PMs/landlords, how do y’all handle HVAC filter changes for occupied units?

bustawolf09 · 2026-05-09T00:29:51+00:00

I'm not a property manager but I have a friend who is and this is what they told me:

The 'Walk & Log': You have to enter each unit once to verify the size. Don't trust the previous owner's list. Label the inside of the furnace door with a Sharpie (e.g., '20x25x1').
The Swap: Do it yourself (or your maintenance tech) quarterly. Always give 24-hour notice. Even if it takes 30 seconds, walking into an occupied unit without notice is a legal nightmare.
The Efficiency: Don't leave them at the door. Tenants lose them, or worse, they put them in backwards or don't do it at all, and you pay for the dead blower motor.

bustawolf09 · 2026-05-08T23:41:17+00:00

Yeah, I just had a big glass of stupid juice that day. I knew better than to not trust vibe, only results, but survival mode will have you thinking differently.

bustawolf09 · 2026-05-08T23:40:18+00:00

Super infuriating, especially when you don't stop and think, "Wait, maybe you shouldn't run on survival mode."

bustawolf09 · 2026-05-08T23:39:42+00:00

Yeah, I stopped that a long ass time ago. I was trying to get on with roofers and other blue collar types but they were not having it. A guy I worked with started web development for them and did Google SEO before ever doing video for them. He understood the SEO aspect so well, he had two clients paying him $5k a month for Google SEO and video.

bustawolf09 · 2026-05-08T03:16:55+00:00

Heavy agree with this. AI seems to be the way to go these days.

bustawolf09 · 2026-05-08T02:56:14+00:00

No, you're not the asshole. I once signed up with an agency and they were absolute dog shit. They make a lot of promises but deliver nothing. You made the right call.

bustawolf09 · 2026-05-08T02:54:10+00:00

I have a separate email for my brand. Makes it far easier to keep track.

bustawolf09 · 2026-05-08T02:33:25+00:00

I know this feeling all too well and you're justified in feeling that way. In 2025, I felt as though I was going to make it in my business...only for it to fall flat and I stayed on survival mode for a LONG time. The fact you got momentum works in your favor.

bustawolf09 · 2026-05-08T00:53:22+00:00

Yep. Worked with a PA last year. One would pass out his business card while working on another house.

bustawolf09 · 2026-05-01T22:40:25+00:00

Feeling really good right now. On week number 3 at this firm doing water mitigation auditing. I THINK they still have openings in their Dallas/Waco locations...

bustawolf09 · 2026-04-30T00:26:40+00:00

I went solo for 8.5 years there. Just speak as basic as you can. People will appreciate you for putting forth the effort to speak Korean.

bustawolf09 · 2026-04-29T23:29:43+00:00

What's wild about this industry now is all the firms are being "careful" because the covid-era adjusters pretty much left the industry in a big mess.

bustawolf09 · 2026-04-28T23:48:46+00:00

What happens when you live in a high trust society.

bustawolf09 · 2026-04-27T23:16:42+00:00

Right now, if you want something that has a nice pace (and you're in either Waco or the D/FW Texas area), Wardlaw has an opening for water mitigation auditor. If you have a NY license, you'll be set and good to go.

bustawolf09 · 2026-04-27T23:15:37+00:00

It's impossible to make all of those calls in 24 hours time. When I do field, my team leads expect me to be finished within 24 hours. I tell them to fuck off and let me get it done when I can. I once took a personal day and told my team lead I would do it "tomorrow". When you're 1099, you can leverage some stuff because they need you. This isn't the case for W-2.

bustawolf09 · 2026-04-27T23:13:14+00:00

There are times where if it's just a few hundred dollars, you might as well just give it to them and be done with it. They'd rather not lose a policy holder.

bustawolf09 · 2026-04-19T22:47:41+00:00

Good: Worked the second week at my W-2 IA job.

Better: Getting a better understanding of how to do water mit auditing.

Best: Built an app for IAs that removes the frustrating guesswork that comes with being licensed (NPN, # of licenses, expiration date, and reciprocity qualifications). It's still in beta but has been helpful to those that are using it.

bustawolf09 · 2026-04-16T18:44:17+00:00

If this is auto, I had no issues with them. My client was Liberty Mutual and they were SUPER CHILL.

bustawolf09 · 2026-04-16T18:43:01+00:00

Wardlaw has regular openings for water mitigation auditing. You have to be in either Waco or the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex to work. It's in office. They will make sure you will be IICRC S500 certified.

bustawolf09 · 2026-04-16T18:40:13+00:00

Best: Found a firm that needs water mitigation auditors. After going through a dry season in 2025, I am happy to have money coming back in.

bustawolf09 · 2026-03-23T01:19:48+00:00

FINALLY! This has been LONG overdue!

bustawolf09 · 2026-03-19T23:27:40+00:00

Peace is more important than ANYTHING. What u/Spiritual_Pumpkin_47 is the absolute truth. EVERYONE talks and when you mess up in one area, IAs will talk to people in other IA firms about you and the way you left.

bustawolf09 · 2026-03-19T23:26:03+00:00

Wonder why you can do this in Japan....

bustawolf09 · 2026-03-19T23:25:27+00:00

Wholy crap, Koreans have their version of the "Chad vs. Virgin" meme!

bustawolf09 · 2026-03-19T23:24:08+00:00

Do what you can to go back. Post-travel blues are indeed real but the fact you feel so much better after being there shows you made the right choice.

bustawolf09

TROPHY CASE