“Rudy” is a Great Movie, Just Not a Great Rental Application
Rudy Ruettiger (aka “Rudy”) was the subject of a great movie in 1993 about his improbable story of getting into Notre Dame and then playing on their football team. It’s a true testament to the human spirit as he played high school football (not recruited), went to the Navy for two years, worked at a power plant for two years, and then after not getting into Notre Dame for low grades,...
Learn MoreThe Rental Bachelorette: What is She Looking For?
“I would just want someone who is genuine and makes me laugh and is my best friend and ultimately someone who is going to love me as much as I love them.”
Former Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher
JoJo apparently found that “someone” in the arms of NFL quarterback Aaron Rodger’s brother, Jordan, in the last season of the Bachelorette (so says the cover of a tabloid...
Learn MoreCash Bloodletting from Rental Home Subletting
A house on my street is a rental home. The owner had a long term tenant who always paid on time and was an agreeable guy. It seemed like a good situation.
However, every few months I would see moving trucks parked in front. I wondered if the tenant was moving out, but sure enough, days later I would still see his human-size dog running out his front door (as I would shield my...
Learn MoreLove, Kindness & Gratitude: Setting the Tone in Property Management
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” I John 4:7-8
Man, it’s nice when people are nice.
We have a tenant, Monica, who just goes out of her way to be easy to work with. If we need her to do something for us, she does it. There...
Learn MoreBeing a Duke Hoops Recruit & Landlording: YDKWYDK
As much as I hate to admit it (being a UNC guy), Duke University is a worthy rival on the basketball court. A big part of that is their ability to recruit great high school players. They go after the best of them and have been very successful in landing them in Durham. Many of them were so good that they only played one year at Duke and then left early to play in the NBA for...
Learn MoreWesley Snipes’ IRS Case for Rental Home Inspections
Wesley Snipes is a great actor. Watching him in White Men Can’t Jump, Major League, and other films is some good theater.
But Wesley got some bad advice at tax time in the late 90’s. His accountants told him there was a loophole that would allow him to avoid $7M in taxes; in fact, he didn’t even have to file tax returns. He thought that sounded pretty good. And besides,...
Learn MoreRental Lessons Learned from Britney Spears’s Management Team
On New Years Day 2004, Britney Spears’s management team was just waking up to a wonderful, wonderful, and more superbly wonderful morning. They had one of the hottest singers on the planet, she was making them tons of money, and her momentum was strong.
Everyone was happy and content.
Or should I say everyone with the exception of Britney, but she had enacted a quick...
Learn MoreReplace the Butter with Margarine and Nix the Washer & Dryer Please
Americans demand to have their food made-to-order. We no longer live in a culture where you eat what’s put in front of you; rather if you don’t like an ingredient and would prefer to have other ingredients instead, it is deemed socially acceptable to make the food preparer bend to your individual whims. Burger King based a multi-million dollar advertising campaign on (and trademarked...
Learn MoreLong Term Real Estate Planning is (Politically) Correct!
If you knew you were running for president someday, you’d probably do many things differently. You may rethink all your controversial letters to the Charlotte Observer loudly demeaning the local politicians (those idiots!!); you may need their help someday campaigning on your behalf. That Election Day when you were in the throes of a “House of Cards” marathon, scarfing down Jet’s Pizza, and...
Learn MoreSection 8 Program Worth Revisiting? A Definite Maybe
No one really liked Janie. And there were a lot of reasons why. For a teenager, she was pretty much a know-at-all. Stubbornly obnoxious. She would not let you get a word in edgewise. Always right. Rude. Cocky. Maladjusted. And that was just her award-losing personality. And physically? Her scrawny frame, big glasses, and overflowing braces (often full of food scraps)...
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