For the past month, I have been helping a friend renovate her brother’s rental house. This completely unplanned renovation occurred after the tenants who had been renting the house were evicted for being four months behind in their rent. The rental house is in the Shenandoah Valley, approximately 2 hours from...
Recently I was searching for property management companies in Arlington, Virginia and stumbled upon a site that claimed personalized management services for a flat fee – a very low flat fee - per month. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good bargain as much as the next person but...
First impressions are everything! We make decisions on first impressions all the time. Was the sales person smiling when you entered the store? Did the barista at the local coffee shop wish you a “Good Morning”? Did the home you were interested in seeing this past weekend and are contemplating...
Like many Landlords your rental property may be an older home. While older homes have character and charm, sometimes they can seem dated to potential tenants. To avoid having that issue here are a few tips to add a little spark to that older home with some inexpensive updates that...
When it comes to contacting utility companies to transfer services into the name of the home owner on their behalf, Dominion Virginia Power is one of the easiest and quickest companies. By following the five steps below, this process is usually completed within 24 hours. Scan a copy of the property management...
Whether you’re renting a property or living in a home you own, winterizing is not a task you should ignore. Renters who fail to properly winterize their leased properties can be held liable for any damages that result from not taking the proper or suggested precautions. It’s easy to take...
Most professional property managers have been in this situation. The phone rings: "Hi, it's Bart. The owner of 123 Main St. I will be in town on Saturday, February 25 and would love to see my rental property you currently manage. Can you please advise the tenants and meet me there?" ...
As a property manager in the Northern Virginia area, I’ve run across many reasons why some properties should have home warranties in place and others should not. Keep in mind that there are several companies out there to choose from, each policy differs from the next, so read the fine print....
When the season turns from Summer to Fall, we send out a list of winterization items to our tenants, as most good property management companies do. A few days after the letters went out I received a call from a newer tenant with a question that went something like this: “Hi...