All Forum Posts by: Mark Driskell

Hi Anne-Marie,

Great questions—happy to help!

Regarding listing ownership and reviews on VRBO: Yes, in most cases you can retain your reviews if you go through VRBO’s official review transfer process. You’ll need to work with a VRBO account manager and also get cooperation and written approval from the previous account holder. It’s not automatic, but with the right steps, it’s definitely possible.

On fee transparency: This is probably the single biggest area where we see owners unknowingly losing margin. Some managers advertise a low commission rate (like 20–22%) but apply it to the entire guest total—which can include cleaning fees, admin fees, pet fees, booking fees, etc. That adds up fast.

We’re fully transparent and only charge commission on the top line base rent—not on cleaning, not on taxes, not on added guest fees. It’s crucial to ask any manager for a clear breakdown of what they’re defining as the “rental rate” they’re basing their commission on.

Markups on other items like maintenance, supplies, and cleaning vary a lot. Some companies bake in a margin or add a service fee on top of vendor costs, while others pass those through at cost. You’re smart to look closely at whether the agreement discloses this—it’s not always spelled out.

I’m following him now. Thanks for the recommendation!

That’s correct. If you have an integrated account and receive the inquiry from VRBO, but then book the guest off platform they double their commission rate to 10%.  I was never quite clear on the logic here. I get the fact that they want to be compensated for generating the initial inquiry however, wouldn’t they just charge the standard 5% rate?   why 10%?

Hi Folks,

We are always on the look out for a great Handyman in Chandler, AZ.  Not the cheapest, just good and reliable.  I'd appreciate any good referrals from the awesome BP network!

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions!

Hi Folks,

Would you anyone have a good referral for biweekly landscape services for investment properties SFRs in Chandler, AZ?  Thanks!

Thanks Bill J. I'd love any feedback as you ramp up and transfer your portfolio over.

At $45/mth for up to 24 units, Buildium seems to be a good value with all the core features needed to run a professional looking business.  I appreciate all the recommendations from current users above and open to any more feedback.  I met with the Buildium rep last month after doing the free trial.  I also tried TrueRent for $10/mth and a $1 per ACH rent transfer fee.  So far, pretty cumbersome setup and not a great experience for my tenants.  It's always challenging to tell how a software will perform until you really throw ALL your business into it.  

Hoping to make a final decision here this month.  I'll also check out the vote from @Martin Miller for Rentec Direct which wasn't on my radar.  I guess the only negative I've heard about Buildium is difficulty setting up custom reports and key performance trackers... but that might be true for all PM s/w at this price point.

I'm getting ready to purchase a property management software package to better manage a medium size portfolio of single family homes in Fort Collins, Colorado.  I've been meeting with a number of companies like Buildium, Appfolio, etc.  Each have there pros and cons.  I'm actively searching for 12-50 unit apartment buildings to buy which I would be adding to the mix.  

Any recommendations out there on a good property management platform that can handle both smaller SFR portfolios and scale up with small MultiFamily buildings? Some platforms seemed to be overkill for a max 50-100 unit portfolio.

I moved to Old Town Fort Collins with my wife Stacy in 2006. Our love for Colorado and the mountains has grown ever since. Endurance racing, water sports, mountain biking, hiking, paddling and snowboarding are just some of the sports we enjoy each and every year. Our three year old son and seven year old daughter are slowly but surely tagging along with us on each new adventure.

Professionally I’ve practiced in the real estate industry for over 15 years managing commercial facilities for Fortune 500 companies, building an investment portfolio of SFRs, and helping others do the same.  If you’re looking to sell a home, buy a home, build a home, invest in one, or simply find out more about working and living in Northern Colorado and along the Front Range I would love the opportunity to meet with you.