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Archive for the 'Landlord Basics' Category

« Previous Entries

Thank you so much

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

Thank you so much for all the excellent reminders Troy! I can’t tell you how nice it is to have your tried and true methods and reminders. You have thought of everything!!

Sarrah

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Welcome back!

Posted in Landlord Basics, Testimonials | No Comments »

Discover the 3 Best Real Estate Investing Strategies in Today’s Economy

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Allow me to share a report published by Mason Hill. This report - “Real Estate Investment Strategies for 2009″ - is a great tool to have in your arsenal as you study today’s changing market.

Click here for your free report.  http://masonhill.com/ra_free_report.html

I think you will find the information valuable whether you are a “seasoned pro” or a “novice” in real estate investing. The report gives an overview of a few key topics that each of us consider when we invest.

It begins by talking about how to understand market indicators such as new construction starts, unemployment rates, and real estate inventories on the market. It highlights the need to take a step back from the media hype and to really analyze the specific market you are considering.

One common mistake is to rely only on national trends to evaluate a specific real estate investment. The report cautions investors to remember that local market factors are important to consider as well.

As you probably know, this is how some investors are able to make money in a down market — by reading indicators in specific areas that are still poised to do well. Here is an excerpt that talks about this from the report:

“…The key [to wise investing] is to focus on understanding the local market in which you plan to invest. One of our key messages to clients is that your local market, most likely, isn’t the best investment every time. Focusing in on ‘the right’ local real estate market is crucial.” (more…)

Posted in Landlord Basics | No Comments »

“Buy the right property, in the right market at the right price”

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

This partnership provides Renting Authority clients with a unique opportunity to access special properties that meet Mason Hill’s strict criteria:

1. Mason Hill delivers properties with $8,000 to $10,000 in “Instant Equity”.
2. Mason Hill only works in areas where property is appreciating.
3. Mason Hill provides a turnkey solution for managing your property after the purchase.
4. Mason Hill properties produce an average positive cash flow of $6,000 per year.

How is this possible?

Click here to view video

There is a lot of hype in the real estate industry about the “right” strategy for today’s market. We both know that hype is just that, hype.

Our message is simple, clear and concise:

“Buy the right property, in the right market, at the right price.”

Mason Hill has a team of analysts that analyze over 150 markets throughout the U.S. to determine which markets are optimal for our investors. Most real estate investors understand the strategy, they just lack the resources.

* We work in areas that have ‘bottomed out’, and are likely to appreciate over the next two to three years.
* Our analysts have decades of experience researching markets on a national level.
* We have a proven track record of developing profitable strategies in a fluctuating marketplace.

Simply stated, Mason Hill provides wholesale properties to its buyers that are priced $8,000 to $10,000 below current market value.

Mason Hill purchases properties in bulk, directly from banks, and passes the bulk savings on to its buyers. There are not many markets around the U.S. (currently) where values are rising, but there are a few.

One of these areas is Lee County, Florida.  The average property listed (for under 100k) in Lee County is receiving three to four offers, most for over listing price.  Values in Lee County are rising 1% to 1.5% per month, and have been so for the last six months.

There will be other markets like this in the future, and they will be identified ‘in advance’ by Mason Hill (just as we identified Lee County in October of last year as a market where values were likely to begin rising.)

Feel free to get in touch with Mason Hill property specialist, Dave Helm (see contact below), so you can do your due diligence and confirm all of these points one by one to your own satisfaction.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Troy Boldt
Phone: 801-709-3717
Email: tboldt@rentingauthority.com

Dave Helm
Property Specialist
Phone: 801-550-2788
Email: daveh@masonhill.com

www.masonhill.com/ra

Investment Properties with Positive Cash Flow

Posted in Important Links, Landlord Basics, Landlord Nightmares, Maintenance and Gardening | No Comments »

How do Insiders Make Money in Real Estate?‏

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Mason Hill shares the secret to adding value to each property investment.

Hi Troy,

I wanted to share with you this brief video that talks about the some key criteria that will change the way you invest in property. You will also have an opportunity to download a free 16 page report called “Real Estate Investment Strategies for 2009″.

In this video Pat Brody, Mason Hill’s National Sales Manager, and I talk all about the Mason Hill formula for strategic investing. Mason Hill is a turnkey wholesale real estate company. They add tremendous value to property investing.

The real secrets lie in adding value to each transaction. Mason Hill has decades of experience, a team of analysts, and a turnkey solution for investing that equates to return on your investment.

Click here to view video

How does Mason Hill add value?

