Lawn and Landscaping!

When renting a single family home (HOUSE) make sure the owner has maintained the lawn. If not make sure it's done before you sign the lease. Otherwise, they may try to hold you accountable for what could be a pricey upgrade. Remember you are renting this house. You do not own this house. Upgrading it for your benefit only benefits you for the time you're there. Landscaping is expensive. You don't want to make such an investment for a rental. Do you?

YOU'RE INVITED!

Please come check out my blog. You may email me. You may ask questions. Most importantly, if you're in need of a rental home or apartment OR if you are a member of an HOA and require a management company PLEASE give us a call. We are a full service property management company. We have a variety of plans designed to fit your needs. Let us put a proposal together for you.

Get it in writing!

When renting an apartment or home. Get everything in writing. Rental payment arrangements, repair and maintenance arrangements, lease changes. If not, it didn't happen. For example when you make an arrangement to make a payment put it in writing. Submit it to the homeowner or apartment manager. Request a response in writing. Or if they've agreed to an arrangement over the phone. Follow up with the arrangement in writing. Send an email or a certified letter in the mail. Emails are allowed as evidence, if need be, in court.

Take 6 months to find your new rental home!

It takes at least 6 months to find your new rental home. NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! Rush into a rental. You always wind up making a bad decision. If you're looking for the right property to rent I can help!

Happy New Year! It is 2013! Are you still renting? What are your questions? Here's one from my email: "Dear Addie, the windows in the house I am renting are old. There is air coming through. My heating bill is through the roof. What should I do?"

You should contact the management company and let them know they need to caulk the windows. If that doesn't help. If the home or apartment is older or has been in disrepair the windows may need to be reinforced or replaced. If the company refuses to do it. Then you have a couple of options. You can submit a notice to vacate and in your reason why tell them you are losing money because they refuse to repair the windows. Or you can send them a letter and tell them they are in violation of the lease by not ensuring decent living conditions. Let them know they have a week to make the repairs or you will make the repairs and take it from the rent. If they try to evict you, then take your letters and your gas bills or electric bills and photos of the windows to a judge. You may plead your case and let them decide.

Low Income Housing Tax Credit Communities - Beware

Before you rent an apartment in an LIHTC community (Low Income Housing Tax Credit) get all the facts. These communities are usually solely purchased by very wealthy people looking to get tax credit relief. They do not put any income into the property's upkeep. They are very poorly staffed. Usually these communities only have one property manager and possibly a part time assistant and one maintenance tech.  Your rent pays for luxurious parties, extravagant vacations and designer homes. Their homes are never in poor neighborhoods which is likely where the community is or was built. If you don't know much about your community. Or if you are interested in finding out more about a community before you sign a lease, email me. I can help make this process much easier for you.

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC - often pronounced "lie-tech", Housing Credit) is a dollar-for-dollar tax credit in the United States for affordable housing investments. It was created under the Tax Reform Act of 1986 (TRA86) that gives incentives for the utilization of private equity in the development of affordable housing aimed at low-income Americans. LIHTC accounts for the majority - approximately 90 percent - of all affordable rental housing created in the United States today. The credits are also commonly called Section 42 credits in reference to the applicable section of the Internal Revenue Code. The tax credits are more attractive than tax deductions as they provide a dollar-for-dollar reduction in a taxpayer's federal income tax, whereas a tax deduction only provides a reduction in taxable income. The "passive loss rules" and similar tax changes made by TRA86 greatly reduced the value of tax credits and deductions to individual taxpayers. As a result, almost all investors in LIHTC projects are corporations.

Before you renew your lease! Take the time to make a few special requests. Get new carpeting! And, don't allow them to increase your rent. Now is not the time for rent increases. A friend of mine moved from Philadelphia to GA. His rent was outrageous in Philly. The management office charged him the same rates in GA as in PA. That's ridiculous! He was paying $1400 for a 3 bedroom apartment in GA. Don't be fooled. I went to his neighborhood and talked with the neighbors. Some were paying as little as $900 for the same 3 bedroom! He didn't do his homework. Make sure you do yours!