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What You Need to Ask A Potential Property Manager

A property manager’s main function is to relieve the property owner of the stress that comes with managing their property and tenants. If you own a few homes but are ready to retire, are starting another business venture, or simply don’t have the time or enthusiasm to keep running a rental business as a private landlord, a property manager is someone that can help you achieve your dreams while still making a profit. This person needs to be qualified and trustworthy obviously, so while you are interviewing potential property managers, make sure to ask these questions as a good base for determination.

  1. How have you been able to adapt to new and changing business trends?If your interviewee has been in the property management business more than a few years, they have seen several shifts in the industry and understand there will be more in the future. Getting a grasp on their ability to change and adapt while effectively manage your property is key.
  2. What Services Do You Offer? There are many different services that property managers offer, and many will custom tailor their offerings to fit your needs.
  3. What are Your Marketing Strategies? If your property manager is going to be managing multiple homes or a multi-family property, you need to know how they plan to handle and fill vacancies and what strategies they have for resident retention. You also need to know if these marketing services are an extra charge or if you can establish a marketing budget that the property manager then utilizes.
  4. What About Your Team?Are you hiring a single property manager or a property management company to manage your investment? If you are hiring a company, you need to know what the qualifications of their team members are and how they go about their own hiring and training.
  5. Contract specifics are another conversation you should have at the time of the interview with a potential property manager. You need to know how and when you can break contracts and what your duties as the property owner will be. You should make sure that every detail of the arrangement, including updates and financial data is transparent.

Owning a property and taking a hands-off approach to renters can be difficult to navigate, but with a qualified property manager, such as Scott Properties, you can trust you are in qualified hands.

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Finding the Right Rental Homes in Charleston

Moving to Charleston, South Carolina can be a significant move for some people. With a population of almost three-quarters of a million people and lots of historic charm and nostalgia, Charleston can be a place quite different than many other large metropolitan cities. Being located on the coast has many advantages for Charleston because its beaches are some of the best in the country and offer a lot of tourist opportunities and a tourism economy. This is also a disadvantage to long-term renters because the demand for rental homes in Charleston can increase the property values which increases rent.

Analyzing the cost of living in Charleston shows that it cost significantly more on average to live in this historic city than most other places in the United States. One-bedroom apartments cost over $1,000 per month on average and rental homes are averaging more than $1,900 per month. Millennials that are living with roommates and families that need multiple bedrooms are often seeking out rental homes in Charleston rather than apartments.

People choose to live in homes in Charleston because of the aesthetic appeal also. Charleston is full of cobblestone streets, colonial architecture, and remnants of the plantation area and thriving agricultural businesses. Homes in Charleston are expected to live up to the beauty that surrounds them which also creates a demand for higher rent rates. Many rental homes are professionally landscaped and maintained by the property owner or property management company to ensure that the home retains its value during and after the tenants.

Charleston has a very low unemployment rate at less than 5% which is a remarkable thing for property owners of rental homes in Charleston. When people keep their jobs, they are more likely to remain living in their home. If you are interested in renting your property to a business class professional, you will have low turnover and amazing retention for your home. Scott Properties can help you navigate the path to turning the properties you own into rental homes in Charleston.

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Marketing Your Property to Millennials Scott Wallace – Friday, April 20, 2018 Millennials are now in their late twenties and early thirties and are the prime candidates for the rental market. They are at the beginning stages of their careers or family building and may not be quite ready to purchase a house yet, but are looking for something new, but still affordable to call home. Another reason Millennials are prime rental targets is because they were teenagers and young adults during the recession and not only saw the impact on their parent’s, but many on themselves also. These young people would rather rent than buy because they have seen how the economy can go belly up overnight. Property management professionals are learning more about marketing to the Millennial generation and have started using digital platforms to reach these renters. Almost 9 out of 10 Millennials owns and operates a smart device regularly so enabling online rent payments, maintenance requests, and email communication will always attract a Millennial. Another thing that property management companies can do to get more millennial renters is offering high speed internet options. Large apartment communities will always be more desirable if there are high speed internet options available. IF you really want to attract Millennials, include highspeed or broadband internet in the rental agreement. Eco-friendly properties will also be sure to attract the millennial generation. Whether a large community or single-family home, property management companies are making their homes more environmentally friendly by providing recycling service, offering community garden plots, using solar heating and energy efficient appliances in the homes. Millennials are also looking for property management companies that aren’t discriminatory towards pets. A third of all pets in the United States are owned by Millennials. Making your properties pet friendly can increase your attractiveness to this generation. Managing and marketing your property can be difficult. Knowing your target market is crucial for having low vacancy and turnover. A property management firm can help build your properties reputation and find the renters you desire most!

