All Forum Posts by: Troy Bevans

@Bryan L. 

I think I know those guys...ha ha ha!!!  I am not concerned with bells and whistles.  I concern myself with the ease of performance and the efficiency of the system.  The phrase "just point and click" makes it simple to create the same result each and every time, which is one of the main goals for this.

@Bryan L. 

I appreciate your response and understand your position.  This program is not about "buttons" and pretty items.  It is about running your business systems in a consistent manner for the Landlord who is managing the tenants within the property.  Therefore, it really doesn't deal with finding any deals, just keeps the process of managing the tenants and paperwork an easier process.  And I agree with you, to each his/her own.

@Dave Ketcham  I believe that both of those items are preventative maintenance (PM) issues that the owner should take care of on a scheduled basis.  This shows that you, as the owner and Landlord, are providing Due Care to your tenants.  If, bugs become present due to the manner in which the tenants are living, then you may be able to get an assist from them on the cost of pest removal outside of your regular scheduled PM events.  Everything just needs to be fully documented in your agreements.

I know that Excel is fantastic for crunching financial numbers for our RE deals, but it can do so much more.  I am in the process of building a spreadsheet that utilizes formulas, buttons, macros, and hidden sheets that contain my lease agreement, lease extension, work orders, all tenant letters, and more to simplify some of my important business processes. 

Only one sheet is displayed at a time and buttons are utilized to navigate through the system, keeping it clean and smooth.  When a new tenant has been selected, I open up this program, click on "Create New Lease" and fill out the form.  The information from the form displays in the hidden sheets based on the formulas built and I then use the print buttons to generate the document I need.  This process is the same each time and very quick to complete, while allowing for customization when needed.  

How are you using Excel to assist you with your business?   

@Kyle Cabral lawdepot.com is another great source for contracts and so is ezlandlordforms.com.

@Jason M. 

Welcome aboard Jason!!!  Looking forward to you sharing some info with us all from your experience.

@Antonio Tyler , welcome aboard Devil Dog!!  Glad to see that you are starting on the path of real estate investing.  Feel free to contact me if you need any assistance.  Ooh Rah and Semper Fi brother.

Depending on where you live, basements are a blessing and a curse.  To be able to sneak away for the big game, have that wonderful play room for the kids, or even a place to "store" your in laws when they visit in that 4th bedroom (with egress window) is such a blessing.  On the flip side, the blessing can quickly turn into a curse with the type of weather we experienced last night in Eastern Iowa.  A flash flood and failed sump pump can turn all of the items listed above into a human aquarium!!

So, you are probably thinking...no big deal Troy, I have insurance!  I won't argue with you on the fact you have insurance, but I would like to ask you to make sure it is the "correct" insurance.  You see, they have these little things called riders that pinpoint specific areas of coverage.  Therefore, please make sure you have the correct rider policy to cover any water issues that can turn your little hide-away into a place to sneak away and catch some fish, a not-so-wonderful pool for your kids, or even a place to drown ( just kidding) your in laws in that 4th bedroom (with egress window so they can escape).

Welcome aboard Austin! I am from Davenport, Iowa and look forward to communicating with you on your path to great success. I just became a Pro Member today and will be putting together a blog about creating systems for your business, which I call Process For Profitability (PFP).

I recently had a tenant who told the neighbors that I sold the house to him on contract, when in fact, it was only a 6 month lease. He also was not paying for specific items and the lawn was a bit too long for even Yogi the Bear!

I know we are in a "big brother" world, but knowing thy neighbors by providing them with your contact information may give you the upper hand into knowing when things start to go (or grow) wrong.

It may not always be the best of choices if your neighbors are constantly complaining, but it sure helped me jump on some issues with this tenant this time....which kept the city of my back when Yogi lost his pic-a-nic basket in the front yard!!