Posted on September 28, 2011
In the hectic task of property buying or selling, property dealers stand as the middleman. They go about ensuring you get the best deals out there which may translate to a smart investment for you as a purchaser or a good sale as a vendor. Property selling and buying is no walk in the park. It is no lie that we sometimes attempt to do things our way which may lead us to not getting our money's worth.
It is that particular danger that results to the pressing need to seek for a property dealer. And while we have established that all things concerning a purchase or acquisition of property is no easy task, finding the right middleman shares the same level of difficulty.
How does one go about fining this right dealer? Of course we expect a highly competent individual that can look for the right buyer for the searching seller and vice versa. That dealer will be arranging meetings between the two main players. That someone will be taking the initiative in the money transaction and ensuring that any needed documents are not left out of the picture.
Having said those, it is imperative that one doesn't simply announce his/her need for a property dealer. An influx of calls, emails and/or letters from aspiring middleman could erupt. Certainly, among those might be scammers or dealers who can actually steer you way beyond your set objectives and not to mention budget.
Of course, one of the most important things is to ask about background, especially professional experience. It is your right to assess the competence of the middleman you are to choose. They can lead to properties of bad quality which means loss and not to mention waste of time.
Try to explore your property dealer's expertise by asking as much as you can. It doesn't hurt to know the tricks of the trade, right? While doing so, you are also establishing a deeper professional connection.
Remember that this purchase or sale should benefit all the parties involved and that includes him or her. More importantly, it can also open a long-term business relationship between the both of you.
It also may not hurt to check other options. While you are still in the process of deciding on whom you'd get, it's nice to have some sort of comparative analysis between two potential property dealers.
Compare and contrast. Who has the edge in terms of experience? Who knows more about the trade? Let each of them talk and talk while you determine the scope of their knowledge. Check whatever they may bring to the table and decide on who can get you the best deal.
Lastly, and this is a bit of common sense, trust your instincts. Remember though that before you do so, you have weighed the pros and cons. Check on your options and look thoroughly at the details.
Posted on September 11, 2011
If you are thinking about a job change and would like something that you can do with your partner, then you may consider the idea of becoming a building manager. This position normally needed in buildings that have multiple rental units such as apartments. There are many benefits to being involved in this particular role and learning something about the job will help you to determine if this is a career field you want to enter.
Every building that has rental units normally needs a manager. Typically building owners like to hire a couple so that there are two people to manage the daily tasks. One of the perks to this particular job is the free apartment rental that comes along with it.
There are different responsibilities associated with the roles. One person is typically in charge of the building cleaning and unit repairs. On a day to day basis, one person will perform their daily interior and exterior chores. This could include garbage maintenance, hallway and elevator cleaning and ensuring that the grounds and lobby are cleaned and inspected.
A box will be located close to the manager's unit. The box will hold tenant complaints and repair requests. The repairs may be urgent, or ones that can wait a few days. The manager will fix a few units a day starting with the highest priority needs. These repairs could include; leaking taps, broken screens on the windows, or appliances that are not working. Property management is in charge of many tasks around the building and rental units.
The role of the second person may be to handle the collection of rent, the administrative paperwork and the touring of available units. This person will be available to take people on tours of units that are for rent. If a person likes a unit and wants to rent it, the manager will need to have them fill out an application, where references and credit is checked.
Having units inspected and cleaned after a tenant moves out is also an important task. Collecting rent and dealing with issues of people not paying and not moving out are all jobs that are done on a daily basis. Handling the rent and documenting the information is a task the is done on a day to day basis.
When a couple decides to become managers for a building, they will get the chance to have a free unit and be in charge of all of the building's jobs. A couple will get to work together and not have to commute out to work. They will each have their own tasks and the building benefit from the efficiency of the couple.
Posted on September 5, 2011
If you are a landlord, there is a good chance that at some point you have rented to a tenant that was less than desirable. This tenant probably caused problems for you and perhaps did the same for other tenants. How do you avoid making the same mistake again in the future? Is there a way to guarantee that you find quality tenants and avoid the bad ones? Well there are indeed steps you can take to ensure that you have a much better chance of finding the right tenants. These steps can make the rental process a lot easier for you and can save you the time and money that bad tenants can cost you.
The first step to getting quality tenants is to place an ad that essentially scares away bad tenants. Make sure you let potential tenants know that you keep a quiet place and that noisy types will not be tolerated. Landlords are allowed to do credit and background checks, so mention that in the advertisement as well. Some seedy individuals will not even bother responding to your ad if they know you are going to run a background check on them. Likewise, a potential tenant that hasn't been responsible financially will have bad credit and will probably not even bother responding to your ad because of the credit check requirement. So as you can see, a well-worded ad can eliminate many bad tenants before you even start taking calls.
When people call about renting the apartment, you can take this screening step even further by letting them know that you require at least three months of stable employment that must be verified by providing pay stubs for the last three months. You can also require proof of a checking or savings account using the last three months of statements. This is also where you can state your minimum credit score requirement (if any) to rent your place. Again, these tactics are used to get responsible tenants and will scare away tenants that are not responsible.
You want to make sure potential tenants understand all of your demands before they fill out the application. This will save everybody time and aggravation. Don't be afraid to sound stern and have a no-nonsense attitude when dealing with potential tenants. Bad tenants tend to gravitate toward landlords they feel they can walk all over. Don't give off that kind of vibe. The point of these demands is to intimidate bad tenants so that they will go elsewhere.
Using the above steps will help you weed out bad tenants before even one application is filled out. They have worked for many a landlord that was sick and tired of losing valuable time and money due to bad tenants. By making your demands known from the beginning, and by making sure these demands are of the highest standards, you can ensure that you rent to only quality tenants. Decent tenants will not have any problems with your demands and will not feel intimidated at all.