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photo credit: zimpenfish

Like all businesses and business people, sometimes landlords, property managers and property owners get overwhelmed at times and resort to some shortcuts, but some of these shortcuts can be very detrimental to your business. Avoid the following shortcuts at all costs. (more…)

photo credit: peggydavis66

Do all property owners need a lawyer? The answer is probably yes, but in varying degrees. It’s usually very beneficial to have a real estate attorney to make sure your initial purchase goes as planned. But after that, most property owners don’t need to have an attorney. If you only own one or two properties you can probably handle most issues on your own and can contact your real estate attorney when and if you have a concern. (more…)

photo credit: ?Florian

Whether you’re new to the landlord game or an old pro, you may be wondering if you’re charging your tenants enough rent. If this rental unit is new to you then you should request a past rental history report. Although this will not guarantee your rent should stay at the same level it’s a good starting point. (more…)

photo credit: G & A Sattler

Have you ever considered a lease to purchase agreement. These home purchase deals can sometimes be a great boon to both the seller and the buyer but before you leap its best to know what you’re getting into. Lease options, options to purchase and lease purchase agreements all sound sort of the same but they’re actually three distinct purchase agreements. Each state has its own laws and regulations on these purchases and you should check your state’s particular version as they all vary slightly. (more…)

photo credit: matrianklw

Whenever you negotiate a lease for anything, you are engaging in a battle between people who have two opposing desires. Ultimately, you aim to reach a compromise between those desires which satisfies both parties. Of course, you would prefer to get everything that you want from the deal but that’s not what a negotiation is all about. Nevertheless, there are certain things that you can do to weigh the odds more heavily in your favor so that the outcome is closer to your original desires than to those of the person with whom you are negotiating. (more…)

photo credit: blakespot

If you’re renting a home and you don’t have renter’s insurance then you’ll want to pick up the phone right now and make a call to your local insurance agent. Renter’s insurance is an incredible bargain and can save you thousands of dollars and is actually pretty cheap. (more…)

photo credit: nguy1

Being happy in your rented home is obviously important but it doesn’t come automatically when you sign the lease. Being a good tenant improves your chances of having a happy and good living experience. This means being fair and reasonable with your landlord as well as with other renters.
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Whenever an old tenant moves out of a place and it’s time to rent it out again, you need to make some basic repairs. However, you probably don’t want to invest a lot of money in the fix-up just so another tenant can move in and make a mess of your work. (more…)

photo credit: desi.italy

As a landlord, you might have some questions about which duties you can pass along to a property manager and which ones you should take care of yourself. Here are some of the common duties that can typically be safely handled by the property manager: (more…)

photo credit: allygirl520

Should you collect last month’s rent when your tenant moves in? Most landlords do not collect a last month’s rent, instead they collect as much as they possibly can for a security deposit and use that to defray any costs or rent that is left over after the tenants move out. (more…)