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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.

Filed Under: Property Management Tips Tagged With: , , ,

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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How Carolina Living Property Management Is Different

July 16, 2013 by


We are often asked what separates us from all the other companies now doing Property Management in Charlotte and Lake Norman. Listen to highlights above!

Before we answer, let’s do a little history lesson.   10 years ago Carolina Living started doing property management on a small scale for friends and our investor clients.  However, in 2007 when the market tanked, we did what we had to do to survive the market.  We jumped in with both feet.  It was a blessing that we had already gained some experience and lined up the vendors needed to support or endeavor.

Interestingly enough about 2 years ago some other firms jumped in as they saw that there was a huge opportunity.  So, this presented owners with the brand new guys, the old timers and the ones in the middle like Carolina Living.

The big guys manage hundreds of properties and in some cases, thousands.  They typically charge 10% unless there are multiple homes for one owner and then it drops to 9%.

The small ones are typically around 8%.

So, where does it leave us?  Everyone is from 8% to 10%.

Here is we separate ourselves.  If you don’t believe, just ask others and then call us!

1.  We do not charge our owners for dispatching our service people for repairs.  What they charge is what you are charged.

2.  We do not charge you 1 months rent, 1/2 months rent or anything remotely close to find a tenant.  In most cases, we don’t you ANYTHING to find a tenant.  There are some cases where we charge up to $250 but much that is centered around location of the home.  However, if we feel this applies, we are willing to negotiate.

3. We keep our level of homes we manage right around 100.  Why, we can be more intimately involved and we can also involve our owners in whatever capacity they request.

4. Lastly, our vendors always bill us for repairs at month end.  They understand, we collect rent and we pay them.  This keeps us from having to run to owner for money or from keeping reserves (out of your pocket funds). No surprised and full disclosure. We work WITH you to help keep potential costs down.

5. We don’t succumb to every tenant request.  we manage our way through the process of what is feasible and what is not.

6. If a client has multiple properties we manage, the mgmt. fee is reduced to 7%.

7. IF we file an eviction you can be assured that we won’t lose the case due to poor documentation or representation. Our evictions are handled professionally by an experienced attorney.

8. We don’t charge any account setup fee. We don’t charge any flat monthly accounting fee. If no rent is collected and no work is performed on the home, then we collect no fee

9. We don’t charge you an extra marketing fee when your unit is being marketed for rent.

10. We’re not too big to provide personal service to our clients or tenants. We will know your properties and tenants and be able to speak about them with personal knowledge.

11. We don’t hold any of your money in a maintenance reserve account. 100% of the funds in your account are disbursed to you each month.

We welcome you to interview other companies and the call us!  704 594 3014

 

 

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

16 COMMANDMENTS – “IMMINENTLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS”

June 13, 2013 by

Thinking of renting your home?  Have a current home you rent?  Here are some things that you need to be aware of!

THOU SHALL NOT ALLOW ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS TO EXIST WITHIN A LEASED PREMISES FOR MORE THAN TWO DAYS FOLLOWING NOTICE OF SUCH CONDITION EXISTING WITHIN SAID PREMISES:

  • Unsafe wiring
  • Unsafe flooring or steps
  • Unsafe ceilings or roofs
  • Unsafe chimneys or flues
  • Lack of potable water
  • Lack of operable locks on all doors leading to the outside
  • Broken windows or lack of operable locks on all windows on the ground level
  • Lack of operable heating facilities capable of heating living areas to 65 degrees Fahrenheit when it is 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside from November 1 through March 31
  • Lack of an operable toilet
  • Lack of an operable bathtub or shower
  • Rat infestation as a result of defects in the structure that make the premises not impervious to rodents
  • Excessive standing water, sewage, or flooding problems caused by plumbing leaks or inadequate drainage that contribute to mosquito infestation or mold
  • No safe, continuous, and unobstructed exit from the interior of the building to the exterior at street or grade level
  • No access provided to all rooms within a dwelling unit without passing through a public space
  • No operable smoke detector or alarm
  • Every place of habitation shall comply with the current county health regulations governing carbon monoxide alarms
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How Carolina Living Property Management Avoids Landlord-Tenant Disputes

April 1, 2013 by

Landlords and should be well-informed about the legal regulations that back up their managerial actions. This is especially important during a dispute with a tenant or when trying to defuse an altercation between residents. Correctly handing problems is paramount in the rental property management field.

