Are Downtowns Becoming Cool Again? A Landlord's Perspective
Sunday, March 16
Americans are changing the way we think about the urban core…again. Since 2008, downtown office vacancies nationwide have increased to 12.4% — but suburban office vacancies are at a huge 16.6%. What’s going on? Well, there are a lot of theories, but the one that’s gaining the most trac...
Writing Your Own Lease Agreement: The Devil's In The Details
Saturday, March 08
Your lease should make life easier on you and on your tenants. If you’ve ever had reason to pay attention, you’d notice that most of the sizeable property management firms around Detroit use their own lease agreements. Why? Simple: because as you manage more and more properties, you come acr...
Are You Getting Scammed? What to Watch For
Sunday, March 02
If Something Seems Amiss — Or Too Good To Be True — It Probably Is. You’ve probably seen stories on the news about renters getting targeted by zany scams on Craigslist and similar sites — but you rarely hear about the scammers that target landlords, and they’re surprisingly common. Getting s...
The Power of Great Relationships (With Your Tenants)
Sunday, February 23
If You Can’t Rent To the One You Love, Love the One You Rent To. Ask any successful entrepreneur who has been in business for more than a couple of years, and they’ll tell you: it’s cheaper and easier to keep an existing client than it is to find a new one. The same applies to tenants (they ...
Is This a Good Rental Investment? Part II: How to Run The Numbers
Sunday, February 16
Cashflow is King! Are you considering becoming a landlord? And you’ve already checked out the neighborhood around the place you’re considering buying? Then it’s time to look at the numbers and figure out if this place is a good rental investment. What Will Your Net Rental Income Look L...
How to Handle an Emergency At Your Rental
Sunday, February 09
However unlikely, you need to be prepared! Real emergencies are thankfully rare, but they do occasionally happen — and when they do, you need to be prepared and act accordingly to avoid making the problem worse, minimizing your liability exposure and taking care of your tenants. The most ...