Property Management and Investor Information

Fair Housing and Reasonable Modifications

Fri, 17 Apr 2015 01:44:44 -0700

California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibit landlords from engaging in illegal discrimination when renting out their property. Protected categories FEHA prohibits housing discrimination are on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or disability.Each of these characteristics is also referred to as a “protected class”.“Sex” is defined to include gender identity. Gender identity has been clarified to include gender related appearance and expression without regard to whether it is stereotypically associated with the person’s sex as assigned at birth. As an example, a housing provider may not discriminate on the basis that a male tenant dresses in female clothing. “Sex” also includes pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth.“Familial status” means one or more persons under age 18 who reside with a parent, legal guardian, or designee of the parent or legal guardian with the parent’s or legal guardian’s written consent. Familial status also applies to persons who are pregnant and to persons who are in the process of gaining legal custody of an individual under the age of 18.“Source of income” means lawful, verifiable income paid directly to the tenant or to the tenant’s representative. It is not illegal for a housing provider to ask amount or source of a tenant’s income.“Disability” is a disease, disorder, or condition that limits a major life activity. The definition of disability, for purposes of discrimination, includes having a disability, having a record or history of such a disability, or being regarded or treated as having such a disability. Disability includes both physical and mental disabilities.“Sexual orientation” means heterosexuality, bisexuality, lesbian, gay, etc.As a practical matter in your normal course of business, refrain from asking prospective or current tenants about children and their ages, marital status, employment, national origin, or if they have “special needs”. Stick to describing the property and stay away from small talk about the tenant. Provide the same information to all applicants, charge the same deposits to everyone, same rent, same terms, and same allowable uses.When answering questions, be careful. Someone might ask who else lives in the building or area. A good response in an apartment community is, “Anyone who meets our qualifications.” Or “I am sorry, but fair housing laws don’t allow us to discuss that information.”When processing applications be sure to follow a set procedure. Be consistent and follow your criteria 100%. A workable policy is, first come, first qualified, and first served. Modifications to your rental and the request for service animals have become a topic of conversation and a source of problems when it comes to working with people who have disabilities. It is not the landlord’s place to ask what disabilities the prospective or current resident has. The landlord should allow the question to be asked of them. Once a request for a modification is made, the question becomes, can a reasonable modification or change in policies be made? If so, the landlord should proceed to negotiate a modification to the property or policy in order to allow the tenant to have use and enjoyment of the dwelling. The resident is responsible to pay for any modifications including paying for returning the property to its former state when they vacate. The landlord is not expected to endure any undue hardship. Where service animals are concerned, you must drop your pet policies as soon as you are satisfied that a service animal is warranted. If the disability is obvious, you should do no further checking; proceed to allow the modification to your policy. If the disability is not obvious, ask for verification. This can be a written statement from a qualified individual, but is not restricted to a doctor. I am not defining who a qualified individual is, you must decide, all the time being reasonable. Do not take into account the breed of the dog, if the service animal is a dog. However, you can take into account if your insurance company will allow that particular breed. If not, you should shop for a comparable policy with another insurance carrier. If you cannot find one, you may disclose this to the tenant. You may have to turn this company’s name over to the tenant so they can pursue a case with them. Insurance companies cannot discriminate either! Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Yelp: Telling Half the Story Most of the Time

