Managing properties is easy, said no one ever! This time of year with fall fast approaching things get even busier. Preparing your properties for the cold months ahead is a big task and includes things like; winterizing the irrigation system, cleaning gutters, pruning plants....the list goes on and on. I think that during this stressful time of year, you deserve a break. So %rental properties and head out to have some fun. You may be wondering to yourself, how can I make the time to relax or get out of town for a bit during one of the busiest times of year for property managers? The answer is easy: property management software. If you use a reputable and user friendly property management software such as the company I use, Rentec Direct, you can increase your productivity which in the e... 09/18/2014

La Jolla Homes for Sale What Happened in the La Jolla Real Estate Market in August 2014?   The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or better yet in real life, will quickly give you a good sense of why this is so.   Having current, local information about La Jollahomes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. Despite the shift in prices, La Jolla remains an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes.   La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many homes offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and ... 09/11/2014

There are so many aspects to consider when determining what your online social media presence should be. Determining how much time and effort should be put into online How to; target the correct audience, ensure you're portraying an image that is professional, and most importantly getting the exposure to increase business and raise awareness about your product or service.   A quick search on LindkedIn for "property manager" will get you over 1,630,000 results! This tells me that there are a whole lot of property managers that find value in having a LinkedIn account   Step1: Setup Your Accounts Make a personal LinkedIn account and a business account. Your profile is critical, it will show others that you are credible and a good connection to have. Your profile should tell your story so t... 09/10/2014

Doing your due diligence and taking the time to ensure that you get the best tenant out there is in your best interest.  If you find a good tenant your job as a landlord or property manager will be so much easier, the time and effort you put in at the beginning will be well worth it. As I gain experience as a landlord I am always learning ways to do things that make my life easier and how to be more efficient.  I also get a lot of great advice and tips from reading blog posts written by you folks on the Active Rain Blog and other blogging and Social Media sites I visit, so thank you.  I have listed the six steps that I follow when renting a property.   1. Advertising that the property is for rent is obviously step #1 and the more details you include in your ad the less calls you will ge... 09/02/2014

La Jolla Homes for Sale What Happened in the La Jolla Real Estate Market in July 2014?   The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or better yet in real life, will quickly give you a good sense of why this is so.   Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla.   La Jolla remains an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes, despite some price shifting that took place during the downturn.   La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many homes offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village... 08/12/2014

Discover San Diego: Torrey Pines Torrey Pines State Park named after the rare Torrey Pine Tree, (which only grows in 2 places in the whole world: San Diego and Santa Rosa Island). In 1899 George Marston, a city father, convinced the other city fathers to create a public park and protect this 1200-acre coastal area located between coastal La Jolla and coastal Del Mar. About 1910, Miss Ellen Browning Scripps bought and willed this area back to people of San Diego to ensure it would forever be protected and cared for. Miss Scripps later created the Torrey Pines Lodge, originally a restaurant, today is a volunteer run Visitor's Center.During WWII, about 1940, the U.S. Army leased over 700 acres of Torrey Pines Mesa from the City of San Diego to be used for training purposes known as Camp Ca... 08/11/2014

Here in Grants Pass Oregon we have been pretty lucky this summer, and have only experienced a few small fires. Especially when compared to last summer in which we had 3 large fires that made my home town a miserable smoky place to be.  Luckily my rental properties are not near forested areas but my home is and could be at risk if a forest fire were started in the area.  Protecting your home and/or real estate investments from forest fires is a big concern in many parts of the United States and it is vitally important to be prepared for the worst scenario. Below, I have listed some ways to protect your home and real estate investments from the ravages of a forest fire.   1. Create a defensible space around your home. Modifying, reducing or clearing materials or vegetation around your hom... 08/01/2014

As business professionals; landlords, property managers, Realtors. it is imperative that we keep our important data safe. Important data to a landlord or property manager includes; receipt of tenant’s rent payment, accounting and billing records, property maintenance records, inspection reports, and other real estate related data. 1. Digital Security Storing the data in just one place does not ensure that the data will be safe inevitably. A computer, server, or storage media device can crash, get a virus or get hacked or the machine may simply malfunction and quit working. When this happens your data may not be retrievable and important documents could be lost.  Backing up your data is a very important thing to take the time to do because no matter what happens, you will have an extra c... 07/22/2014

While La Jolla boasts gorgeous homes, fabulous restaurants, and great coffee shops, the reason that residents will pay premium for the homes here is because of the beautiful beaches.  Living steps from the following beaches would make any home worth buying.  Here is a list of the top beaches in La Jolla. La Jolla Cove Known for being one of the best beaches in San Diego County, La Jolla Cove is great for swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkeling.  Located right off Scripps Park, La Jolla Cove beach has public restrooms available, beach showers, lifeguards on duty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,  and picnic areas.  This is the perfect beach for serious snorkelers and scuba divers to view what the Pacific Ocean has to offer or to bring the family for a sunny beach day.  Just don’t forget ... 07/21/2014

La Jolla Homes for Sale What Happened in the La Jolla Real Estate Market in June 2014?   The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or better yet in real life, will quickly give you a good sense of why this is so.   Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. Despite the shift in prices, La Jolla remains an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes.   La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many homes offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and di... 07/16/2014

Working for Rentec Direct and owning a few of my own rental properties I here about issues of risk day in and day out. Controlling risk as a landlord or property manager is one of the keys to success. Knowing how to personally, or training staff to, spot and remedy risks at a rental property is essential and could save you a lot of money. Controlling risk is many faceted but some key factors and ways to manage risk include; 1. Remove the Risk This can include, If you have a deck that has rotting boards  replacing the deck. Playground equipment that could be outdated and potentially fail should definitely be removed. If there is moisture accumulation and there is mold growth, hire a mold remediation professional and have the ventilation or moisture issue resolved. Dead tree limbs should ... 07/14/2014

