All Forum Posts by: Patti Robertson

@Nathan Gesner - I don't only do SEC, but I do manage 120 SEC 8 leases.  I prefer them in low income neighborhoods, because in a low income neighborhood, I am going to get a low income tenant no matter who I choose.  IMO, it is the lack of education (not schooling, but how to clean, teach your kids to respect their living space, etc) that causes the issues, and you have that whether it's a single adult household paying with a voucher, or a two adult household, who both have low pay jobs.  I almost never have a SEC 8 tenant leave owing money.  I have one right now who wants to leave to find something bigger. She is really hard on the house, but we have always been able to help her figure out a way to pay for what she damages.  We fix what fails and bill her for damage she caused.  Just this week I sent an e-mail to her caseworker to notify the HA of our pending lawsuit to obtain a judgment for what she owns, and the caseworker confirmed that she will place the voucher on hold until the outcome of the court case, which prohibits the tenant from leaving until I confirm she is in compliance with her lease.  Some people don't want to go through that effort, which I understand.  I don't have the option to deny an application just because they have a voucher, but even if I wasn't required, I am happy to have a voucher holder in a C neighborhood, and with a little effort, I almost always get paid what I am owed.  If I let them leave with a balance I will never get paid.  The process has to happen while they are in the property.

This question comes up SO much on SEC 8.  To save my fingers typing time, I wrote a blog on BP.  I have extensive experience with SEC 8. We currently manage 120 SEC 8 leases.  Here is a link to my BP blog.  https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/9232/55313-intro-...

Hi there.  Holler if you need assistance with the  properties you will renting in Hampton Roads.

I am not in your market, but since it has been three days with no local feedback I have an idea to share with you.

Go to your local court case lookup site and pull the cases for the third week of the month. You should be able to pull up the cases by date. Start opening the cases that are called Unlawful Detainer (or whatever your state calls it when a landlord takes a tenant to court) and see what attorneys are representing landlords. Pull a full week, Mon - Fri. Some courts only hear cases with no attorney on some days, and cases with attorneys on other days. You should see a pattern of a few lawyers or firms who have WAY more landlord tenant cases than anyone else. Look in the Judgment section and you can see what judgment is awarded for Legal Fees. Here is an example of a case we won today. You can see the law firm who represented us and the price we pay the attorney. Don't expect to find someone who will only charge you $250 though. We have used this attorney for more than a decade and have a grandfathered rate. In our market the going rate is $500-600. The lower volume firms (who are also less experienced at landlord tenant work) are charging $1000-1500. You want the firm who is going into court with 40 cases or more at a time. The volume keeps their prices down. As you gain volume in sending them clients (inevitable as you grow) you will be able to negotiate a better price, or at least avoid increases.

I am not in LA, but since it has been two days with no local answers for you, I have some tips

What you want is a high volume landlord tenant attorney. The best ways to find this are 1) See if your local NARPM (National Association of Residential Property Managers) has an attorney affiliate member. 2) Ask your local landlord and investor club members who they use. 3) If 1 and 2 are not options, go to your local court case lookup site and pull the cases for the third week of the month. You should be able to pull up the cases by date. Start opening the cases that are called Unlawful Detainer (or whatever your state calls it when a landlord takes a tenant to court) and see what attorneys are representing landlords. Pull a full week, Mon - Fri. Some courts only hear cases with no attorney on some days, and cases with attorneys on other days. You should see a pattern of a few lawyers or firms who have WAY more landlord tenant cases than anyone else. Look in the Judgment section and you can see what judgment is awarded for Legal Fees. Here is an example of a case we won today. You can see the law firm who represented us and the price we pay the attorney. Don't expect to find someone who will only charge you $250 though. We have used this attorney for more than a decade and have a grandfathered rate. In our market the going rate is $500-600. The lower volume firms (who are also less experienced at landlord tenant work) are charging $1000-1500. You want the firm who is going into court with 40 cases or more at a time. The volume keeps their prices down. As you gain volume in sending them clients (inevitable as you grow) you will be able to negotiate a better price, or at least avoid increases.

Just bill the tenants for every single repair cost, at the time you get the bill.  Apply any money paid first to the bill, then to rent.  When they fail to pay in full, give them your state required default letter and take them to court. The options are either the tenant pays for the damage of any of their household occupants, human or animal, or they get evicted.

@Richard Benjamin Wilhite  Most multis in downtown are going to be a century old.  Personally I avoid these.  They still rent, but your maintenance costs will be higher.  

It would be a no buy for me based on the building age and one bedrooms. In our market one bedrooms are very hard to rent. Two bedroom rents aren't much more than one bedroom rents. Even someone with a one bedroom SEC 8 or HUD VASH voucher has enough budget to rent a 2 bedroom apartment. The people looking at one bedrooms are folks moving up from hotels - essentially homeless people. Vacancy and turnover will be way higher than a buidling with all or mostly 2 bedrooms.

Downtown Suffolk residential is pretty rough. There are some decent areas.  It is harder to rent there than the Northern, growing section.  Personally I avoid buying anything built after 1950, which eliminates most of Downtown Suffolk.  My PM company does manage some there though.  

 Not in Virginia.