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 06:34:17 -0800

Yelp is at the top of the list of many companies’ reasons to hate the Internet. Yelp has given an electronic soap box to everyone that feels they have been slighted or wounded in any way. It does not matter if the complaint is valid or unrealistic. If you type it, Yelp will print it. The property management industry is one that has a huge problem where Yelp is concerned. The reasons that property managers hate Yelp include the following: 1. Yelp tends to favor small companies over large ones. Think about it. If I manage 100 homes and have about one complaint per year per 100, I will probably have one bad review on Yelp. If I am lucky, I will have none. If I manage 2000 homes, and have the same complaint ratio, I will have 20 negative reviews per year (1% of 2000). Since Yelp does not time out reviews, you might see a large company with a 1% complaint ratio with 80 negative reviews on Yelp and think twice about using them. But that would not be fair as the large company has the same complaint ratio as the small one! 2. Complainers don’t tell the truth. We research the complaints we get and are amazed at the exaggerated claims of poor service. Yelp tends not to remove negative complaints so these can pile up and make a good company look bad. It can be hard to refute claims of “bad customer service” without sounding like you are making excuses. 3. Happy people tend to use a business for what they provide and move on with their lives. They tend not to “Yelp”. Unhappy people, who do not get what they want, tend to look for ways to damage the business that denied them. In our business, we deny a large number of people who have bad credit, bad rental references, or lack of sufficient income to afford a rental. No one likes to be denied, so they blame everyone but themselves. The easiest thing to do is to “Yelp”. 4. In Property Management the messenger gets the bad reviews. Landlords hire property managers because they are good at sniffing out problem applicants, complaining tenants, and because they are business-like. Landlords do not hire pushovers. As stated in 1 and 3 above, the applicant problem tends to mushroom in a large company. Our firm rents to 60 people each and every month. We turn down a bit more than 100 each month. So we automatically have a new 100 people that don’t like us each month. On top of that, we act as the gatekeepers on maintenance issues. If a tenant is calling repeatedly for repairs, we have to investigate and bill them for issues they cause. We also have to deny some requests if the owner does not want to do the requested repair, assuming it is not a habitability or contractual issue. That policy, of figuring out who pays and if we are even going to do the repair, does not make us as likeable with tenants. Therefore, we get Yelped for doing our job. We have also gotten Yelped by Landlords that thought we did too many repairs. 5. Fake reviews abound on the Internet, including in Yelp. It is known that competitors Yelp fake reviews about their competition. It is impossible to know who to trust in this as everyone involved is anonymous. 6. Yelp is very suspect as a business model and is classified as a shakedown artist by many. Our firm has been contacted by Yelp representatives promising, for a monthly fee, to get bad reviews removed and help promote our business. This is basically what criminals do. They promise your building will not burn down if you pay them a fee. Yelp has also been known to remove good reviews. They do this because they claim that those reviewers are not “qualified”. How does one get qualified? A qualified reviewer is one who Yelps a lot. Well adjusted, realistic people, those who tend not to Yelp much, are not much help to you in getting the Yelp reviews balanced in your favor. Yelp sees to that. In the end, it may be futile to try and win this battle. The best a property manager can do is reply to as many reviews as they can. Yelp does want your money, so you could also try paying them to help you. I have not gone that route as I keep hoping they will go out of business. Here are some websites and blogs on the subject: http://guardianlv.com/2013/10/yelping-about-yelp/ http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/02/27/2-investigators-businesses-yelping-about-review-driven-web-site/ http://www.tampabay.com/news/nation/yelping-about-yelp/2204824 Here is a reply we are beginning to put on the Yelps we get, after we address the Yelp issue at hand: Thank you for posting your complaint on Yelp. We do appreciate the fact that you used our service. Please know that although we try to please all of the people we come in contact with, we do not satisfy everyone. We manage approximately 2300 homes in the Sacramento area. We rent to about 60 families a month, process over 1,000 work orders, and we handle the final security deposit dispositions for another 60 people per month. Our owner clients have charged us with making sure we only put qualified people in their homes, only repair what needs to be fixed, charge any person who causes damage, and collect all rents, or evict the family if they cannot pay or move. While this seems daunting, we have been handling our business successfully since 1982. We are 50 associates strong and have won multiple awards for the charity work we have been able to do, helping to raise over a quarter million dollars locally and around the country! Please know that we will always do our best to serve all of our Owners, Residents, and Vendors, the very people we come into contact with every day. Give us another try and we will work hard to win back your business. Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Sacramento Rental Market Update Spring 2014

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 00:50:33 -0700

April 2014 As of November 2013 investors in the Sacramento Region now own approximately 80,000 rental units which represents 25% of the market. Before the recession investors owned 1 in 6 homes, or 17% of the single family market. On the sale side, the inventory of homes for sale has dropped to a supply of only 1.5 months, meaning if no new properties came on to the market, they would all be sold in a month and a half. A month prior that number was 2 months inventory. Sales prices are slowly rising and this is causing move up buyers to hold back from selling since the low inventory is making it unlikely they will locate a suitable replacement home. At HomePointe Property Management the vacancy rate has dropped to a historic low of 1.5% as of April 1, 2014. This is resulting in some rent increases and making it hard for would be renters to locate a home. This is resulting in homeowners and renters staying put more often. Those that have to sell are getting multiple offers, especially at the low end. The buyers are tending to be flippers who can add value and sell quickly to the next homeowner. For that reason we are seeing the rental inventory shrink for the time being. Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Sacramento Rental Market Update Fall 2013

