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What Makes a Good Rental Property around Charlotte?

October 28, 2016 by

If you’re thinking about investing in rental property in Charlotte NC or anywhere in the Lake Norman area you might be wondering what makes a good rental property in Charlotte. We’ll share with you 3 of the factors to see if rental properties are right for you…

Rental properties can be a great investment. From the cash flow to the security of owning a real asset, real estate investors have known for a long time that rental properties are an amazing asset to keep in your portfolio. But one question persists that needs to be answered before you invest, “What makes a good rental property in Charlotte?”

After all, you don’t want to invest in ANY property – you want to invest in the right one! So, here are 3 of the best factors that make up an ideal rental property in Charlotte and surrounding area.

What Makes A Good Rental Property In Charlotte and Lake Norman?

#1. Strong House, Cosmetic Upgrades Only

Unless you’re handy, or have a lot of experience, you may not want to invest in a house that requires a lot of effort to get it ready to rent. After all, every day that you delay renting is a day that you don’t get the cash flow you desire. A strong, well-built house that is free of problems and only needs cosmetic upgrades is a great place to start. Yes, you might pay a little more up-front for this kind of property but you’ll save time and money afterward in getting it ready to rent.

#2. Affordable

While you might want to spend a little more for a house that is already in good condition, you’ll still want to make sure that it’s affordable. In the Charlotte area, there’s a mix of properties – some are affordable and others are not. (This is what we do here for you – we find the affordable ones! Give us a call at 704-451-7051 or click here and fill out the form to see some affordable rental properties in the area.)

#3. Good Rental Market

You also need to make sure that this is a good rental market. The truth is, not all markets are good rental markets. In some areas, everyone buys and nobody rents; in other areas, everybody rents but they move too much. A good rental area is one where there are plenty of long-term renters.

Summary

These three factors exist in rental properties throughout the Charlotte area and we can help you find them. In fact, we’ve got an inventory of properties that meet these and other requirements for what makes a good rental property in Charlotte… and our clients love working with us because we help them bypass the time and effort required to FIND these properties, since we’ve already done a lot of the legwork.

Want to see what rental properties we have available? Click here now and fill out the form or call our office at [phone] and we’ll be happy to take the time to show you what’s available.

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Carolina Living Property Management Additional Services

October 17, 2016 by

Here at Carolina Living Real Estate, we offer stellar property management services but that is not all we do.

Rent to Own Charlotte

We help buyers/tenants find Rent to Own Properties around the Charlotte area.  While we can’t guarantee that we have any of these properties on hand, we like for those looking for these opportunities to let us know so if we do come find the right one, we will do what we can to help both the seller and buyer.

Sell Your Home Fast Charlotte

We are investors in addition to being property managers.   I believe if you are honest in your business endeavors and you SERVE first, you will succeed.  Our company is no different. Our first goal is to provide a real practical solution. We  have no problem directing potential sellers that come to me who need to sell their house fast in Charlotte, to another source if we feel that would be best for them.  I would like to think we are not like other “We Buy Houses in Charlotte” companies.  We are a family own company who follow family values and we remain small for the purpose of being personally involved. We strive to provide great customer support EVEN if we don’t buy your house

Investment Homes Charlotte

Are you an investor looking for new opportunities?   We can help.  We work with numerous investors that we present properties when they present themselves.   Just tell us what kind of Investment Homes in Charlotte you are looking for and we will be glad to help you meet your goals.

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Tenant’s Right to Break a Rental Lease in North Carolina

August 29, 2016 by

Charlotte Property Management – Tenant Rights

According to Marcia Stewart with the website www.NOLO.com .

A lease obligates both you and your landlord for a set period of time, usually a year. Under a typical lease, a landlord can’t raise the rent or change other terms, until the lease runs out (unless the lease itself provides for a change, such as a rent increase mid-lease). A landlord can’t force you to move out before the lease ends, unless you fail to pay the rent or violate another significant term, such as repeatedly throwing large and noisy parties. In these cases, landlords in North Carolina must follow specific procedures to end the tenancy. For example, your landlord must give you 10 days’ notice to pay the rent or leave (North Carolina Gen. Stat. § 42-3) before filing an eviction lawsuit. If you have violated a lease term that specifies that eviction will result from noncompliance, your landlord may give you an unconditional quit notice that requires that you move out immediately. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-26(a)).

