Recommendation Needed - Property Management

South Bend, Indiana
Short-Term & Vacation Rental Discussions
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Recommendation Needed - Property Management

Andrea Wieser
Saint Paul, MN · Member since 2014 · 12 posts · 1 vote

I'm looking to acquire more property and needing a quality property management company to handle the daily business of my vacation rentals.  I have two right now and hope to have two more by the end of summer.  Who has had an excellent experience?  Located in South Bend & Mishawaka Indiana.

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January Johnson
Real Estate Agent · Emerald Coast, FL · Member since 2016 · 820 posts · 487 votes
3y
Quote from @Andrea Wieser:

Unsure how anyone has vacation rentals and does not have day to day items to handle.  Who purchases the staples for the house?  Who coordinates the handyman if something breaks?  Automated messages are fine - guests need some attention at some point.

Yes, we are experts at teaching you this.  Check out the Short Term Rental Management podcast wherever you listen.  Also The Short Term Show.   

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  • Napoleon DeCiutiis
    Real Estate Agent · The Short Term Shop / Florida Emerald and Forgotten Coasts · Member since 2022 · 217 posts · 126 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Andrea Wieser:

    I'm looking to acquire more property and needing a quality property management company to handle the daily business of my vacation rentals.  I have two right now and hope to have two more by the end of summer.  Who has had an excellent experience?  Located in South Bend & Mishawaka Indiana.


     Andrea, have you ever thought about self managing and keeping the money in your pocket? 

    1Reply
  • Andrea Wieser
    OP
    Saint Paul, MN · Member since 2014 · 12 posts · 1 vote
    3y

    I have in the past, but cleaning up after guests isn't the best use of my time (my time is more expensive than that) and I don't live in Indiana. 

    0Reply
  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    3y

    What daily work is there?

    I self manage and don't have any daily work.

    Hire a cleaning service and then see how you feel about self managing.

    0Reply
  • Wilson Vanhook
    Rental Property Investor · Oklahoma City · Member since 2021 · 108 posts · 103 votes
    3y

    Self manage and keep your dollars. You can hire a good cleaner and then automate all the day to day operations. You can automate cleaning notifications to your cleaners and automate most guest messaging as well. I use Hostaway to do most of my automation.

    0Reply
  • Andrea Wieser
    OP
    Saint Paul, MN · Member since 2014 · 12 posts · 1 vote
    3y

    Unsure how anyone has vacation rentals and does not have day to day items to handle.  Who purchases the staples for the house?  Who coordinates the handyman if something breaks?  Automated messages are fine - guests need some attention at some point.

    0Reply
  • January Johnson
    Real Estate Agent · Emerald Coast, FL · Member since 2016 · 820 posts · 487 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Andrea Wieser:

    I have in the past, but cleaning up after guests isn't the best use of my time (my time is more expensive than that) and I don't live in Indiana. 


    In many places, the profit that the PM companies will take will have you in a negative cash flow situation.  Self-managing isn't that hard.  The Short Term Shop teaches all of our clients how to do it and do it VERY WELL.  

    Run the numbers both ways and let that speak to you.

    0Reply
  • January Johnson
    Real Estate Agent · Emerald Coast, FL · Member since 2016 · 820 posts · 487 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Andrea Wieser:

    Unsure how anyone has vacation rentals and does not have day to day items to handle.  Who purchases the staples for the house?  Who coordinates the handyman if something breaks?  Automated messages are fine - guests need some attention at some point.

    Yes, we are experts at teaching you this.  Check out the Short Term Rental Management podcast wherever you listen.  Also The Short Term Show.   

    1Reply
  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    3y

    Hey @Andrea Wieser. It isn't that hard. Get a good cleaner and handyperson.

    You will be the contact, but once things are running and if you keep up on maintenance of the hard systems, texts will be "What is a good restaurant nearby?" or "Can we stay another day?"

    If you are getting calls all the time from guests, you need to take a look at how you are setup and make changes to eliminate the problems and reduce the calls.

    We are 360 miles from our lake house and I can count on one hand the number of calls I have gotten about a problems. How do I raise the sound on the TV? There is ice on the refer seal. The A/C stopped working. That is it in 6 years.

    0Reply
  • Michael SmytheBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Metro Detroit · Member since 2023 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    3y

    @Andrea Wieser

    Even if someone give you a referral, don’t make the mistake of assuming that PMC will meet your expectations, just because they met the expectations of the referral source.

    We also can’t believe how many owners hire the first PMC they speak with!

    Then they complain their expectations aren’t being met!

    In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.

    It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

    Owners mistakenly ASSUME all PMCs offer the exact SAME SERVICES and PERFORM those services EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, so price is the only differentiator – and they often select the first PMC they call!