Fri, 25 Oct 2013 03:34:24 -0700

Vacancy rates have remained favorable to landlords for the past four months. June checked in at 3.8%, July 2.58%, August 2.45% and Sept 2.89% for our managed properties. These are historically low figures and should result in at least modest increases in rent from a year ago. In an even handed market we would expect to see a 5% vacancy rate. The combination of owner occupants coming back into the market, foreclosure activity dropping back to prerecession levels, and lack of new construction has resulted in higher rental occupancy levels. This is good news for higher occupancy rates, less collection issues, and rent increases in the Sacramento Region. Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Sacramento Rental Market Update Summer 2013

Wed, 17 Jul 2013 03:24:52 -0700

The Sacramento rental market has remained quite strong this summer. HomePointe's overall vacancy rate stood at 3.8% on June 30, 2013. This rate is slightly over stated since it includes many new accounts that come to us vacant. A 5% vacancy rate is considered even handed. Anything below is a landlord's market. The interesting thing is that normally rents would start to rise soon after the rate dips below 5%. But, in this case there is plenty of replacement inventory coming to market from the institutional investors keeping rents in check. Sacramento has been experiencing price appreciation in the 20% range recently. That is good news but we have a long way to climb from the lows of the recession. This correction was anticipated. Appreciation should remain, probably at a lower rate, as long as interest rates remain low. Although you still might take a hit from prerecession prices, this is a good time to sell. As stated above, it is not a bad time to hold too. So, unless you have a place to earn a higher return, keeping at least some of your assets in real estate makes sense.Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Beware of Rental Scams

Mon, 24 Jun 2013 08:28:01 -0700

When the time comes to locate a rental property it is also time to put your antennae up and beware of the scam artists that want to take your money and then disappear back into the woodwork. These criminals don’t use guns or knives. They use your need to get the keys to a home and hope you are not paying attention. Some scammers are pirating online ads from sites like Craigslist. It works like this. They copy a legitimate ad and then paste it into their new ad. They change the phone number and email address or just use the standard Craigslist reply email system to avoid showing any contact details. They will also lower the price to make the property more attractive to you. When you reply they may ask you to wire money to them and they will send you the keys. Follow those instructions and you have just been scammed. Other scammers might locate a vacant property that looks like it is not being watched. We have even seen cases where they put up a For Rent sign with their contact information on it. This might be a bank owned foreclosure or an overpriced property that is not attracting much attention. You see the sign and meet them at the property. The scammers rental price is very attractive. They have either broken in through an unlocked window or door or stolen a key out of the lockbox. Some will rekey the front door so them having keys does not prove they are the landlord. When at the property they will tell you to pay the first month’s rent and deposit in cash and give you the key. This one works well on homes that are not being watched by the owner very carefully. Here are tips on how to not get caught up in these scams: 1. If a property is advertised be sure to get see the house and make sure it is in good condition. Scammers will probably not cut the lawn or do any repairs. If the person showing wants you do to the repairs be suspicious. 2. Is there a sign at the property? If it is a local real estate company or property manager, be sure to call that company using the internet to determine if the number is legitimate and visit their website as well. 3. Is the rent too low? Be suspicious. 4. Does the person you are dealing with want cash and/or money up front with no application required? Legitimate landlords will want an application completed and will take a day or two to check it out before they ask for the first month’s rent and deposit. First month’s rent and deposit is usually required to be in the form of a cashier’s check or money order, not cash. 5. Do they want you to wire money? Definitely a scam. 6. Is the person renting out the home not local or they cannot meet you in person? Maybe they are in Nigeria! Scam. 7. Google the rental property address and see if the property shows up under a different company. Legitimate companies advertise on the internet and those ads may well show up when you do a search. That would give you a place to call to see if they are renting the property and the ad you have is a scam. 8. Check for photo watermarks. Scammers may not take the time to remove watermarking of legitimate property managers. Property managers watermark their ads so they cannot be pirated. If the photo is watermarked, go to the website on the watermark to make sure you are talking to the right people. 9. Meet the person renting the property at their office. If a property manager that should put you at ease. If they cannot meet you at their office, that is a red flag. 10. If you dealing with someone who is not a local property manager, ask to see the deed to the property and the persons photo ID. Make sure the names match. It is much easier to trust a local property manager than it is to trust a do it yourself landlord. You can visit the property manager’s office to assure yourself that the rental is on the up and up. Do it yourself landlords will take more investigating and maybe an uncomfortable conversation that makes the landlord prove who they are. Just like legitimate landlords want you to prove who you are, legitimate tenants need to make the landlord prove they own the property Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Rental Market Update April 2013 Sacramento, CA