Tenants are legally bound to pay rent for the full lease term, typically one year, whether or not you continue to live in the rental unit—with some exceptions:   Read the rest at http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/tenants-right-break-rental-lease-north-carolina.html

 

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Security Deposit – A Word to Tenants from Roby Robertson

July 7, 2016 by

Charlotte Property Management – Tenant Security Deposits

Carolina Living Real Estate and Property Management gives advice about Security Deposits!

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Trying to Sell Your Charlotte Area Home with Tenants Still Living Inside?

June 23, 2016 by

Charlotte Property Management – Selling Your Investment

These 3 Tips Will Make Your Life Easier

 

Are you thinking about selling a home that you have rented out for some additional revenue? If so, you’re likely trying to discern how to best inform the current tenants and conduct the sales process in a way that works well for all of the parties involved. In today’s blog post we’ll explore how to sell your home while you’re renting it out to tenants and share three tips that can make the process a bit easier.

 

#1: Review Local Laws and Your Tenancy Agreement

First, you’ll want to break out your tenancy agreement and download any state, provincial or municipal laws that apply to landlord-tenant relations. Selling a home with renters living in it can result in a number of sticky situations. You’ll want to ensure that you conduct yourself in accordance with the rule of law as you may end up in court if the process goes sour.

#2: Communication is a Vital Part of the Process

Next, you’ll need to ensure that you’re communicating with your tenants every step of the way. Meet with them to let them know that you would like to place the home on the market, and explain how the sales process is going to work. Allow your tenants to ask questions and to state their case as they may be willing to buy the home from you if they can afford it. Be polite but firm; you don’t want to encourage any hostility but this is your property and ultimately, your decision.

Don’t forget to fully inform your tenants as to how home showings will work, as they’ll likely be concerned as to who is being provided with keys to their home.

 

#3: Incentives Can Sway an Unruly Tenant

Finally, if you’re faced with some unruly tenants that are making the sales process challenging you may find that financial incentives to help the process go smoother. You’ll need their cooperation in keeping the home relatively clean and tidy, so you may want to consider offering some gift certificates or paying a portion of the rent in exchange for their help. If you’re hosting an open house over a weekend, offer to put their family up in a nice hotel somewhere in town where they can enjoy a weekend together.

While selling a home with tenants living inside is rarely easy or fun, it’s certainly doable. When you’re ready to learn more about the home selling process, contact your local real estate agent as they can share their expertise and guidance to ensure you get the most from your sale.

Contact Roby Robertson,  He has experience in this area.

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Carolina Living Real Estate – More About Us

August 11, 2015 by

carolina living real estate

Filed Under: Charlotte Property Management, Lake Norman Property Management, Property Management Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

Another Reason To Choose Carolina Living Real Estate

July 7, 2015 by

Your Charlotte Property Manager

We get asked all the time “why we should use your company as our Charlotte Property Manager”. It is sometimes difficult to explain because most people are just looking at the monetary aspects of our services.

We do have a very low management fee compared to other companies in the Charlotte and Lake Norman areas.  Also, what seems to set us apart is that we don’t hit our owners with huge fees just to set them up in our system and find a tenant.   While this is important, it should not be the defining factor.

I tell our prospective owners that in 10 years we have only been to court 3 times.  2 of these times, we went to represent our owners in a security deposit dispute.  The third was actually to evict a client that ultimately left on their own.

  • One of our very important roles is to keep our clients out of court.  We do this by doing a few things we feel are very important and  quite frankly, very difficult for the really large companies.
  • We try to be very thorough in our vetting of tenants.  We do not hesitate to recommend turning someone down if we are comfortable with the fit.
  • We create addendum to our leases tailored to our owners wishes and we are try to prepare both owner and tenant with expectations.   With regard to this bullet, we believe communication is very key to explain what things actually land people in court.  With these explanations, it almost always ends in  a positive way.   One of the very difficult items for owner so understand is what is ‘normal’ wear and tear.   While it is a very gray area with some items, this is really about communication.

When evaluating Charlotte Property Management companies, don’t just look at the percentage.   Look at the companies that work hard a fully managing the process.

Good luck and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you want more information.

