All Forum Posts by: Mark N.A

Serge - management headaches are all about the quality of the tenants and I'm seeing a pitiful decline in the quailty of tenants in my low-income properties.

I'm turning more tenants away than ever before, and before that a good percentage disqualify themselves because they don't have a deposit, or even the $35 application fee!

While my low-income properties are undoubtedly some of the nicest around, RE is still all about 'location', including not just physical location, but also where a property is located relative to the local economic and demographic trends.

Here's to the economy turning around soon. Or maybe just enough global warming to raise the seas just enough to transform my properties into oceanfront villas!.......

Correction: I have a _RUGER_ LCR and not a Colt.

Sheesh... I told you I wasn't 'into' guns. But God bless those who are so I can learn from them.

Dale, why have you chosen RE as your choice of investment? You don't have to tell me, but be honest with yourself. Truth to tell there are other investment paths that involve less work and less risk.

As for RE books (and I own A LOT OF THEM), they all mostly focus on what worked in the past.

So what's working in the here and now? I wish I knew, but I'll surely be reading about it next year......

rich23s --

There are many online forums devoted to concealed carry, with many different opinions as to caliber, round, model, holster, etc. I learned a lot from reading them.

Most agree that you will end up with a box full of holsters as you try out different types.

Although I own a couple of Glock 9s which I like for various reasons, I bought a Colt LCR 5-shot 38 special for concealed carry.

Pro's: it is small, has an enclosed hammer, and because it is a wheel gun should never jam or stovepipe.

Con's: 5-shots (but I carry a speed strip with 6 additional rounds; and, please, Lord never let me be in a situation where I need any rounds at all), Also, opinions differ on how 'effective' a 38 special round is for self defense.

For carry, winter through summer, I wear 5.11 tactical pants (either shorts or slacks) with a big roomy back pocket that easily holds my LCR inside a Desantis holster. LApolicegear.com usually has good prices.

Personally, I hate guns. I'm not a plinker, collector, or gun enthusiast of any kind. But as MikeOH and others have said: "When seconds count the cops are only minutes away."

I also think that the more law-abiding citizens carry concealed weapons, the more law abiding there will be.

Make more mistakes. Live life harder. Woke up earlier. Went to bed later.

Jimmy --

One problem you didn't address is that 'all real estate is local.'

Macroeconomics and national gridlock aside, all RE investors face LOCAL threats including zoning regs, property tax increases, rent control, neighborhood associations, and so forth (that can and often do change like the wind).

Succesfully investing in RE may have increased in difficulty by a magnitude.

Where are you getting your lease from? Are you writing it yourself? What is this 'repair threshold' you speak of?

If it's the tenant's fault they pay; if it's 'your rental's' fault you pay; if it's a gray area you litigate.

Avoid the gray. To paraphrase Charles' post: don't be penny-smart and pound-stupid.

Vikram --

Thank you for the tip about using the right button to open another window; it is saving me a fair amount of aggravation.

I come here primarily to socialize and don't have the patience or time to regularly relearn shiney new bells and/or whistles.

Newbies wanting to discover the overnight path to riches or hucksters wanting to sell the same probably don't mind.

Why is it, that after reading page 1 and then I press the icon for page 2 it takes me to the BOTTOM of page 2 instead of the top?

Or when I'm on page 4 and read a post, and then press the back button to get back to page 4 where I was, it takes me all the way back to page 1?

Some pundit pointed out that most of the rioters in France were unemployed youths with nothing else to do...

... Uh oh .........