Another Update on Cabinets

Keith called me this morning to give me an update on the plans. At the time, he said the cabinets would be in today and the countertops were being installed in the afternoon. He said he would have to do some work on Monday - the cabinets the first guy made had no end panels, meaning the side that faced into the room was just raw wood. So Keith picked up some panels and took them to get them finished the same color as the cabinets. Those won't be...

Countertops Going In Friday

I spoke with Keith today and he tells me the countertops are in and will be installed on Friday! Keith suggested I ask if Corbin, the countertop guy, could install the sinks in the bathrooms. This is something of a sore point with me. Originally, Corbin said he likes to install sinks because he can pick up some extra money, but he would not be able to do it for me due to time constraints. This was back before we had to re-order the countertops, so...

Another Cashflow Day!

Yesterday, I received a check for almost $1,450 from another one of the foreclosure investing LLCs I am in. Over the past year, this LLC is returning about 31% and the annualized ROI for the 18 months I've been in it is around 22%. Not too bad. This money is being turned right around and reinvested with the same people. If you recall, my goal was to get into 6 of these ventures so that I will be receiving a check each month. This latest one, assuming...

Finally, A Callback

One of the tree services I emailed finally called me back. I got a voicemail Thursday around 4:30 PM asking if I was still needing service. I called back and got the guy's voicemail, so I left a message telling him yes, I still needed service and gave him some details. I didn't hear anything Friday or Saturday. Sunday afternoon rolls around and I get a phone call from the guy. He's calling me from the property and quotes me $275 to trim the dead...

I Have A Dream

In the wee hours of the night, as moonlight falls across my bed and I drift off to sleep, I have a dream that comforts and soothes me. This dream fills my sleeping mind with feelings of joy and visions of carefree days filled with rainbows and cotton-candy clouds. Bunny rabbits with bushy, white tails frolic and tumble over one another in vast, gently rolling fields of soft, green grass. The air is fragrant with the scent of wildflowers and filled...

Joe Strikes Back

Joe, the fool cabinet maker I had originally hired, and who has given me nothing but problems, problems, and more problems, has bit me again. Keith and Corbin called me tonight from the property and Keith said he needed me to make an executive decision. It seems Joe had measured wrong or built wrong or just screwed up in some other way and did not make the cabinets wide enough on the bottom. There is a 1.5 inch gap between the stove and the cabinets...

Another Update Phone Call From Keith

Wow.. Keith the cabinet guy seems to be very big on communication! I got a call last night at 8 PM from him telling me he was heading over to the house to drop off some cabinet doors. He said he found some doors that should fit the weird corner cabinets Joe made and hung. If they work, he said they'll save me $800! The problem is those corner cabinets are pretty wacky and have a wider than normal opening. If the opening is too wide, I'd need to have...

Deja Vu - Damaged Goods

Got a call from the countertop guy today. He said the countertop material came back from being cut, but it was damaged and he sent it back. He's also waiting for the templates for the vanities from Keith. He says the countertops will still be done on Saturday. Seems like I've been down this damaged-goods road befo...

Good Communication

I got a call from Keith yesterday around 3 PM just to give me a status update. The countertop guy was delayed a day, so he won't get going on my stuff until today. Everything else is going fine. The job is still on track to be completed early next week. I love the fact that this guy calls me to give me updates instead of me having to call him all the time!I still need to set up tree service to trim the tree that was damaged in the last storm. Hopefully,...

Countertops Are Being Installed

I got hold of the cabinet guy when I got home last night and he and the countertop guy were able to connect and work things out. The bathroom vanities were ordered and are being picked up today. Keith, the cabinet guy, will install those. He also picked up some sinks, so it turns out I won't have to get those elsewhere. Then the countertops in the bathrooms and kitchen will be installed today. Keith won't be able to finish the kitchen until next...

I Need a PDA Or Something

The countertop guy called me today and said he'd like to get the counters installed tomorrow. (Yay!) Unfortunately, he's not sure if the cabinet guy has got the bathroom vanities installed yet and can't reach him on the phone to ask. I haven't heard from him either. He was supposed to be back from vacation yesterday and I was planning on calling him this afternoon anyway, but now, there is a little more urgency to reach him. The problem is I am at...

Selling Aid: House Staging

I was reading through the latest issue of Personal Real Estate Investor Magazine and came across an article about companies that offer "house staging" services. This is a service for people who are selling or renting a home and want it to move quickly or for more money (and who doesn't want that?) These companies come in and redecorate the entire house or just a couple rooms in a neutral but inviting way so that potential buyers or renters will feel...

Are You Collecting Sales Tax On Your Rentals?

This article in my local newspaper highlights an important issue with landlords: many are not aware they are supposed to be collecting city sales tax on their rental income. In addition to the sales tax, I discovered you also need to register the property as a rental property with the county. What happens if you don't do this? Penalties vary by city, but you could face fines of up to 25% of the value of back taxes owed, plus a fine of $1,000 for...

Countertop Installer Called

I spoke with the countertop installer today and he's going to check the place out on Saturday. I asked if he would still be able to get the job done by the 15th, like the cabinet guy told me, and he says he thinks so. Apparently, it's just a one day job. He might be able to install sinks and plumbing at the bathroom vanities as well, but he's not sure. He said if he could get it done in one day, he would like to, since he likes the extra money, but...

Joe Returns

I got a call from Joe, the old cabinet guy today. He wanted to send me a fax. The fax at the number he currently has is out of ink and apparently, it's not accepting new faxes. He first asked me for another fax number so he could fax me some paperwork. I told him I was done dealing with him and refused to give him a number. He said ok and hung up.About 30 seconds later, he called me back and told me the owner of the trailer wants to know where the...

Trailer Gone And New Cabinets Moving Forward

I got a call from the new cabinet guy last night. He's faxed his drawing to the countertop guy who will need to visit the house and make a template. He (Countertop Guy) thinks he can get this done by the 15th, so that's pretty good - only two weeks, and one of those days is a holiday. Cabinet Guy thinks he can be done by then as well - good when you consider he's leaving on a 1 week vacation today. I don't have a quote yet, but I'm told it will be...