Unique Flips and Their Unique Risks

4 Unique Risks of Pier and Beam Flips—And How to Handle Them Pier and beam homes are set on foundations of piers – concrete or wood posts set deep into the ground – and beams which support the house set on top of the piers. This type of foundation is excellent for regions with shifting […]

Security Deposit Best Practices

Landlord Security Deposit Tips and Best Practices Security deposits represent an agreement of trust and security between a landlord and their tenants. When a tenant pays the security deposit, they agree to take care of the property or accept deductions from the money they could get back. When a landlord sends the security deposit back, […]

Adding Someone to a Lease

Can You Add Someone to a Lease?     A rental home lease is usually one year long. However, life rarely conforms to that kind of schedule. When people need to change living arrangements, these moments happen organically. Perhaps your romantic partner is ready to move in, or maybe a good friend needs a place […]

Managing Rental Properties While Traveling

How to Manage Your Rentals When You Want to Start Traveling More     For years, you’ve managed your property yourself. Now, however, you need more flexibility in your life. Perhaps you’ve retired, and you’re ready to start traveling more. Maybe you just need more space in your schedule. If you’re ready for a change […]

Property Management Tools

What You Can Learn from Property Management Statements and Reports     How to Review Property Management Statements From Your PM You are an investment property owner.  You own rental homes, townhouses, or apartments that are run by a property management service. Property managers handle the daily and monthly routine of keeping your tenants happy […]

Verifying Repair Requests

How to Verify That Property Repair Requests Are Legitimate Protecting your investments requires constant vigilance. When you own rental homes, that involves carefully screening tenants, monitoring expenses, and keeping tabs on your property management team. Reviewing repair requests and expenses is only natural. But how can you confirm that each repair request is legitimate, necessary, […]

Protecting Empty Rental Property During the Winter

How to Protect an Empty Rental Property in the Winter As a landlord, you can ideally maintain steady tenant occupations of each rental home. However, there is always the risk of vacancy for one reason or another. Major renovations or repairs, a lengthy tenant turnover process, and extreme weather can all play a role. The […]

Managing Rental Payments

How to Minimize the Risk of Late Rent Payments On-time rental payments are the hallmark of a healthy landlord-tenant relationship. When your tenant pays their rent on time, it is an indication that they are financially stable and respect the terms of their rental contract. In contrast, late rent payments can indicate a number of […]

Winter Maintenance Musts

  The 7 Biggest Rental Property Problems You’ll See in Heavy Winters When you own a rental property in a wintery climate, be prepared for winter maintenance calls. Tenants rely on the tenant-landlord partnership to help keep the property warm, safe, and in livable condition despite the winter’s best efforts. Heavy winters involve deep layers […]

Power Outage Guide

Power Outage Guide: Keeping Your Tenants Safe in Winter     What to Do If Power Goes Out for Your Tenants in Winter As a landlord, you are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of your tenants inside their home. This includes power outage situations, especially in the middle of a Massachusetts winter where your […]