Professionals at Carolina Living Property Management agree that, whenever possible, it’s better to prevent a problem before it rears its head. Clarity in the terms of our Charlotte Property Management agreements,  good communication skills and teamwork will go a long way to avoiding issues.

Tenants should be told from the very beginning what the property management company or landlord will expect of them. It is all about disclosure!   Here are the few of the items, we at Carolina Living Property Management, strive to disclose;

  • Making rental payments on time and what happens when/if it is not done.
  • Adhering to the rules Home Owner Association when applicable.
  • Respecting the rights of others regarding communal-living problems such as noise
  • Taking proper care of the home
  • Policy on animals.

Carolina Living Property Management takes these steps to head off tenant disputes:

  • We never discriminate
  • We strive to keep up repairs
  • Assure that each home is in good shape before renting and make recommendations.
  • Never change keys or turn off power in order to prompt a tenant to move out
  • Always make an effort to be fair, listen and communicate effectively.
  • Provide responsive maintenance when needed
  • Resolve conflicts in person whenever possible
  • Hire a mediator or call the police only as a last resort
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Lake Norman and Charlotte Market Snapshot

September 25, 2012 by

If you have a home you would like to see the value, check out this cool Market Snapshot tool!

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Find Your Charlotte Foreclosures For Us To Manage

July 15, 2012 by

In addition to the professional services we offer to our owners, we also help investors find the inventory they want and can profit form.

We help buyers around Charlotte and Lake Norman determine what are good target areas with regard to rental price, crime and other factors that go into a sound investment.

We are members of 2 very important websites and are registered to help anyone with a purchase via these sources.

Hud Home Store is a great resource for first time home buyers and for investors.  We can guide anyone through the process of bidding on homes via this source.

Home Path is a Fanny Mae resource for finding foreclosed homes and again, we can assist you with finding and buying the right home here as well.

If you prefer to find your Lake Norman Foreclosure or Charlotte Foreclosure after it has already been placed with a Realtor, we have two great resources for that as well.

Lake Norman Foreclosures is a website we built internally to assist you with finding foreclosures and short sales around Lake Norman.

Charlotte Foreclosures is a website we built internally to assist you with finding foreclosures and short sales around Charlotte.

In all of these places Carolina Living Real Estate is primed and prepared to assist you with finding your next best investment.  Better still, we can manage that home professionally if you decide to make it a rental!

 

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Why Do We Advertise Every Property In Our MLS

April 11, 2012 by

I have been asked why we bother to show every property for rent advertised in our MLS area.  It does create a  tremendous amount of calls.  Admittedly some of these calls are wild goose chases.

However, our current list of homeowners LOVE the fact we do this.  We fill our vacancies faster than the MLS average. **

If you click on ‘See Hundreds of Rental Listings” and browse, you will see any that we listing have move to the TOP.  This is a benefit to our owners.  Why do we advertise all the listings?  When we get all the calls, we direct the caller to our owners homes where appropriate!  This is a huge benefit to our owners and one reason we do this.

Also, we get thousands of views a month to this website.  This is partly a result of us advertising ALL the listings.  Our IDX solution that feeds is the listings is a search engine gold mine.  It helps us get our homes rented!  Again a benefit to our owners.

Thinking of renting your home?   Check out our fees and services.   8% fee, NO fee upfront to find a tenant, and we offer reduced commissions when you decide to sell.   What more is there…

**Price and Location are always a factor in renting or selling your home!

 

 

Filed Under: Property Management Tips Tagged With: , , , ,
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