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Ensuring the best policy - angieslist.com
Follow these tips to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance.
1. "If you're shopping for a new home, consider the proximity to a fire station and fire hydrants," says Vickie Montney, agent for highly rated Artisan Insurance Group in Tampa, Fla. "If you're more than five miles from a fire station or more than 1,000 feet from a fire ydrant, you'll pay several hundred more dollars per year for your policy."
2. "A security alarm can take 10 to 20 percent off the annual premium of your policy," says Joan Jochum, agent for highly rated Jochum Insurance in Cleveland. "You save more if the system links directly to emergency response teams rather than to a monitoring company. Deadbolts, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors can save you money as well."
3. "You can save money by switching to a higher deductible policy," says Kevin Watkins, agent for highly rated State Farm Insurance in Santa Clarita, Calif.
4. "Cut down dead trees and overhanging branches," Montney says. "If you're not maintaining the property, companies can cancel or not renew a policy."
5. "If you're in a hurricane area, have storm shutters," says Daniel Juliani, owner of highly rated Juliani Insurance Services in Wellesley, Mass. "Insurance companies also look at electrical systems to make sure they have breakers and that furnaces have had a new burner within the last 25 years. These things don't necessarily save you money on a policy, but they can make you ineligible for coverage."
Save Taxes and Save Energy - tips from angieslist.com
When you're replacing appliances, making repairs or remodeling, you may be able to recoup part of the cost if your improvements are energy-efficient. A 30 percent tax credit is available, with a limit of $1,500 for all combined credits. Here are the details:
1. The credit applies to material costs for windows, doors, insulation and roofs. It applies to material, labor, and installation costs for HVAC systems, non-solar water heaters and biomass stoves.
2. The improvements must be installed in your primary residence between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2010. New construction and second homes don't count.
3. Save your receipts and manufacturer certification statements.
4. The credit also applies to materials, installation and labor for geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, fuel cells and small wind energy systems. However, they're not subject to the same limits. In those cases, the tax credit is 30 percent of the total cost, with no upper limit through 2016. This credit also applies to new construction, second homes and rentals.
5. Some hybrid vehicles also qualify for a separate credit based on make and model, but this credit is being phased out as sales meet a certain threshold. Visit fueleconomy.gov for more information.
6. The products must meet specific standards to qualify for the credit. Energy Star compliance isn't always enough. For a full list of specifications and qualified products, goto energystar.gov/taxcredits.
Mind that Mold - tips from angieslist.com
Mold in your home can cause anything from a stuffy nose to a serious infection. Here, some highly rated service companies let you know how to prevent it - or fight it:
1. Watch the Water: "The key to preventing or controlling mold is moisture control," says Tom Schultz, who owns A-rated Certified Mold Inspection & Remediation Services in Minnetonka, Minn. "You can't avoid it in the bathroom, so you have to ventilate, and we find mold regularly in attics that don't have good ventilation. To control it, use a properly designed rain gutter system and landscape grading, which should slope away from the house.
2. Keep it Clean: "Clean your gutters regularly, typically twice a year, and keep all your vegetation trimmed away from the siding," says Tyler Mittendorf, owner of highly rated First Choice Home Inspection in Bothell, Wash. "Otherwise, these things will trap moisture against your house and block your gutters, and it may cause excessive moisture around the foundation."
3. Location, location, location: "If your home is situated near a wetland, you could run into some chronic problems with moisture intrusion," Schultz says. "You'll need to take additional measures, like adding drain tile and a sump pump system in your basement."
4. Catch it Early: Mold tests are often separate from regular home inspections. Mittendorf says he finds mold in more than half the homes he inspects, but doesn't always do the mold tests. "I give [the client] the option to do additional testing," he says. "They may sign a waiver saying I offered it and they chose not to do it."
Caring for your Carpet - tips from angieslist.com
After installation of a new carpet, there are several things you can do to prevent premature wear and tear. Follow these tips from The Carpet and Rug Institute on how to keep your carpet looking clean and plush.
1. Don't let that spill sit. Soak up liquids as soon as possible to prevent permanent stains. Before treating the stain with a cleaning product for the first time, be sure to test it on a hidden area of your carpet.