Millennials are now in their late twenties and early thirties and are the prime candidates for the rental market. They are at the beginning stages of their careers or family building and may not be quite ready to purchase a house yet, but are looking for something new, but still affordable to call home. Another reason Millennials are prime rental targets is because they were teenagers and young adults during the recession and not only saw the impact on their parent’s, but many on themselves also. These young people would rather rent than buy because they have seen how the economy can go belly up overnight.

Property management professionals are learning more about marketing to the Millennial generation and have started using digital platforms to reach these renters. Almost 9 out of 10 Millennials owns and operates a smart device regularly so enabling online rent payments, maintenance requests, and email communication will always attract a Millennial.

Another thing that property management companies can do to get more millennial renters is offering high speed internet options. Large apartment communities will always be more desirable if there are high speed internet options available. IF you really want to attract Millennials, include highspeed or broadband internet in the rental agreement.

Eco-friendly properties will also be sure to attract the millennial generation. Whether a large community or single-family home, property management companies are making their homes more environmentally friendly by providing recycling service, offering community garden plots, using solar heating and energy efficient appliances in the homes. Millennials are also looking for property management companies that aren’t discriminatory towards pets. A third of all pets in the United States are owned by Millennials. Making your properties pet friendly can increase your attractiveness to this generation.

Managing and marketing your property can be difficult. Knowing your target market is crucial for having low vacancy and turnover. A property management firm can help build your properties reputation and find the renters you desire most!

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How Property Management Deals With Hoarding Residents

We’ve all been to a relatives house who keeps everything from trinkets and figurines to old newspapers and TV Guides. As the years go by and the “stuff” starts to accumulate, it is clear that person is surely becoming a hoarder. When the property isn’t yours, you may not put too much thought into all the stuff inside, but when a property management company has to deal with residents who are hoarding, there are many things, including fair housing laws, that come into play. Hoarders can have an impact as small as making a nuisance to creating health and safety issues for the property and other residents.

If your property management company is dealing with a hoarder there are a few tips to make the situation easier:

  1. Understand the Behavior: Hoarding is not just a bad habit, the behavior is obsessive compulsive and is a treatable mental disorder. This means they are protected under fair housing laws. Property management companies cannot discriminate against tenants with mental illness or disability and must make reasonable accommodations before threatening eviction.
  2. Messy vs. Hoarding: The difference between messy and hoarding is that hoarding can cause safety issues within a unit such as blocking exits, interfering with the sprinkler system, attracting pests, or creating health or safety hazards for other residents. While someone may be unclean and messy, these traits don’t always cause safety issues for the resident or others.
  3. Document Everything: Property Management companies have a duty to provide habitable and safe dwellings for their residents. If you suspect a resident of hoarding, you must document every instance of contact with the resident and both their own willingness to uphold their end of the lease as well as your attempts to make accommodations for the person such as offering to lease them additional storage space.

Hoarders can wreak havoc on a property and can be troublesome for private landlords to manage. To avoid these costly and complicated legal matters, hiring a property management company to manage the home you own is always a smart choice!

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Turn Your Property into a Vacation Rental House in Charleston

Charleston South Carolina is one of the most historic places in the United States of America. The city is a modern-day representation of Southern charm and sophistication while still transporting visitors back in time to the Antebellum South. With vacation rental sites such as Airbnb helping vacationers find houses for rent in Charleston, South Carolina, it is more popular than ever for home owners to rent their properties, especially during peak travel and tourism seasons.

