Anonymous Mess

So, these are the things that have happened since my last post -- Elderly Uncle passed away. For the best really, his pain is no more, I got to say my good-byes, all the comforting cliches; but also, so sad, so much worry for Elderly Aunt, so little clarity about where she's left financially, such a flurry of things that must be attended to at a time when attending to anything feels pointless, endless, and overwhelming: all the negative cliches. Funeral, travel, and lodging costs of $3,160, plus several unpaid days away from work. Poor Caterwaul, the feline malign, was diagnosed with cancer, after a series of examinations, blood tests, biopsies, and long waits in veterinary anterooms. (She is not yet feeling the effects, and we will do our best to keep her comfortable as long as possible, but we do not expect her to recover.) Costs to date of $670. Recommended testing not covered by our insurance policy was, well, recommended. Out of pocket cost = $570. For Brother-in-Law...

Sigh. Yay, we don't need to replace the roof? Still: Miscellaneous repairs and refurbishments - $2,355 Exterminator - $70 Commission for finding new tenants - $2,038 Mold inspection - $350 Mold remediation + installation of mold-repelling superpowers -    $2,553 Tree removal - $550 Grand total -    $7,916 Amount available on-hand - ~ $4,500 Result: another $3,275 from the line of credit . Sigh. [Edited to add tree removal. Did I mention Sigh? ]

Our rental property continues to physically embody the reasons why people don't make money off of rental properties. Checklist for the last two months: Tenants not renewing  Downed branches (and possibly damaged tree) from windstorms need removal Possible leak in attic Probable mold in attic The management fee for finding/renting to a new tenant is much heftier, of course -- roughly equivalent to a month's rent. And of course that's in addition to costs from the usual refurbishing when putting a rental back on market: painting, deep cleaning, replacing anything that has aged out since the lease began (in our case, that includes at least a mailbox). Let's call that $1,500, though I honestly have no idea. No word yet on what the branch/possible tree removal will cost. Crossing my fingers that the tree is okay. The state requires a certified inspector to determine the presence of mold. (This costs us money but I approve of it. Mold can have a huge health impac...