You know there's one thing that's kind of unique about this 'project after work' segment
that I'm putting out on Tuesdays. You get to see an aspect of my life that perhaps very few know about.
You know I like to do my little farming, ranching project. It's kind of a hobby deal, but it gets my
mental sanity outside of the shop here. Well for 30 years I've also been involved in the rental
landlord business, both residential and commercial. So now you're going to be able to see an aspect
of my life that is not very well publicized. Maybe locally, maybe, but past that, probably not.
And this week I might be introducing how to commit landlord suicide.
Well this building that you see in the background is a building that was built in 1906.
There's quite a history behind it that I will share with you here shortly,
but we acquired this building, Diane and I, in February of 2003. So I'd like to show you a
little closer just what this building is all about. Well this building was initially built,
like I say, in 1906, and it was designed to be a hotel. In fact it was called the Southern Hotel,
and it was the first hotel of this size in Joliet. There was one previously that was much smaller, but
it was inadequate for the needs of the town. So in 1906 a man named, last name was Smith, built
this building, started in April of 2006. This whole building is pretty significant in size. It's 60 by
about a hundred. So I have the a floor plan of this building. This building is actually
on the Montana historical registry and it is pretty significant, and listed as one of the main
significant buildings in Joliet here. So each of these windows on the top floor represented an
individual room. It's not quite so much on the bottom floor. We'll get inside and I'll show
you some of the layout of how this floor plan was. So this is the opposite side, and
like I say once again, on the second story, where every one of these windows was, was a hotel room.
So this is a entry door.
So this was the entry lobby in it's day.
This once was all open, and I'll show you the old metal ceiling here. Still remains the old banister
and railing that goes up to the second floor. You can see it still has the old metal ceilings.
You can see the corner trim here, where I think from here forward, used to be an open lobby. But
this is an added room that I'm contemplating that I may remove and make this apartment
more into an efficiency apartment, instead of the full size single bedroom that it is now,
and turn this back into the original entry lobby. So as we continue toward, this would
be about the middle of the building, there was some type of a door here. You can see the
places where the hinge were. It looks like maybe a double french door type of affair.
This, from the floor plan, looks like this was a hotel room, but from here back, from this point
up, I think was what was the dining room. So this door here opens into what used to be the owner's
living quarters. The owners lived here and then managed the apartment buildings. So this is the
entry hallway into the living quarters of the owners, when they lived in this apartment back
here. So this particular apartment has been vacant for about a year, maybe a little more.
The last tenants that I had in here ended up having, unannounced to me until after they
left, five dogs and I think two cats. So needless to say it was pretty horrendous in here. They
both worked full time and they were left in here unattended. So I have removed all the flooring,
I've done lots of cleaning, so it's kind of in that state right now. But this was the living room area,
bedroom here off to the right, and then continuing on back, to the very back, so this
was the kitchen area, and according to the floor plan that's with the National Historic registry,
this back section here initially was the kitchen, which provided meals for the complete hotel
building. I keep calling it an apartment building, but back then it was a at a hotel building.
So this was the kitchen, and then what is now living room, from the floor plan again, indicates
that this was the public dining area. So you can probably imagine multiple tables, chairs set up,
that this where all the residents, or you know, as they were coming through as we do today, you
know stop and get them a hotel or a motel, this was a hotel, well they would have their meals
served here as part of the accommodations of the Southern Hotel, So I think this was, this
area here, initially was the dining room, the back end was the kitchen. So I'll take you upstairs.
So as you just come in the door, this would have been a room here, and you
can still see the old style door and trim. So I think this building was remodeled, from
just my guessing, maybe in the 60s. You can see the wood panel siding is in multiple places,
around the front in the foyer area,
you know it's just a signature of that 60s era. But we'll head upstairs,
and I just like some of this old original banister, hand railing, still in pretty decent shape.
This takes a little oiling, a little cleaning up. And the deck on this front porch is no longer safe,
so I put a lock on this door, just for the safety of everybody, but this will be part of the the
cleanup restoration, will be to take care of this front porch. So I've had this apartment building
vacated since the first of October, anticipating I'm going to do some repairs and remodel on this
building. Apartment to the left, apartment to the right, this set a stairs to the back is
what went down to the owner's quarters, that we were down to, which would have been the kitchen.
So anyway this is kind of the condition of this building as it is now. We bought it in
2003, so it's been just a couple months shy of 20 years that we have had it. I've had kind of these
intentions, or desires, for this building kind of from the get-go. I really like this old building.
