Such tactics can get you in trouble.

Some years that will be straight profit to the AC guy as you need nothing done, other years he'll break even with 1 or 2 minor fixes, and some years he may lose out a little as a major doodad goes out.Insurance companies make money by understanding costs, risks, how often things break.

What's your most effective retention tactic?

SFRs are more of a crap shoot, IMHO, because a good tenant will produce higher returns while a major expense will really hurt.

Regardless, it hasn't been enough to keep us as busy as we'd like, so we've undertaken two new tactics:1.

I'd like to become a major contributor to the board, it's helped me so very much.

I also have replaced most major maintenance problems I can think of, hopefully no new suprises.

I've seen alot of properties selling way over list, that required MAJOR rehab expenses... and they still got a whole bunch of over list offers in the first week.

It sends to several major sites, and it's FREE!!

There are lots of very simple and effective way to market that you buy houses without spending a lot of money from signs in the yard, bandit signs around the neighborhood, negotiating with a local business that has a blank wall facing a major street (think gas station on a corner) to hang a banner on the side.