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:12:02 -0700

Spring has sprung in Sacramento! The weather is nice and our citizens are outside more often than not. The Sacramento real estate market has taken quite a turn since last year. Prices are up and the recovery is in full swing. In January 2012 there were 2984 homes listed in the multiple listing service. In March 2013, that number has dropped to 1378. That is 54% less homes on the market! Demand is growing and listed homes are not keeping up. Values at the low end are increasing. The question now is, can you find a home at any price? In many cases the answer is no since multiple offers are being made on lower end homes. The other aspect that is important is that institutional investors have been purchasing homes through the MLS and the court house steps (foreclosed homes). These investors are not flipping them as much, they are fixing them up and renting them. This is keeping a steady inventory of homes in the rental market which is keeping rents in check. The long view is that Sacramento real estate is looking like a good place to park your money right now.Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Sacramento Area January 2013 Market Update

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 03:21:46 -0800

The Sacramento Rental Market is slowing recovering from the normal holiday slowdown. In most recent years we have had a more robust January. This January has seen improvement but not as good as we had hoped. Many single family rentals on coming online from recent investor purchases which is giving renters plenty of choices and holding rents in check. With the improved sales market demand, look for some investors to switch their rental to a sale which should slowly lower vacancies. Rents are not expected to rise much in the coming months. Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) Convention

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:18:58 -0700

I just returned from the 23rd Annual Convention of NARPM which was held in Dallas, Texas, October 18-21, 2011. The association celebrated their 23rd convention anniversary during the event while various general sessions emphasized professionalism. Workshops offered current attendees information to help residential property managers keep abrest of the latest developments in the industry. Suppliers and vendors were also present with samples of goods and services for improving the management of property. The NARPM Annual Convention is a great way to keep up with current trends and changes in our industry and to locate products helpful for efficient property management and professional development. Workshop topics ranged from the latest trends in social networking to ethics to managing effective and profitable teams. As always, there was a strong emphasis on the NARPM designation program. Over 500 of the best property managers in the industry were at the annual event. NARPM has over 3,000 members and is the nation's only professional organization dedicated exclusively to enhancing the professionalism and ethics of those managing single family dwellings for their clients.Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Sacramento Region Rental Market Update for October 2011

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:37:20 -0700

Not much has changed in the rental real estate market in the last six months. Rentals are in demand, but single family rents are only inching upward. High unemployment and foreclosure activity has reduced investor confidence as well as demand for rentals. When it all gets better is up for speculation, but it does not seem to be getting worse, and that is good news. We continue to see enough people renting to keep our vacancy rate at or below 4%. Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Selecting a Property Manager Web Presence & Communication Part 1 of 2

