As part of our property management services, all of our owners and landlords receive 1099 forms every year along with their personalized ledger report itemizing each expense and income. Why is this important? Because most landlords do not take advantage of all the tax deductions that they might be able...
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...
For many owners, employing a management company is not just a financial decision but an emotional one as well. Entrusting your home or investment property to others can be a difficult decision, especially to those moving out of the Washington, D.C. area. I have always been a firm believer the...
Spring is right around the corner and that means it's prime rental season in the Washington, D.C. area. From Arlington to Reston to Bethesda, landlords and Real Estate Agents are preparing for yet another busy season that will bring multiple applications and high rents. One of the questions landlords most frequently...
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...
While browsing rental advice websites, I stumbled across a gem. According to RentalCreditChecks.org, “64% of landlords are content to entrust their house to tenants depending on little more than a hunch.” That is an overwhelming number of landlords who base their opinion of a potential tenant on insufficient knowledge. Thankfully, with the...
We deal with a lot of first time tenants who aren't familiar with the leasing process - here are a couple of tips to make the transition into being a tenant as smooth as possible! 1. Never lie on your application. If you have some financial issues and hardships, they will...
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...
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?" ...
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...