All Forum Posts by: Matt Shields

With all of the building going on it's difficult to find good people right now.

Low humidity will slow the growth of mold but not always kill it. Here in the desert we still have mold problems even with ultra low humidity. Whatever you do for remediation, make sure you have the property tested before you allow tenants to move in, mold is often hidden in places like inside walls. Recently there have been some very expensive lawsuits against landlords whose tenants were sickened by mold. As always, seek professional advice. Good luck!

Well, that was fast! Zillow is now a broker in Arizona. But has ‘no plans’ to represent home buyers and sellers. ;)

https://national.wfgnationaltitle.com/2018/08/06/zillow-gets-brokers-license-in-arizona-but-has-no-plans-to-represent-homebuyers-and-sellers/

A few days ago I posted about Zillow getting into the flipping business, then earlier today I learned they were getting into the lending business, now they announce they have their brokerage license in Arizona, but they have no plans to represent home buyers and sellers. They also announced that they have prime swampland for sale...

https://national.wfgnationaltitle.com/2018/08/06/zillow-gets-brokers-license-in-arizona-but-has-no-plans-to-represent-homebuyers-and-sellers/

Recently Zillow got into the flipping business, now they are getting in the lending business. I guess they will buy, sell, and lend. One stop shopping.

https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/06/zillow-gets-into-the-mortgage-business-acquires-mortgage-lenders-of-america/

 Like many government programs, it starts with good intentions, to protect servicemembers called to active duty which could cause them financial hardship. Unfortunately, the government didn't consider that the financial hardship would be transferred to small landlords. As usual, the government reacts and doesn't think through the unintended results.

5. Never ever rent to friends or family.

Did the roof inspection show that the roof was improperly constructed?  If so, then I would begin with “Hey, Mr. Builder, I just wanted you to know that I am having roof leaks after only 6 years. I had it inspected by XYZ Roofers and their inspection showed that the roof was improperly constructed.” If it's out of warranty he may tell you to go pound sand, but it's only a phone call. I don't know if he could be liable for something built incorrectly after the warranty period. That's an interesting question for an attorney.

Honestly, don't worry about commission structure. Comming out of school we think we now know everything, but in reality, we know just enough to be really dangerous. Right now the most important things to look for in a broker is training and mentoring. 

I was fortunate starting out that I landed at a small brokerage of about a dozen agents. My broker's office was literally right next door to mine. If I had a question I just knocked on his door, and all of his agents were also very helpful to me. The commission split sucked, but my broker paid for all of the advertising which brought me my first clients, and I learned a lot more than I ever did in school.

I think if I would have started out at a large 100% brokerage the sharks would have eaten me alive. Good luck!

I was using  Rent Perfect but switched to Cozy. Both are good, Cozy is easier to use, but Rent Perfect is probably a bit more thorough. They also offer other services like online rent payments. Good luck!