property maintenance: Why MOST Rental Properties are POORLY Maintained! - 09/20/10 01:56 PM
I've received several calls from investment property owners who want to change their property managers. I learned A LONG TIME AGO that this becomes easier each time a property owner wants to change so these new owners rarely stay around long These property owners both had rented properties that were not being kept up. I asked them how much money their property manager was holding to take care or repairs and they said NONE. This means that between the time the rent is collected and disbursed to the owner is the only way the property manager can obtain money for repairs, … (5 comments)
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property maintenance: I am GLAD when Real Estate and Property Management Firms Stand Up for Themselves!!! - 07/13/10 07:15 AM
I thought managing my firm's Google Reviews was WORK.....in May, 2009 a tenant in Chicago tweeted under the handle "abonnen" "Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it's okay." The property management firm for the apartment where abonnen/Amanda Bonnen lived * Horizon Group Management * filed a $50,000 indicating that the statement(s) are obviously false and that they wanted to prove it. Fast foward and Bonnen moved from the apartment never having mentioned any mold to the management firm and then a few months later and a Cook County Circuit Court judge dismissed the … (6 comments)
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property maintenance: I'm so SORRY * Did my E-MAIL Wake You UP? - 07/06/10 06:42 AM
THIS is my BUSIEST TIME of THE YEAR * I have move-ins and outs at the end of June and July AND I am doing rental property management presentations for property owners leaving the area and wanting to LEASE their homes. Many of these owners are moving elsewhere in the US and are taking their local cel phone #s with them.
When they call me about their properties * they FORGOT something or just REMEMBERED something * picking up their cel phone is the easiest way to communicate with me. Fortunately, I get my office calls on my cel … (11 comments)
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property maintenance: TEXAS Homeowners Association That Evicted U.S. Soldier Gets Death Threats - 07/02/10 05:35 PM
Not a VERY patriotic story and I suspect that if TEXAS does not do something, that the Soldiers, Sailors Civil Relief Act should be AMENDED to PREVENT this in the future. http://www.housingwatch.com/2010/06/30/homeowners-association-that-evicted-u-s-soldier-gets-death-thre/?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl4|link6|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.housingwatch.com%2F2010%2F06%2F30%2Fhomeowners-association-that-evicted-u-s-soldier-gets-death-thre%2F
… (2 comments)
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property maintenance: When it RAINS, it sometimes POURS! Literally!!! - 06/28/10 06:00 AM
This was NOT the weekend I had planned.....Friday, I tried to get into road where there was a TORNADO and the power is still out to the neighborhood. I got into the road Saturday and there are trees down EVERYWHERE and still no power. I walked the rental property I have as the tenants are on vacation. Loads of trees down and NONE on the house or tenant's car......WHEW! There are tree trimmers in the area and they give me a bid $4,300 so I call the owner and she wants to meet me at the house in 2 hours. … (10 comments)
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property maintenance: I LOVE Prepping Properties for NEW Residents! - 06/25/10 08:10 PM
One of the BEST parts of my job as a property manager is prepping properties for new residents. I have local several residents who want to move in early so they can clean their current rental residence for the next tenants. I charted my route this AM and have stocked my car with 1) New Door Mats * I get them from Target or Lowe's when possible. I am finding that many residents have either thrown the ones at the property AWAY or moved them to the back entry. I place NEW door mats at the front entry and if there … (2 comments)
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property maintenance: This is what all the Brouhaha is about * I'm an EPA CERTIFIED Renovator for 5 YEARS! - 06/05/10 12:05 PM
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property maintenance: Sometimes Clients Can Not Find RESIDENTS Because of the TREES!!! - 05/21/10 05:59 AM
I frequently get e-mails from prospective management clients inquiring about my services. Sometime they give me their property address and sometimes, when they provide their full names, I can search the local assessors' records and determine their property address.
I received an e-mail late yesterday and determined that the owners had a nice home in a desirable area. Their e-mail indicated that they had been using a limited/direct housing site for local incoming residents and had not found success in securing new rental residents.
I attempted to see the property on our MLS S*O*L*D listings and there was no recent photo … (5 comments)
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property maintenance: Charlottesville, VA #18 * Forbes' BEST Small Place for Business and Career - 05/20/10 07:25 AM
Charlottesville ROUTINELY ranks high in "living desirability" from magazines with our rich history, medical facilities and NOW * Ta-Da * our employment possibilities. This is the PRIME reason our single family home rental market is so VERY strong. In addition to the military and government subcontractors coming in with the NGIC/National Ground Intelligence Command * the DIA/Defense Intelligence Agency * new MJH/Martha Jefferson Hospital campus @ Pantops AND the brand new Emily Couric (yes, Katie's sister) Cancer Center at UVA Medical Center * there are financial services, multi-media (as in the Dave Matthews Band) and research employment opportunities in the area.
… (2 comments)
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property maintenance: NOT ALL Property Owners/Would-Be Clients DESERVE MY Services!!! - 05/17/10 01:17 PM
I received a phone call today from a property manager/real estate agent who had gotten a call from a would-be client. I don't know if she got my name from HIM or if she searched the MLS rental section and saw that I had once managed the home * she wanted to know if she should turn him down.
