property manager

Charlotte Property Management Weekly: Getting Paid- A Growing Problem for Everyone! (Except Realtors & Clients Doing Lease Options)

The biggest symptom of our current economic problems is that people don’t have the money to pay their bills. Think about it. Why is the FHA in trouble? It’s because the home owners they lent to couldn’t pay. Why did the banks need to get bailed out? It’s because the clients they lent to couldn’t pay. Why are many businesses going under? It’s because their customers are businesses that are going under (because they didn’t get paid).

Charlotte Property Management Weekly: The Tipping Point is Coming- Are You Prepared for Lease Purchase?

“I understand that qualified buyers are becoming scarcer by the day. More and more houses I list are sitting vacant on the market while the owner eats the mortgage every month. Do I just tell them to wait for the market to come back or is there something I can do?” (Charlotte Realtor)

“In sociology, a tipping point or angle of repose is the event of a previously rare phenomenon becoming rapidly and dramatically more common. The phrase was coined in its sociological use by Morton Grodzins, by analogy with the fact in physics that adding a small amount of weight to a balanced object can cause it to suddenly and completely topple.” (Wikipedia definition of “tipping point”)

“The Times They Are A-Changin’” (Bob Dylan)

Charlotte Property Management Weekly: Jack Welch is Envious of Your Real Estate Firm?

“I’m not sure what we are going to do… Revenue is down and costs are the same. We are scraping by on a few first-time home buyer sales that come through. Worst of all, my employees are having a hard time making a living in this traditional brokerage business model.” (Frustrated Charlotte Real Estate Firm Owner)

“Most small companies are uncomplicated, simple, informal. They grow on good ideas regardless of their source. They need everyone, involve everyone, and reward or remove people based on their contribution to winning.

Charlotte Property Management Weekly: Lies, Damn Lies, & Rent-To-Own Statistics: 5 Ways to Increase Your Odds of Sale

“I’m sorry. My Broker-in-Charge does not permit us to do lease options. She said the percent of people that actually purchase is 8%.” (Charlotte Realtor)

“Statistics are like a drunk with a lamppost: used more for support than illumination.” (Winston Churchill)

Wow- 8%! I still can’t get over that figure.

Charlotte Property Management Weekly: Hoop Dreams & Lottery Ticket Listing Agreements

“Sure your home will sell. Besides (wink, wink), do you really want some dirty tenant destroying your house and using the would-be rent money to up fit their new meth lab?” (“Aggressive” Charlotte Realtor pushing for a “sale only” listing agreement)

“Everything became pretty clear at that moment. Being a rock star looked like a great job.” (Singer Tom Petty reminiscing about meeting Elvis Presley as an 11-year old)

Charlotte Property Management Weekly: Tenant Tradeoffs: Another Piece of Chocolate Cake or Look Good With Your Shirt Off?

“I don’t like the prior bankruptcy on this prospective tenant, but they make great income. The other tenant has a 430 credit score, but has perfect landlord history. Should I accept either into the property?” (Charlotte Property Manager)

“If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.” (Crosby Stills Nash & Young)

One of the main things I learned during my MBA classes was that business, like life, is all about tradeoffs.

Charlotte Property Management Weekly: 5 Signs the “Home Sales Swine Flu” Has Infected Your Rental Market

“Yes, I would like some cheese with this whine. Thanks.” (Brett Furniss, Charlotte Property Manager and author of Charlotte Property Management Weekly)

“President Obama has declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency…” (Charlotte Observer, 10/25/09)

Swine flu is now officially both a national emergency and a pandemic! I’m not entirely sure what that means, but it sounds pretty bad and pretty official.

Charlotte Property Management Weekly: “Sully Love”: Customers Will Like You More if You Fly Them into the Hudson River?

“I messed up. I placed a tenant into an owner’s home and they wound up tearing it up and not paying rent. There is no way they will ever hire me again…” (Charlotte Property Manager)

“It was crazy, you see. I took off and then two hours later, I landed in Charlotte. I guess technically you could say that I did my job. But the guy who crashed into the river, no, he’s the hero. It’s weird, right?” (Bitter Captain Roger Baines, played by Jason Sudeikis- Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday- 10/2/09)