Posts Tagged ‘Tenant Screening’

Property Management in Las Vegas

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Your property needs to be managed carefully and professionally. So once you have decided to hire a property management agency to look after your property it becomes imperative that you make the right decision about the agency. There are several firms listed on the net that provide Las Vegas real estate services and Nevada property management ranging from property maintenance and collection, supervision, tenant screening and retention, and random property inspections. Several things are to be kept in mind while selecting the firm. The firm chosen should be registered and without any past or present criminal records or involved in any legal proceedings. The best way is to interact with the previous and present clients who would provide with the right kind of information regarding the property management in Las Vegas of the firm.

The difference should be made between the firms that specialize in residential and the ones that specialize in commercial properties. It is always advisable to select a one that specializes in only one category as they would be more experienced and would provide better services.

Another thing that has to be kept in mind is that the firm selected should have enough time on its hands to focus on your property. That means they should be involved in the business full time and not doing it on the sidelines. Also the managerial practices of the firm should be checked so that it could be made sure that they have the right vision and the methodology to do the needful.

Once a firm has been selected, the contract should be arranged between the firm and the owner and a copy each should be kept by both the parties. The service details of the Nevada property management firm should be taken in writing and there should be no discrepancy between the practical and the written part once the work gets underway.

Hiring a Property Manager

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

Hiring a property management company could save your life, or at least your sanity.  For some people, they are just too fed up and tired of being landlords.  Others never even thought of being an active landlord and always planned on having their properties managed for them.

Property management companies can help you reclaim your personal time by taking over the active responsibilities of being a landlord.  A couple examples of property management services are: showing the property, tenant screening and selection, rent collection, and maintenance.  All you have to do is sit back and they send you the rent.  But, isn’t that why you got into rental real estate to begin with?  To earn that glorious passive income everyone dreams about, to make money without having to work for it?

Fortunately there are people and firms to relieve you of all those landlord duties…for a small fee of course.  The typical property manager collects between 6% and 10% of the gross rents as payment for taking over your responsibilities.  The higher the number, the more quality service you should demand and expect.

One great place to start looking for a property manager is the local yellow pages for your area.  Another good way is to take a look around town while your driving.  Many times you will see signs for property management companies in front of buildings, on apartment signs, and even in the classified ads section of your newspaper.  You’ll often find a management firm doing the listings for their rental properties in the local newspaper.  If you see the same management companies name appearing in the majority of the rental ads, they’re probably a good company to contact first.

If you’re a member of your local Real Estate Investment Association (REIA) you can always ask for recommendations on which management company to work with.  Just remember, you should always interview each potential property manager or firm before deciding to let them manage your properties.  Some important questions to ask are:

1.  How long have they been in business?

2.  What property types are their areas of expertise?

3.  What is their management fee?

4.  How will they communicate with you?

5.  Do they have their own maintenance personnel, or do they contract a handyman?

6.  What do they charge for maintenance and upkeep, such as repairs and landscaping?

7.  How much in reserve funds do they require in case something comes up?

8.  How do they handle evictions and vacancies?

9.  What does it take to terminate the agreement if necessary?

10.  Where do they advertise the properties?

11.  How often will they be sending you profit and loss statements?

12.  When will they be sending the check to you?

13.  Can you get some references to check them out?

Depending on how comfortable you are with the answer to the above questions, you may have found yourself a new property manager.  It’s best to interview more than one individual or firm to make sure you find the right fit.