1. Mason Hill delivers properties with $8,000 to $10,000 in “Instant Equity”.
2. Mason Hill only works in areas where property is appreciating.
3. Mason Hill provides a turnkey solution for managing your property after the purchase.
4. Mason Hill properties produce an average positive cash flow of $6,000 per year.

“Buy the right property, in the right market, at the right price.”

Mason Hill’s team of analysts look at over 150 markets throughout the U.S. to determine which markets are optimal for our investors. Most real estate investors understand the necessity for careful analysis, they just lack the resources.

* We work in areas that have ‘bottomed out’, and are likely to appreciate over the next two to three years.
* Our analysts have decades of experience researching markets on a national level.
* We have a proven track record of developing profitable strategies in a fluctuating marketplace.

Mason Hill purchases properties in bulk, directly from banks, and passes the bulk savings on to its buyers. There are not many markets around the U.S. (currently) where values are rising, but there are a few.

One of these areas is Lee County, Florida.  The average property listed (for under 100k) in Lee County is receiving three to four offers, most for over listing price.  Values in Lee County are rising 1% to 1.5% per month, and have been so for the last six months.

There will be other markets like this in the future, and they will be identified ‘in advance’ by Mason Hill (just as we identified Lee County in October of last year as a market where values were likely to begin rising.)

Take a moment and watch this video: Mason Hill adds value

Afterwards, feel free to get in touch with me, so I can provide you more information and get you in contact with the right people at Mason Hill.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Troy Boldt
Phone: 801-709-3717
Email: tboldt@rentingauthority.com

Mason Hill’s Contact:

Dave Helm
Property Specialist
Phone: 801-550-2788
Email: daveh@masonhill.com

www.masonhill.com/ra

Turnkey Wholesale Real Estate

Renting Authority
1641 West Center
Orem, UT 84057
United States
(888) 674-9181

Posted in Important Links, Landlord Basics, Landlord Nightmares, Maintenance and Gardening | No Comments »

Top 50 Landlording Rules

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

1. It takes a special kind of courage to pour your money into investments in an economically depressed area. Most people, including me, aren’t that brave. So if you live in a part of the country where people aren’t doing that well, you’ll probably find better properties elsewhere. On the other hand, there are special risks involved in real estate investments far from your home.

2. If you decide to look for investments elsewhere, your first problem is finding the right area. Your second task is to learn the area well enough to make a smart buying decision. Finally, you have to pick the right property or properties for you. You only have so much money to spend, and you want to maximize your return on investment. Of course, the worst possibility is that you could lose all your money, or more (which would mean filing bankruptcy).

3. There seem to be two ways to do long-distance real estate investing. The first way, which I don’t recommend, is by talking to a salesman marketing investments in what he says are a hot area. It’s possible that some of these are good deals. I guarantee that many of them are terrible. In any case, it makes a lot more sense to be methodical; pick your area first, your city next, your property last.

4. There are also a couple of different ways to pick your area, and as usual, the harder way will give better results. The easy way is to find a newspaper story: “Hottest Real Estate Markets in America.” The problem with these areas is that they are usually at the halfway point, at least, of their growth trend. They may be near the peak of their growth trend; the next few years will bring a stable real estate market at best, or a declining market at worst. (more…)

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Posted in Landlord Basics | No Comments »

5 Reasons Renting Still Beats Buying

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Jack Hough published an excellent Yahoo article earlier this week.

This weekend I’ll throw $1,100 down the drain. That is to say, I’ll pay my rent. Pop-finance pundits have long used the drain cliché to describe how renters like me waste money, while homeowners with mortgages “pay themselves” and “build equity.” In April 2007 I argued something different: Renting Makes More Financial Sense Than Home ownership. Basically, houses produce poor returns over long time periods while stocks and other investments produce good ones, and the outlook for houses is especially poor now, so I’d rather rent cheaply and funnel my extra cash into something other than a house.

Even though house prices have plunged and I have enough money to buy one, I’m still not nearly tempted. In what follows I’ll give five reasons. (The first two form the core of my original argument.) Before all this starts to sound too self-congratulatory, I’ll also explain the one big thing my essay got wrong.
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Reason 1: Houses produce lousy returns, while stocks produce good ones

Houses looked like smart investments in 2007. They had returned 9.3% a year for a decade, while stocks had returned just 5.9%. This year, with investors fleeing both houses and stocks, both probably look like a waste of money. But be careful about succumbing to what psychologists call recency bias — the tendency to form beliefs based largely on the most recent observations in a long series of data. For U.S. investors, reliable data on stocks and houses goes back well further than 10, 20 or even 50 years.

