how to find a rent house or safe apartment?

Q. My husband and I live in a small town and we're about to sell our house. We'd like to find a small rent house or apartment, but don't want a total dump or drug deals outside or door. How should we go about finding the right place? We also have 2 toddler boys.

A. Contact the local police department to get crime statistics for the area where you plan to rent. You could also drive around the neighborhood at different times of the day, especially in the late afternoon or evening.

Good luck

Original Question

Are there rent houses in hot springs ar?

Q. I want an affordable rent house. I good shape. I want atleast 2 to 3 bedrooms and 2 bath.

A. Sometimes, when considering rental properties, it doesn't hurt to consult a local realtor. They've been known to assist with rentals, as well as with purchased properties. Bob Pfautz is one among many, and from his site, you can request relocation information. He may or may not be able to help you, but it's worth an e-mail:

http://www.hotspringssoldman.com/

Here is the realtor.com list for Hot Springs area rentals:

http://realtor.com/xmls/selectnb.asp?mls=xmls&frm=bymap&ct=Hot+Springs&st=AR&poe=realtor&typ=7&typrad=7&areaid=2960

You can refine your search from there with specific details like number of beds and baths, and square footage.

If you'd consider a condo or cottage rental, check here:

http://hscondos.com/

Original Question

Just moved into a rent house. Carpets were cleaned but still smell of animal urine. Is this a health hazard?

Q. Me and my girlfriend just moved into a rent house. The previous tenants had many dogs and the carpet smells of animal urine. Even after they have been profesionally cleaned the carpet in many spots still smells of animal urine. I was wondering whether this was a health hazard, and could the landlord be forced by law to replace the carpet. We have just moved in and have payed first months rent. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We live in Texas as well, maybe the laws are different. Thanks again!

A. Microban is a product used by steam cleaners and is also used in many allergy reducing products. I would try to get the carpet replaced, that is what pet deposits are for, replacing carpet. You should find out how long the previous tenants lived there, this will show how old the carpet is and just how much urine is in it. If you have kids, I would definitely not allow them on it. The padding should be replaced, this is were the smell is really soaked into. The carpet could be cleaned and rid of the smell, but the padding is not going to get clean from any prof. cleaning. Fight!!!!

Original Question

Decorating Ideas for a Rent House?

Q. I recently moved into a rent house and would like some ideas about decorating. Of course I can't paint or do anything permanent to the house, but I really want to make it feel comfortable and like home. Any personal ideas you have or websites would be great.

A. Assuming that you already have your furniture like beds, dining and living sets, then you can do the following:
For dining table, use a nice table runner, place a bowl of fruits in the middle, or a vase of flowers. Have a rug underneathe table and chairs. For living area, add nice cushions for your sofa, have a few table lamps on side tables or floor lamp, picture frames on walls and tables, plants or flowers, carpets or rugs, candles, a few books or magazines on coffee table and a bowl of potpourrie.To add warmth to a room, have wooden furniture, wooden blinds with curtains for windows and lots of soft furnishings. If you like a room to be bright and breezy, use bright and cheerful colors. For bedrooms, choose nice colors for your bedspread, place pictures and table lamp on bedside tables, a small plant or jewelry box. For bathrooms, buy towels which have nice colorful designs or prints on it so your towels are like a decor themselves when you hang them in the bathrooms. Place all your items in basket or box on countertop. Have a nice rug in bathroom. For kitchen, buy interesting utensils that not only work for you but are decor pieces themselves. For example, I have a brush shaped in a potato which I use to clean my potatoes! Also an egg whisk that has a handle that looks like a chick. A cow shaped paper towel holder. I think you get the idea. Have colorful kitchen cloths and apron. If you have a table and chairs in kitchen, add interesting cushions with farm animal or fruit designs on them. Buy placements of same. These are all movable and personal items which you can use in your home decoration, easy and practical.

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Does the Obama home buying tax credit apply to people who own a rent house, but rent the house where they live?

Q. I know it says you cannot have owned a home in three years, does this apply to a rent house, which is considered to be a business, not a home?
I can put the rent house under a corporation, and it would not be under my name.

A. It refers to *where* you are living.

I can own a "2nd home" or rental property and still qualify if I can show I was renting my main home for the past 36 months.

Think about it. Your rental house will show up on schedule E of the 1040 for the past 3 years because of course you reported the rental income....

