From Homeowner to Landlord


We have lived in our one family townhouse with room mates/friends since we bought our house in 2008. Now we are looking to move out and rent it out to them. They have always been very responsible and reliable, and hopefully that won’t change.
My question is about all the legal changes that are going to take place now. Our current insurance company is Interboro and they don’t do landlord insurance. I need someone good and who will get back to us asap. Is it a similar deal with homewoners ins.? There is an inspection, and they take pictures i am assuming? Is there any advice you homeowners-to-landlord can give me about this? We put in smoke detectors, etc. But is there something I haven’t thought of. Also, will we have to change the C of O on the house? The taxes change too but who do notify of that?
What other legal issues are involved? And if i pay all the bills on the house then is that tax deductible?

I will take any insurance company recommendations! And other suggestions are most welcome too.

Thanks!

Categories: Insurance
By sshalmiyev | 04/01/2011 12:08 PM | Comment

Hanging Pocket Doors


Please help…if you or someone you know is a carpenter that knows how to ahng pocket doors please contact me asap at sshalmiyev@gmail.com or 917-306-0027.

There used to be pocket doors in this space of our townhouse. the ones we bought are slightly too short so we need someone to creatively deal with this problem.

Thanks,

Sophia

Categories: Carpentry
By sshalmiyev | 08/29/2009 8:02 PM | Comment

Need Multiple Recommendations


ok so here it goes….

I would love your guys’ suggestions for the following repairs/renovations i need to make on our bushwick brick house.

1. the most pressing issue is our plumbing. during the crazy rainfalls, the sewer water comes up the shower drain in the basement. we did not put this bathroom in ourselves. we had a plumber tell us that all we need is a check valve. one quoted us 1,500 and another something crazy like 2,500…and said we would have to dig up the kitchen floor ourselves to do the work.

has anyone had experience with this? what did you end up paying? are you done dealing with the floods?

2. we want to put in trees/shrubs for instant privacy in our fron yard. we have a six month old and no back yard so this is all we got for outdoor space. it’s a super busy street. the space is about 20 by 20 and we want to put some kind of evergreens going all the way around. my husband did some research and is suggesting emeralds/arborvitaes. i have heard horrible things about them. some guy form long island was willing to put in leyland cypress tree for 120 a tree. reading up on them they seem like the wrong thing as well and will grow too much.

what is a good thing for an instant living fence (maybe 6-7 feet)? and finally, do you have a recommendation for a nursery or a guy who will sell me the trees and put them in as well for a reasonable price?

3. our stoop is sagging and has been sorely neglected. the cornice and columns need to be repaired and painted. i think we can start out by having someone pump some concrete under the steps to lift them and pain the cornice at minimum, then move onto replacing the chipped and peeling columns.

how much does this cost and who would you recommend?

the brick was once painted, but the previous owner strpped most of the paint off. unfortunately they left some paint in the front. can we just power wash this off ourselves or have a professional do it?

thank you in advance for any responses to this. i will probably have so many more questions. i’m kind of overwhelmed by the amount of work this house needs, but for now i am just flashing to the memories of last summer when i was wiping shit water off our basement nine months pregnant. and…i cringe every time i walk up to my home and see the slupming stoop (eye sore) and the white paint on the cornice.

By sshalmiyev | 03/08/2009 11:09 PM | Comment