It's just kind of it's one of those buildings that needs help, and so I've been kind of
putting it off a bit, but now it is time that I'd like to do something with this building.
So I really started looking into the options of investment property back into mid to late 80s,
going to classes, trying to learn what all is involved, how the numbers work,
and it wasn't until 92 that actually jumped in and bought my first multiplex apartment building.
It's actually the one that's next door to my shop that I antagonize now with my
blacksmithing, but anyway. I've since sold that one. I like the Integrity of this building much more so.
But landlording is a challenge, that is perhaps an understatement. It is not for everybody, and
sometimes I have thought it's not for me! I started doing this as an alternative to investing
into cows and getting more deeply involved into the ranching part of it, but as I was looking at
numbers, and contemplating the investment to buy enough ground, or rent, and livestock, and yada, yada,
I decided to go into residential, multiplex, and eventually into commercial multiplex buildings,
which I have done. Now this apartment that I have on my left, as you come up the stairs
it's the first one to the right, I've already been in here and so I know what's in store,
but this is going to be the number one reason why people do not like
becoming a landlord, if I find the right key here. And so, just as a heads up,
it's not pleasant.
So this is what I walked into when the last tenant in this apartment building vacated.
And this is not the first time that we've run into this scenario.
Handle is gone, it's very amazing, but actually, like I say, this has not been the first time.
Unfortunately, this is somewhat common.
Had two young children...
This is what we're left with. This is a living room that is right off of the kitchen,
evidently as a bedroom, that
trim molding broken, torn down.
Pretty common. Like I say, the number one reason why people don't like to become a landlord. And
it's been my number one challenge as well. So the first room off of the kitchen is a bedroom,
and very typical, leave your mess behind, take what you want,
leave the rest, the landlord will deal with it. And the very back bedroom, chair, table, ...
Sso anyway that's,
that's one of the rooms we have here to deal with. I'll just bring dumpsters around to the
front and we'll empty it out. So you begin to kind of recognize character traits, and you know,
sometimes you don't find out, until after the fact, that promises promises are empty and full of lies.
But pretty soon you start to smell a rat and that was kind of the case here.
So I think this apartment building deserves better than this. That's why I decided to say,
okay everybody find a new place to live. I'm going to fix this building.
And I'm willing to do that. I've been wanting to do this for a long time.
So that's kind of the bird's eye view of what was once known as the Southern Hotel.
Pretty upscale, kind of cutting edge of the time. Anyway, I would like to do it proper respect and
bring some of that back. It's going to be a fair bit of an investment. I have all new
windows ordered, except for those right behind me. I replaced those probably about 10 years ago with a
thermal pane window. They weren't really correct size, but it's what I chose to do at this time.
I since have learned that this company can make replacements that will be the exact fit for all
of these windows. So all the original framing will be the same, but they'll be up to thermal pane. I
ordered those the first of October. They should be here, tentatively they're thinking, next week.
So I won't be able to open all this up and do that window repair work until springtime when
the weather permits, but through the winter I'm going to do some of the tearing out, demolition
if you want to call it that, and reworking some of these. I'm going to go through the kitchens, the
bathrooms, floorings, deal with some of the doors, and bring this back up to more presentable scale.
And I think the buildings deserves it, and I think it's how the Joliet deserves it. It's
on the historical registry and it deserves to stay there. So once again, appreciate you
following along and as we go you're going to see more detail what each individual room is like.
So in many ways this project is not all that dissimilar from what I do here in the wagon
shop. We're taking old vehicles, trying to learn their history, like this mud wagon project we're
working on, and then take it back to what it would have been somewhat in its earlier days,
whether it's brand new, or to whatever era that the owner chooses. Well in this case I happen
to be the owner, so I get to make those choices. I'm not going to put this back into a 1906 hotel again.
It just doesn't make sense to me, but you know, when you get involved into investment
properties, the whole idea is to make a return on your investment. So that's when you know that's why
I mentioned that this possibly could be landlord suicide. It's doing the opposite, short term. Here
I am, kicking out tenants that provide an income, return on my investment, but I'm looking at this
more as a long term, and at the building itself. I think the building deserves to be brought back
up to a standard that was more indicative of the day that it was built. And I think long term it is
more of an opportunity than an act of suicide. I think we'll all know in the end when we're done.
So it's kind of a challenge. It's not something I have not done before, so I just encourage you
to kind of follow along. Add your input. Some of you are professionals at this. I am not. We'll
see how it goes, but I'm kind of looking forward to it. So appreciate you following along.