property management: Why do you recommend an Annual Interior Inspection of the rentals you manage? - 04/26/08 07:29 AM
 
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A very long time ago, very early in my career in property management, we had rented to a good rent paying family that lived in the rental home for about four years.  They gave a notice to vacate and moved.  When we went to inspect the vacancy we discoved that this good, rent paying family had really done a number on the house.  It was very dirty, damage to some walls and doors, and the back yard was unkept.  It was not a complete disaster as we expected to paint, clean, maybe replace the flooring anyway.  But, the owner … (1 comments)

property management: Houses for Rent and being Shown This Week and Weekend - 04/24/08 05:59 PM
 
                                                       
Our office is unique in that we hold "Open Houses" for our rentals on a pre set schedule.  While most property management companies shut their doors on Friday night and reopen on Monday, HomePointe Property Management is showing 50 or more vacant houses in the Greater Sacramento Area. 
Here is our link to our showing schedule:  http://www.homepointe.com/schedule_list.asp
We have rentals in the following communities:Rentals in Sacramento, Rentals in Natomas, Rentals in Elk Grove, Rentals in Laguna, Rentals in Galt, Rentals in Franklin, Rentals in West Sacramento, Rentals in Davis, Rentals in Orangevale, Rentals in Citrus Heights, Rentals in … (2 comments)

property management: If I cannot pay the rent on time, what should I do? - 04/18/08 11:26 AM
                                                       
Your first efforts should be to figure out a way to pay your rent on time using whatever resources you have. You might borrow the funds from friends, family, your bank, or whatever other resources you have.
Please bear in mind that HomePointe has no authority to allow you to pay late.
Our client has chosen HomePointe to manage their property which includes enforcing the rental/lease agreement. We are forced to take steps to protect our client in the event the rent is late. This does not include allowing a payment to be paid late. You can expect that our … (3 comments)

property management: What Do You Use To Paint Your Rentals? - 04/17/08 11:16 AM
                                       
One of the things you learn after being in this business for a long time is to try to standardize the work you do.  The less on the job thinking, the better. 
When it comes to painting a rental unit, it is best to try and use the same paint over and over.  While this may be boring, it saves time, money, and helps to rent property quicker.  We normally us Kelly Moore flat and semi-gloss.  Use semi-gloss in the kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, and flat in all other rooms.  The trim and doors are painted semi-gloss.
The reason for … (5 comments)

property management: Ice Cream Social-Share Your Funny True Story, Here is Mine - 04/16/08 02:27 PM
 
Several years ago I had to go serve a 3 Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit to a tenant in a pretty bad neighborhood.  The property was very small and had a chain link fence completely around it.  As I got out of my car I noted that a large muscular and angry pit bull was chained to a stake on the side of the house where the driveway was.  It was on a pretty long chain but it could not reach around to the front of the house.  I sized up the situation and determined that the dog … (11 comments)

property management: Craigslist Scam Hits FOR RENT Ads - 04/10/08 05:58 PM
We post our vacancies on Craigslist along with a lot of other companies and individuals in Sacramento, CA. 
Last week I was contacted by a prospective tenant that wanted to know if the owner of the house we were renting was located in Africa.  The prospect told me he responded to a Craiglist ad and was told he could send funds to the owner directly.  He drove by the house and saw our HomePointe For Rent sign on the property.  He called me.  I assured him that our property management company did not have an owner that was using us and … (48 comments)

property management: 2008 2nd Quarter Residential Rental Survey for the Sacramento Region is Available - 04/09/08 07:37 AM
HomePointe's 2008 2nd Quarter Residential Rental Survey has just been published.  You can access this survey at our website along with past surveys by clicking this link:  http://www.homepointe.com/owner_services_rental_survey.asp . 
The Sacramento rental market appears to be holding its own, but rents are not rising.  We feel this is due to the many homeowners that cannot sell their properties.  They are instead renting them out which is keeping plenty of homes on the rental market.  We are losing some homes to foreclosure but not a great number.  We expect the coming months to see a small increase in rents but a lot is … (0 comments)

property management: If you get sued by your tenant who pays the attorney fees? - 04/08/08 10:04 AM
If you have tenants you are subject to getting sued by them.  You are also in a position to have to sue your tenants at some point for non payment of rent or to enforce some part of the rental agreement.  If you have never been sued or have not sued one of your tenants you are either new in the business, have very few rentals, or you have been lucky so far.
 One of the tools we use as a professional property manager is a clause in our rental agreement that limits the use of attorney's fees.  The odds are that … (12 comments)

property management: My Property Won't Rent, What is the Problem? - 04/06/08 05:29 PM
I talk to landlords and real estate agents all the time that cannot figure out why their property will not rent.  I ask them, "Have you reduced the price?"  They typically answer that they are getting no resistance to price.  "People don't complain at all, they tell me it is a good deal, but not for them."
Well I can tell you that if you would just lower the price, at regular intervals, until the property rents, it will rent at the current market rent.  Of course, you must advertise and have the property in good condition.  Your property must also not … (12 comments)

property management: Do You Need a Property Manager in the greater Sacramento Area? - 04/05/08 05:17 AM

 
 
 
 
 
HomePointe Property Management has three offices.  One in Roseville serving Lincoln, Rockin, Roseville, Granite Bay, Antelope, North Highlands, Natomas, Citrus Heights, and other nearby areas.  We also have an office in Orangevale serving Orangevale, Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, Serrano, Fair Oaks, Carmichael, Rancho Cordova, Gold River and other nearby areas.  Our original office is in Sacramento and serves Sacramento, Elk Grove, Galt, Natomas, Land Park, East Sacramento, West Sacramento, Davis, Oak Park and other nearby areas.
We do not sell but we can refer you to local brokers that we know. 
We have a referral program for brokers and are … (0 comments)

property management: Sacramento Rental Market Update April 2007 - 04/04/08 06:35 PM
The real estate market in Northern California valley continues to retreat.  Normally, this type of sales market translates into a rising rental market.  But this has not happened yet.  It seems that sellers who cannot sell are renting their properties in large numbers and this is adding supply to the rental stock.  With rising inventories, rental prices are remaining stagnate.  We are losing some supply to foreclosures still, but not enough to make a difference. 
I would look to the summer for the rental market to rise a bit.  The overall economy is not great, so rents will not be able … (0 comments)

property management: Residents that vacate prior to the end of the lease. - 03/28/08 06:08 AM
There are a lot of reasons why a tenant might try to break a lease.  Some may be valid and require the landlord to allow this to happen.  One example is a military transfer.   But, most sitiuations are simply a choice, like a civilian job transfer or promotion, don't like the neighborhood, school change, and the like.
A landlord must protect themselves in these situations and enforce the lease.  One way to do this is with a clause in the lease so the resident is aware of what will happen ahead of time.  Here is HomePointe's clause:
34.  Resident agrees that if they must … (1 comments)

property management: Mold Lease Clause - 03/20/08 07:04 AM
Your rental agreement should not be without a lease clause that instructs the resident how to deal with mold.  Mold is still a problem in that some residents don't know where it comes from and how to prevent it.  Also, there are attorneys out there that want to make your life miserable, so having a good mold clause is a good first step in preventing problems.  Here is the one we use at HomePointe:
21. Mold Notification:  It is the Owner/Landlord's and Owner's Agent objective to maintain the highest quality living environment for any and all Residents.  You are hereby notified that … (2 comments)

property management: Rental Market Update March 2008 - 03/06/08 02:47 PM
The Sacramento rental market appears to be heating up.  Our website activity has seen listing views rise from just over 6,000 page views per day in mid February to over 9,000 page views as of March 6, 2008.  That is a 50% increase in activity. 
Our property managers are reporting increased traffic at our rental open houses. 
Our three offices in the greater Sacramento area rented 60 properties in Feburary.  This is a small amount higher than our monthly goal of renting 50, but it is almost 20% more. 
We are seeing the result of the sluggish sales market.  Forclosures are removing some housing stock and since buyers … (1 comments)

property management: Are property managers good for vendors? - 02/28/08 03:26 PM
In my first few years in the property management business I noticed that the company I worked for went through a lot of different vendors.  The problem was that the property management company was a "slow pay" client.  The work would get completed then the property manager had to collect the rent, or worse, rent the property, then the vendor could get paid.  Since there were often multiple vendors involved, some vendors would not get paid for 45-90 days.  This is a sure fire way to put a vendor out of business.  It is also a sure fire way to have … (2 comments)

property management: Property Management from our Antelope / Roseville / Lincoln Office (we have 3 offices) - 02/24/08 07:12 AM
Antelope / Roseville / Lincoln Office: 1220 Melody Lane, Suite 110, Roseville, CA 95678 / Interstate 80 and Highway 65 Corridor(916)781-7075Fax:(916)781-7095Property Management and Houses, Homes, Duplexes, Condominiums and Apartments for rent in Natomas, North Highlands, Citrus Heights, Antelope, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln and Loomis .
http://www.homepointe.com/
24 Hour Rental HotLine (916) 429-1302 or (530) 676-6606
We provide property management in the following communities:Property Management in Sacramento, Property Management in Natomas, Property Management in Elk Grove, Property Management in Laguna, Property Management in Galt, Property Management in Franklin, Property Management in West Sacramento, Property Management in Davis, Property Management in Novato, Property Management in Santa … (0 comments)

property management: Property Management from our Sacramento / Natomas / Elk Grove Office (we have 3 offices) - 02/24/08 07:04 AM
Sacramento / Natomas / Elk Grove Office: 5896 South Land Park Drive, Sacramento, CA 95822 / Interstate 5 and Highway 99 Corridor(916) 429-1205Property Management and Houses, Homes, Duplexes, Condominiums and Apartments for rent in Sacramento, Natomas,Franklin, West Sacramento, Davis, Novato, Santa Rosa, Elk Grove, Laguna and Galt.
http://www.homepointe.com/
24 Hour Rental HotLine (916) 429-1302 or (530) 676-6606
We provide property management in the following communities:Property Management in Sacramento, Property Management in Natomas, Property Management in Elk Grove, Property Management in Laguna, Property Management in Galt, Property Management in Franklin, Property Management in West Sacramento, Property Management in Davis, Property Management in Novato, Property … (0 comments)

property management: What is the purpose of the indemnity clause in property management agreements? - 02/23/08 12:55 PM
Indemnity is defined as security against damage, loss, or injury.  It also means a legal exemption from liability for damages.  To indemnify someone means to protect against damage, loss, or injury.  When a property owner hires a property manager to manage their property, the management agreement calls for the owner to indemnify the property manager.  The owner is expected to carry enough insurance to protect the property manager as well as themselves. 
There are two main reasons for this.  First, the management fees charged would have to be a great deal more if the manager had to carry their own liability … (2 comments)

property management: Is Property Management Recession Proof? - 02/22/08 04:37 PM
I have been managing residential rentals in Sacramento, CA for almost 30 years.  I have seen all the markets both good and bad. 
In a good sales market, builders are building, investors are buying, and some people don't want to sell but must move.  All those types become my clients.  We lose some accounts to sales, but they get replaced by others.  There is more churning in this good market, but the net is usually positive.
In a bad sales market like we have today, sellers cannot sell.  Some still must move.  Some investors are looking to get good deals from the … (13 comments)

property management: How do you compensate the property managers that work for you? - 02/22/08 04:18 PM
This is a good question to ask the company that may be managing your rental property.  At HomePointe we pay our managers based on a variety of factors that all play into delivering good service to our clients.  The most important factor is that a property manager earns income based on the income they are responsible for.  The more properties they manage, the more leases they sign, the more they make.  They are also evaluted based on having a low vacancy rate, a low rate of delinquency, and timely and accurate reporting on the performance of their portfolio of managed properties.  Of … (0 comments)