Original Question

I want to owner fiance my rent house to my current renters. How do i go about the paper work? Who do i talk to

Q. The renters that live in my rent house right now have lived there for about 10 years and have been on time on their monthly rent. I am not in a hurry to sell my rent house but i would like to owner finace with them. The renters don't have very good credit but they are very intrested in buying with owner finance. If I owner finace it would be a win win situation. I can sell my house and maybe get some interest on top of that and the buyers would get to own their first home.

A. Here is a link to a Wiki "How-to" article that pretty much walks you through the process:

http://www.wikihow.com/Sell-Your-House-Using-a-Lease-Option

Good luck with your real estate endeavors.

Original Question

Just moved into a rent house. Carpets were cleaned but still smell of animal urine. Is this a health hazard?

Q. Me and my girlfriend just moved into a rent house. The previous tenants had many dogs and the carpet smells of animal urine. Even after they have been profesionally cleaned the carpet in many spots still smells of animal urine. I was wondering whether this was a health hazard, and could the landlord be forced by law to replace the carpet. We have just moved in and have payed first months rent. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We live in Texas as well, maybe the laws are different. Thanks again!

A. Microban is a product used by steam cleaners and is also used in many allergy reducing products. I would try to get the carpet replaced, that is what pet deposits are for, replacing carpet. You should find out how long the previous tenants lived there, this will show how old the carpet is and just how much urine is in it. If you have kids, I would definitely not allow them on it. The padding should be replaced, this is were the smell is really soaked into. The carpet could be cleaned and rid of the smell, but the padding is not going to get clean from any prof. cleaning. Fight!!!!

Original Question

Decorating Ideas for a Rent House?

Q. I recently moved into a rent house and would like some ideas about decorating. Of course I can't paint or do anything permanent to the house, but I really want to make it feel comfortable and like home. Any personal ideas you have or websites would be great.

A. Assuming that you already have your furniture like beds, dining and living sets, then you can do the following:
For dining table, use a nice table runner, place a bowl of fruits in the middle, or a vase of flowers. Have a rug underneathe table and chairs. For living area, add nice cushions for your sofa, have a few table lamps on side tables or floor lamp, picture frames on walls and tables, plants or flowers, carpets or rugs, candles, a few books or magazines on coffee table and a bowl of potpourrie.To add warmth to a room, have wooden furniture, wooden blinds with curtains for windows and lots of soft furnishings. If you like a room to be bright and breezy, use bright and cheerful colors. For bedrooms, choose nice colors for your bedspread, place pictures and table lamp on bedside tables, a small plant or jewelry box. For bathrooms, buy towels which have nice colorful designs or prints on it so your towels are like a decor themselves when you hang them in the bathrooms. Place all your items in basket or box on countertop. Have a nice rug in bathroom. For kitchen, buy interesting utensils that not only work for you but are decor pieces themselves. For example, I have a brush shaped in a potato which I use to clean my potatoes! Also an egg whisk that has a handle that looks like a chick. A cow shaped paper towel holder. I think you get the idea. Have colorful kitchen cloths and apron. If you have a table and chairs in kitchen, add interesting cushions with farm animal or fruit designs on them. Buy placements of same. These are all movable and personal items which you can use in your home decoration, easy and practical.

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Does the Obama home buying tax credit apply to people who own a rent house, but rent the house where they live?

Q. I know it says you cannot have owned a home in three years, does this apply to a rent house, which is considered to be a business, not a home?
I can put the rent house under a corporation, and it would not be under my name.

A. It refers to *where* you are living.

I can own a "2nd home" or rental property and still qualify if I can show I was renting my main home for the past 36 months.

Think about it. Your rental house will show up on schedule E of the 1040 for the past 3 years because of course you reported the rental income....

Original Question

I want to owner fiance my rent house to my current renters. How do i go about the paper work? Who do i talk to

Q. The renters that live in my rent house right now have lived there for about 10 years and have been on time on their monthly rent. I am not in a hurry to sell my rent house but i would like to owner finace with them. The renters don't have very good credit but they are very intrested in buying with owner finance. If I owner finace it would be a win win situation. I can sell my house and maybe get some interest on top of that and the buyers would get to own their first home.

A. Here is a link to a Wiki "How-to" article that pretty much walks you through the process:

http://www.wikihow.com/Sell-Your-House-Using-a-Lease-Option

Good luck with your real estate endeavors.

Original Question

how to find a rent house or safe apartment?

Q. My husband and I live in a small town and we're about to sell our house. We'd like to find a small rent house or apartment, but don't want a total dump or drug deals outside or door. How should we go about finding the right place? We also have 2 toddler boys.