Houses for rent in Charleston are not hard to find. Many vacation home owners are renting their properties when they are not there to make back some of their home owners association fees, keep the property maintained, and/or make some cash back on their investment. If you are a home ownerlooking to move away from Charleston, it might be worth your while to turn your home into rental property rather than sell it.

When vacationers are looking for houses to rent in Charleston, they are usually looking for a property that they can live in for 3 days or longer. Houses are perfect for longer vacations away from home because they provide a comfortable atmosphere that can meet the needs of your home, even while you are away. For many vacationers, a renting a house in Charleston for short term is often much cheaper than a hotel or resort.

If you own property near the French Quarter, Battery, Waterfront Park, Middleton Place, “Haunted’ Parts of Charleston, or near any other major landmarks that are iconic to Charleston, South Carolina, using your property as a house for rent in Charleston could boost your recurring income or give you a residual income that you can use for your own vacation needs.

One of the best parts about owning a home that you will rent is that you don’t have to be a landlord. You can hire professionals like Scott Properties to handle all your property management needs.

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Turn Your Property Into A Vacation Rental House

Rental homes in Charleston are turning a big profit. Homes in historic cities all over the United States are being turned into Airbnb rental homes and making the property owners a lot of residual income throughout the year. When you own your home but don’t spend much time there, it can be frustrating to make monthly mortgage payments on something that you don’t live in but need available for when you do need it. People who must travel a lot for work often can turn their houses into rental homes.

Turning your properties into rental homes in Charleston is easier than you think. Many rehabbers love to get their hands on old historic homes and will often offer discounted work to help restore an old home. Often there are grants available for homeowners that wish to restore the historic value of the home and have it listed as a Historic Landmark. You don’t even have to find renters or maintain the property if you hire the right rental homes property management firm.

Rental homes in Charleston are hot on the market right now. Families want to be on the coast and still have educational benefits for their kids other than just wading in the ocean and baking in the sun. You may have a vacation home of your own on the beach that you only stay in a few weeks out of the year. If you could turn your beachfront property into a short-term rental home in Charleston and make a profit, wouldn’t you?

There are many benefits to owning a rental home. You can continue to grow your investment while making residual income and not having to do any of the grunt work yourself. Property managers in South Carolina love working with homeowners in Charleston due to the historic value and significance of the properties there. Contact Scott Properties today to see how you can start making money from rental homes in Charleston.

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How Great Property Managers Get Things Done

Property Managers are always swamped in reports, billing, invoices, maintenance, rent collection, debt collection, and many other things that make their lives feel chaotic and busy. Great property managers are able to be efficient and minimize headaches in order to make their lives, and the lives of their staff and tenants, much more manageable.

Reduce Paper-Based Process

One thing a property manager can do is avoid any and all paper-based processed. When you manage hundreds of units on a property, having papers scattered about the office and stacks of manila folders with renter information on them is not efficient or orderly. Being able to digitally access files and complete many offices processes online or through the company intranet is always a technology solution that property managers beg for.

Use Rental Software

Most properties are using software to manage their units such as AppFolio Property Manager, Yardi, Quicken Property Rental Manager, Buildium, Skyline and much more. There are nearly 100 different property management software available that make renting a breeze from having all of your accounting online, being able to pay rent online, showing occupancy and vacant units, managing payroll, maintenance records, and invoicing. The software is easy to use for everyone from the leasing agents to the Maintenance Manager.

Use SMS Messages

There are so many programs available now to send out mass texts and people are so attached to their phones, sending SMS messages to tenants and potential renters is the most efficient way to reach people. Make sure to have them sign up for message alerts themselves by checking a box on a tour card, or their lease. Property managers can set up automated messages three days before rent is due for a monthly reminder, send out information blasts about resident retention events, and even send out information about the property such as parking lot closure, pest control schedule etc.

Being a great property manager is easy when time management and efficiency is used hand in hand with technology. Scott Properties embraces a modern property management style.

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Difference Between Renting from Property Management Companies and Private Landlords

Many renters are not sure whether they are renting from a property management firm or a private landlord. Some renters prefer one over the other, but commonly, large apartment communities are managed by property management companies, and single homes are often private landlords. However, increasingly homeowners are turning to property management companies to rent their single-family units.

