haven’t had any issues. You should mention to the tenants to use th ACH option, rather than cards, since ACH Is free for them.

@Brian Smith

That list of questions has been around a while, so in addition to he answers you can get some insight into how well prepared the mgr is.

I’ll add, you should ask them about maintenance trouble shooting. For example, a new tenant moves in in October, and within a week there’s a service call regarding non working heat. Does the PM just send a vendor? Or do they hav a process in place that walks the new tenant through some trouble shooting? Is the pilot light lit? Has the battery in the thermostat been checked? Those two are both pretty common, even more so when a new tenant moves in during cold months.

Another good question would be what constitutes and emergency. If a toilet is clogged, do they send someone out ASAP? What if it’s after hours? That should depend on how many toilets are in the house, rather than how agitated the tenant is. A 7pm emergency call vs a 10am call the next day will save you some cash, and if it’s not the only toilet you’ll save some money by waiting til normal biz hours.

Continue with the eviction. I can't speak to the laws in your area on accepting payment, but in NJ we'd require them to bring all payments to court, including attorney fees. If they stay it sounds like it's going to be a continuing issue, so I'd do my best to make sure they're out. I'd imagine they're going to cause issues for the tenant who moves into the other unit, as well.

Welcome! You'll find everything you need to know, and a ton of things you didn't know you needed.

This thread is a great reminder to do your due diligence. My go to's are verifying landlord info via tax records, and social media research. I've lost count of the amount of Facebook posts I've seen that say "apartment hunting with -whatever term you wanna sub in here for significant other- when the applicant insists they'll be the only one living in the unit. FB, Twitter and Instagram can reveal a lot about tenants. Additionally, I always google the cell number...I once avoided a tenant who was practicing the world's oldest profession out of her last apartment, according to backpage and the local newspaper's police blotter.

Hey @Christopher Pray, What town/s are you looking in? I'll point you in the right direction regarding who I use in the area. Are you looking in a certain town/county? I just analyzed several spots for a client who had a change of circumstance and has to hold off for a bit...I'd be happy to send them your way if they fit what you're shooting for.

John Salierno in Weehawken is great, and specializes in landlord tenant law.

Welcome, @Corey Robinson! You'll find everything you need here, this place is an all you can eat buffet for hungry new investors.

@Andrea Coar Got it! I just replied...keep me posted if you have any questions!

@Christine Lenz Are you looking to buy and sell them as an investor, or are you looking to open a business brokering mobile homes? I've never worked with mobile homes, so I'm stabbing in the dark here. The requirements for a "mobile home dealer license" sound very similar to those required for owning a real estate brokerage. I'm a broker, and I have to maintain proper signage, have a physical office, etc etc. That's because my company helps other people in buying and selling homes. If I were not a broker, and I were just selling my own properties that I own I wouldn't have to have an office or any of the other state requirements.

Is it possible that the law is being misinterpreted, and that buying/selling mobile homes for yourself does not require a dealer license?

If you find out I'd be interested to learn the answer...this is the first time I've come across this issue.

Maybe check in with the NJ Manufactured Housing Association?