Within 30 days of receiving the deposit, the landlord must give the tenant the name of the bank where the deposit is being held and the account number.If the landlord does not follow all of the above rules when handling a security deposit, he is liable for damages equal to triple the value of the security deposit (treble damages)There are a few more things that landlords should know but you should be getting the point that in MA, it's a big deal for landlords to properly handle the security deposit.So my question is this....How many of you landlords in Massachusetts choose not to even collect security deposits?

My belief is if you wait till you have all your debt paid off and a big savings account you will lose valuable years of having tenants pay for your retirement through principal pay down.Since you are a carpenter and should have some good idea on what repairs cost, I would buy a single family house at a steep discount (maybe from a wholesaler) that you can fix up and rent.

What my wife and I do when we like a tenant, but they don't make enough, is that we "mitigate" that risk by asking for an amount equal to two times monthly rent.

I make it equal to the security deposit amount.

A lease option fee of anywhere from zero to a few grand, then a monthly amount roughly equal to what typical rent would be.

They give me a nonrefundable deposit to hold the place equal to the security deposit.

Other things being equal, a 4th bedroom is worth $100 more per month, a 5th bedroom is worth an additional $100 to folks that need it, mostly Section 8 renters.

(About $455/month P&I, $672 or so with PITI)3) Full asking price of $105 with $20,000 down and the remaining $85,000 in equally divided payment over 240 months.

You'll get all the references you need, good or bad - equally valuable.

Nor does it fit my market, where rehab costs often equal the house price.I was thinking of targeting $60k total comp