4th of July in La Jolla, CA          The 4th of July is my favorite holiday of the year, tied with Thanksgiving.  A holiday to me means relaxing and spending time with loved ones.  It also means great food, good drinks, and great company.  This year, I had all of the above.           My day started out with a great surprise - my younger brother flew into town from New Jersey earlier than expected.  I hadn't seen him since Christmas so it was great to be surprised by his arrival first thing in the morning.  Our afternoon was spent on Huntington Beach, fighting waves, baking in the sun (I'm now 50 shades of red), and sharing plenty of laughs - it was crowded, but was a great time nonetheless.  The sand was hot, the skies were blue, the water warm, and the cooler full - I couldn't have ask... 07/09/2014

The summer months are upon us and that means that air conditioning units will be working overtime.  In southern Oregon, where I live and manage rental properties, we've been having some pretty hot weather with most days in the mid 90's. I've gotten several calls already this summer from different tenants indicating air conditioners were not working properly. I always dread these calls because I know how much repairs to air conditioners can cost but I realize as a landlord that having properly functioning cooling and heating is the law. By law landlords must repair the primary heating and air conditioning unit and major appliances swiftly. Failure to do so breaches the rental contract and poses a safety risk. Generally speaking, as long as the landlord makes all reasonable efforts to rep... 07/02/2014

If you own and rent real estate as I do you have likely had a conversation with a friend, a colleague, or even a total stranger and once they hear you are a landlord they for some reason feel compelled to crack a joke or imply that you are a slumlord. When I get that kind of reaction I immediately feel a bit defensive and explain that all the homes I own and rent are all in very good condition.  In fact, three of the homes I now rent I lived in myself. It blows me away how many times I have gotten that sentiment in the 7 years that I have been a landlord and it is not as if I go around broadcasting the fact that I own property.  Slumlord is defined on Dictionary.com as; A landlord who owns slum* buildings, especially one who fails to maintain or improve the buildings and charges exorbit... 06/30/2014

La Jolla Homes for Sale What Happened in the La Jolla Real Estate Market in May 2014?   The La Jolla real estate market is one of the most expensive in San Diego County. A virtual visit to La Jolla (see links below), or better yet in real life, will quickly give you a good sense of why this is so. Having current, local information about La Jolla homes for sale is essential so you can make informed decisions about buying or selling a home in La Jolla. Despite the shift in prices, La Jolla remains an expensive housing market, particularly for ocean view and ocean front homes. La Jolla, “The Jewel,” is an extraordinarily beautiful coastal community with many homes offering fabulous views of the ocean from the hills, and a trendy, up-scale village offering the finest in shopping and dining.... 06/26/2014

Rentec Direct, maker of leading Property Management Software and tenant screening solutions, is offering their premium tenant screening package for just $21, which includes; credit, nationwide criminal, eviction, and an address search. The discount code is good from June 16th to June 22nd, 2014 to celebrate the beginning of another beautiful summer. The discount code can be obtained by going to Rentec Direct's Facebook or Google+ page or their Twitter feed and getting the promotional code to use at check-out while ordering your tenant screening product. “Social media sites are a great medium to provide discounts to our clients and to show a commitment to provide the best experience at an affordable price to our customers,” says Rentec Direct founder, Nathan Miller. You can find Rentec D... 06/18/2014

Owners of large multi family units or commercial buildings may want to take extra precautions to ensure the safety of the tenants and their guests. Some security measures that can be taken include; hiring a security company, installing security cameras, and providing well lit areas for tenants as they come and go.   Security Company Hiring a security company to have a permanent station on your property can be a viable but expensive option. Another good, less expensive option in the security guard realm would be to hire a contract security company to do a property inspection periodically throughout the day.   Security Cameras Installing a security camera system can also be a good option or alternative to improve the safety of the premises. There are security cameras of all different type... 06/12/2014

There are many effective ways to advertise your rental property the traditional methods of  staking a“For Rent” sign in front of your property, the newspaper and/or posting flyers. Aside from these advertising techniques, you can also advertise your property to a much larger audience and it's quick, cheap and effective- online promotion. Posting your vacant rental propert ads on the Internet allows thousands of people who are looking for vacant properties access to view your property. Using the Internet is now very important for your rental business as most prospective tenants prefer looking for rental properties online. Along with the Internet, you can easily post the information about your vacant rental unit through your property management software. With the help of the Internet and... 06/04/2014

A fixer-upper is a house that is run-down and needs repairs.  The reasons vary, but often it’s because home owners want to: Earn “sweat equity” by purchasing a fixer-upper home doing the improvements themselves.  They are trying to save money by purchasing a house with upside potential. Put their own personal decorating touch on the home, and re-design it to their custom standards.  They want to do their own improvements. Enjoy doing projects.  Some folks simply like DIY projects around the house. While buying a “handyman special” sounds like a good concept, there are some challenges that make “fixers” NOT ideal for first home buyers.  If you think that buying a fixer-upper may be a good strategy, weigh the pros and cons thoroughly. One problem is that some “fixer” homes with major stru... 05/28/2014

This easy to follow guide will show you how to spot a tenant who is likely to give you trouble. By doing your homework you should be able to form an informed decision on which prospective tenants to approve and which to decline.Two of the most important traits a landlord looks for in a prospective tenant are 1. the ability to pay rent on time and 2. the ability to care for the property.  Absent either of these traits and a tenant can cost a landlord thousands of dollars in damages and lost rent.  Follow these steps for the best chances of finding a tenant who complies with both of these important traits.CREDIT: Credit reports are available to both professional property managers as well as private landlords and costs roughly $10.  The credit report gives insight into how well the tenant ... 05/26/2014