Stocks returned 7% a year for 200 years ended 2004, according to Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel. That’s after subtracting an average of 3% a year for inflation, or the gradual rise in prices of ordinary goods. The plunge in stock prices over the past 16 months makes me all the more sure that shares are poised to deliver good returns over the next decade or two. Houses returned 0.4% a year over 114 years ended 2004, according to Yale professor Robert Shiller, co-creator of the most widely used index for house prices. That number is suspiciously close to zero. Indeed, it might have been zero, reckons Shiller, if not for two periods of aggressive house buying, one spurred by government incentives following World War II and another created by the Federal Reserve’s drastic interest rate cuts in 2002 and 2003.

(more…)

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Posted in Landlord Basics, Uncategorized | 11 Comments »

Craig’s List and Renting Authority

Friday, February 13th, 2009

I use Craig’s List as a way to find my tenants. I have found several good matches this way. I always post in my adds that I require an in person appointment and that I will require a credit & background checks.

This way it helps to weed out the scammers and losers. Thanks to Renting Authority, I have the ability to screen them, even though I am just one person with one property renting out separate rooms.

Beth

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Posted in How to Screen an Applicant, Landlord Basics, Testimonials | 1 Comment »

I plan to use your system for my rentals in the future

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Thanks, for what it is worth I plan to use your system for my rentals in the future; this is the place where I believe I have been lacking. I like the online option.

I have four rentals currently and have one that is about to be ready to rent again so I plan to run your checks on any potential renter.

Thanks,

Bob

Stanwood, WA

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Posted in How to Screen an Applicant, Landlord Basics, Testimonials | No Comments »

Online Rent Pay FAQ

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

What is Online Rent Pay?
Our service allows Renters to pay their rent and deposits, over the Internet. All transactions are deposited into the Property Manager/Owner’s bank account.

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What are the benefits of using the Renting Authority service?
Online rent payments will be the norm in the near future. Enjoy the ease of not cashing checks, automatic deposits, and electronic record keeping, avoiding lost or late payments, and improved service for your Residents.

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The Internet is increasingly the place of choice for businesses to reach and connect people. Prospective Renters are turning to the Internet now more than ever to fulfill their living needs.

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How do the transactions occur?

1. The Payer submits their payment in the secure Pay Rent section of your website.
2. The transaction is processed in the Automatic Clearing House (ACH) network.
3. The payment is deposited into the Payee’s checking or savings account.

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What are the fees for using Online Rent Pay?
There is a $5 transaction fee for each payment paid by check submitted through the service.  Credit card transition fee is $5 plus 3% of the transaction.  All paid by the tenant.

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Do you receive a confirmation that a payment has been submitted?
For each payment submitted on Renting Authority, the Payer and Payee will receive a confirmation email with the transaction id if a valid email address has been entered in the profiles for the users.

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How do I know the system is secure?
All transactions on Renting Authority are 128-bit encrypted and we use industry-standard Secure Socket layer (SSL) technology to protect your information.

We will never request or send your bank account information through email, if you ever receive an email requesting your bank account information please contact us immediately.

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How does the ACH process work?
The Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network is a nationwide batch-oriented electronic payment network to transfer funds between financial institutions. ACH payments provide improved cash management capabilities and lower costs than traditional paper payments by electronically debiting or crediting a company’s or individual’s deposit accounts, such as checking and savings accounts. The ACH Process consists of the following steps:

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1. A company or individual (Receiver) authorizes another company or individual (Originator) to initiate a transaction to their financial institution account.
2. Then the Originator submits the transaction to an Originating Depository Financial Institution, known as an ODFI.
3. The ODFI collects ACH transactions and then submits the consolidated information to an ACH Operator.
4. The ACH Operator processes the transactions from the ODFIs and distributes the transactions to the Receiving Depository Financial Institutions, know as an RDFI.
5. The RDFI receives the entries for its customer accounts and then posts the entries on the settlement date of the transaction.

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How do I contact Renting Authority?
You can use one of the following options to contact us, please let us know if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions:

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Email
support@rentingauthority.com

Renting Authority Customer Service Representatives are available to assist you Monday through Friday 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Telephone
1-(888)-674-9181
Fax: 1-(801)-406-0104

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Renter’s Common Questions

What are the Registration steps for a Renter?

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The renter clicks on the pay rent tab located in your website.  Follow the step by step instructions.

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Do I have to create a profile?
Yes, Renters are required to create a profile on the Renting Authority service in order to submit a Rental Payment. Creating a profile allows the Renter to easily submit Rental Payments without having to re-enter their account information for each payment.

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Can payments be submitted via telephone?

No

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Does Online Rent Pay allow credit cards to be used for paying rent?
Yes.  Renters pay a transaction fee of 3%  of the rent amount plus $5

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Property Manager/Owner’s Common Questions:

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What are the Registration steps for a Property Manager/Owner?

