Blog Post New VA Landlord Tenant Law Requires Action by Landlords to Certify Smoke Alarms

New VA Landlord Tenant Law Requires Action by Landlords to Certify Smoke Alarms

While landlords and property managers have always been required to test smoke alarms, a new Virginia Landlord Tenant Law now requires that tenants be provided with an annual written certification that smoke alarms are correctly installed and functioning properly.In order to fully...
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Blog Post An Aversion to Vacancy

An Aversion to Vacancy

When discussing a target rental rate with landlords, I typically describe the need to balance between the competing goals of maximizing their cash flow and minimizing their vacancy. Setting a higher listing price will hopefully result in a more positive cash flow, while setting a...
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Blog Post It is Hot and Muggy and Tenants Want to Be Put Up in a Hotel!

It is Hot and Muggy and Tenants Want to Be Put Up in a Hotel!

When I first speak with new landlords, they often share that they are worried about getting a call from tenants in the middle of the night about a toilet overflowing. Actually, we rarely have emergency toilet issues, but we do often have emergency calls from tenants with no AC. T...
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Blog Post You Don’t Need Us!!

You Don’t Need Us!!

IN A PERFECT WORLD, you don’t need a property manager. In a perfect world, the tenant pays rent on-time (or early), doesn’t want to break the lease, takes good care of the home, and doesn’t have unauthorized pets or occupants in the home. …. In a perfect ...
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Blog Post Our Vendor Pool – Prompt Quality Services at Competitive Rates

Our Vendor Pool – Prompt Quality Services at Competitive Rates

One of the reasons that we are able to provide excellent management services is that we have developed excellent working relationships with a wide range of vendors to support all of the possible maintenance issues that could occur at our managed properties. We have working relati...
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Blog Post While you were Away….. Someone’s Been Living in your House!!

While you were Away….. Someone’s Been Living in your House!!

A straight shooting note to new landlords: I know that the garage door opener, the ice maker, the cook top vent, the dishwasher and the AC system were all working perfectly fine when you turned the home over to us and had worked perfectly fine for the 6 years that you lived in th...
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Blog Post Let Uncle John Know that you Won’t Need Him to Fix the Toilets

Let Uncle John Know that you Won’t Need Him to Fix the Toilets

New landlords often ask if we can use their favorite trusted vendor for any future maintenance needs. Of course we can! We already work with most of the larger local vendors and welcome the opportunity to meet new vendors recommended by our landlords. Landlords should provide us ...
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Blog Post Your Home WILL Need Maintenance!!

Your Home WILL Need Maintenance!!

I’ve written several blogs in the past about the need for new landlords to budget for maintenance. I’m writing another, as I feel this is THE MOST IMPORTANT action that a landlord must take when transitioning their home into a rental property. We have found that many...
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Blog Post Planning for the Cost of Turnover Between Tenants

Planning for the Cost of Turnover Between Tenants

When budgeting for annual expenses, owners should expect some minor “touch-ups” needed between tenants even when tenants take excellent care of their home. Outgoing tenants are allowed normal wear and tear, which includes minor scuffs/scrapes to walls in main living a...
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Blog Post Fall/Winter HVAC Servicing Appointments

Fall/Winter HVAC Servicing Appointments

As the weather is starting to get cold, we are wrapping up Fall/Winter HVAC servicing appointments for many of our managed properties. While we do not require landlords to put an annual service contract in place, we do encourage it. All local HVAC companies offer a service plan t...
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