This deal was pretty much turnkey other than needing a new vapor barrier (estimate for $500) which I plan on doing myself.

This deal was pretty much turnkey other than needing a new vapor barrier (estimate for $500) which I plan on doing myself.

Two key things...drainage and a good SEALED vapor barrier are important.

Also planning on correcting soil grading issue around the house, and possibly installing vapor barrier, but unsure whether vapor barrier is necessary.

When I asked the building inspector about this he said because it's so hot and dry here that the little bit of moisture produced by the shower immediately vaporizes once it hits the attic. 

.#2 Properly ventilate the crawl space and finish it with a vapor barrier.

The scotch guard pad is a plush feel with the foam so feels more luxurious.Used to you would get a vapor barrier in between the carpet and the pad to protect the pad.This way if the carpet was ruined you could keep the pad.The problem was the vapor barrier made the carpet have noise etc. and was not as desirable.This is what the carpet installer told me.Now the vapor barrier is built into the pad.So even if carpet gets ruined in the future I still have the pad so save money there.

My undergraduate degree was in Physics and I received an MBA a few years ago.I can't tell how useful the physics degree has been to real estate, but I certainly understand the thermodynamic principles that govern the vapor cycle in your typical residential air conditioning unit.

You need to call your insurance provider.They will tell you a list of what is okay and not.Mine no aggressive breeds of animals is permitted or they will pull the policy on all the buildings.Rottweiler,Pitt Bull,etc.Some insurance policies have weight exclusions but some do not.Another important factor is the BITE HISTORY of the animal.If it's deemed a non-aggressive breed but that little dog has a bad history of biting people then I won't take the animal.I don't like pet deposits.You have to hold it like a security deposit.Instead I like a one time "pet acceptance fee" that is non-refundable.The tenants will say the pet won't do anything etc. but the amount of pet deposits that actually go back to the tenant after they leave I would guess is very,very small.You can also get the tenant to pay a pet fee per month.With the pet fee you need to figure out the cost of the unit for new carpet and damage to the base boards.The cost to be carpet,pad, and labor to install plus baseboard finish and paint.Used to you could put a vapor barrier between the carpet and the pad but it would be really noisy.Now if you spend just a little more you can get a scotch pad made out of rubber that is stain resistant.Then when you go to replace the carpet the pad is still good.Have in your lease that the tenant will be responsible for clipping claws,neutering,getting rabies and other shots to maintain the health and well being of the animal,etc.

After doing a few deals though, that notion vaporizes quickly.