BigDavyG

Imagine how good you would feel if you bump the late payment fee up to $100.

Actually if you are game enough to be handling all your own affairs in this country fair play to you. I know a lot of people say that letting agents make money for old rope, but imo its money well spent if something does go wrong.

anotherlimey

I knew someone who owned 5 or 5 houses; he said if you're not willing to take the time out to take care of the business yourself you might as well not bother.

His reasoning was, an agent will always try to scam you out of money.

fatbrit

Along with LV and most of CA in our neck of the woods I think.

BigDavyG

True, but so will tennants and they can get a bit ancy at the best of times, let along in a country where people have guns
Maybe its different over here but if you keep a close eye on things agents can def save you a lot of hassle back home - especially if you have a day job.

Failing that do what a mate of mine does - only rent to female uni students

Bob

A mates dad did that, sweared never to do it again, complete utter pigs and gutted the place *lol*

Yorkieabroad

And he only does that to avoid the hassle eh? yeah right...

fatbrit

No slum lord is complete without a paint sprayer and 50-gallon drum of white emulsion, egg-shell finish.

Bob

yeah, but he just spent £100K rebuilding the house before they moved in...when they left, and they buggered off back to where ever, the kitchen was suffering, the bathroom was falling through the floor, living room was a moulded wreck fest, he weren't best pleased

fatbrit

Sounds like the dreaded Section 8 over here. If your apartment complex starts doing it, run quickly!

Bob

our landlords are right bunch of crunts, takes forever to sort out anything if anything breaks, hell, the lights out in the hallway have been out for the last two months *l*

NC Penguin

Just for mortage, the amount is a little over 10%. We don't have to pay Escrow on the mortgage thankfully.


NC Penguin

AdobePinon

It's nasty - market up 35% since I bought two years ago. My own place is up 33% (there are a couple of identical units that have sold recently).

Giantaxe

Miami would probably be second on my list Seriously, I'd wait a while.. I read a couple of weeks ago that there are more condos under construction in Miami than have been sold in the last nine years. Falling for the "buy now or forever be priced out" line might have been good advice a couple of years ago or even last year, but in places like Miami I doubt it is now.

BigDavyG

It has its perks apparently
Actually in many towns in blighty the student market is surprisingly lucrative, and if you're going to chose you would rather birds than fellas

Yorkieabroad

Yeah. I looked at going with Teesside University (huh?) a few years back. They have a scheme where they sign on the houses themselves, then sublet to the students and the Uni does all the repairs at the end of the tenancy. Its quite a good little number......so good in fact that the houses inside their "approved zone" commanded a premium to those in the next street outside. The main problem I had was timing - you had to get the house ready by such and such a date, and then apply for a slot on their intake for the september. Chances were pretty good, but if you missed it, you were pretty well screwed cos the non-student market in that area was lousy. In the end it just got too difficult to coordinate from overseas, but would definitely look at it again if we went back.