Originally posted by @Justin Ellis:
I'm interested to hear why you're leaving your current manager as well Matt. I don't know much about the subject of PM but I am interested and would like to hear what to look out for and what issues to address in the future when hiring. Basically, I would like to learn from YOUR pain, so I have less chance of feeling that myself! :) Thanks in advance.
Justin, communication is very important. Shoot an email out to a potential PM and see if they even get back to you. Call and ask if you can speak to the property manager; if they screen the calls and try to take a message, pass. They should be able to keep you in the loop without prompting them. Make sure to set criteria for tenant screening including the requirement to have a full time job with w-2s and not just 1099s or you may be surprised what you get. Be aware of the maintenance calls and make sure you understand what is being repaired, why and if it's really necessary. Some of these office folks have no clue about maintenance issues and cannot effectively communicate problems.
