Know yourself, and know your target tenant, and you will survive a thousand rentals. While it’s true that seniors are more likely to own than rent at present, that trend may be changing. Estimates are that there will be some 2.2 million more senior renters by the end of the decade as the Baby Boomers […]
Don’t settle: get the place you really want. There’s a certain art to finding your next rental, especially if you’re looking in an area with relatively few vacancies. Even if your lease is ending or you have some other pressure to find a place yesterday, you still shouldn’t just blindly accept the first not-stanky-looking place […]
Millennials are the future — and there’s no reason not to tap the market starting today. If you’re not familiar with the term ‘Millennials,’ it refers to the generation that, in the late 80s and early 90s, was called “Generation Y” (because it was the generation after Generation X, naturally.) They’ve earned the nickname because […]
Can your smartphone get tenants to pay ontime? Maybe, maybe not — but their smartphone sure can! Property managers, including DIY’s, can get pretty busy — and one of the most delicate yet important parts of our job comes at the beginning of every month as we make sure that each of our tenants pays […]
This is one situation where DIY has gone DNR. Why would you want to hire a property manager when you could very well manage your new rental property on your own? There’s quite a few reasons, actually. Property managers: Have access to in-depth market information that will help you maximize your profit by choosing the […]
Location, Curb Appeal, Value for Dollar, Location. That’s more like it. No matter what they want to tell you, it’s not just ‘location, location, location’ anymore. People looking for new homes are actually looking at the home itself these days, not just where it’s located. The term ‘curb appeal’ took off in the 80s, and […]
If you’re reading this, You’re half-way there. We’ve all been there — when ‘two paychecks away from living out on the street’ turns into ‘unemployed and praying for a stay of eviction.’ Fortunately, there are tools that you have at your disposal right now that can help — but it all starts with a high-power […]
The most important eyes you can get on the property you’re considering…are someone else’s. So, you’ve found a decent property in a decent neighborhood. You’ve run the numbers and determined that it will be profitable. You’ve even looked into the cost of repairs and decided that you can afford it. You’re ready to move forward […]
Don’t unnecessarily expose yourself. When you’re renting out property, risks are a part of the game. Insuring yourself against the most common and most dangerous risks should be a standard operating procedure. Unfortunately, many landlords don’t know what’s out there, much less what they need. That’s why we’ve compiled a shortlist of insurance that we […]
Even if there’s no curb, you still need curb appeal. There’s always a tug-of-war when you’re getting a rental property ready to show to a new prospect. On the one hand, you want the place to look better than it already does, no matter how good it looks now. On the other hand, you have […]