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Why You Need a Professional Property Manager

January 12, 2014 by

The Benefits of Hiring a Carolina Living Real Estate and  Property Management

Saves you time, work, and stress:

You don’t have to hire someone to clean, paint, or make repairs.
You don’t have to advertise, take rental calls, and show the property.
You don’t have to screen applications and be apprehensive about who to pick.
You don’t have to execute a rental agreement, worry about adding addendums, fill out the
move-in inspection report, and deposit money.
You don’t have tenants calling at all hours of the day and night.
You don’t have to confront tenants on tough issues like collecting rent or taking better
care of the property.
You don’t have to collect NSF checks.
You don’t have to serve legal notices or start an eviction.
You don’t have to schedule and fill out the move-out inspection report.
You don’t have to mail the tenant’s accounting report and refund check.
You don’t have to start the process all over again.

You don’t have to worry about the property or be shocked by its condition when you hire
a Professional Property Manager. Professional Property Managers are dedicated to
selecting quality tenants and keeping your investment in good repair with minimal cost.
They want your real estate investment to be a success not a failure. One last benefit –
your leasing and management fees are usually a tax deduction.

Are there good reasons for managing your own rental property? Are they worth the
risk?

The National Association of Residential Property Managers (We are a member)

NARPM is a professional organization that promotes education, designations, and
networking as a resource to empower its members with knowledge and skill.

A NARPM member honors and subscribes to a Code of Ethics and Standards of
Professionalism.

The result is quality service for you and the community.

Over 1800 Members Nationwide and Internationally
Local Chapters Offer Educational Programs and Guest Speaker Luncheons
Affiliate Vendor Member Programs
Monthly Educational Newsletters
Midyear and Annual Education Events
I am a professional property manager and a member of the National Association of
Residential Property Managers. Visit the NARPM website.

What Distinguishes a Professional Property Manager from other Landlords?

Do you know all of the landlord/tenant laws for your city, state, and federal government?
Do you know rent values, vacancy factors, and time on the market in your area?
Do you have a rental application and consistent screening policies that meet all of your
legal obligations?
Do you take the time to perform thorough move-in/move-out written inspections and
routine property inspections?
Do you personally know reputable painters, electricians, roofers, chimney cleaners,
carpenters, furnace and appliances repairmen who are licensed, affordable, and reliable?
Do you effectively confront and negotiate with the tenant and enforce the terms of your
rental agreement?
Do you have the ability to recover NSF checks, evict tenants?

A Professional Property Manager Does

 

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LOCAL PROPERTY MANAGER JOINS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

January 10, 2014 by

Charlotte North Carolina and Surrounding areas – Roby Robertson, a local leader and owner of Carolina Living Real Estate and Property Management in the residential property management field, recently was accepted as a member of the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM®), joining more than 4,000 residential property managers from throughout the United States.

NARPM® is the nation’s only professional organization for managers of single-family and small multi-family residential properties. Members represent over $24 billion worth of residential properties nationwide.

The National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM®), founded in October 1988, provides a permanent trade organization for the residential property management industry. NARPM® continues to be the premier professional association of residential property managers, currently representing over 4,000 members comprised of real estate agents, brokers, managers and their employees. Their mission is to support the professional and ethical practices of rental home management through networking, education and designation. The Association administers several designation programs including the Residential Management Professional (RMP®), the Master Property Manager (MPM®), the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC®), and the Certified Support Specialist (CSS®). More than 50 local chapters of NARPM® are currently operating in major metropolitan areas, and many more are in the formative stages. For information, call NARPM® National at 800-782-3452 or visit www.narpm.org.

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Avoid Charlotte Real Estate Craigslist Scams

October 27, 2013 by

Buying and Selling Real Estate in the Charlotte area, we hear about Craigslist scams too often!  You should always involved a Realtor to avoid losing money and possibly more…

Need help with a buying or renting?  Contact us

Here are some tips from Craigslist to help:

You can thwart would-be scammers by following these common-sense rules:

  • DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON—follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts.
  • NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or other wire service – anyone who asks you to do so is likely a scammer.
  • FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON—BANKS WILL HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later.
  • CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, provide escrow, “buyer protection” or “seller certification.”
  • NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.).
  • AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL “GUARANTEE” YOUR TRANSACTION.
  • DO NOT RENT HOUSING OR PURCHASE GOODS SIGHT-UNSEEN—that amazing rental or cheap item may not exist.
  • DO NOT SUBMIT TO CREDIT OR BACKGROUND CHECKS until you have met the job interviewer or landlord/agent in person.

Read More here

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