Considering Buying a Rental Property? Here’s What You Need to Know About Property Managers

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Buying a home, homes for sale in Jacksonville FL, investment home, Jacksonville FL Real Estate, Jacksonville Real Estate, property management, property manager, real estate, real estate advice, real estate information, Real Estate Team, real estate tips, rental home, renter, Selling a home, The best real estate agent in Jacksonville

If you’re considering purchasing a rental property, here’s the good news: they can be a great investment. But they can also be a lot of work, and some homeowners don’t have the skills or desire to put in the work necessary to both take care of their property and ensure it brings in steady income.

That’s where property managers come in.

A good property manager can bring a ton of value to rental property owners, so if you’re considering buying a rental property, you may also want to consider hiring an experienced, trustworthy property manager.

But what, exactly, do property managers do—and how does that help the property owner?

A recent article from realtor.com outlines some of their main responsibilities, and the value they can deliver to property owners, including:

• Market your property. Finding new renters can be a hassle. Property managers leverage a variety of channels (including social media, paid ads, and the MLS) to get your property in front of qualified potential tenants.
• Vet potential tenants. Once they’ve marketed your property and generated interest, property managers will vet all potential tenants (including running a credit check, checking for past criminal history, verifying employment and income, and calling former landlords for references) to ensure you rent your property to qualified, responsible tenants.
• Perform property checks. If you live in a different area than your rental property, it can be hard to stay on top of the home’s maintenance and condition. Most property managers do regular home checks (typically, once per quarter or twice per year) to ensure the tenants are taking good care of the property—and will report back if any major repairs or maintenance tasks are necessary to keep the property in good condition.

Need a great property manager? Get in touch today! Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORs The Hanley Home Team of Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside 904-515-2479 HanleyHomeTeam.com

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Don’t Give Up on Buying a Home if You’re a Millennial Renter

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Almost 25% of Millennials (ages 26-41) claim they plan on renting forever according to this Apartment List article. That’s nearly double the amount since they started their ongoing survey of 31,000 Millennials in 2018.

In the grand scheme of things, 1 in 4 Millennials swearing off homeownership forever isn’t earth-shattering news. To put things in perspective, the highest rate of homeownership ever was 80% in North Dakota back in 1900. But generally speaking, the homeownership rate has hovered in the 65% range nationally for almost 5 decades. Some people will always be renters; homeownership isn’t for everyone. 

There are four main reasons they give for not buying:

• They feel it’s financially risky (19%)
• Don’t want the costs of maintaining a home (30%)
• They like the flexibility renting allows (28%)
• Can’t afford to buy a house (77%)

Obviously, by far the biggest reason is affordability. It’d be easy to chalk that up to the recent surge in home prices and rising interest rates. It’s legitimate and true. But that’s also been the main reason since well before the current market conditions. Truthfully, affordability is almost always the reason renters give for not buying, regardless of the decade. It’s never an easy financial leap to take.

However, while renting may feel like the easier, more affordable option, over time it’s not. In fact, renting is getting even more expensive. According to this Fortune article, an increasing amount of older adults are struggling to be able to pay rent. They’re constantly in fear of rent hikes that may just get to a point they can’t afford to pay. Then what?

While it’s never an easy financial leap to take, once you take the leap, your housing cost can be kept stable for years to come, and even go down as you pay off your house. Sure, it won’t be easy up front, but think of how it’ll be for you a couple of decades from now. Would you rather have an asset you can sell, or still be paying a landlord an ever-increasing amount of rent with nothing to show for it? 

Sure, prices and rates may seem high right now, but it almost always feels that way relative to the times. There’s always an area and a house you can afford to buy a house in, if you’re qualified for a mortgage. (And if you’re not, it’s worth making an effort to be qualified!) Your first house may not be everything you want or where you ideally would like to live, but it’s a first step toward taking control of being able to afford to live comfortably as you get older. It may seem years away right now, but time has a way of creeping up on you. And the cost of living does, too… 

The Takeaway:

Considering the financial burdens many Millennials have, coupled with rising interest rates and home prices, it’s no surprise that an increasing number of Millennials are saying they’ll never buy a home and remain renters forever. 

But if you can afford to rent, the chances are you can afford to buy. It might not be your dream home, or in the exact neighborhood you’d prefer, but you can buy something. Buy where (and what) you can afford now, so that you have a predictable and controllable cost of living — as well as an asset you can sell — as you grow older.

Let’s discuss your real estate goals. Jennifer Hanley, REALTOR The Hanley Home Team of Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside 904-515-2700 HanleyHomeTeam.com

How to Escape a Rental Lease

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If you’ve been thinking of buying a home, but the prospect of breaking your apartment lease has you holding back, you might be glad to know there are options available to you as a renter. A lease isn’t always an iron-clad agreement with all the rights on the side of your landlord. Of course, buying a home isn’t the only reason to break a lease. There are many reasons to break a lease: Your job may have changed, you might find the rent too steep, or you may have lost a loved one who used to share the space with you. Here are a few things you can do to help extract yourself from the situation:

1. Find the opt-out clause. You may not have read your lease very carefully when you were excited to move in, and now is the time to go back and pick it apart with a fine-toothed comb. Many leases will have clauses which allow you to legally break your obligation to stay for the full-term of the agreement. This might involve a fee of some kind, but can often be worth the expense if the conditions are right.

2. Negotiate with your landlord. If you’re on good terms with your landlord, come out and explain your situation honestly. The landlord (or property management company) can elect to let you out of the lease, even without an opt-out clause. See if you can do anything to “sweeten the pot” for the landlord, such as finding a replacement renter, or propose a sum to buy your way out. (Get anything you agree to with your landlord in writing.)

3. See about subletting. Look at your lease agreement and see what your rights are regarding subletting the apartment to someone else. While some forbid the practice, others may create allowances for subleasing your apartment to someone for the balance of the agreement. If the agreement is unclear about subleasing, talk with your landlord about your plan and get an agreement in writing. (Recognize you’re risking your security deposit if the subletter doesn’t take care of the place.)

4. Go to mediation. If you can’t come to common terms, consider enrolling the help of a mediator. Local housing advocates and “renter’s rights” groups may be able to connect you with people who can help.

This all assumes, of course, that you’re not leaving because your landlord is a deadbeat. If you’re battling a landlord who refuses to fix up the place or otherwise has been combative, you may have a legal case to make to break your lease. The key is documentation. Document everything with photo or video evidence, and keep meticulous records of your complaints.

Shouldn’t your monthly payment be paying you instead of a landlord? Talk to us today about taking the first steps towards home ownership: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS, Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside www.HanleyHomeTeam.com