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:28:43 -0700

If you are in the market for a property manager for your single family home, duplex, condominium, or small apartment you may want to read this article and next months article as well. There are many factors to consider when looking for a professional property management company. I believe the first method to use to narrow your search is to see which of the various property management companies show up on the major search engines. I would not be too concerned if they show up using search terms like: property manager, or property management, or professional property manager in (your city). What I would care about is if the vacancies they have show up under searches like rentals in (your city), or houses for rent in (your city), or homes for rent in (your city). Think of search terms a prospective renter might use and see what vacancies show up. Note that the company's own web site may or may not show up. It is their listings that you want to see. They may show up in rentals.com, craigslist.net, vast.com, or oodle.com to name a few of the sites that carry property for rent. For my money I want a property management company that is all over the internet with listings, getting me the widest possible exposure. That will help keep my home rented, rented for more money, and hopefully to a better tenant. Find a property manager that answers the phone during working hours. Some property managers have no provisions to handle problems while they are out of the office. What if you need an answer to your pressing question and no one is there to give you an answer? The important point is that your renter may need a water heater fixed on a weekday, at night, or a weekend. What does your property manager have set to handle such events? A good way to check is this out is to call after hours and hear what the procedure is. I would also suggest calling the property management company during the day to hear what the response time is. It may not be immediate, but is should be reasonable. Does the property manager's website have a method for residents to report maintenance problems? As I mentioned in earlier, web presence is very important. 80% of renters are now using the web to locate rentals and they will continue to use the website if the property manager has an accommodation for them. Another element in communication is the distance your property is to the property management company's office. The fact is, the farther your rental property home is from the property management office, the less likely your property will be shown to prospects and the less likely your tenant will receive great service. I suggest that you make sure that your rental house, duplex, condominium, or apartment is within 30 minutes drive time to the property management office, and the closer the better. More than this will most likely result in diminished service.Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Sacramento Region Rental Market Update

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 11:00:27 -0700

HomePointe current vacancy rate is 3.5%. This is a landlords market with some cautions. With high unemployment, rents have not been able to rise up as one would expect with a low vacancy rate. But it does mean that landlords can expect to rent their property quicker. It is also a sign of the times that applicants credit reports often have a foreclosure or short sale on them. This is to be expected with the mortgage crises fallout in full swing. Visit our website for our most current and past rent surveys covering the entire Sacramento Region at www.HomePointe.com and click on Owner Services.Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

HomePointe Joins Sacramento Kings Business Advantage Program

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 05:39:25 -0700

HomePointe Property Management has partnered with the Sacramento Kings for the 2011 season. As part of the program HomePointe will be able to market its services to other Kings businesses and HomePointe will be displayed on the Kings website at www.Kings.com. This partnership effort is a part HomePointe's effort to support the local communities we serve and therefore a way to give back to our community. HomePointe supports the effort to build a downtown arena which could serve as a centerpiece for regional entertainment for Sacramento and the surrounding population, whether they are interested in basketball or not.Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Fireworks Shows This July 4th, 2011

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:00:38 -0700

Fireworks shows this weekend: Carmichael: July 4th at La Sierra Community center. Parade begins at 7:00pm and fireworks begin at 9:30pm Citrus Heights: July 4th at Sunrise Mall. A carnival is open all weekend in the parking lot. Fireworks begin at dusk El Dorado Hills: July 3rd at El Dorado Town Center beginning at 9:30pm Elk Grove: July 4th at the Elk Grove Regional Park. Music and food begin at 6:00pm. Fireworks begins at 9:30pm. Free admission, $10 to park Rancho Cordova: July 3rd and 4th at Hagan Park. A carnival is there all weekend. Parade begins at 10:00am with petting barn, pony rides and free concerts. Fireworks begins at 9:45pm each night Roseville: July 4th at Royer Park. Festivities begins at 11:00am with food, games and music. Fireworks display at Sierra View Country Club begin at dusk. Sacramento: July 4th at Cal Expo beginning at 9:30pm. Free admission, $10 to park West Sacramento: July 3rd at Raley Field, after the RiverCats beat the Tucson Padres. Game begins at 6:35pmRobert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Free Property Management Consultations Available

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 16:02:31 -0800

Are you an investor or future investor that would like to know more about how to manage property? Or, maybe you have an existing tenant and have a problem you do not know how to solve. Maybe you are considering purchasing a rental and would like to know what market rents are, or how to analyze the property as to its suitability as an investment. If you have any need to talk to a property manager HomePointe Property Management will be happy to meet with you. We will talk as long as you need. There is no cost. Our aim is to help local landlords be better landlords which will help our industry and the community. If we can help you with property management services, great, but that is not required to get a consultation. We really do want to help you. We have two Certified Property Managers (CPM) on staff, we are members of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), our property managers are members of The National Association of Residential Property Management and we hold all their designations within our company. We have managed properties from single family dwellings up to 145 units. Need some advice? Contact us.Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Allow Two Persons Per Bedroom At A Minimum

