All Forum Posts by: Tricia O'Brien

Hello! I have heard about a company called listwithfreedon.com that allows people who are not realtors (ie for sale by owner individuals) to list their properties for sale on the MLS. They charge, I believe, $300 to list a property for 6 months. Has anyone used this service? Were you able to easily communicate with buyers agents through the site? Did the company help you with giving you the proper disclosures (lead based paint, etc ) for your state? Did you sell? Any replies would be appreciated!

Hello!  I have a home in Modesto that I am updating / remodeling and am seeking a general contractor.  The main projects are:  redoing a tub/shower surround, some new flooring, some paint, minor stucco repair, a few other small projects.  No electrical work or roofing or structural work.  Any recommendations? Thanks! 

Hello!  I have a property in Modesto that needs some new flooring, paint, shower work, minor stucco repair, a few other small projects. Can anyone recommend a good contractor who covers Modesto? Thanks

Since her credit is the sticking point, you could run her credit a second time with a different vendor and see what comes up.  For example, if you used a credit check on a PM software program like Buildium, your second check could be with TransUnion Smartmove. It might pick up things the first credit score missed to explain the score below 500

@ Kurt Brauner

What is an "RTA kitchen and vanity"? 

@Joshua Stein What you are describing is a very common problem with property managers and it does not matter if you are paying them a 10% fee or a discount fee.  This is my experience in both Indiana and California.  I'm talking about having to follow up with them multiple times on small tasks, like having the HVAC serviced, or turn off the water in winter.

  Also, it's common for them to grow exponentially (like from 80 units to 180 units in one year) and then not hire any additional staff. I think the only way to deal with this sometimes is to use a PM for a tenant placement service only, then have the tenant pay rent to the me landlord directly through online PM software and have your handymen, plumber etc that you dispatch when there are repairs needed or routing maintenance (like HVAC servicing). I try to require the handyman to send me photos after the work is done and before I pay to confirm the work was done.

I am currently renting to a travel nurse, and she has been a hassle. Does not cooperate with inspections. She did not cooperate with an inspection in Feb 2022.  I sent a handyman out there about 2 weeks ago to do an inspection of the back yard and fences around the property (with 24-hour notice). He could not access the back yard because she had nailed plywood up on the exterior and interior sides of the side yard gate so the gate could not be opened.  Does pay rent in full and pay on time though.  She gets a per diem allowance directly from the company so she pays for her own housing. 

@Kelly Bankes I try to figure out what they expect to get paid per hour and then come up with a per visit rate I can offer them. For example, one PM whose office is about 30 minutes from my rental home in IN told me she didn't really want to take on my house because she pays her people a set hourly rate plus mileage. She figured it would cost $30-$35 per visit to go out to my property.  Then I found someone who lived in the same town as my property and offered her $35 per visit to go to my place for inspections or to meet a repair person.  Maintenance / lawn care people people are used to bidding by the job.  So you can talk to them on the phone and describe the work and sometimes get a rough estimate by phone if it is something simple. Like lawn care for a back lawn that is about 40 ft x 30 ft and front lawn is 30 ft x 10 ft is going to be $30 every 2 weeks, etc

Hello ! I am looking for an investor friendly Title company and / or escrow officer in the Central Valley of California - preferably in Modesto, Turlock, Manteca or Stockton.  I have a tenant who may be buying the house she is occupying,  and I need to find a Title company that can help me with that and inform me of all the proper disclosures I need to obtain and sign and have the buyer sign such as lead based paint disclosure,  etc, etc.  I have heard Chicago Title is pretty good, but I don't have a name of a particular person there.  Thanks in advance! 

@ Richard F.

Thanks for your reply!

What is the typical starting Watts for a window air conditioner? If ,for example, the starting watts for the window air conditioner was 2,500 watts and there's also a computer , a clock radio and two night table lamps on the same circuit how do I determine the total load the tenant wants to put  on that  circuit?  Can an electrician do some work on the electrical panel to increase the capacity of a circuit ( say to 6000 watts) without digging into the walls?