All Forum Posts by: Mark N.A

IMO becoming rich requires three things: Luck, Hard Work, and a certain innate Talent within your chosen field. They don't have to come in equal amounts, but they must be there in some amount.

Warren Buffet's talent is understanding businesses, Stephen King's talent is writing, Picasso's talent was art, and even Bernie Madoff had some sort of people-mesmerizing talent. I don't think anyone can deny there was also Hard Work and Luck involved in their successes.

However, I've met any number of people in those same fields who never really made it because they simply lacked one of the other two required prerequisites.

With 'iffy' tenants I do a MTM lease. If I don't want them around for any reason I simply give them a week's notice and they must go or I evict.

Get as much Security Deposit as your market will bear to offset these kinds of tenants.

Not only is she screwing you, but so are her previous LLs. You got positive referrals from her previous LLs, right? Then they lied to you. You checked her eviction history, right? Then her previous LLs were too spineless to evict her and now you're the current victim.

Do the LL community a favor and go after her in court to evict and/or for a monetary judgement. I know it can seem a waste of time and money, but your small reward will be in knowing that eventually no decent LL will rent to her.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Have you contacted Section 8 about your tenant's lease violation? See if you can get her kicked out of the program.

If nothing else at least evict her so other LLs can be forewarned.

The ammunition you use can also weigh for or against you.

Don't forewarn your stalker by using obvious video cameras.

Get a motion-activated COVERT surveillance camera that contains its own power source and DVR.

A college kid's dad called and requested a new driveway since the existing one was 'rough' on his son's expensive tires. Turns out it was the kid calling pretending to be his dad.

Another time a tenant called and wanted to convert a half bath into a full bath - he'd supply the labor if I'd supply the materials. NO.

A new shed for a mountain bike. NO. New plumbing because of low water pressure. NO. Paint a room in the college colors. NO. Turn the dining room into a bedroom so they could have more roommates. NO.

An old LL I knew once told me to always leave a couple of serious-looking but easily-fixed problems for the city inspector to find.

Ain't it sad to have to play these games?.....

And, of course, June 1 is the official beginning of Hurricane Season.

Did I mention our year-round fault lines?......

Don't move here.

Not only get the W-9 before work starts, but inform the contractor before meeting what you require.

I just spent over an hour with a contractor doing a walk-through only to have him walk away when I pulled out the W-9. Sheesh.