All Forum Posts by: Thomas Talbert

A number of factors would effect my decision if I was in your shoes but one thing I can tell you for sure is that if your PM is telling you it needs a 60k worth of work then they are probably right. Switching PM's will take time away from doing something productive which would either be to sell it or to have the work done. I may be biased given I am also a PM but don't shoot the messenger. 

I would point you towards acquiring in the suburbs of Austin. I would look at Bastrop, Taylor, Liberty Hill, Georgetown, or Dripping Springs. These suburbs are being developed rapidly and 4 plex's in those areas are much cheaper than if you were to look towards Central Austin. You can expect much better appreciate on your capital in those markets in my opinion. 

We just started doing this with our tenants and maintenance techs and it has been received very well. We use ShowMojo G series locks which give the tenants the ability to assign a temporary code for the tech. I think it is important to point out that it is the tenant's choice to schedule with the tech at that time, and if the tenants allow them to access the home when they are not there that is their decision. 

I think you need to be specific about what you use in your screening criteria. We do an average of the two must qualify. The less ambiguous you can make it the better. 

I don't know about Houston but in Austin, for all the properties we manage, Zillow is a great way to get exposure. As far as agents go, it depends on the type of property. Certainly, for higher-end properties, you almost need an agent. On the other hand for Class C properties agents aren't necessary. In your standard single-family homes we see a mix of both.