Skip to content
×
Try PRO Free Today!
BiggerPockets Pro offers you a comprehensive suite of tools and resources
Market and Deal Finder Tools
Deal Analysis Calculators
Property Management Software
Exclusive discounts to Home Depot, RentRedi, and more
$0
7 days free
$828/yr or $69/mo when billed monthly.
$390/yr or $32.5/mo when billed annually.
7 days free. Cancel anytime.
Already a Pro Member? Sign in here
Pick markets, find deals, analyze and manage properties. Try BiggerPockets PRO.
x
All Forum Categories
All Forum Categories
Followed Discussions
Followed Categories
Followed People
Followed Locations
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback

All Forum Posts by: Trenton Miller

Trenton Miller has started 5 posts and replied 237 times.

Post: Calculating monthly rent

Trenton MillerPosted
  • Contractor
  • Orange County & Los Angeles, CA
  • Posts 251
  • Votes 175

Craigslist is also a powerful tool for this.  Lots of rental prices for various properties to go through and compile yourself.

Keep in mind it is Craigslist...  None the less it is a helpful tool.

Post: YES OR NO? Painting Old Hardwood Trim!

Trenton MillerPosted
  • Contractor
  • Orange County & Los Angeles, CA
  • Posts 251
  • Votes 175

Depending on how well you can clean up the imperfections with Bondo & wood putty, I would strip the varnish, repair as needed and re-varnish.  This process, of course, will be much more time consuming and expensive than painting them alone.

Have you considered replacements using an MDF casing?  This can be very cost-effective. 

Post: Is INLAND EMPIRE CA a good area to invest for a rental home ?

Trenton MillerPosted
  • Contractor
  • Orange County & Los Angeles, CA
  • Posts 251
  • Votes 175

I have a rental in San Bernardino that I completely renovated for 25K that is one of the nicest homes on the block now.  I was able to place a tenant rapidly and had multiple walk-ins daily during the construction process where prospects inquired about renting the property.  The neighborhood is not the best and the general income in that area is low, so you can be capped due to what people can afford in the area.

My advice is to absorb as much knowledge you can using BiggerPockets and apply that to analyzing different areas of the inland empire you may be interested in.  If you ever have questions feel free to reach out!

Post: Turn other people's property into yout cash flow

Trenton MillerPosted
  • Contractor
  • Orange County & Los Angeles, CA
  • Posts 251
  • Votes 175
Originally posted by @Brian Gibbons:

Yup it is called Master Leasing, just watch out for a broker calling you needing a license (property management with out a license.)

You put my thoughts into words precisely! 

Post: psycho contractor pours concrete down drains because he was fired

Trenton MillerPosted
  • Contractor
  • Orange County & Los Angeles, CA
  • Posts 251
  • Votes 175
Originally posted by @Meryl McElwain:

@Laura Williams

1. What the cops are saying is inaccurate. I would call the police department and ask to speak to a detective. Tell them you'd like to file a restraining order and criminal property damage complaint.

Let's say its Saturday night and you invite some friends over for a dinner party. While you're in the dining room one of your dinner guests goes upstairs to your bedroom while you're not paying attention pulls a can of spray paint out and sprays the words scumbag liar across your walls and windows.

You invited them into your home right? Sure. If you invite someone into your home does that mean it's not criminal if they light your house on fire? Of course not. Does that strike you as a scenario in which you cant file a police report?

Of course not. You're dealing with lazy cops. If they dont take you seriously the second time call the equivalent of your alderman or ward manager and ask them if they can help you with the lack of police response.

2. Write a letter to anyone and everyone who recommended that contractor that starts with-

"I hired Joe based upon your recommendation. The job took 4 months longer than was estimated. We had to give him several deadline warnings. He failed to meet those deadlines. We fired him off the job on thursday. On friday morning we encountered plumbing issues. After an inspection it was discovered that concrete was poured down every drain. I have no direct evidence that Joe did this but I strongly suspect he did. This had caused us thousands of dollars in damages. For the sake of your future business relationships I urge you to use caution in recommending this man again.

3. Walmart sells a 20 dollar Geeni camera. Buy 5 of them and plug them into a job site on every angle. Front and back doors and immediate work areas. They have an incredibly easy app to you that allows you to view the job site. And has motion detectors.

4. Buy cameras

5. Buy cameras

6. Buy cameras

In the future it will tell you when and if people arrives on jobs. What actually happened throughout the course of the day. And I doubt he would have done what he did with cameras going or he would have unplugged them which is evidence of guilt in and of itself.

It's such a shame that a few bad apples give the contracting profession such a bad wrap that customers feel the need to install cameras beforehand for what if scenarios.  

This is case and point of why you only work with people you thoroughly vet and who you KNOW, LIKE & TRUST!

Post: VA loan for building a triplex

Trenton MillerPosted
  • Contractor
  • Orange County & Los Angeles, CA
  • Posts 251
  • Votes 175
Originally posted by @Charles Walthour:

My wife and I are closing in less than 2 weeks on a piece of property that we wanted to build a triplex. Our intention is to have one unit as our primary residence and rent out the other two. We are in a very popular vacation spot. Everything has been going well until today when she tells me that the VA is currently not doing loans for a triplex and that we will have to go with a FHA loan, thus a heavy down payment.

How can I check this out?  This doesn't seem right to me, but with the Covid19 Virus, banks are doing some strange things, but this one stuck in my craw!

I do not believe you can use a VA nor an FHA loan for a new construction build... I'm not the appropriate professional to tell you you can't do this so please check with your lender.

Regardless you should have had financing arranged to build the triplex prior to closing on the land you intend to build on. 

Post: Turn other people's property into yout cash flow

Trenton MillerPosted
  • Contractor
  • Orange County & Los Angeles, CA
  • Posts 251
  • Votes 175

Be careful.  In order to do this, the lease terms must allow sub-leases.  Frequently sub-leases need to be approved by the interested party as well.

I'm not saying you can't do this, it's just that things can get messy.

Post: psycho contractor pours concrete down drains because he was fired

Trenton MillerPosted
  • Contractor
  • Orange County & Los Angeles, CA
  • Posts 251
  • Votes 175

@Laura Williams You can report him to your state's contractor license board.  In CA I know they compile a list that is publicly available and will expose the person with a simple Google Search.

https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Media_Room/Most_Wanted/

Keep in mind that you have to prove he was the one that in fact did this...

Regardless of proof, you can still file a complaint.  The fact that he does not have his license will also flag him in the future when applying to obtain a license.

Post: Using VA loan to purchase MFH (2-4 unit) in WA State

Trenton MillerPosted
  • Contractor
  • Orange County & Los Angeles, CA
  • Posts 251
  • Votes 175
Originally posted by @Cordtz Tuatoo:

@Trenton Miller, and I agree once the open loan is paid. It can be used again once the VA is notified of payment. Thanks🤙🏽

Thanks for the clarity.  I wasn't sure if I explained that right.  Glad we're on the same page.

Post: How to put a lockbox on the door?

Trenton MillerPosted
  • Contractor
  • Orange County & Los Angeles, CA
  • Posts 251
  • Votes 175
Originally posted by @Account Closed:

@Trenton Miller

Yes, thats exactly what I want to do, there are some other things I dont understand either, could you help me with it?

My advice is to research reliable and well rated real estate firms within the homes City/County.  Choose multiple companies you feel you would do business with and then vet each one individually.  Address any questions you may have with each one of them and then select the professional you feel most comfortable with.  Best of luck.