I tried a new paint guy out this week on a remodel I'm working on. I normally meet them there when they finish, inspect their work, get them to fix anything they missed, and pay them but this guy came after his day job Friday and worked late into the night, so we went by yesterday.

I walked in and took a quick look and said to my wife that it didn't look too bad. She immediately told me to put my glasses on with that tone only married men occasionally hear. Sure enough, she was right, the edges were not straight and there were thin spots so apparently, he was sparing the paint, rolled it too thin, and didn't put on a 2nd coat. I furnished the paint and it's my standard quality that easily covers in one coat if done properly, though he was supposed to do 2 coats.

Well, that got me thinking what else am I missing or maybe doing differently as I get older. So, help me out.

Finish this statement: To old landlords...

Here's the first: To old landlords, all paintjobs look good until they put their glasses on.

You have two kinds of Painters - those people who put paint on the walls and real Painters. Unfortunately, you didn’t get the latter, and now the problems are yours to resolve. Sorry work and sorry workers is the norm for these days. Sadly, subpar work has become all too common. Take some comfort in knowing many landlords, including me, have been through the same thing.

Old landlords need to hire old contractors, to get work done well

Old landlords: retire when your old contractors retire

That reminds me of the time I left in the early morning to do a move out walk through before tenant had to leave for work, but forgot to put my glasses on. Wow, I didn't think the apartment would look so good. I signed off with her and came back later to change locks and I missed so much.

Old landlords: Keep your glasses on your face. Apparently I am more blind than I thought w/o them, lol.

Back when I started out, things were different. People always paid their bills

It is tough being bold, when the game is Wack a mole.

A number of years ago, a friends mother was having a kidney and heart replacement surgery. She has used me as her Contractor in a few remodels. So with a vacancy come up during her 3 month Hospital stay, I took over.

With your post I'm now only speaking to the paint job. My painter, someone whom I've worked with over the past 30 years, did an excellent job. I had stripped off the wall paper myself in the dinning area and Kitchen. Removed the glue on the wall. Sanded and filled holes then primed the area for my painter.

This was an upstairs apartment with bars on the windows with old pealing paint. Would not look too good while trying to rent.

We used a Three (3) color scheme with some water base and oil based paint in the Kitchen and bathroom. The walls were one color. The wood (Base Boards, Crown Molding, doors, window and frames were another color. And the Ceilings white. Also the outside bars were sanded and re-painted black. At that time the painter charged $1,700.

I rented the unit for this client.

When she got released from the hospital, she had her old painter meet her at the property. All they could do is complain. So she hired her old painter to paint the next vacancy. We are talking about a 67 year old landlord.

Then I got the call.. Her old painter did a MUCH BETTER JOB than my painter and only charged a couple of hundred dollars more. So I agreed to meet her at her property and review both units.

The old painter painted a down stairs apartment with walking access to all window bars.

A) The old painter only used two colors. Walls and ceilings-with not change from the molding. Looked like a cheap job.

B) He did not remove the old wall paper and painted right over it using a "water based primer". I told my client soon the wall paper would loose it's bonding to the wall and start pealing.

C) The painter did not paint the exterior window bars or Re-glaze the window. He did not paint the outside parts of any windows. My painter on the upstairs unit painted the bars and outsides of the French Type Windows.

D) The painter did not clean the insides of the kitchen cabinets or drawers, leaving the old contact paper. My painter upstairs removed the contact paper and painted inside of all cabinets, closets, drawers, etc.

E) The old painter did not seal above the Shower Stall tile and with no bathroom fan, it would peal and the plaster would crumble.

So I told Karen, that my painter should have been paid double for his excellent work. Since I gave him over 100 jobs a year, I got a special price that I passed the savings onto her. An her old painter left out work, did some short cuts and she over paid. Instead of paying him $2,000, the job was only worth $1,200.

She could not understand what happened. I reminded her that she was going to rent a vacant unit for the old price of $895. I took over in front of her eyes and got her $1,395.

Then i got my painter to do his first job for her, doing a $3000 job for $1,700.

And they she listens to her old advisors and gets a bad job for more money.

Then Karen talked to her daughter who met me at Marina Del Ray. I was working on a building along Ocean Front Walk near the beach. When a tenant came up and handed me an envelope, the daughter asked why this happened. I replied, oh the tenant wants me to give the rent check to the owner. The tenant over head me and said that I, Robert am such a liar. That Robert is the owner and he is playing the life of a handyman. The daughter looked at this 2M property (Back then) and said, I have not accepted my boyfriends marriage proposal, and tried to date me. Then they talked to mutual friend and found I was a real estate investor since I 18, some 12 years earlier. Will all of this still Karen did not want to hire my painter.

I do not rush anywhere, but I am lazy like that.

Rents do not go to my mailbox, but I did get a check from my collection agency for deadbeat money yesterday.

To old LLs:

Put in or get hearing aids so you can hear the bad motors and leaks.

Nobody gets paid on the first so make the due dates match their weekly payday.

They don't get a paycheck anymore. It's deposited on their VISA paycard, so

TAKE the money with autodraft. Your residents prefer it!

BRAD (old and Bold!)

To old LLs:

Put in or get hearing aids so you can hear the bad motors and leaks.

Nobody gets paid on the first so make the due dates match their weekly payday.

They don't get a paycheck anymore. It's deposited on their VISA paycard, so

TAKE the money with autodraft. Your residents prefer it!

BRAD (old and Bold!)

MikeA,

Your title should be TOO OLD :)