http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/20034/user BiggerPockets Michael Monteiro Articles http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/98 The alarm clock goes off, and it’s a beautiful morning…but you don’t want to get out of bed. You’re chasing a tenant for delinquent rent. Looking back, you remember that you had a pretty good feeling about this tenant in the interview, so what happened? http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/98 http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/329 Why spend time and money to repaint, clean, and advertise the unit when you already have solid tenants that pay their rent on time? Though not always easy, it’s almost always cheaper to retain great tenants rather than finding new ones. http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/329 http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/368 Security deposits, and how they’re handled, may be one of the most misunderstood topics for landlords and property managers alike. Part of the confusion stems from the fact that laws regarding security deposits are different in each state. http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/368 http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/529 Because the rental market is cyclical just like any other market. As the saying goes, what goes up, must come down. That's why it's important to keep pace with rents when the local housing market is strong so you can survive leaner times when rents fall and vacancy rates rise. http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/529 http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/634 For better or worse, preparing units for turnover is part of every property manager’s job. There’s good news, though. Just a few simple strategies can go a long way toward making the turnover process more efficient and cost-effective. Best of all, chances are turnover will ultimately generate a higher rent rate for your unit. http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/634 http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/723 The temperature has gone down and it’s about time for you to turn up the heat in your properties. Getting your property ready for winter involves more than just adjusting the temperature, though. Here’s a quick guide to ensure you’ll be ready long before that first storm arrives. http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/723 http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/751 Building—and even more importantly, maintaining—good client relationships is essential to the success of any business venture. But property managers must be particularly conscientious about good customer service because not only are they building relationships with the property owners who employ them, but also with the tenants who rely on them on a daily basis. http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/751 http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/766 It’s only natural that the current state of the economy will have a trickle-down affect on vacancy levels and the going rate of rental units. At a time when everyone is tightening their purse strings, it makes sense that people are far more likely to think twice before moving. http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/766 http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/805 Generally speaking, property owners and managers are not required to allow tenants to have pets.* And, in fact, many properties exercise their option to decline pets on premises—for example, in San Diego, CA nearly 60 percent of all properties do not allow cats, while another 80 percent don’t allow dogs. However, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, as of December 2006 there were nearly 82 million pet cats in the United States and more than 72 million pet dogs. http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/805 http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/812 As is the case with any employment scenario, when it comes to hiring a property manager, landlords walk a fine line between ensuring they hire the best help possible and obtaining the most competitive price. Particularly because property management is not a one-size-fits-all kind of field, setting your property management fee at a rate that is both profitable for you and appealing to potential customers can be tricky. http://www.biggerpockets.com/articles/812