Real Estate Services

If you own rental property, then you know how hard it can be to find quality renters to lease your available home or apartment.  Even if you have the nicest available space for rent in a particular neighborhood, if you don’t know how to attract potential lessees – you risk losing months of rental income.  The key to getting your property rented is marketing.  Below are six tips to get your available rental home, condo or apartment seen by as many people as possible.

1. Post Signs:  It may seem obvious, but some property owners don’t even take the time to post signs on their available units.  A wise owner will post “for rent” signs not only on the home or unit, but also on the street corners of the closest major intersection.  These for rent signs can be purchased at home improvement stores such as Home Depot or Lowes.

2. Take Lots of Photos: Using a digital camera makes the chore of taking photos of your available unit  a pleasure..  Photos can give renters a better idea of exactly what they will be getting.  If the renters know precisely what the apartment or home looks like, there is less possibility that they will not like the unit when you are showing it to them.  Quality photos can save you lots of time showing your unit to renters who wouldn’t have been interested in the first place.

3. Use the Internet:  Websites such as craigslist and apartment guide can get your property seen by prospective renters who may be moving to your area from out of town.  Using the Internet you can reach a much larger audience than by just advertising in your local paper.  Many websites will allow you to upload photos of your unit, which can be, a huge factor in finding renters.

4. Find a Property Management Company:  If you search your area for either a property management company or leasing agent, you should find an abundance of companies who are willing to help you get your property rented.  Of course, these companies charge a fee – usually 10% to 15% of the first years total rent.  But if you’ve had no luck finding renters, this may be a last resort.  You can always raise the rent cost by 10% when quoting these leasing agencies your monthly rent charge – that will cover their percentage.

5. Take Out an Ad:  Of course, there is the old  best method of taking out an advertisement in your local newspaper.  Many older people aren’t computer savvy enough to use the computer or search for available rentals on the Internet, so the newspaper is a great place to reach these individuals.  Senior citizens can be some of best tenants. You don’t want to exclude these folks by limiting your advertising to the Internet.

6. Send Out a Mass E-mail:  Send an email out to everyone in your email contact list.   Describe the unit that you have for rent and attach some photos along with the email.   You never know who has a friend or relative who may be searching for a condo or house for rent in your area. Informing as many people as possible about the availability of your unit is the primary goal here.

When you find that perfect renter, be sure and use only legal forms specific to your state. This will keep you out of trouble. Our Landlord / Tenant Forms containing all of your state requirements is available by clicking here.

A Limited Power of Attorney is just what it says. When you sign this type of legal document, you are giving limited power to someone else to make your decisions. While the language within this document is broad, it will specifically outline what authority you are assigning to someone else.

There are several types of powers of attorney, however, a Limited Power of Attorney gives whomever you choose the authority to conduct a specific act. For example, a person might use a Limited Power of Attorney to buy or sell a home or a vehicle. It could also be limited to certain banking transactions, letters of credit or medical decisions.

If you become incapacitated, or serve active duty in the military, it is generally a good idea to assign a Limited Power of Attorney to someone you trust, usually a spouse.

Giving that power to a spouse could be dangerous, unless of course you have a loving and trustworthy relationship. After all you would not want someone to make life or death decisions about you if their was no loyalty. Before you decide to sign a Limited Power of Attorney to your spouse, be aware of all the consequences.

Decide how long your spouse will have this responsibility. Having an expiration date on the document is a safeguard for you against any abuse of power. If you decided to cancel a power of attorney before the ending date, you should sign an order for the court stating that fact. It is also a good idea to record the revocation with your bank, doctor, or other entities if you foresee future problems.