A. Contact the local police department to get crime statistics for the area where you plan to rent. You could also drive around the neighborhood at different times of the day, especially in the late afternoon or evening.

Good luck

Original Question

How much of a tax write off would I be able to get if I were to donate my rent house to an organization?

Q. I have moved from Texas to another state and I would like to do what would be best with my rent house. It needs work done that I do not want to mess with. It is valued at 55,000 and I will not be able to get that for it as it is now.

If I were to donate it, how much would I be able to write off in the next year or years??

A. You'd have to get it appraised. The deduction would be for the appraisal in its current condition. It isn't "valued at $55,000" since you say yourself you couldn't get that without doing work on it.

Charitable donations are limited in what can be taken in any year - any excess is carried over to the next year.

And a "writeoff" doesn't mean that much money in your pocket. If for example you could deduct $45,000 and are in a 15% bracket, your tax savings from the donation would be $6750.

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Which kind of carport would you put on a rent house, attached with traditional construction or metal detached?

Q. I need to put a carport on a rent house. What is the cost difference between metal detached and traditional that is attached to the house with matching shingles, etc. How much would I expect to pay a contractor and what kind of contractor would do a carport? Would a roofer do one?

A. If I was going to put up a carport I'd make it look as much a part of the house as possible by attaching it to the house and match the shingles and paint. You'll need to hire a carpenter to do the job. Before you go any farther with this check with city hall to find out if there is an ordinance against carports in your town. Many towns won't allow then to be put up anymore, unless there is a grandfather clause on the books, because people think they're unsightly and bring down the value of the property.

Original Question

Does the Obama home buying tax credit apply to people who own a rent house, but rent the house where they live?

Q. I know it says you cannot have owned a home in three years, does this apply to a rent house, which is considered to be a business, not a home?
I can put the rent house under a corporation, and it would not be under my name.

A. It refers to *where* you are living.

I can own a "2nd home" or rental property and still qualify if I can show I was renting my main home for the past 36 months.

Think about it. Your rental house will show up on schedule E of the 1040 for the past 3 years because of course you reported the rental income....

Original Question

I want to owner fiance my rent house to my current renters. How do i go about the paper work? Who do i talk to

Q. The renters that live in my rent house right now have lived there for about 10 years and have been on time on their monthly rent. I am not in a hurry to sell my rent house but i would like to owner finace with them. The renters don't have very good credit but they are very intrested in buying with owner finance. If I owner finace it would be a win win situation. I can sell my house and maybe get some interest on top of that and the buyers would get to own their first home.

A. Here is a link to a Wiki "How-to" article that pretty much walks you through the process:

http://www.wikihow.com/Sell-Your-House-Using-a-Lease-Option

Good luck with your real estate endeavors.

Original Question

how to find a rent house or safe apartment?

Q. My husband and I live in a small town and we're about to sell our house. We'd like to find a small rent house or apartment, but don't want a total dump or drug deals outside or door. How should we go about finding the right place? We also have 2 toddler boys.

A. Contact the local police department to get crime statistics for the area where you plan to rent. You could also drive around the neighborhood at different times of the day, especially in the late afternoon or evening.

Good luck

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Decorating Ideas for a Rent House?

Q. I recently moved into a rent house and would like some ideas about decorating. Of course I can't paint or do anything permanent to the house, but I really want to make it feel comfortable and like home. Any personal ideas you have or websites would be great.

A. Assuming that you already have your furniture like beds, dining and living sets, then you can do the following:
For dining table, use a nice table runner, place a bowl of fruits in the middle, or a vase of flowers. Have a rug underneathe table and chairs. For living area, add nice cushions for your sofa, have a few table lamps on side tables or floor lamp, picture frames on walls and tables, plants or flowers, carpets or rugs, candles, a few books or magazines on coffee table and a bowl of potpourrie.To add warmth to a room, have wooden furniture, wooden blinds with curtains for windows and lots of soft furnishings. If you like a room to be bright and breezy, use bright and cheerful colors. For bedrooms, choose nice colors for your bedspread, place pictures and table lamp on bedside tables, a small plant or jewelry box. For bathrooms, buy towels which have nice colorful designs or prints on it so your towels are like a decor themselves when you hang them in the bathrooms. Place all your items in basket or box on countertop. Have a nice rug in bathroom. For kitchen, buy interesting utensils that not only work for you but are decor pieces themselves. For example, I have a brush shaped in a potato which I use to clean my potatoes! Also an egg whisk that has a handle that looks like a chick. A cow shaped paper towel holder. I think you get the idea. Have colorful kitchen cloths and apron. If you have a table and chairs in kitchen, add interesting cushions with farm animal or fruit designs on them. Buy placements of same. These are all movable and personal items which you can use in your home decoration, easy and practical.

