Marketing is “Brown vs. Cinnamon”
I woke up this morning from a dream about a color swatch of Cinnamon. Yes, I dream about work in full techno-color as only a true workaholic could do. So, why Cinnamon?
The difference between Brown and Cinnamon is a drop of red to heat up the hue. That is exactly what [...]
Tired Kitchens Are Hard to Rent – part two
Back to your kitchen that needs some lipstick and rouge. Look at your budget and available cash. Don’t charge a major kitchen remodel if you have no way to pay for it. Look for a few basic things that will give the kitchen a spark and get [...]
Do You Make Record Keeping & Filing a Priority?
This is a blog I have put off writing because it is not a strong suit for me personally. As mentioned in former blogs, I am the big picture and Idea Person… filing annoys me. When I first started my business, a good friend (who happens to [...]
Tired Kitchens Are Hard To Rent- part one
A variety of scenarios could leave you with a dated kitchen that makes the unit hard to rent… you just bought a bank-owned property that hasn’t been updated in 35 years, you had long term tenants who were fine with the status quo, you had tenants who trashed [...]
Helpful Hints on Buying New Appliances for Rentals
Being not just a veteran shopper, but a bargain hunter to the core, purchasing appliances for my rentals involves more of a calculated battle plan than just checking to see whether Home Depot or Lowe’s has the best deal.
In past blogs I have touted the virtues of craigslist.org [...]
Tips That Work to Fill a Rental Vacancy
Or “Cheap Marketing Techniques You May Not Have Thought Of Yet”. One of my major roles in life has always been dreaming up ideas… I am a big picture person. Someone else usually needs to fine tune the details. Don is going “Amen” to that as he proof [...]
Will the Property Cash Flow?
So what does cash flow mean?
a. Mortgage payments minus rents equal cash flow (MP – R = CF).
b. PITI (principle, interest, taxes, insurance) minus rents equal cash flow (PITI – R = CF).
c. PITI minus 25% vacancy allowance minus rents equal cash flow (PITI – V – R = CF).
d. Click [...]
Do Your Tenants Have A Plunger?
For the longest time it did not occur to me that my tenants did not move in with plungers… why would they? Unless you have taken on the responsibility for making sure a toilet or sink drain is flowing well, you probably do not own a plunger.
It has become evident [...]
Easy “Greening” Steps for Rental Property
Getting green doesn’t have to cost a lot or take a great deal of time. It does take a commitment and thought process that focuses on thinking about the environment. I have a young friend who calls me “an old hippie” and thinks that’s why I recycle everything imaginable. In [...]
How Do I Find An Honest Contractor or Handyman?
So I’ll start by telling you one of my worst mistakes in hiring someone to work on rental property. A homeless person offered to do yard work cheap and I accepted. He hid his beer stash in the shrubs to get him through the day. Even my [...]