One of the major benefits of a property management firm rental is that the property is usually managed in a more professional way. These managers full-time jobs are to manage properties and work for and with tenants. They know the rental laws backwards and forwards, are always knowledgeable on competitive market rent, and they usually utilize the latest technology and property management software to keep organized, keep accounting straight, and allow for more modern conveniences such as paying rent online, and submitting maintenance requests online.

Private landlords have the benefit of being more lenient in their leases. Many private landlords are easier to negotiate with when it comes to late rent or having pets. Private landlords may also be more likely to let you out of your lease early or make special concessions for you because they do not have to worry about treating hundreds of tenants equally.

Private landlords are more likely to make decisions emotionally while property management firms are always business minded and try to keep their professional image in mind at all times. A negative to property management firms are that they are sticklers for the rules. You will be paying that $50 late fee every month and you won’t get away with having a cat in your apartment or a move out inspection done.

In the end, property management companies are the best way to protect the tenants and property owner’s rights and ensure that all handlings are legal and professional. Scott Properties is the perfect property management company to handle your rental needs!

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Benefits of Hiring a Property Management Company

If you own a home and no longer live in it, you might consider renting the property to a family for extra income and to keep the space livable. However, becoming a landlord can be a large undertaking, full of headaches, especially when you are just trying to make some extra income on a house you don’t want to sell. Often times, retired homeowners will purchase properties in an effort to stay busy in retirement, but they don’t realize the litany of phone calls with maintenance requests, tenants crying about rent being late, or how terrible it would be to wake up in the middle of the night to hear about a burst pipe or sewage issue. A property management company allows for you to be the owner so all you have to do is approve spending and watch the rent money roll in.


Here are some other ways a property management company can help you rent your home:

  •      Hire quality tenants
  •      More thorough background checks
  •      Fewer legal problems
  •      Handles all maintenance requests
  •      Manages rent collection
  •      Manages deposit collections
  •      Can perform debt collection
  •      Ensures shorter vacancy cycles
  •      Recommend and manage property improvement strategies
  •      Determine market rent and value
  •      Marketing the property
  •      Assist in tax preparation
  •      Handles eviction notices and lease termination

A property management company’s goal is to help you have the most earning potential from your property. By hiring a property management company, homeowners can rest assured that their rental income is secure and that their property is being managed efficiently while they are away. Time is money and property managers can ensure that you are living your best life while still making a profit and being able to spend more quality time with loved ones and friends. Contact Scott Properties to see how they can make your dream of becoming a landlord easy.

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What Property Managers and Tenants Need to Know About Lead Paint

Keeping rental properties up to date and tenants safe in their units should always be a focus for property managers. One of the most overlooked aspects of a rental can be the paint. Many people do not know the difference between lead paint and safe paint that we have today. You cannot tell just by looking at a wall, whether the paint is safe or not. If a property manager owns property built before 1978 the lead paint risk is incredible. Even if the walls have been painted over many times, the lead-based paint layer underneath is still toxic.

The consequences of Lead-Based Paint

There are an estimated 24 million homes in the United States that may have lead-based paint or lead paint dust. Lead-based products were banned by the federal government in 1978 because of the poisonous effects of lead, especially in children under the age of 8. Lead poisoning is linked to irreversible brain damage, behavior problems, learning disorders, nervous system damage and even cause IQ to drop. Young children are the most susceptible to these symptoms while adults may experience cardiovascular effects, kidney problems, and infertility.

Removing Lead Paint

If a property manager or tenant suspects that there is lead-based paint in a rental unit, they should not attempt to renovate or remove the paint themselves. A tenant should make a maintenance request to the property manager and the manager should hire an RRP Certified professional to remove the paint if the paint does test positive for lead. Tenants should not be in the rental while renovations are taking place as the lead paint dust is also toxic and should not be breathed in. An RRP certified professional will remove the dust from the renovations. Scott Properties is dedicated to the safety and well being of our tenants and offer full disclosure for any properties that may have a lead pain exposure risk.