Original Question

Is it as difficult to qualify for renting a house as buying?

Q. We're selling our house due to our business failing. I have a job making a small salary and my hubby is still looking. We're basically living on savings right now. We're planning on getting into a rent house until we can save up some money for a house. I've never rented a house before; is it generally difficult to qualify? Also, do most people require a 6 month comittment? I live in the DFW area.

A. God NO! When you rent a house, you are making a commitment for 1 year at the most. Further, the eviction process is fairly quick and efficient.

When you get a mortgage to buy a house, you are making a commitment for decades and the foreclosure process is costly, fraught with risk to the lender, and can take a year or more from the time that the first payment is missed.

Consequently, the standards that a potential tenant are held to are trivial compared to those that a mortgage borrower are held.

The nature of the secondary market also makes renting easier. When mortgage lenders originate FHA, VA and conforming conventional mortgages (about 80%+ of all mortgages originated) they MUST conform to the standards set by FHA, fannie mae, and freddie mac. When it comes to renting an apartment, each landlord or property manager can do whatever he or she pleases. The only constraints come from state laws and these are usually non-binding.

As for lease length, 1 year is standard for residential leases. Many if not most may give you the option of a shorter lease. However, you can expect to pay a little more becasue the property owner has to make up for retenanting costs, which are lower when they can be spread over a longer lease.

Original Question

Where are people going to live when rent keeps going up?

Q. I live in Northern Virginia and probably one the most expensive places to live. I am a college student and think about my future a lot once I graduate. The thing is where are people going to live in the next 3-4 years from now when apartment rent, house market value, and other things just keep going up? Lately I've been hearing about foreclosures and the house market plummeting. What about the low-income families? Does anyone think about this? I know I am not the only one. Many you might say go to the politics and government sections but I thought I post my comment in this section. Can I get some feedback please. Thanks a lot.

A. Yes-we live in a high cost area. I am about 2 hours from DC and we are a satellite local for commuters-houses are selling RIGHT now for $199,000 for a 15,000 sq ft 3 bed 2 bath. We have a good bit of folks who commute to DC from our area. And rent is high in the area too.

As for the poor-honestly no one thinks about it because it is too depressing to admit many families live in poor conditions and that means kids too. I worked in social services foryears and in public housing. I worked with a lot of nice families who live pay check to pay check and will likely never get out of that. Buying a house today is a luxury that sadly not everyone will get and some people who never should have gotten a loan did and they are caught in this foreclosure mess.

I got out of social work because after 10+ years it was just to depressing. I think the notion of the American dream to own a home is going down the tubes for way to many people. Until wages are higher for lower income families or until more people are able to get into higher education and get a better job this will continue. The really bad thing is that services to help low income families with housing are beng cut at the federal level. So you have more people in competition for fewer service dollars. Not really sure what the answer is or if there is one. Maybe more college age folks like you will come up with better solutions than we have now.

If you have the means, now is a good time to buy a home. And by means I mean income level, savings, and good credit-that magic combo that not enough folks have to actually get a home and be able to also live comfortably let alone send a kid or two to college. Maybe you (being near the nations cap) could look into becoming an advocate for low income families. And try not to stress over getting a home of your own in a few years or where rent will be.

Original Question

How long does my landlord have to fix a water leak in our house?

Q. In our rent house the bathtub in the guest bathroom is dripping water, outside there is dripping water, and because of some plumbing problem we cant use our master bathroom. This has been going on for a month and our landlord still has not come to fix it.

A. Depends on the laws of your state and perhaps your municipality or county...

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

I want to owner fiance my rent house to my current renters. How do i go about the paper work? Who do i talk to

Q. The renters that live in my rent house right now have lived there for about 10 years and have been on time on their monthly rent. I am not in a hurry to sell my rent house but i would like to owner finace with them. The renters don't have very good credit but they are very intrested in buying with owner finance. If I owner finace it would be a win win situation. I can sell my house and maybe get some interest on top of that and the buyers would get to own their first home.