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:05:40 -0800

You can avoid a Fair Housing Complaint by allowing 2 persons per bedroom. Some also allow one extra person for their rentals. Be sure not to restrict the number of adults. For example, do not limit occupancy to two adults and two children in a two bedroom. You also need to allow four adults or three adults and one child. The bottom line is you need to require at least one adult, but after that it could be any combination of adults and minors.Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

My Tenant Wants to Run a Day Care Out of Their Home

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:39:15 -0800

If you own and/or manage rental property in California you MUST allow your tenant to run a licensed day care business providing they abide by a few rules. Rule No. 1: Make the tenant show you their Day Care License. It must be current and should state the size allowed, either up to 8 children (small day care) or up to 12 children (large day care). Rule No. 2: The day care must do one of three things: If they carry liability insurance you can demand that they name the owner and property manager as additional insured, OR they must carry a bond in the amount of $300,000.00, OR they must have every client sign an affadavit that demonstrates that the parents have been informed that the Day Care Owner (tenant) does not carry liability insurance or a bond. Rule No. 3: The security deposit can be increased to the maximum allowed by law. In California, this would be two times the monthly rent. NEVER refuse to rent to a prospective resident because they inform you that they are intending to run a day care. If they do, tell them the above rules and qualify them as you normally would. Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Vacancy Rates Plunging at HomePointe

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 04:51:54 -0800

At HomePointe Property Management are seeing record breaking occupancy rates this winter for single family homes, duplexes, and apartments. Our current vacancy rate currently just under 4% which is 1-2% under what we consider a normal market. This low rate is due to several factors. The normal buying and selling in the Sacramento Region is not taking place. Wtih fewer sales come fewer investors buying homes to rent out. A number of landlords are giving their properties back to the bank which is taking those properties off the grid. The only new rentals coming onto the market are from existing rental stock and homeowners that cannot sell but are not upside down on their mortgage. Finally, tenants are staying put which saves them from moving costs and possible higher rents. We have not seen rents increasing just yet, but that should be right around the corner. Best wishes for a great 2011!Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

If You Need Information in Sacramento County on Reducing Your Property Taxes

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 04:23:14 -0800

Website: http://www.assessor.saccounty.net Description: Sacramento County Assessor’s Office 3701 Power Inn Rd, Suite 3000 Sacramento, CA 95826-4329 ASSESSOR OFFERS NO FEE SERVICES Phone Hours 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Office Hours 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. REAL PROPERTY ASSESSMENT (916) 875-0700 E-Mail: assessor@saccounty.net * Assessment/ Value Information * Assessor’s Records, Copies/Purchase Maps * Lists of Recorded Transfers * Ownership Information * New Construction and Builder Exclusions Information * Removals, Fire Damage, Disaster Relief * Mobile/Manufactured Homes PROPERTY TRANSFER INFORMATION (916) 875-0750 * Deed, Transfer, and Change in Ownership Inquiries * Parent /Child Exclusions (Prop 58) * Grandparent /Grandchild Exclusions * Age 55 or Disabled Transfer of Property (Prop 60) EXEMPTIONS Homeowner’s Exemption Information (916) 875-0710 Institutional Exemptions Information (916) 875-0720 * Veterans * Welfare/Non Profit * Church/Religious Exemptions BUSINESS PROPERTY ASSESSMENT (916) 875-0730 E-Mail: PPDutyApr@SacCounty.net * Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Do Not Listen To Tenants That Have Not Paid Their Rent

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:05:12 -0800

Our property management agreement with the owner precludes us from being the nice guy. Stories do not count for much unless accompanied by cash or check. This is a lesson that sets HomePointe Property Management apart from other property managers. The longer some are in the business the nicer they get. They get soft. Just the opposite should be happening. Owners hire HomePointe to enforce the rental agreement. If we drift away from that job we become just like them, weak managers. Do not ever forget that. Next to picking good tenants, it may be the most important thing we do. So, stay in control. Deliver late notices when the rent is late, and evict when the late notice expires. If the tenant can borrow funds before lockout, be willing to work out a deal to have them pay all the rent and legal fees back. This way the owner and property are protected.Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Freezing Weather in Sacramento Region Should Put Property Managers on Alert

