BDF Realty’s Blog

    Scenario #1: Melissa has been in your rental home almost as long as you’ve owned it.  And it’s been a good ride!  It started out as a standard tenant-landlord relationship with formal calls for repairs and rent checks sent solitarily in the envelope.  But over the years, Melissa (now “Mel”) has really grown on you and vice-versa.   It started when she had some tough...

          The perfect scenario:   You are lounging on a sunny, deserted beach with your loving wife by your side.  You have a cold drink in your hand as you marvel at the solitude and beauty of your surroundings.  The only sounds you hear are the waves gently crashing in front of you and the occasional fluttering of a seagull’s wings.  The sun subtly warms your...

    Landlords always want to know how to make a better return (ROI) on their rental homes:   Can we raise the rents?   Can the pet fee be an annual expense?   Can we charge for air usage within the confines of the home?  (OK, I haven’t really heard the last question… yet)   As a Charlotte property manager who has been in the business for a while, there is one clear cut...

  What’s going on in my rental home and how does it look?  Typical Landlord Query   You do want to know, but you don’t want to know.  It’s one of those paradoxes in life.   If you do want to know, it’s important to have some type of methodology.  Here are 3 tips to making the most of your rental home inspections:   Spot checks won’t lead to lease extensions.  And, in the South, they may get...

Oh, home repairs…  One of the aspects of rental home investing that can really eat into a landlord’s financial return.  Landlords and tenants both want to have a perfect home, but debate on who should pay for it. In 10 years of practicing property management in Charlotte, I’ve found that the responses of who should pay for what repairs are unanimous (depending on what faction of people you...

When assessing property managers, does it matter if they personally own rental properties?  This question is on the same line of thought as: 1.  Are sports coaches better suited to coach if they were former players? 2.  Is it preferable to have a nanny who is a mother care for your children? 3.  Is it better to have former addicts speak at rehab clinics than clean-cut drug counselors? You may...

  “When will I get my (full) security deposit back?” This is the #1 Question property managers get asked when tenants vacate. And this is the #1 opportunity to get the house back in the condition you want. Make sure you take it! Note: This is not a full-proof plan! Some tenants have a completely different view of “clean” after they move out. As in, “Though the carpets are stained now and...

    Concerned rental home owners are wondering how to best fill their rental properties quickly.  So are property managers.   “Everyday my house is empty costs me money!  Besides the mortgage payment, it’s the other things that are absolutely killing me- utilities with this unusually cold and snowy winter, HOA dues rising, you name it.  I need someone renting (or buying) my home!” is a common...

Bring back customer service; let me speak to a human   Customer service is dead.   It’s so frustrating you can never get a live person to handle your question or complaint. After several minutes of music and advertising, you might even hear “all our customer service people are busy… You might want to go to our website to handle your problem.” The message is loud and clear: Corporate America...

      As Charlotte property managers, we meet with each new tenant and review the rental lease packet (lease, maintenance addendum, move-in inspection form, and, if applicable, the pet addendum) with them before we both sign it.  We even send the lease packet via email to the tenants a week before move-in so they can review it and ask any questions prior to our meeting (before...