All Forum Posts by: Vanessa Regalado

I completely understand your frustration, what you experienced is, unfortunately, more common than it should be. Excessive, uncoordinated service visits and a lack of transparency can eat into your cash flow fast and leave you feeling out of the loop on your own investment.

As a property management company, we take a more owner-focused approach:

Repair Approval Thresholds: We always set a repair approval threshold with our clients (commonly $300–$500), and anything above that amount requires owner approval before proceeding. For items below the threshold, we still aim to communicate the issue and resolution for transparency.

✅ Service Visit Consolidation: Sending out techs for every minor issue is inefficient and costly. We troubleshoot with tenants first and, when possible, schedule consolidated service visits to address multiple concerns in one trip. This helps cut down per-visit fees and reduces disruption for both tenants and owners.

Transparency, cost-efficiency, and communication are pillars of how we operate, we view ourselves as partners in protecting and growing your investment, not just handling day-to-day tasks.

That’s an awesome goal — learning property management from the ground up is one of the best ways to set yourself up for long-term success in real estate.

Here are a few steps to help you get started and find mentors, especially in New Hampshire and Massachusetts:

1. Start with Solid Education:

• Read books like “The Book on Managing Rental Properties” by Brandon and Heather Turner (great for beginners).

• Follow property management blogs, YouTube channels, and BiggerPockets podcast episodes that cover real-world scenarios.

2. Learn the Local Laws:
Every state has unique landlord-tenant regulations. Familiarize yourself with both NH and MA rules on security deposits, eviction processes, lease terms, and required notices. The local housing authority or state government websites are great resources.

3. Shadow or Volunteer:
Reach out to local property managers or small property management companies and ask if you can shadow them or intern part-time. Even helping with tenant turnover or lease renewals can give you hands-on exposure.

4. Join Local Real Estate Meetups or REI Groups:
BiggerPockets has a directory, but you can also check Meetup.com or Facebook for local real estate investor or landlord groups in NH and MA. These are great places to connect with experienced investors and potential mentors.

5. Offer Value to Potential Mentors:
When reaching out to someone, offer help — maybe with admin work, showings, or tenant screening. Most people are more open to mentoring if there’s a mutual benefit.

6. Consider Licensing (Optional or May Be Required by Your State):
Depending on your goals, you might look into becoming a licensed property manager or real estate agent — not required in every state for managing your own properties, but helpful if you plan to manage for others.

Wishing you the best as you dive into the world of property management!

Hey there — congrats to you and your brother on closing your first rental property! That’s a huge milestone, and it sounds like you’ve set yourselves up for a solid start with turnkey units, tenants in place, and a newer property — smart move.

Since you're planning to self-manage (at least in the beginning), here are a few tips that might help:

1. Get a Good PM Software Early:
A solid property management platform will save you time and stress. Look for one that handles rent collection, maintenance requests, lease tracking, and communication logs. Tenants really appreciate ease and responsiveness, and this helps keep everything documented and streamlined.

2. Set Clear Expectations with Tenants:
Even if they’re inherited, make sure to establish clear lines of communication and remind them who to contact for what. Be professional but approachable, and don’t forget to reissue leases under your name if needed.

3. Build a Reliable Local Network:
Sounds like you're already off to a good start with handymen! Add a locksmith, HVAC tech, plumber, and possibly a cleaning crew to your contacts if you haven’t already. The quicker you can resolve issues, the smoother things will run.

4. Budget for Surprises Anyway:
Even though it’s a new build, things can still come up — tenant issues, appliance failures, etc. Keep a reserve fund set aside for those “just in case” moments.

5. Document Everything:
From tenant communication to maintenance visits, always keep notes. It can be helpful down the line if there are any disputes or when preparing taxes.

6. Stay on Top of Local Landlord-Tenant Laws:
Charlotte (and NC in general) has some landlord-friendly laws, but it’s still good to stay updated on changes, especially regarding notice periods, lease renewals, and eviction protocols.

If you ever decide to scale or just want a second opinion from someone with experience in property management, feel free to reach out. Happy to share what I’ve learned from managing a variety of properties.

Wishing you a smooth first year and plenty of positive cash flow!

Congrats on taking the first step toward your first rental property!

I’m part of a full-service property management company that works extensively throughout North Jersey, managing everything from single units to 100+ unit buildings. We also work closely with new and seasoned investors, so if you ever need insight on local neighborhoods, rental rates, property management, or even vendor connections, I’d be happy to help or point you in the right direction. I also have a great recommendation for a Bergen County agent. Feel free to reach out and happy to share his information.

I’m part of a full-service property management company that works extensively throughout North Jersey, managing everything from single units to 100+ unit buildings. We also work closely with new and seasoned investors, so if you ever need insight on local neighborhoods, rental listings, property management, or even vendor connections, I’d be happy to help or point you in the right direction.

Congrats on taking the first step toward your first rental property — house hacking a fourplex is a smart move, especially in a market like North Jersey!

I’m part of a full-service property management company that works extensively throughout North Jersey, managing everything from single units to 100+ unit buildings. We also work closely with new and seasoned investors, so if you ever need insight on local neighborhoods, rental rates, property management, or even vendor connections, I’d be happy to help or point you in the right direction.

I highly recommend Castano Quigley Cherami LLC, they have done many evictions for our company. Ask for Daniel Debski.

299 Main Street, Suite 1

Lodi, NJ 07644

o. 862 238 8700

@Lloyd Spencer Our company can defenitely help, I will send you a message. Thank you!

@Sebastian Hernandez thank you for your referral, for some reason bigger pockets didn't send me an email for this tag. I appreciate thinking of our company :) 

@Roy Furbert your attorney didn't find this out while you were in attorney review. As a property manager I see this all the time when clients to me. The only suggestion I have is to rent the third bonus/illegal apartment with one of the other apartments (Depending on the property layout). Meaning if the illegal unit it on the third floor, rent it together with the second floor. You can also see if you can get approvals from the City to make the third unit legal.