With a lot of thought and some help from a few pals in property management, here is my top-10, best pieces of advice that I can give YOU about owning investment property in 2024. I’ve even included some links to other helpful blogs in case you really wanted to “nerd it up” and make a…
Why You Should Be A Pet-Friendly Landlord
Research indicates 50-75% of shopping tenants are searching for rentals that are pet-friendly. This means homes listed as “no pet” rentals have a much smaller pool of prospective tenants to choose from. A good portion of those 50%-75% that you are excluding are well-qualified prospects too. So excluding pet owners completely, could be a HUGE…
Virginia Beach Property Manager, Military Spouse or Real Estate Mogul?
Okay, so I am not technically a mogul… yet! But I’m working on amassing a steady stream of monthly retirement income and personal wealth through real estate. I do it one home at a time and I feel VERY confident doing it in the unique, tenant-rich, prime real estate market of Hampton Roads Virginia. I’ll…
The Home Warranty Scam
Landlords considering a home warranty for their rental should know what property managers know and why you are better off not using one for your investment property. When property managers send a vendor they know to a managed home, they are familiar with their prices, workmanship and how they have conducted themselves in homes and…
The Hillsborough County Hoarder is Gone
Last week in a quiet Hospice room, my aunt Diane took her leave of this world alone. Coronavirus has limited hospital visits, but there were few people left on earth who would have gone anyway. Diane was the most prolific hoarder that I’ve ever known and I’ve encountered a few in my time in property…
Garden for Happiness During Coronavirus
As the Coronavirus bears down on America, we’ve hunkered down at home and tried to find new ways to fill the hours. For some, it’s been a hardship in many ways. Fortunately with an “essential” job in property management and my husband in the Navy, we’ve been secure so far. There are challenges working from…
10 Things to Inspect at Tenant-Occupied Homes
Occupied inspections with photographs are a must if you plan to be a successful landlord. Information gleaned from occupied inspections help owners plan for future expenses and catch small concerns before they become big. The documentation from inspections can save your tush in court. Judges tend to favor tenants over landlords in every state, especially…
Understand Vacancy Loss – Treat your rental like a business!
Because you GOTTA rent your home Many of our clients are in the land-lording business because they have to be, not because they desire to be. They are not typically like my investors-type clients who plan and save for out-of-pocket costs like expenses for marketing the home for rent, repairs, preventative maintenance and of course regular updating…
How to Retain Tenants & Employees Like Stephanie Clark!
What we do as property managers at Stephanie Clark Property Management has a personal impact on the lives of actual people in our own community. If you think about it, a home is very a personal thing and where people live should bring them absolute comfort. Deciding to provide housing to others should never be…
Lower Your Price to Avoid Vacancy Loss & Rent Faster
In my experience, when a homeowner lists their home for rent, they have a specific price in mind that they must (per them) achieve to cover their expenses, including their management fees usually. This is perfectly reasonable and a lofty goal that property managers aim to help you achieve with a quality listing and descriptions. Keep…