If you prefer to be hands-off with full-service management, then I'd plan on paying around 20% commission as that's pretty common.

Manufacturing it retroactively for the current year sounds too much like fraud.GROUP 3: Tax strategies that really are for EOY considerationPlace rental properties in service. 

@Clare Pitcher we do 12+ month leases to avoid vacancies Nov-Feb.If we take over an occupied property, evict or have tenancy-abandon a property, we first let the owner know finding a tenant will take longer than "normal".This opens up owners to understanding they may need to:1) Offer 3D tour and floor plans to stand out2) Price more aggressively or be prepared for aggressive price reductions3) Offer MoveIn Specials:- NOTE: we do NOT recommend offering a month of free rent that can be used at MoveIn.

I am not interested in paying him $20K+ for SEO services.

Even in the nascent years of Communism, the idea was dead within 10 years; the Soviets only managed to recreate a society of oligarchs and peasants under the lip service of equality.

It's thorough, easy to use and easy to modify so you can include your own special terms such as quiet hours, how trash service will be handled, parking, and anything else that is specific to your property. 

I'll take any and all advice any of you have, but the two things I'm looking for specifically are: what sites, services, and/or software you use and recommend for sceening and managing tenants? 

. - You've got some pretty solid information above and concurrence that it shouldn't cost nearly as much as you thought, but on a separate note, I'd like to understand your situation a bit better.You are currently just looking for a Chicago property to purchase and asking the quit claim question in preparation for closing? 

You just buy as many as you can and then figure it out, there is no way to prepare, you just deal with it.

Ensure the rents and expenses support the debt service and provide solid cash flow after covering the assumable loan, seller carry payments, and operating costs.Occupancy & Rent Roll: What’s the current occupancy rate?