property manager

Why Deep Cleaning Matters When Trying to Lease a Property

May 30, 2017 by Helen Miltiades

Why Deep Cleaning Matters When Trying to Lease a Property

The best way to get a home rented to what will hopefully be long term tenants is to create an environment in the property where renters can imagine moving their belongings in and creating a life there.

If all prospective tenants see is a home that is in okay shape but not great shape it can be difficult to find someone to sign that lease. A freshly deep cleaned property with neutral paint colors will help renters see the best side of a property and envision what living there could really look like for them.

If there is carpet in the property, making sure it is professionally cleaned and in its best shape is crucial. Carpet is not the most popular or trendy of floor choices currently and tenants will notice any stains or repairs that might need to be made. It can be an immediate turn-off to see the dingy or stained carpet in a rental home and will take longer to rent the property.

Consider calling in a professional carpet cleaner to get the job done right. There are many rentable carpet cleaning machines to DIY the cleaning yourself, but it is very easy to over saturate the carpet and make the floors look or smell worse than when you started. It is best to hire a professional carpet cleaner with a satisfaction guarantee and who offers repairs, stain removal, and odor removal.

Tile grout is another item in a home that, if it is not nice and clean, can make a home look tired, dated, or not well taken care of. Make sure to get the grout deep cleaned in the home. It will give an appearance of a well taken care of the property and that the landlord really does care about providing a quality living environment. Hire a professional to clean the grout and they can seal it for you as well to help prevent any staining that may happen while renting the property.

Walls that go unpainted for long periods of time go unnoticed by someone living there, but new tenants will pick up on dingy tired walls right away. Fresh neutral colored paint on the walls along with all nicks and holes repaired will add to that new and fresh feel that a prospective quality tenant is looking for.

Some other areas to focus cleaning attention on include windows and window sills, appliances, caulk lines especially around tubs and showers, flower beds and gardens, and light fixtures.

Getting a property in top shape and ready to show to potential buyers can be a lot of work, but with the right property manager, it doesn’t have to be. A quality property manager can help you get the right people hired to have your property looking fresh and new and get a lease signed in no time.

Are you struggling to rent a property you own or looking to release some of the duties of being a landlord? We can help make rental property ownership easier. Please feel free to browse our website or contact us for more information about our property management services.

Hiring a Quality Property Manager for Single-Family Rentals

October 20, 2016 by Helen Miltiades

Hiring a great property manager is a good option to help you take care of investment properties when you don’t have the time or would like to be as hands off as possible with your rentals. The right property manager can help to protect your investment while achieving reduced vacancy time and consequently increase income. They will bring in quality tenants with a strong screening process and oversee maintenance issues. The ideal property manager will make your role as a landlord much easier.

How do you find this quality property manager? Here are some things to look for:

Your manager should be located close to your rentals. The property manager will need to be able to address maintenance issues or emergencies in a timely manner. If your property manager is within 10 minutes of your property you are set. If you have multiple properties in several locations consider a manager with different offices.
They should inspect the property on a monthly basis. When a property is occupied this will, of course, be an external inspection to help ensure the property is being well maintained. An unoccupied property would include interior inspections and preservation measures to keep the home ready for a quick renter move in.
Make sure your property manager is certified. This will help to assure that the manager knows the laws and regulations in the city that your property is in and is well trained in property management. There are two companies that provide certification, the National Association of Rental Property Managers and the Institute of Real Estate Management. These organizations also provide courses to keep property managers well educated and up-to-date in their field.
Use a manager that uses technology designed for more efficient managing. In addition to having the proper tools to perform a top level service, they should have a great web presence with great search engine optimization so tenants searching for properties online will find the postings listed by your manager first.
Ask how many properties they are currently managing. You want to know they have ample experience ,but that they also won’t be overloaded taking on another property.
Ask about their fees and have set expectations clearly communicated for how fees of tenants are managed. For example setting aside income from renters for maintenance and switch over costs.
Ask about their tenant screening process. If you have a screening protocol you want for your property a quality manager will be willing to adjust their usual practices for you. Another great thing to find out is their turnover rate in the properties they currently manage, it will help give you an idea of their ability to find quality tenants.
Interview more than one property manager. Make sure you are getting the best fit for your hard earned investments.

Leaving your investment properties in the hands of a full-service manager is entrusting someone with a lot. Don’t be quick to hire just anyone. I provide quality rental management services in Savannah. Give me a call today.

It’s a Good Time to Be a Landlord

July 5, 2016 by Helen Miltiades

We may not be having the same problems with high rents and no land as they are in the Bay area and other parts of the country, but it’s still a good time to be a landlord. The San Francisco bay area has soared 50% over the last 5 years! That’s a lot! The median rent in that area is currently $3500. Wow! Of course, that’s nowhere near the rental median price in Savannah Georgia. Currently, the median rent per month is $1350. The median sales price is $197,000 and a median price per square foot is currently about $114. This means it’s literally less money to buy and have a mortgage than it is to rent. This is great news for potential landlords.

If you’ve been on the fence about investing in real estate throughout Savannah or the Pooler Georgia and surrounding areas, now is a great time for both buyers and landlords. If you’re planning on buying to rent out, there really is no better time. Buying a rental property really makes sense.

A great little rental property in one of the newest developments along Cumberland Way is currently selling for about $215,000. This puts a monthly mortgage payment of about $975 per month. That’s about $760 in principal and interest including homeowners insurance and even property taxes. The 20% down payment and a 30 year fixed mortgage of 3.42%, this makes owning the property much less than renting. You could rent it out for about $1250 or even up to $1400 per month depending on the condition, netting a monthly profit of around $300 a month on average. Tack on a minimal property management fee on that, letting someone else do all the work for you and you’re still looking at over $250 profit every month, adding up to about $3000 extra per year. This is on average and it’s probably a pretty conservative average as well.

A little farther south along Chapel Lake South homes between $140,000 and $180,000. Must take the average of about $150,000 for a home on Chapel Lake South in Savannah. This 1400 square-foot home built within the last 10 to 12 years as a monthly payment of only around $680-$700 per month. This is with of course a 20% down payment but even with a 10% down payment you are still under $1000. You probably easily rent this type of property for $900-$1200 per month easily gaining a profit between $200 and $400 each month.

One of the best things about this is finding a local property manager that can manage the entire property for you from screening tenants to collecting monthly rental payments, deposited right into your account. Our property management services also handle all repairs, replacements and anything needed from the tenant on a monthly basis. All you have to do is sit back and collect your rental checks.

It’s a great time to be a landlord and if you’re considering investing in a property throughout Savannah Georgia or surrounding communities and towns contact our office today and let’s get started. I’d be happy to send you a customized list of homes and real estate that meet your search criteria and price range and discuss which options are the best for rental purposes.