2. Charge your air filters regularly. Not only does changing air filters help with the air quality in your home, but it also picks up dust particles destined for your carpet.
3. Vacuum frequently. Dirt wears down carpet fibers, making it look matted and worn. Vacuuming several times a week will help keep your carpet looking newer longer.
4. Get it cleaned by a professional. The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends having your carpet cleaned every 12 o 18 months to remove any embedded dirt and grime.
5. Take your shoes off. Shoes deposit dirt in the carpet and wear down the fibers. Walking around in your stocking feet makes for a clearner carpet.
The Wall Street Journal Recently Rated Durham the Best Market in the Nation for Real Estate Investing |
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Share the Good News About Durham A recent Wall Street Journal article by M.P. McQueen has ranked Durham, North Carolina as the best real estate investing market in the nation. According to the article "Regions that rank highly for investment suitability are those where there is a low probability that home prices will fall further". The article goes on to say "In the best markets, home prices already are stabilizing. Durham, N.C., for instance, is home to Duke University and is near the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Big companies like International Business Machines Corp., GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Nortel Networks Corp., as well as numerous biotech start-ups, have facilities at the nearby Research Triangle Corporate Park. About 40% of area jobs are in health care, education or government". |
Real-Estate Investing: the Best and Worst MarketsBy M.P. MCQUEENLooking to snap up some investment properties on the cheap? You may want to consider Durham, N.C., Indianapolis and Huntsville, Ala. They are among the best places to invest now, according to a new report that ranks the best and worst markets for conservative residential-real-estate investors. Hard-hit Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla., are among the riskiest. Local Market Monitor Inc., a Cary, N.C., firm that analyzes real-estate trends for lenders, builders and investors, compiled its first Investor Suitability Report using economic data through July 31 for 315 U.S. markets. The firm is best known for its housing-market forecasts, which use "equilibrium" home prices: what home values should be in relation to incomes, job growth and population. In its new report, it uses similar data to rank communities by their investment prospects, focusing on single-family homes. ![[REINVEST]](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/WK-AV049_REINVE_NS_20100819220202.jpg) Regions that rank highly for investment suitability are those where there is a low probability that home prices will fall further, says Local Market Monitor President Ingo Winzer. They are places where income is growing moderately; where employment is relatively stable because of a large percentage of jobs in health care, education or government; and where a relatively small share of jobs is in construction or financial services, which have been volatile. (Job losses in government and education tend to come later in an economic cycle, so some areas could be hit harder in coming months.) The report, which excludes towns with fewer than 200,000 residents, focuses on price-appreciation potential instead of rental income, since falling home prices usually result in higher vacancy rates in apartment buildings and lower rents overall, Mr. Winzer says. Good markets for conservative investors are those that already have stabilized and should yield average returns, Mr. Winzer says. Dangerous markets probably will see further price declines and have little potential for a turnaround because of poor local economies. So-called speculative markets, by contrast, are those where prices could fall further, but which also have potential for greater appreciation of 3% to 5% annually after bottoming out—making them more suitable for investors with stronger stomachs. Local Market Monitor identifies Hagerstown, Md.; Jacksonville and Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Modesto, Calif.; and Myrtle Beach, S.C. as speculative areas. In the best markets, home prices already are stabilizing. Durham, N.C., for instance, is home to Duke University and is near the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Big companies like International Business Machines Corp., GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Nortel Networks Corp., as well as numerous biotech start-ups, have facilities at the nearby Research Triangle Corporate Park. About 40% of area jobs are in health, education or government, according to Local Market Monitor. Haywood Davis, owner of a Century 21 real-estate brokerage in Durham, says home-sales volume in the area increased 13% last month over July 2009, though prices rose only slightly. Some other metro areas with large percentages of relatively stable jobs and moderate growth include Knoxville, Tenn.; Lexington, Ky.; and Indianapolis. Jason Moore, a 34-year-old auto-sales manager in Baltimore, took advantage of plunging home prices in his hometown of Indianapolis to snap up an investment property there—a brand-new four-bedroom, two-bath home—for $56,000 late in 2008. Prices in Indianapolis were falling because