All Forum Posts by: Jonah Hartsburg

Yes! I'll DM you.

Hi Rene, 

I invest in Marion. There are a few managers I like to work with (who you likely won't find on Google). I see this is in the mobile home park category. Are you looking for someone to manage a whole park?

Hi Ericka, 

To clarify for everyone, is the auction date October 17th, 2024? That's when the next Grant County tax sale is scheduled.

Thank you, @Gloria N Gear! I live in Marion and am very involved in the residential real estate market here. I love connecting with investors and helping them in any way I can, most of which is simply connecting them with other people in my local network.

Holly and I have connected and chatted about great managers in this market (see @Darin Moon).

Hi Travis! If you're looking for basic income/expense tracking, I'd suggest checking out Stessa. They have a free version that can be extremely useful compared to Excel. 

As others have said, this is a positive sign of someone planning for their move. If a prospective tenant mentions needing to leave their current place within a week, it's usually a sign that we should delve deeper into the situation.

Requiring the security deposit and first month's rent paid at the time of signing the lease ensures that if the tenant decides not to move in after signing, you can cover some potential vacancy costs, which can happen occasionally. Ideally, I prefer leases to start within a month, but I can be flexible, especially during challenging times, and accept leases starting up to 60 days out. It seems like you're in a good position considering the current market conditions!

 They will typically record a copy of the check or write a note on the receipt that I can view online. Sometimes a teller will forget, but most of the time I piece it together since only a few of my tenants pay this way and the rest pay through the tenant portal.

I have established a relationship with a local bank that allows tenants to pay directly into the designated rent account. Some of the management softwares, such as Buildium, enable integrations with vendors who establish pay centers through popular convenience stores too.

When tenants have push-back to paying online, I politely provide them with the necessary steps to pay at any of this bank's branches. This takes the collection step completely out of my hands and puts the bank in that position. 

Buildium allows for smaller portfolios, integrates with Tenant Turner, and provides the other features you mentioned. It's not particularly cheap and is still pretty robust for 6 properties (assuming those are resident/small-multifamily). I believe Appfolio still has a 50-unit minimum requirement.

Hi Sam,

I'd first recommend utilizing property management software. The vast majority of them provide screening tools where the tenant pays for the credit and background reports. 

My process includes securing a copy of their ID, a previous landlord reference, employment verification through documentation, and secondary employment confirmation such as an employer reference. I also establish income, credit, and background screening requirements that are customized to my market and property type. 

Establish a procedure that works for you, then write out that process so there's a baseline for each tenant application and a repeatable guideline for future scenarios.