GENERAL MANAGEMENT

Select an article from the list below.

Prop. Mgmt. Goes Green - From Web Surf News Sept 7-13, 2011

Improving Tenant Communication - (From Web Surf News August 16-23)

Put More Value in Your Rentals (From Web Surf News July 19-25, 2011)

Landlord Access Laws For Each State - Handy Chart - Must Have For Landlords

Renting a House With Bad Credit - (Video From Our Web Surf News 6/14-20)

A Landlord's Perspective -- Renting to Students   Most landlords have good relationships with student tenants; problems exception rather than rule From posts to our followers on Twitter )

Give these links a try to quickly find out how Yelp and Angie's list can benefit your property management business. ( From posts to our followers on Twitter )

As a landlord we want to know about the neighborhoods our rentals are located, here's a good resource for us ( From posts to our followers on Twitter )

You're in a hurry and need a rent/cash receipt? Go here and print one or more for FREE
( From posts to our followers on Twitter )

Smart Landlords Do Serious Due Diligence

Budgeting Key to Investment Success.  Learn why you need a budget for your investment properties and how to create one. 

Lock Bumping - What every landlord should know (UTube video)

Landlords, do you have a will? This site tells you how much fed & state death tax you'll have to pay WITHOUT a basic simple will

Fair Housing & "Reasonable Accommodations"  Bob Cain How to and how not to deal with this troubling issue.

How “Real” Is Your Independent Contractor Status.  Many landlords have handymen and others whom they classify as independent contractors for tax and other purposes.  But simply saying someone is an independent contractor is not enough to make them so.  They may still, in reality, be employees, and a failure to realistically evaluate their status can lead to big problems down the line.  This note on a Georgia appellate court decision evaluates and “independent” salesperson’s status in view of the amount of control the broker sought to exercise over her activities.  This is applicable to any independent contractor.  See also our article. 

How to Hire Construction Managers.  If you are confronted with a major repair or improvement job, managing it yourself may take too much time and overtax your expertise.  If so, learn how to select someone to manage the job for you and how to deal with him.

How To Keep On-Site Managers.  Sound tips on finding, recognizing, and keeping good resident managers.

How to Reduce Commercial Utility Bills.  The title is self explanatory, and if you are a commercial lessor, particularly in a third world, power starved country like California, you need to read this.

How To Set The Rules For On-Site Managers.  If you have a written rental agreement with all of your tenants you are doing well.  What about the on-site manager?  You need a written agreement with him even more and it should contain all the details about compensation and his duties.

IRS Rules On Lost Records Only Stretch So Far. If you are planning to itemize your deductions this year, be advised that the IRS will let you reconstruct records when they are destroyed by a casualty beyond your control, but this rule is not always evenly applied, and it is not a cure all.

It's True - Lincoln Lost his Home Twice . It always pays to check to insure your title is clear. Compared to the loss that could occur if some predator can exploit a cloud on your title, checking occasionally costs little in money and time, and with modern record keeping, it is a fairly simple procedure.

Online Communication:  The Illusion of E-Mail Privacy.  No, email is not private.  Its convenience and speed is counterbalanced by its openness.  Save truly confidential communication for truly confidential means of communication. 

Profit and Loss Statement, The:  What Does It Mean?  How to read and understand the components of the P&L, and prepare one for your own business.

Pros and Cons of a Home Business.  This article discusses the practical benefits and drawbacks of running a small business in your home.  Read this before you decide to open up shop there.

Records And Record Keeping.  What records should you keep and how should you keep them?  This article goes over the basics.

Rent Collections Via the Internet?   Purely electronic rent collection and record keeping is not only on the way, it is largely here.  See what is coming in this article. 

Roommates and Rent:  How to Protect Yourself.   Here is an outline of the ins and outs of rent sharing between roommates.  If you are a landlord who permits this, give a copy of this article to your next tenant who asks permission to move someone in to share the rent. 

Setting Up a Record Keeping System.  Paper is essential to any successful operation, even in these modern computing days.  Learn how to determine what sort of record keeping system is best for you. 

Setting Up a Record Keeping System.  Describes the two major types of accounting systems and how to set them up.

Softening the Blow of Submetering .   Submetering is becoming increasingly popular ( see our article on the subject ).  This article shows how to sell the idea to your tenants and implement it with a minimum of resistance. 

So You Want To Keep a Pet But Your Lease Has a “No Pet” Clause.  This article is written from a tenant’s point of view but contains valuable information on how a local “Pet Ordinance,” such as exists in New York, or the federal Fair Housing Act can force you to permit one anyway.

Starting a Business in Your Home – Is It For You?   Another perspective on home business.  This one asks whether you are a good candidate for such an arrangement.

Tenant Retention - Our tip comes from Robert Cain, some of whose work appears in the Infocenter. He offers a timeless reminder of how important it is to retain good tenants and four practical and easy things you can do to ensure these treasures stick around. No gimmicks here, just plain old common sense.

Tenants Must Negotiate Lease’s Words As Well As Rates.  This goes for landlords too, so read this.

Twelve Steps to Equal Opportunity Housing.  This list of tips about Fair Housing Law compliance should be of interest to landlords and property managers. 

What Is “Fair Market Value?”   This is a practical explanation of the meaning of that often used term and why it is important to you.

What You Didn't Know About Deeds. This is a pretty good thumbnail sketch of the function and nature of deeds, and the differences among some of the basic types.

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