of foreclosures and rising unemployment. Disappointed with their stock-market investments, Mr. Moore and his wife, Keisha, 32, decided to buy an investment property to add to their portfolio. The Indiana house is generating a positive cash flow of about $300 a month in rent after mortgage, insurance, taxes and fees, he says. "It has been adding income, and the tax benefit has been helpful," Mr. Moore says. Yet in gambling-and-tourism-dependent Reno, Nev., home prices slid 50% from their market peak in 2006—and don't seem to have bottomed yet. Mr. Winzer calls the city "frankly dangerous" for investors, along with Las Vegas and Naples and Orlando, Fla., because home prices are still tumbling and local economies are shaky. John Burns, chief executive officer of John Burns Real Estate Consulting Inc. of Irvine, Calif., says he thinks Reno and Las Vegas have "overcorrected," but he agrees prices could fall further. Dana Hall-Bradley, a real-estate agent in Florida's Orlando-Kissimmee area, near Disney World, says sales were up 39% last month over July 2009. But prices are still sliding because most sales involve so-called distressed properties—bank-owned homes or short sales, where lenders agree to sell properties for less than they are owed. Investors, especially those from Canada, the U.K., Brazil and Venezuela, are buying vacation and retirement villas, condos and townhouses in the area, Ms. Hall-Bradley says, because prices already are 40% to 50% below what they were as late as 2007. Many are paying cash. Condos are even cheaper. "Right now you can get a condo for $30,000 that was selling for $150,000 to $200,000 in 2005 or 2006," she says. Eamon Lavin of Locust Valley, N.Y., recently purchased three condo units and a single-family home in Celebration, a planned community outside Orlando designed by Walt Disney Co. Mr. Lavin, 43, says he knows prices could tumble further but he isn't worried because he plans to rent out the properties for 10 or 15 years. "I love the area, and I think it is going to come back," he says. "I get more of a return on investment than putting it in a bank or anywhere else." Write to M.P. McQueen at mp.mcqueen@wsj.com |
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6 Tips for Home Owners Who Turn Into Landlords
EXPANDED PROP ORDINANCE TO GIVE CITY ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY 02/12/2009 In an effort to strengthen enforcement laws and improve neighborhoods, the City of Raleigh has expanded its Probationary Rental Occupancy Permit (PROP) ordinance. The PROP ordinance serves as a tool to address rental property owners whose property is found to violate minimum housing, zoning and nuisance laws or have demonstrated a pattern of criminal convictions for noise and nuisance party violations. Under the expanded rules, activities resulting in a third conviction of certain behavior within a two-year period, will result in the landlord being required to obtain a PROP. This ordinance is effective Jan 1, 2009. The City of Raleigh has added the following crimes to the PROP ordinance: · Prostitution; The landlord placed in the PROP program must pay $500 per year for the two-year permit to cover the cost of administering the permit. The landlord must also attend a residential management course that is offered by or approved by the City of Raleigh. A landlord cited for a second code violation during the two-year probationary period could lose the rental permit for the property for two years. A third code violation could lead to a two-year revocation of PROPs issued for all other property rented by the landlord. The landlord would also be ineligible to apply for a new permit for two years. For more information about the City's PROP ordinance, call 831-6167.
Durham Begins Tiered Rate Billing for Water Services Today
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Residential rents are up across the country, confirms the National Low Income Housing Coalition in the latest issue of its annual report "Out of Reach."
The organization identifies Hawaii, California, and New York as the least unaffordable states and names Connecticut's Stamford-Norwalk market as the most costly metropolitan area in the nation.
According to the study, one in seven U.S. households is contributing more than half of their income toward keeping a roof over their heads; and low-income, minority, and first-time home buyers are especially being impacted by escalating shelter costs.
"The numbers in 'Out of Reach' are a stark reminder that in nearly every community in our nation, families are struggling to make ends meet," said U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), in a preface to the NLIHC report. "While we have federal programs in place to assist people in affordable housing, they are relatively small compared to the great need. More must be done to ensure housing opportunities for all."
Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Mass.), Bronislaus B. Kush (04/08/08)
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Daily Real Estate News | April 7, 2008
Average rents for U.S. apartments rose 1 percent in the first three months of 2008.
This was the 24th consecutive quarter that rental property rates have risen, according to New York-based real estate research firm Reis Inc. The last time rents fell was the first quarter of 2002, when they declined by 0.2 percent, according to Reis.
