My Real Estate Tips

As a tenant, you do have rights. Your lease might tend more towards protecting your landlord, but there are rules, laws, codes, and responsibilities specifically designed to protect tenants. However, you have to help protect yourself as well.

Begin by familiarizing yourself with the rental guidelines, laws, and codes in your area. Know what you are responsible for, what your landlord is responsible for, and the rights that both of you have in your area.

Make sure you document any damages in the apartment or rental space right from the onset. If a real estate agent is involved, he or she will usually document these while you are present, but in addition to getting them in writing, you should take pictures of everything.

Do not talk to your landlord alone if you can help it. Make sure there is some kind of witness. If you have to write your landlord, use email so there is always proof.

When you are leaving a rental property – it is going to be rented out again and most likely, you were forced to leave a security deposit on the property.  If you are trying to get your full security deposit back, it is a great idea to ensure that you leave the property not only as clean as when you moved in but overall, in good condition.

For example, if you painted the walls at some point while you were in the apartment, it is a good idea that you actually paint them back to white or even to the color that they were originally.  You want to make sure that you clean up as well.

As you move stuff out of the apartment, make sure that you clean cabinets as well as the floors and bathroom, bedroom and kitchen.  It does make a difference!

Factory built houses sometimes get a bad reputation. It is rather unwarranted and somewhat unfair. There are some advantages to purchasing this kind of home. For one thing, building them is not a seasonal business; they can be built all year round, which can be extremely convenient. As well, typically these houses are built in the most economical way possible.

Sometimes, the houses are even built with materials of a higher quality than those used on site built homes.

Factory built houses can be of enormous help for those of us who may not be able to afford our own custom designed or site built home. They can, in actuality, be something of a lifer. People get a set vision when they think of a prefab house, but given the troubled economical times and the current housing market, it may be time to rethink those opinions.