All Forum Posts by: Dena Puliatti

Absolutely look at the whole credit report - I've seen decent scores with some bad debt attached to them.  The landlord reference is also super important.  Make sure you can verify that the person to whom you are sending the form is a legitimate landlord.  People put their friends and family down all the time.  Income verification can be tricky if the person works in the food service industry.  If the pay stubs don't pan out, I ask for a bank statement going back 3 months. 

Check into it to see what you need to do to get it on the market.  If you are going to rent it, it will probably need some work at that price.  Check Trulia, Lovely, Zillow and the like to see what is renting in the area.  

Your best bet would be to call several property managers and get their opinions.  It's always best to rent quickly at a lower price than to let it sit vacant for several weeks.

Huntsville, AL is growing rapidly!  With the Toyota-Mazda plant in progress, as well as a hub for Facebook, multi-units are flying off the market!

I always advise potential tenants to call the precinct, check Family Watchdog, the school zones, and drive by at night before they sign a lease.  I would run a quick check on your property and see if theses present a reason to not rent this particular home.

I would do an announced inspection of her rental home.  If she's destroyed the place, let her and her headache-inducing self go.  If it's in good condition, up the late charge.  

Home Warranties can be helpful.  However, as a property manager, they often do not help with retaining tenants.  Here's why:  

In order to complete a repair, the home warranty company must be contacted with the home warranty number and the owner's credit card information.  The company then sends out one of their preferred vendors for an evaluation to report to the home warranty company.  The home warranty company must approve the repair, and then schedule the repair. The preferred vendors are often backed up.  The repairs take much longer to complete than they would if your property manager contacted a vendor with whom they work with regularly.  I'm in Alabama, so a delayed HVAC repair can really be a hassle in the heat.  In the case of home warranties, I have seen repairs take up to 2 weeks when it could have been made quickly.

I've used Appfolio and Buildium.  While both have some great features, Buildium is easier to manage from your mobile.

Discriminating based on sexual orientation is illegal.  If the rental company stereotypes 2 people living together, it is a violation of Fair Housing Laws.

Smaller, local companies are the way to go.  Your property will get quick attention to maintenance issues, and it is easier to get your property manager on the phone to discuss owner statements, major repairs, etc.

The Huntsville, AL market is booming.  The quads that were selling in the 230K range one year ago are now selling in the 265K range.  Find an area with tremendous growth and low inventory, and hold your acquisition for a year or two.