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 03:31:28 -0800

All property managers and property owners in the greater Sacramento Region should be aware that the cold weather we are experiencing may result in frozen pipes and interior flooding from those pipes if they burst. This is most common in vacant single family homes and usually after 2 or more days of very cold weather (below freezing). In the past we have had flooded out homes and we are attempting to avoid this from happening. Since all HomePointe property managers see their vacant property once each week, this week you should do the following while at each vacancy, including any on hold: 1. Find the water shut off and close it (clockwise). The water shutoff valve is usually located below one of the exterior water spigots. If you cannot find it call your client and ask for help. 2. Once off slightly open the front spigot to make sure the water is off. Then you can close it. 3. Flush all the toilets and make sure they do not refill. Open and then close the kitchen and bath faucets. 4. If that does not work, you will need to have RAM Property Services do this. The charge for one of our guys to do it is $32.50. 5. Keep track of all the vacants you have handled. Any new vacancies that come up this winter should have the water valve turned off by the manager (do it yourself, have the owner do it, or order maintenance to do it). Keep this policy in place until the end of February. Forcast 11/23/2010 LOW TEMPERATURES: The weather service has issued a freeze warning in effect from midnight tonight until 10 a.m. Thursday. A freeze warning means that sub-freezing temperatures are imminent or highly likely. The record low for Wednesday is 30 in downtown Sacramento. The weather service has forecast that a cold, dry air mass from western Canada will drop into Northern California and break that record by two degrees. On Thursday, the record low is also 30. Forecast low for Thanksgiving: a record 29 degrees. Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/23/3206612/low-temperatures-in-sacramento.html#ixzz167dMy6ODRobert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Do Not Discrimate Against Families With Children

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 05:54:45 -0700

The U.S. Department of Houseing and Urban Development has charged a rental owner and their onsite manager with housing discrimination in the state of Ohio. They refused to rent certain apartments in their complex to families with children. No owner or manager may refuse to rent to a family with children as their basis for denial. If you are an owner of rental property do not make up your own rules without getting educated. Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

Why Tenants Do Not Report Repairs

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 06:52:23 -0700

I think it is human nature to avoid contact with the person that controls the levers in our lives. Especially the lever that that increase costs. In the case of the landlord tenant relationship, I think a tenant may avoid reporting repairs if they feel the landlord might see the need to increase the rent to cover the costs. With this in mind, a prudent landlord will want to increase rents on an annual basis and inspect and make repairs on a regular basis. Do not let the tenant control when repairs are discovered. Get in there on an annual basis and get a structural pest/termite inspection every two years. Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

How Often Should You Inspect Your Rental?

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:39:23 -0700

At HomePointe Property Management we suggest to our clients that they let us see the inside of their rental at least once year. Many owners decline this inspection claiming it costs money and may result in repairs. We also suggest that our clients get a structural inspection (sometimes called a structural pest report) every two years. Virtually all of our clients decline the offer to do this. It can cost a few hundred dollars and that would be the main reason they decline. The city and county of Sacramento know that rental property owners left to their own devices will not take care of their rentals. In their effort to take care of the rental inventory in our area, they now require an annual inspection either by them or by the owner. If the owner does it the report must be kept on file. Having been in the business for many years I have noted that the inspections by the city and country help keep more rental property in better shape. Of course, the cost makes owning a rental not as attractive, but it is the cost of doing business.Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com

If Home Grown Marijuana Becomes Legal What Will Landords Do?

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 05:38:18 -0700

California may well vote to legalize marijuana growing for personal use this November. That creates a situation where landlords will have to deal with what they think about having their tenants growing the drug in their back yards, garages, and inside the home. In my book it is the same as allowing a tenant a pet or allowing a tenant to smoke inside the unit. We landlords can limit or deny pets (unless they are seeing eye dogs or companion animals) and we can deny a tenant the right to smoke inside the property. So, I think we should be allowed to deny the tenant the right to grow marijuana in or on a place they rent. I know I do not want marijuana on property I own, certainly not in a plot in the backyard or in the living room. Hopefully, marijuana growing will not become part of a protected class.Robert A. Machado, CPM, MPM HomePointe Property Management Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer Counties We manage residential and commercial property. 916-429-1205 x 105 rmachado@HomePointe.com