Renters and buyers alike want their bathrooms to be equally functional and aesthetically pleasing. This means that periodically upgrading your bathrooms can go a long way in helping you keep your property fresh while improving your property value.
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Winter is almost here, which means it’s time to get your property ready for those long, cold months. What do you need to do to be prepared? Read on.
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Renovating your rental property can be a massive undertaking, so it’s important to ensure you make changes that will last for years. Here’s what not to do.
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If you have a rental property, then you may have become interested in smart thermostats, but is it worth the initial investment? Let’s find out!
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Landscaping will go a long way in keeping your rental property looking luscious while improving your curb appeal. Learn a few tips to keep your rental property looking fresh all summer long!
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Does your rental property have wooden floors that need some attention? Read on for tips on how to refinish them, without the sander!
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Looking for an effective property management company, or property manager is no easy feat. We recommend finding someone with focus, who is honest, and can handle maintenance needs. Learn all about it.
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Home security is a top priority for any homeowner. Read on for easy tips to keep your home safe without breaking the bank.
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Whether you have one rental property to care for, or dozens of buildings, property maintenance is of the utmost importance. A maintained building shows your residents you care for their well-being, that their safety is important, and of course, it safeguards your investment for years to come. Keeping track of everything that needs to be done can be challenging, so…
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How often do you perform inspections of your rental properties? One thing’s for certain, it’s important to balance the number of rental inspections you do—too many, and you create problems with your tenants, and too few could lead to potentially serious and expensive issues. The one thing to remember is that rental inspections are vital for property management. So, here…
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Following FHA, HDU, and ADA guidelines can often seem challenging for housing providers. Here’s our breakdown on reasonable accommodations regarding assistance animals.
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A lot of our day-to-day happens online, and that includes rent payments. If your tenants are still using paper checks to pay, then read on to learn about the benefits of accepting online rent payments.
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Property management companies need to fill vacancies, and COVID-19 makes showing units challenging. Here are some tips that will change the game for property managers out there.
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In the 2019 Legislative session, Colorado Congress passed several laws relating to rental properties. We’ll cover most of them over the next few months but we’ll start with HB19-1106 (Rental Application Fairness Act). This bill sets regulations on the process of charging application fees. This is a standard practice among landlords and property managers, but the bill seeks to create…
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Having long-term tenants means you spend less on vacancy, marketing and repairs. The key is to keep your tenants happy to benefit your business. Here are a few simple things to implement now to improve the tenant experience and work towards longer term renters. Accept Rent Online With the rise of peer-to-peer money exchanging apps, online bill pay and the…
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A recent article in The Denver Post exposed poor business practices regarding the ranking and promotional system at Angie’s List. With Angie’s List being known as a trusted source for quality vendors, this news leaves many landlords scrambling for where to go now. The article explains how the ranking of “top-rated pro” was only given to companies who paid Angie’s…
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As a real estate investor, you have a lot of plates to juggle. Managing rentals can feel overwhelming and hard to keep up with. The many details involved in managing a rental are intricate and best handled by a property manager saving you time, money and stress. Here are 7 reasons to hire a property manager: Keeping you in compliance…
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Since 2010 national rents have, on the whole, continued to steadily increase. This trend didn’t change in 2018 and we saw a year-over-year increase of 3.1% from December 2017 to December 2018 according to CoreLogic. The Denver area was above this pace. According to Rent Jungle, rents in the area increased by 4.18% year-over-year. In Denver proper, the average rent…
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If you’re looking to get into the game of real estate investing, you have a few choices for financing. Ideally, purchases are made with cash but that’s not realistic for most first time investors. This means you’ll likely be taking out of a loan of some kind, but what’s the best fit for you? Here are 4 different ways to…
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It’s easy to enter the world of real estate investing, it really just takes the purchase of one property. However, there is plenty of room for mistakes along the way. It’s important to carefully consider all your expenses, stay organized and plan ahead to truly make this worthwhile. Here are 5 tips all new real estate investors need to know:…
Continue Reading →We understand that it’s tempting to manage properties on your own. While it can quickly get overwhelming, for many people it’s easy enough to manage maintenance requests and other such tedious tasks associated with being a landlord. One thing we highly encourage you never to do alone is drafting leases. A poorly written lease can leave you empty handed in…
Continue Reading →According to Apartment List, there was a .2% decrease in rent prices for 2 bedroom units from September to October 2018. The good news is that even with the drop in prices, rents have still risen 1.2% since the same time last year. As a real estate investor, you’ve invested in the right market. Interestingly, the Denver Metro area has…
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Having long-term tenants means you spend less on vacancy, marketing and repairs. The key is to keep your tenants happy to benefit your business. Here are a few simple things to implement now to improve the tenant experience and work towards longer term renters. Accept Rent Online With the rise of peer-to-peer money exchanging apps, online bill pay and the…
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Home design goes through just as many fads and changes as fashion. Renovations to your rental property are inevitable, but following trends can end up costing you money in the long run. A trendy unit will be highly marketable for a bit but will quickly feel out of date. Here are a few current trends to avoid during your renovations:…