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Fax the following information to (801)406-0104:

  • A copy of a voided check for the checking account associated with the property.
  • A copy of a valid government issued I.D.

After we receive the voided check and I.D. we will activate the property so you can begin accepting rent payments online.

What is required to Activate a Property after it has been added?
For your security we require the following be faxed or emailed to us for each bank account used for receiving online payments:
- A copy of a voided check for the checking account associated with the property
- A copy of a valid government issued I.D.

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Fax: 1-(801) 406-0104

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Once we receive these two items we will activate your property so that you can begin accepting rent payments online. If you have multiple properties and use the same bank account for each property you only need to send the information once. If you use different bank accounts for your properties please send a voided check for each bank account.

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How fast will I get my rent money?
First time users of Renting Authority’s Online Rent Pay are required to wait a minimal of 5 business days.
Landlords in good standing with Renting Authority receive sub sequential Rent Funds in 3-4 business days.

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The funds will be deposited into the Payee’s banking account within 3-4 business days of the payment submission.  Payment must be submitted before 3pm EST to count for that day.  Payments received after 3pm EST will be processed the following business day.

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What happens if a rent check bounces?
The tenant is charged a $25 fee.  If Renting Authority has already transferred funds to the landlord, funds will be pulled back out of landlords account.
If funds have not yet been transferred to landlord’s account, landlord receives an email from Renting Authority informing of returned check.

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Renting Authority reserves the right to hold future rent checks transfers for a minimal of 5 business days with 2 of more returned checks within a 3 month period.

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Is Renting Authority acting as a collection agency?
Renting Authority’s Rent Payment Service assists both you and your Renter by facilitating electronic transactions between the parties. Renting Authority simply provides an electronic alternative to the traditional forms of rent payment. While this electronic alternative will bestow numerous benefits on both Property Owner/Managers and the Renter, the collection of such rents and related payments remain their legal responsibility. Renting Authority is in the business of simplifying the rent payment process, but unfortunately we are not in the business of collections.

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Can I use Online Rent Pay for any type of property?
Any property you are collecting payments or fees for can be used with Renting Authority, such as residential properties, multi-family properties, commercial properties, and vacation properties.

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Can I use different bank accounts for each property?
Yes

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Can I charge a late fee for late rent payments?
With Renting Authority you can specify what day of the month rent is late after and what fee to charge for late rent payments and the system will automatically generate a late fee transaction for late rent payments. When a fee is charged for late rent payments a separate transaction will be created to debit the renter instead of adding the fee amount to the rent payment.

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There isn’t an additional transaction fee for the late fee transaction though. The late fee transaction is scheduled for 2 days after the rent payment in order to provide time for the property manager to cancel the late fee before it is transmitted to the ACH system if warranted. The automatic late fee only applies to rent payment transaction types and not other transaction types, such as security deposit or utility payment for example.

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Posted in Landlord Basics, online rent pay | No Comments »

Is Employment Verification Really That Important?

Friday, January 9th, 2009

Yes, employment verification is an extremely important step in the tenant screening process.  A renter needs a good job so he or she can pay the rent.  Let me give you a list of things to inquire about.

One of the most important things is to pay attention to is: who and how the business phone is answered.  Why, because some people will give you a friend to call and pretend they are the employer.  The phone should be answered with a business name.

Ask for the applicant’s supervisor or boss.  This information should have been provided by the applicant on the application.

Asking the right questions is key to getting the right info.

We ask the following questions:
-    How long has the applicant been employed there?
-    Is he or she currently employed there?
-    Is the job full time, part time or temporary?
-    How many hours a week does he or she work?
-    Verify the monthly income.  (Employers may require copy of singed authorization for this)
-    Does their job future look good?

Order an employment report now.
http://www.rentingauthority.com/employment_rental_reports/

Renting Authority Provides third party employment history reports
Log into the Property Owner’s Toolbox at http://www.toolbox.rentingauthority.com

1.    Select Past Rental and Employment Reports.
2.    Click the box for Employment Report,
3.    Fill in the needed information and we take care of the rest.

You receive your Employment Report in 24-48 business hours

The Cost is only:
$6 for Employment Verification
$6 for Rental History Verification

Only $4 each for Gold Members
Upgrade your membership now
https://www.rentingauthority.com/cc/pay.php

Click here for sample employment history report
http://www.rentingauthority.com/sites/employsurvey.htm

Click here to login and order rental history reports now
http://www.toolbox.rentingauthority.com

Troy Boldt

888-674-9181
tboldt@rentingauthority.com
http://www.rentingauthority.com

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Posted in How to Screen an Applicant, Landlord Basics | 4 Comments »

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