    So, the first question they usually ask a PMC is about fees - instead of asking about services and HOW those services are executed.

    EXAMPLE: PMC states they will handle tenant screening – what does that specifically mean? What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.? You’d be shocked by how little actual screening many PMC’s do!

    This also leads owners to ASSUME simpler is better when it comes to management contracts.

    The reality is the opposite - if it's not in writing then the PMC doesn't have to provide the service or can charge extra for it!

    We have a 14-page management contract that we've added our real experiences to over the years, with the intent of protecting both us AND the landlord. Beyond the Monthly Management, Placement & Maintenance fees, all other fees in our contract are IF EVENT -> THEN fees.

    We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:

    https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processes

    We recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

    EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

    P.S. If you just hire the cheapest or first PMC you speak with and it turns into a bad experience, please don’t assume ALL PMC’s are bad and start trashing PMC’s in general. Take ownership of your mistake and learn to do the proper due diligence recommended above😊

    Logical Property Management4.9464 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • Andrea Wieser
    OP
    Saint Paul, MN · Member since 2014 · 12 posts · 1 vote
    3y

    I'm glad everyone has an opinion - what I need is someone to speak up who has had a good experience with a local property management company.

    Not all resources are abundant in every market, as competition and niche size varies by economy.

    Please keep responses only to the information requested.

    0Reply
  • Andrea Wieser
    OP
    Saint Paul, MN · Member since 2014 · 12 posts · 1 vote
    3y
    Quote from @John Underwood:

    What daily work is there?

    I self manage and don't have any daily work.

    Hire a cleaning service and then see how you feel about self managing.


     What do you do when there isn't a cleaning company to be had?

    0Reply
  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Andrea Wieser:
    Quote from @John Underwood:

    What daily work is there?

    I self manage and don't have any daily work.

    Hire a cleaning service and then see how you feel about self managing.


     What do you do when there isn't a cleaning company to be had?


     Search on FB groups, marketplace, Google, Craigslist etc.

    0Reply
  • Sarah KensingerPro Member
    Real Estate Consultant · OH · Member since 2023 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    3y

    Seems like this has been a bit of a frustrating thread! DM me when you get the chance, I might be able to help you find someone.

    [email protected]330-557-3021
    0Reply
  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    3y

    Good luck @Andrea Wieser

    0Reply
  • Brooklyn McCarty
    Investor · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 754 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Napoleon DeCiutiis:
    Quote from @Andrea Wieser:

    I'm looking to acquire more property and needing a quality property management company to handle the daily business of my vacation rentals.  I have two right now and hope to have two more by the end of summer.  Who has had an excellent experience?  Located in South Bend & Mishawaka Indiana.


     Andrea, have you ever thought about self managing and keeping the money in your pocket? 


     What Nap said! 

    Check out Avery Carl’s boom Short Term Rental, Long Term Wealth! 

    1Reply
  • Andrea Wieser
    OP
    Saint Paul, MN · Member since 2014 · 12 posts · 1 vote
    3y

    Then what?

    0Reply
  • Mike ShoePro Member
    Member since 2022 · 9 posts · 4 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Andrea Wieser:

    I'm looking to acquire more property and needing a quality property management company to handle the daily business of my vacation rentals.  I have two right now and hope to have two more by the end of summer.  Who has had an excellent experience?  Located in South Bend & Mishawaka Indiana.

     Hey, Andrea!

    Seems like you came here with a very specific request. Unfortunately, we put our own opinions on what we think you should do even when it wasn’t asked of us. 

    We all believe that everyone is able to do their own PM. However, some folks prefer to put that task on someone else and that’s perfectly fine as well.

    I believe I can help you here. Let’s connect to see what value I can bring to you.😊

    0Reply
  • Andrea Wieser
    OP
    Saint Paul, MN · Member since 2014 · 12 posts · 1 vote
    3y

    @Mark Shoe Yes...everyone definitely has an opinion.  I'm looking for a PM because they will have a reliable lawn person, handyman, and house cleaner. I'm less concerned about the cleaning person at thr moment, but the other resources are scarce.

    0Reply
  • Mike ShoePro Member
    Member since 2022 · 9 posts · 4 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Andrea Wieser:

    @Mark Shoe Yes...everyone definitely has an opinion.  I'm looking for a PM because they will have a reliable lawn person, handyman, and house cleaner. I'm less concerned about the cleaning person at thr moment, but the other resources are scarce.

    Understood.

    DM me with some of the details and location and I’ll see if we would be a good fit for you.
    if not, I have a a lot of partners that would probably love to help you.😊
    0Reply
  • Alex Ferraro
    Investor · South Bend, IN · Member since 2018 · 111 posts · 57 votes
    3y

    @Andrea Wieser I will DM you.

    0Reply
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