A. Here is a link to a Wiki "How-to" article that pretty much walks you through the process:

http://www.wikihow.com/Sell-Your-House-Using-a-Lease-Option

Good luck with your real estate endeavors.

Original Question

How to cover tile in a rent house?

Q. I am moving into a rent house and the tile in the bathroom is horrible. The whole wall is covered in tile. There is about a foot between the tile and the top of the ceiling and then there is a wide baseboard at the bottom. Since it is a rent house I can not take the tile out our paint over it...does anyone have any ideas?

A. Stick contact paper on it for a temporary covering and then peel it off when you leave.

Original Question

How can I evict one person from a rent house.?

Q. I rent to two people, who both signed the lease. One has done considerable damage to the rent house. How can I evict him, In Texas, without having to evict the other person also? They are not legally married, but have a child together. The lease does provide for default of lease upon damaging the premises, but can I evict only one of them?

A. No, you will need to evict both of them.

Original Question

What is the most you can give for a rent house?

Q. What is the most you can give for a rent house and still come out. What is the average time to pay for a rent house?.

A. I would love to answer your question but I'm unsure what you're asking. If you can make it a bit clearer, I'll check back and see if I can help you.

EDIT:Okay, I can't find the formula. But essentially what you consider are your expenses vs. your income potential. What will your monthly payment be including taxes and insurance? What will your income be from rents? Can you cover your entire payment with the rents and still have about 20% per month above your payment as income? You need to clear about that much to cover repairs and vacancy. Don't forget to consider whether your tenants will pay their own utilities, etc. Think about how much you'll be putting down. Perhaps that money would yield a higher return in a CD or something similar? A good real estate agent should be able to help you with the numbers. I suggest you find one experienced and familiar with the purchase of income properties in your area. I wish you all the best!

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Which kind of carport would you put on a rent house, attached with traditional construction or metal detached?

Q. I need to put a carport on a rent house. What is the cost difference between metal detached and traditional that is attached to the house with matching shingles, etc. How much would I expect to pay a contractor and what kind of contractor would do a carport? Would a roofer do one?
It is a two car carport.
This is my rent house. I own it.
Usually the contractor gets the necessary building permits from the city, but that is not the question.

A. If it were my house, I would put up an attached carport. It will be more expensive, but the space could be used as an extra room if necessary. You may want to check out home improvement stores in your area for kits. Some places sell kits for such projects. Then, if you can't do it yourself, hire a certified and insured person to do it. Don't settle for a roofer unless he is a carpenter/roofer. And make sure he is licensed, certified, and insured. Just in case.

The person you hire should get the permits. Double check before anything is put up.

Any type of construction contractor should be able to do it.

Original Question

Which kind of carport would you put on a rent house, attached with traditional construction or metal detached?

Q. I need to put a carport on a rent house. What is the cost difference between metal detached and traditional that is attached to the house with matching shingles, etc. How much would I expect to pay a contractor and what kind of contractor would do a carport? Would a roofer do one?

A. If I was going to put up a carport I'd make it look as much a part of the house as possible by attaching it to the house and match the shingles and paint. You'll need to hire a carpenter to do the job. Before you go any farther with this check with city hall to find out if there is an ordinance against carports in your town. Many towns won't allow then to be put up anymore, unless there is a grandfather clause on the books, because people think they're unsightly and bring down the value of the property.

Original Question

Does the Obama home buying tax credit apply to people who own a rent house, but rent the house where they live?

Q. I know it says you cannot have owned a home in three years, does this apply to a rent house, which is considered to be a business, not a home?
I can put the rent house under a corporation, and it would not be under my name.

A. It refers to *where* you are living.

I can own a "2nd home" or rental property and still qualify if I can show I was renting my main home for the past 36 months.

Think about it. Your rental house will show up on schedule E of the 1040 for the past 3 years because of course you reported the rental income....

Original Question

I want to owner fiance my rent house to my current renters. How do i go about the paper work? Who do i talk to

Q. The renters that live in my rent house right now have lived there for about 10 years and have been on time on their monthly rent. I am not in a hurry to sell my rent house but i would like to owner finace with them. The renters don't have very good credit but they are very intrested in buying with owner finance. If I owner finace it would be a win win situation. I can sell my house and maybe get some interest on top of that and the buyers would get to own their first home.

A. Here is a link to a Wiki "How-to" article that pretty much walks you through the process:

http://www.wikihow.com/Sell-Your-House-Using-a-Lease-Option

Good luck with your real estate endeavors.

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers