One of my FAV farm areas for my direct-mail marketing efforts is a townhouse project built by Ryan Homes near UVa Medical Center. There is a mix of townhouses with garages and single family homes and the unit size is awesome because they are desirable to multi-generational and/or groups tenants.
I have the single family residence model and the townhouse model which were bought by investor owners and leased back to Ryan for their selling efforts and that I took over when they were rented to their first real renters.
I received an e-mail request from a DIY landlord in the property who moved out a year ago and rented his townhouse. He needs it professionally managed and he was especially concerned as his 4 residents were wanting to leave 1 month early * in 2 months.
I arranged to see the townhouse, gave the owner my recommendations for some inexpensive upgrades * one was a builder issue that the owner allowed to go too long and that may not be covered by the builder after this late date * and he signed a management agreement with me.
I found replacement residents for mid-June through a local real estate agent, they signed their new lease and I wrote the current residents and gave them their move-out instructions via e-mail and snail-mail today.
NOW! Houston * we have a problem. The DIY owner does not have a duplicate key to his townhouse. Since one of his tenant/ roommates has already left, I've asked the remaining residents to give me her key and leave it out for me on Friday and I will pick it up.
In my letter, I provided them with names of a good carpet cleaner and a house cleaning service and advised them that I will be checking the property on June 1st since they are moving May 31st......assuming I have a key. If I do not, I'll meet my locksmith at the property and he can cut me a new key to the current locks and I'll proceed with getting the unit ready for my new residents.
As the bumper sticker suggests, hope for the BEST and plan for the WORST!
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