I told her I first managed the property after the owner bought it in a 1031 exchange about 6 years ago. I was NOT involved in the selection of the home as I would have advised against it * the HOA does … (6 comments)
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property maintenance: I'll NEVER be TOO OLD! I'm STILL Taking CLASSES!!! - 05/13/10 07:02 AM
Last Friday, a fellow property manager and I went to Richmond * about an hour away * and took a whole day landlord-tenant seminar update. Although I don't use that portion of the VA landlord-tenant law for my properties, I do incorporate several of the new laws in my common law lease and I gained knowledge on how to counter comments about MY lease from residents who are coming from multi-unit properties and know the VRLTA statutes.
On the 28th, we'll go to an all-day "Advance" class for our property management software * www.PROMAS.com * which has it's HQ … (8 comments)
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property maintenance: What do Landlords DO when the Crime Scene Tape comes DOWN? - 05/06/10 07:42 AM
The recent murder of 4th year UVA lacrosse player Yeardley Love in her shared apartment adjacent to The University grounds highlights one of the saddest duties of a landlord/rental property owner.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/387852-uva-lacrosse-george-huguely-yeardley-love-and-college-sports-biggest
As a resident manager in a local apartment complex 40+ years ago, I had an early AM shooting when our on-site maintenance man shot his girlfriend. He fled the apartment on foot and she was transported by the rescue squad to the UVa Hospital. The police were concerned with finding him and I was left to calm the the other residents and clean up the mess. Looking back, I … (4 comments)
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property maintenance: Spring & Summer Rite of Passage * Property Owners want to "Visit" their Property - 04/22/10 06:15 AM
The subject for this blog post came after the second e-mail from property owner clients who want to "come see their property". I've had two come so far this Spring and expect 2 more before the end of May. One owner who lives in India tried for three flights from TX to VA during the February weekend storms and all three times his flights were canceled and he returned to India without seeing the property. I promised to send pictures when the current residents leave. One owner came during the time I was immobile after a medical procedure and I arranged … (6 comments)
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property maintenance: I think I got a Rental Property Listing Because I had a new DOOR MAT in my CAR!!! - 04/07/10 05:33 AM
While on a rental property presentation yesterday where the former residents just moved out and the owners drove from NoVA to check out the property, I noticed that there was no front door mat....Who takes a DIRTY front door mat? The owners told me they used the builder's mat with the builder's name on it which we quickly found in the garage * 3 of them.
Luckily, I had stopped at TARGET on my way to the appointment and stocked up with my "spring supply" of door mats so I opened my car hatch and pulled one out that said WELCOME! … (8 comments)
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property maintenance: I made one of those...this-is-gonna-cost-you calls to a client and he THANKED Me! - 02/17/10 02:56 PM
I hate advising a property management client that a property repair is going to cost them big buck$ * a HVAC goes out, a new roof is needed, tree roots have collapsed the sewer line.
Today I had the honor of sending an e-mail advising a client that after 3 minor leaks in 2 months, we need to replace the remaining quest pipe in his home and it was going to cost $3,900 to replace it.....I e-mailed him the plumber's estimate first and he called me at my office...after a brief discussion of the leaks and upgrades to his home, he … (4 comments)
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property maintenance: Yes! Mr. Vendor * I'll do business with you * I LIKE the way you BILL - 01/11/10 06:40 AM
One of my New Year's resolutions is to lessen my doing OTHER PEOPLE'S jobs...after over 10 years of using a licensed contractor for my repair work and not being able to get bills on time to PAY HIM, I've spent the last 6 months refining my vendor list to those service firms with whom I can communicate via e-mail and then get bills from in a timely manner AND who treat my residents with courtesy.
You would think that this would be easy; however, it has really been more difficult that I anticipated. Either firms want my personal credit information * … (6 comments)
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property maintenance: Home Winterizing Tips - 01/07/10 05:06 AM
I am in the process of REVISING my 2010 Resident Handbook for use with leases written in 2010 and I am BEEFING up my resident instructions for WINTERIZING rental homes....this is a GREAT help!!! I would add to buy TWO, TWO, TWO snow shovels!!!!
Of course I was equally tickled to see the word DAYTONA!!! in the blog
Via Christina Asad Edwards @ www.DaytonOhioHouse.com (Real Living Realty Services):
Home Winterizing Tips
Check out these home winterizing tips and apply the tips today!
Change the furnace filter. Clean furnace ducts. Use weatherstripping around doors. Caulk windows. Cover basement window wells … (7 comments)
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property maintenance: They make us the HEROS....Who is on your "management" team? - 06/06/08 06:35 AM
With my summer move-in/move-outs a week or so away, I'm alerting the vendors and service personnel on my management team about my upcoming needs for their services
1) I have a Class B LICENSED contractor that I use for painting, repairs, blinds - almost everything that does not involve pulling an electric or gas line permit * then he has brothers/cousins/in-law who can do the work.
2) I have an EXCELLENT carpet cleaning business - family owned, come when I call and I provide their card with my move-out instruction letter.
3) I have a GOOD, professional cleaning firm * local … (4 comments)
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property maintenance: FEBRUARY is the START of PM BUSY SEASON - 02/11/08 07:41 PM
Just like the Daytona 500 starts the NASCAR season, February starts my rental season.....
...getting 1099 information to IRS
...send out lease renewal letters
...post vacancies on our website
...inspect units being vacated
...prioritize exterior maintenance for better weather
...organize interior maintenance between tenants for vacancies
...start leasing upcoming vacancies
AND, now is the time departing property owners are deciding whether to sell or rent their homes. I've averaged 3 property presentations per week for Jan, Feb and March for the last 5 years and 2008 will follow that path.
Once I have gotten an e-mail or phone inquiry from a property owner, … (0 comments)
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