A soft housing market beset by stricter loan terms and falling home prices is the "dominant driver" pushing people to rent apartments, said Sam Chandan, chief economist at Reis.
New York had the highest average rent at $2,790 a month, followed by San Francisco at $1,801, Fairfield County, Conn., at $1,759 and Boston at $1,620, Reis said.
Source: Bloomberg News (04/05/2008)
Back to Renting
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor predicts that about two-thirds of the five million renters who bought homes over the past decade will go back to renting because they can't afford their loans. William Wheaton, professor of economics and real estate at MIT, says that rents will eventually rise as a result, people will again see ownership as preferable to renting, and it will help turn housing around in two to three years.—P. Curry
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This article was published on: 03/01/2008
FOR BROKERS: REALTOR® magazine
Solutions Property Management
BY G.M. FILISKO
Home sales and rentals are like the two sides of a seesaw. When home sales rise, home and apartment rentals fall. But when home sales drop, rentals shoot up. “The number of renters is on the rise today,” says Brad DeVries, president and CEO of Semonin, REALTORS®, in Louisville, Ky. “Every day there’s a greater need.”
That’s why DeVries and other brokers are glad they offer rental services.
“In 2006 and 2007, our sales didn’t do that well,” says John Paulsen, a partner at Crye-Leike Coastal Realty in Destin, Fla. “But thanks to the vacation rental side, we’ve been fortunate to keep our doors open.”
What’s more, a strong rental market can help curb an oversupply of homes in your market if sellers offer their home for rent, not sale, at least temporarily.
“Any depletion of the for-sale inventory will help on the seller side, because inventory and home prices work in an inverse relationship,” says NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Less inventory strengthens home prices, so taking some inventory could be taken off the market and turned into rental units will help stabilize sellers’ competition, lessen foreclosures, and stabilize the overall housing market.”
Does that mean you should follow DeVries’ and Paulsen’s lead? Perhaps, but be ready for challenges. Rentals are a tough business because keeping all your customers happy is a balancing act.
One Model Doesn’t Fit All
Brokers who do rentals range from huge to modest-sized operations.
Mike Tarantino, broker-owner of West Shore Realty Inc. in Milford, Conn., handles hundreds of rentals each year by offering four types of services — year-long unfurnished rentals; September-to-June furnished rentals, typically for students at nearby universities; weekly and monthly summer furnished rentals; and short-term furnished rentals (typically three or six months), usually for business use. For each type, the company charges 10 percent of the monthly rent. Tarantino’s profit on rental services is under 20 percent.
Paulsen’s company offers no long-term rentals, only seasonal rentals to snowbirds visiting the white-sand beaches of Destin. His company charges 28 percent of the monthly gross rental income, and his profit is 15 percent to 22 percent annually.
On a more limited scale is the small department at Semonin, REALTORS®, which has a full-time rental coordinator and two assistants who do nothing but work to generate relocation business. “Our rental coordinator keeps a database of rentals as a service to our sales associates and customers,” says DeVries. “Even sales associates who don’t work for our company will call her with a property they want rented.”
Semonin’s coordinator spends 70 percent to 80 percent of her time providing rental services to corporate clients who need short-term housing for transferees. Another 10 percent to 15 percent is spent helping noncorporate transferees or local residents who have housing needs. The final sliver of her time is spent helping the company’s sales associates find renters for their sellers’ properties.
“Maybe the market is flooded in a certain price range,” says DeVries, “and the home owners need to generate some cash flow on their home. Maybe they’ve already moved. Or maybe they’re building a house and their current home sold first, sooner than expected, so they need a short-term rental.”
Fees vary depending on the length of the rental. For instance, if the coordinator rents a property for one year, the company’s take is 50 percent of the first month’s rent. And though the rental department generates a small profit, “it’s not a huge moneymaker,” says DeVries. “The true value is in providing full service for clients so that we can hold onto that business, build trust, and gain long-term business.”
Challenges? What Challenges?
Tarantino says one difficulty in operating a large rental business is the overhead. “You need a lot of staff to handle it,” he says. “For about 200 rental properties, you’ll need up to 10 people.”
Tarantino’s staff includes rental agents, some on salary and some on commission; a full-time staffer who handles tenant and landlord complaints; and two workers who are constantly on the road making sure properties are in move-in and -out condition and coordinating repairs. He outsources maintenance, cleaning, legal, and accounting functions.
