I have several properties with very old appliances.  However, I've had horrible experiences with both American Home Shield and Total Protect Home Warranty.  I am looking for a solid home warranty company, at least unt...

First time landlord to be. I'm looking to forecast and budget for 1) capital expenses relating to big ticket items (roof, hvac, appliances, unforeseen etc.) and 2) ongoing repair and maintenance costs. I've searched t...

I understand that appliances have a "predictable lifespan". An oven/range typically have a predictable lifespan of 20 years. A tenant broke my 10 year old range. Am I only allowed to charge him for 50% of the cost for...

Hi,we recently changed property managers after having the same one for several years. We started to have issues i.e. checks were starting to come in late, hard to get in touch with, and so forth so we were happy to he...

Hi,

Is there a rule of thumb for operating expense ratio for retail (non NNN) properties? What if the owner is only responsible for roof and structure? Is there an "average" estimated vacancy loss that you use to e...

Hello All,

I am putting together an operating plan (the first 100 days) of a 20 -unit multi-family acquisition. Can any one can share their thoughts/insights of this First 100 Days plan such as the various e...

I've read David's great book on long distance real estate investing, but there was a catch-22 that I couldn't quite figure out. It comes down to finding a contractor vs making an offer on a property.Here are two of ta...

I started working on a refinance in September of this year for my commercial property.  I was hit with several building violations the next month. With that said, I went to court and cooperated with the city and agree...

I need to talk to and hire a contractor as I'm preparing to convert my condo in Chicago into a rental.  Most of the things on my list are small wear and tear items that have come up from living in the unit for 11years...

Our Tenants are about to move out.  In all 3 kids bedrooms they mounted a TV and stuck sticky 3M LED light strips all along the perimeter seams of the walls and the corners.  In each room this adds up to about 75 feet...