Note: If you already hired us to manage your property, you can disregard this. If you are managing your property on your own, then you may want to read this article. The tax rule that is commonly applicable for contractors or freelancers is now required for landlords. What is this rule? They should file a 1099-MISC and they need to collect W-9s. Take note that these two forms should ALWAYS go...

Thanksgiving Day is one of the most awaited holidays in the nation. Every year, it is celebrated on the  4th Thursday in November. This year, it will be on November 28th.  The celebration is historically attributed to the event when the English colonizers held a feast to thank the Native Americans for helping them start their new lives in the US. For most Americans, Thanksgiving is a day for...

Imagine that you’d just acquired a new investment property. Managing your rental seems easy enough, so a lot of people do it on their own. They will take photos, list their property on rental sites, schedule interviews, conduct interviews, and background checks. First time landlords are usually on a tight budget and do not have the means to hire a professional property manager--so, can’t blame them...

Planning to shop this Black Friday? Well, you are not going to  enjoy shopping with a sea of people if you mindlessly put your moolah to unplanned purchases. Savvy sellers are keen to drop their prices during the shopping season because they know that consumers are psyched to splurge and save on buying material things. Since this practice is a common scene in the marketplace, you have to learn the art...

Traditionally, Spring is the time of year when people opt to buy a new house. Recently, some home sellers found this to be a huge opportunity to also practice leveraging during the Fall. Various factors effect the housing market find out why they think that the Autumn is the perfect time of year to find the dream home for you and your family. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should consider buying a...

It’s that spooky time of year again! Halloween is just around the corner. Pumpkins, black & orange, fun-sized candy bars, cinnamon, candles. Excitement is in the air and getting dressed up and being silly is going to be totally cool and acceptable just for one day. Is your home ready to attract the crowd’s attention? If you’re selling your house, this is an opportune moment to decorate it in a...

No time to plan for Halloween? Grab these simple, affordable and creative decorative ideas to dress up your front porch....

John is a full-time marketer in a mid-size company. He bought a condominium soon after he started working. As time went by, John got married, outgrew his condo and moved into a single-family home. His career was taking off and family life was flourishing. John thought it’d be a good idea to rent out the condo. “How hard can it be to rent out a condo? After all, I am in advertising. ” John...

Jane owns a condo in The Bay Area and she recently accepted a job as an HR manager in Los Angeles. Instead of selling her condo, Jane thought it’d be a good idea to keep it as an investment and rent it out. Jane started posting ads and showing it to tenants. After several weekends of showing she received an application. Jane read some tenant screening articles online and thought “How hard can it...

If you think that finding a tenant for your vacant property is your ticket to a happily ever after, think again. Landlords have diverse range of horror stories about professional tenants who rip off one landlord after another. They seem to be the kind of people who are without a conscience, deliberately failing to pay their rent on time causing financial losses to property owners. The worst part? These...