If you’re interested in starting smaller with an operation like Semonin’s, DeVries estimates your initial annual investment would be no more than $45,000. “You’ll need to pay for desk space, a computer, a phone line, personnel, and benefits, but that amount should include everything.”
In addition to shouldering the overhead, another test in running a rental business is maintaining good relationships with everyone you’re trying to serve. That’s even more critical if your goal is to use the department to find a temporary solution for sellers whose properties aren’t selling and to build relationships with renters before they become buyers.
“You sit in the middle with tenants and landlords throwing rocks at you from both sides,” says Tarantino. “My biggest challenge is keeping both sides of the deal happy. For example, if tenants qualify highly as far as credit but then move in and don’t maintain the property properly, it’s very difficult when the landlord says you put a bad tenant in there.”
On the flip side, some landlords don’t want to spend the money necessary to maintain the property. That might mean you’ll spend your own money to make repairs to keep tenants — whom you’re hoping will become buyers — happy.
Phil Wood, CRB, GRI, who was once in the rental business, agrees. The broker-owner of John R. Wood, REALTORS®, in Naples, Fla., cites tenant and landlord tensions as one of the chief headaches he remembers. “Vacationers view rental units like they’re staying at the Ritz, and they expect everything to be perfect,” he says. “We’d get a call from renters saying something like, ‘The toaster is a two-slice pop-up, and I was expecting a four-slice pop-up.’”
Wood’s brokerage ran its rental operation for about 25 years and at its height employed a dozen people but closed it down in the late 1990s because of thin profit margins.
Lessons from the Pros
If you’re intrigued by the idea of using rentals to reduce inventory and build lifetime relationships with customers, brokers who know the business first-hand have advice for you.
“Product knowledge is important,” says June Prophet, regional rental manager for Prudential Florida WCI Realty, also in Naples.
Advises Wood: “Keep your overhead low, and let it grow only as revenues justify. Also, outsourcing things like accounting, cleaning services, and maintenance is really the key to making it work. Then all you have to worry about is the rental service itself.”
And don’t forget marketing. “Most rental companies don’t capture business based on advertising,” says Wood. “Most get the majority of business through REALTOR® referrals or a condominium or other project that you handle rentals for. So you’ll need a salesperson to go out and get that business.”
“Talk to somebody who’s filling a different role in your company to see if that person can begin to provide this service,” says DeVries. “Part of the beauty of doing that is word-of-mouth will let associates know the service exists. All of our sales associates know we provide these services, so we don’t have to market it to them. They won’t hesitate to call our coordinator to get exposure for a listing they want to cover.”
Hard-to-find housing
Regarding the March 6 article "Chapel Hill area is in developer's sights":
Glen Lennox will be missed, particularly by those fortunate enough to live in its affordable, centrally located housing. Where will they go if this property is redeveloped and upscaled? What effect will forcing this group of renters to search for other housing in this market have?
Clearly the developers and current owners of this property stand to make a lot of money as this property is upgraded. Equally clearly, the current residents will be hard-pressed to find comparable housing, much of which is being torn down to construct much more profitable "luxury" housing. Competition for remaining low- and moderate-priced rental housing will drive up the rental costs for all renters, whether they live in Glen Lennox or not.
The town of Chapel Hill should require, as a condition of granting the redevelopment permit, that the developers add an equivalent number of low- and moderate-income housing units within city limits, with equivalent access to public transportation.
Redevelopment can be a good thing as long as we don't leave ordinary people behind as we do it.
Taylor Jarnagin
Durham
Daily Real Estate News | March 21, 2008
Mortgage Rates Drop Below 6%
According to Freddie Mac's data, mortgage rates have dropped back below 6 percent after spending more than a month above that threshold. Thanks to the Federal Reserve's aggressive moves to insulate the U.S. economy by slashing borrowing costs, 30-year fixed home loans averaged 5.87 in the latest numbers.
That compares to 6.13 percent this time last week and represents the first time since mid-February that the benchmark interest rate has been less than 6 percent.
"Slowing consumer spending and weak employment conditions are among the concerns behind the Fed's decision to lower the target federal funds rate," says Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft.