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Vacant units are expensive. Not only are you not bringing in rent while a unit is vacant, you also incur costs marketing it and finding new tenants. Instead of losing money to vacant units, work to keep good tenants around. It doesn’t take a lot to keep most tenants happy and it can save you a lot in the long…
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There are a wide range of expectations when it comes to moving in and out of a rental. From the tenant to the owner to the property manager, there are a lot of people to make happy. So what should these walkthroughs cover and how can you manage the expectations? Here are 3 common misunderstandings for move-in and move-out walkthroughs:…
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Tenants don’t sue often. Most times a landlord is threatened with court it’s an empty threat. But it does happen and it is rarely expected. Understanding the most common reasons for a lawsuit is the first step to avoiding them. Here are the 4 most common reasons tenants sue: Mishandled Security Deposit Laws about security deposits vary from state to…
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Earlier in 2017, Invitation Homes, one of the nation’s largest Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) went public. In addition to gaining billions in the capital market, they received a $1 billion interest-only loan from Fannie Mae. This loan was met with a lot of questions and outrage. People are concerned about Fannie Mae’s involvement in backing a company that buys…
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When you have a vacancy all you want is to fill it, and filled quickly but that doesn’t mean you should let just anyone in. Of course, you always need to comply with Equal Housing guidelines but there are plenty of reasons to say no to a tenant. It’s not worth having the risk of dealing with an eviction to…
Continue Reading →After a few years of working with tenants it’s likely you’ll have stories to share you never would have imagined. Despite tight screening things with a tenant can go wrong quickly. Maybe they lost a loved one, lost their job or are struggling with their health. Life happens and some tenants aren’t able to manage and start to go off…
Continue Reading →Security deposits range from $200 to a month of rent and more, but how do you decide how much to charge? A security deposit is an important part of your business as a real estate investor. It protects you from paying for repairs out of pocket and in theory gives your tenants extra motivation to take good care of their…
Continue Reading →Summer is peak real estate season. As you look into buying a new home you may be considering keeping your old one as part of your real estate portfolio. This can be a great way to build your portfolio, but if this is your first entry into real estate investing there are a few things to keep your eye out…
Continue Reading →Does the word liability make you cringe? You may be surprised by what you as a landlord can be held accountable for. Luckily, most liabilities can be avoided with good property management and tenant screening. Here are 5 major landlord liabilities to stay on top of: Hazards This is a relatively obvious one and should fall under common sense. The…
Continue Reading →Subleasing is a subject of much debate in the world of property management, and for good reason. There are many complexities regarding maintenance requests, access to the property and responsibility which deter many landlords. As a landlord you have the power to not allow subleases on your properties, but should you? Here are the pros and cons of allowing a…
Continue Reading →According to the Denver Post, the number of units reducing asking prices increased by half a percentage point nationally from the same time last year. While the national change isn’t much to write home about, according to the Denver Business Journal, Denver has experienced a 3.1% drop in one bedroom apartments. Some experts say this is due to an oversupply…
Continue Reading →Long-term renters are a landlord’s dream. It means no vacancy costs, no marketing costs and fewer repair costs. Keeping your tenants happy is important to your business. Here are a few things to stop doing to keep your tenants happy and keep your business on the right track. Requiring Check Payments If you’re not set up to take payments digitally,…
Continue Reading →You may be a few years removed from the millennial generation or perhaps you’re a millennial landlord with no student debt. Regardless, it can be easy to feel like the issue of student loan debt doesn’t relate to you, but the truth is it does. Millennials make up the primary renter base. 60% of rental applicants from 2011 – 2015…
Continue Reading →Are you tired of showing your rentals and not getting a bite? Even in a busy market with low vacancy rates, renters are often picky about where they are living and who they are giving their money to. Here are 7 simple projects to help your rental properties show well: Start Outside To make a strong first impression, start outside….
Continue Reading →The question I’ve been frequently asked by owners is whether a security deposit a taxable income. The security deposit or damage deposit you receive from a tenant should not be included in your rental income if you intend to return the funds to your tenant when they leave after the lease expires. However, if the tenant breaks the lease and…
Continue Reading →This post describes how the property taxes are calculated and what are the timelines in order to appeal if your property tax seems too high. Property taxes are determined on odd-numbered years for 2-year tax periods. Property taxes determined in 2013 will be the taxes for 2013 and 2014 State statute requires that each property in the county be re-valued…
Continue Reading →Well,how did we do in 2012? I have wrapped up the highlights of 2012 in this short report full graphs and numbers. It includes information on the legislation front; rental market in Metro Denver, various vacancy rates by markets & dwellings, rent survey; Unemployment figures; Hiring; Home sales &Prices; new homes; and supply of homes on the market. Enjoy. 2012WrapUp
Continue Reading →I had posted earlier on Senate Bill 70 – Concerning the Uniform Residential Landlord & Tenant Act. The bill status is postponed indefinitely. It is a victory for property managers and landlords.
Continue Reading →Trulia price and rent monitor reporting Metro Denver rents are up 9.4% year-over-year.
Continue Reading →The construction of mutli-family housing has been on the rise, however, the shortage in rental market is persisting. The Denver posted reported yesterday the vacancies in Metro Denver has dropped to 4.3% in the 3rd quarter in 2012, the lowest since 2000. The average rent is up 5.2% in one year. The full article is at Denver metro apartment vacancies…
Continue Reading →With the 2012 tax rates expiring, I thought to recap where the 2012 tax rates, brackets, and capital gains rates are along with an example of how the marginal tax rate is calculated. As the example shows, one in the 28% bracket does not pay 28% of the income for taxes. The tax is calculated in an stair-step manner on…
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