Source: Tulsa World (Okla.) (03/21/08)
© Copyright 2008 Information Inc
The 10 Best Cities to Be a Renter
Much like a
buyers' market
in the
residential
sector, the best
renters' markets
occur where
supply is
abundant, price
growth is flat,
and renters can
get the best
value for their
dollar.
Forbes magazine
calculated the best renters'
markets by starting with
rental pricing
data from real
estate
investment firm
Marcus &
Millichap. From
there it
calculated
capitalization
rates – the
percent of a
property's value
acquired in
yearly rent. The
higher the cap
rate, the more
lucrative it is
for investors.
The lower the
cap rate, the
less a renter
has to pay to
rent a more
valuable
property.
Next, using data
from the Bureau
of Labor
Statistics, it
calculated how
much of a
resident's
salary goes into
rent. Finally,
cities were
ranked on the
relative
tightening or
loosening of
vacancies in the
rental sector
based on data
from the
NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF
REALTORS®.
Here are the
cities that
Forbes concluded
are the top 10
renters’
markets:
- Atlanta
- Denver
- Phoenix
- Las Vegas
- Tampa, Fla.
- Houston
- Cincinnati
- Indianapolis
- Sacramento, Calif.
- Dallas
Source: Forbes, Matt Woolsey (08/30/2007)
Renters' rights are limited
The consumer protection specialist with the Attorney General's office said that the calls run the gamut, from security deposit refunds to repairs and early termination of lease.
But the bulk of the calls boils down to one question: What are my rights?
Often callers don't like his answers.
For instance, Leggett said he often gets calls about landlords who have not made repairs and in retaliation they have stopped paying the rent.
"I have to tell them they can't withhold the rent," Leggett said, acknowledging that that is the last thing someone wants to hear when their heat isn't working and it's cold outside.
But North Carolina law does not allow tenants to withhold rent payments or even put the funds into an escrow account if a landlord fails to provide services.
The only legal way to withhold rent is to go to court and request that a judge grant a rent abatement.
With so many universities in the area, Leggett also gets lots of calls from students with questions about lease agreements. The most frequent: "Am I responsible for the entire rent if my roommate moves out?"
The answer most often is yes.
Some landlords make separate leases for each student, Leggett said. As a result, the student is only responsible for his or her portion of the rent. The downside: The landlord gets to select the roommate.
In situations when the legal answer is not as clear, Leggett turns to colleague Len Green, who handles landlord-tenant disputes.
Green's most-often asked question? "Am I still responsible for the lease if I get a new job and have to move out of town?" Or some version of the "I've got a good reason, so I don't have to pay, right?"
Most often, callers don't like Green's answers, either. If a tenant needs or wants to move, he or she is responsible for any time remaining on the lease.
"A lot of people feel if they have a good cause, they can override the lease," said Green. "But that is not true unless their lease gives them that option."
Green said that state law allows for only two circumstances in which someone can be let out of a lease early without penalty:
* when a soldier is deployed overseas,
* when someone has to move because of domestic violence.
Another common gray area is determining how much a tenant should be charged for damages to a unit.
"The law excludes normal wear and tear as damage," Green said. Therefore, tenants who live in a home for, say, five years and wear down the carpet cannot be charged for replacing it when they leave. However, if the carpet is torn or has a large stain, they can be held responsible for at least a portion of the cost, he said.
Leggett said that he recommends that people take pictures or video of the apartment when they move in. If they notice any tears or other damages, they should bring it to landlord's attention immediately.
Most people skip this step, only to regret it when a problem arises, Leggett said. "It seems like overkill, but it's not."
Pictures came in handy for Stephen St. Amour.
St. Amour's apartment was flooded in the summer by rains from tropical storm Alberto. The apartment was inhabitable and was eventually condemned, but the manager of the apartment complex refused to return his security deposit.
St. Amour submitted pictures to the Attorney General's Office showing the apartment with at least a half foot of water throughout. Leggett was eventually able to get St. Amour his full refund.
St. Amour's problem required repeated phone calls, but usually, a resolution is easy to find, Green said.
The best place to look, he said, is the lease, where information about security deposits, pets, damage and termination of the lease should be outlined.
"I always tell people, look at your lease, the answer is probably in there," he said.
