8 Most Frequent Repairs As a landlord or property manager, unit repairs and maintenance requests are going to more costly than expected. Higher service contractor fees, and parts costs are likely cutting into your bottom line. Tenants aren't always at fault in these added costs however they can certainly be educated and perhaps manage these pesky…

US Housing Market Summer 2019 Investors and homebuyers compete for available residential properties, because housing is in demand and in short supply. Properties below $200,000 for sale fell 10% YoY and are selling 30 days faster than more expensive homes. If investors were to lose interest due to falling prices, home buyers would soon pick…

Lease Agreement 101 – Part 3 Following up on our previous posts on tenants lease agreements and tenant lease provisions, we want to explore the tenant lease agreement in greater detail. There are numerous lease provisions which landlords, particularly new landlords aren't fully aware of. Understanding the tenant lease agreement is critical because it is…

The Build to Rent Revolution Shaking up Real Estate Is the build to rent sector about to shake up housing markets in the US? More big companies seem to think build to rent properties have a promising ROI. That's due to excellent demographics, profitability, and easy of property management. From 2009 onward US property investors bought…

15 Key Property Management Trends for 2020 How will property owners and property managers improve business operations and revenue in 2020? By keeping a close and persistent eye on the housing market and major trends affecting future business performance. Property management is a booming multidimensional business worth Billions. Improvements and threats will come from many…

The Most Common Property Management Pitfalls The outlook for the property management sector is positive, including multifamily management which means a large group of people will jump into it with the expectations of big profits. While huge profits and fast growth are reported in some sectors, particularly Airbnb rentals and the multifamuly rental sector, new…

Choose the Best Software For Multihousing Management The multifamily housing market continues to be a great place for investors. National Multifamily Housing Council’s most recent quarterly survey of the national apartment market showed indexes continuing above the breakeven level. The NMHC reported that markets were tightening, sales volumes were up, debt financing was better, and…

How to Make Your Property Management Company more Competitive Are you constantly looking ahead at the leading property management companies in your state or city? Isn't it just like being in the Daytona 500 car race with you following the leader? And in that race, there's only one winner and they take all the attention…

Partnering With Stripe Landlords are in need of better payment systems because of cash flow issues, tenant payment problems, slow bank transactions, fraud, lagging bank and accounting reconciliation, and a lack of real-time reporting. In a recent hype-free blog post, we listed  online payment service providers who have systems which streamline the revenue collection process. Collecting your…

Understanding Lease Agreements 101 – Part 1 How often do tenants read lease agreements and understand them? Likely not very often or thoroughly, which means potential renters don’t often know what they’re signing. That could lead to misunderstandings, legal battles, and conflict. If a tenant understands the lease they’re signing, it might actually create a…

Are Recent Developments in the UK Good for Renters and Investors? The UK property market is complex and made more complicated by the UK's situation with Brexit and Global trade changes. Even the best experts are challenged to forecast the market in 2020, but let's take a look at some of the factors and trends.…

Social Events Build a Sense of Community It's midsummer and a great time for people to gather for a fun, live event. Your community association, apartment building, or other residential development, can hold a social get together which can generate some very good vibes in rental tenants. While some condo buildings and multifamily developments are…

Buy or Rent Washers and Dryers? For landlords and property managers, the demands from tenants for better amenities, services, comfort and security are on the rise. Meeting tenant wants is good for business. Landlord's technical and operational challenges including washers/dryers and other rental appliances are being solved via a high tech, new business model approach.…

Move-in Process is a Relationship Building Starting Point In a previous article, we talked about the importance of implementing consistent screening policy during the leasing process. After you secure a qualified tenant, it's the landlord’s responsibility (or property manager) to schedule an appointment for lease signing, tenant orientation, building tour and unit inspection. It's essential…

Managing Your Team Could be Simple and Creative Your staff are likely your most important business asset yet keeping their performance optimal is an ongoing challenge. Most managers could use a refresher in staff management, and we've got some tips that might help. Let's take a quick look at some ways to re-energize and guide…

Lease Agreements 101 – Part 2 In our previous article, we mentioned that lease agreements often contain some complicated provisions. And these require tenants to spend time to read each and understand them.  There’s more. A lease agreement can be lengthened with house rules and other addendums. In this article, let’s take a deeper look at other…

How Can Property Management Software Help You? Are you a new landlord who is venturing into the path of professional property management?  You're likely checking out which property management solutions are best. Best really depends on what you need to achieve. You've got your laundry list of tasks, results, issues, fears, hopes, conflicts and more…

Rent vs Buy? This year, hundreds of thousands of people will be using a rent vs buy calculator to make a decision on whether to buy a home or to continue renting. While you're searching through the rental ads, and weighing the possibility of buying, consider how saving your money and renting might be a better…

Should You Manage Your Properties Yourself? Whether through smart investment choices, inheritance, or by some other circumstance, thousands of property owners have become landlords. The revenue is good for some and for others its amazing. While most start out in the property management business with a few houses, duplexes, or apartments and do the work…

Hawaii Housing Market 2019/2020 It's not just American buyers who want a slice of Hawaiian paradise during these good times. Foreign buyers too are pouring billions into the Hawaiian housing market. Hot Oahu, Kauai and Maui In May, home and condo sales and prices increased in almost all of Hawaii. In fact, sales grew 9.5%…

Can Better Digital Bookkeeping Make For Happier Landlords? Friction bedevils pretty much everything in commerce and payments, and that holds especially true for the management of rental property. Not only are there many moving parts and a variety of participants involved —  landlords, tenants, property managers, financial institutions, service providers such as plumbers and electricians…

California’s Housing Market Forecast This report covers key housing market data including California home prices, sales, recent trends from CAR, NAR, Statista, Zillow and more, and predict what might be next for 2020. Unlike many other US housing markets, California real estate prices have sagged, and the experts believe taxes and departing businesses are the…

Best Cities to Invest in Rental Property 2019 With listings growing and mortgage rates plummeting, a lot of buyers are reopening their buy vs rent calculator and re-checking the numbers. In 2019, the US rental market has grown as new buildings and developments are releaes.  Given the ultra-high home and condo purchase prices, the demand for rentals remains strong. …

How to Buy Berlin Real Estate Berlin is hot. Buyer’s however need to understand the nuances of acquiring houses, apartments and multifamily properties here.  Real estate in Germany is not the same as it is in the US, Canada, or the UK.  It’s wise to understand the peculiar rules, regulations and practices of the Berlin…

Power Up Your Property Management Business Are you limiting your company's potential by doing business as usual? How about a new approach to increase value for owners while ensuring your company's future? Property managers should never assume their clients know all there is to know about the value proposition of their rental properties, how demand…

SAN FRANCISCO, July 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ManageCasa, the leading intuitive, interactive and automated property management software for DIY landlords and property managers, today announced a partnership with Stripe, the leading platform for online payment processing, to launch a new digital payments solution for the property management industry. Landlords and property managers will now be able to…

It's Summer and That's When Mold Grows! It's the peak of the year where heat and humidity can aid in the development of mold in your rental units. Humidity, moisture, warmth, darkened rooms or closets, reduced air flow, and rain storms all conspire to give mold spores the maximum chance to spread and grow. Landlords…

Demo ManageCasa Today The Apartmentalize conference in Denver gave us the opportunity to meet many new landlords, property managers and other rental property industry pros. It was  a great success. We demo'd our property management platform giving them a perfect opportunity to ask their important questions face to face, and for us to hear about their challenges.…

A Nice Break to See Things Anew Apartmentalize 2019 was a wonderful 3 day trade show that took place in Denver Colorado. The event drew a record crowd of about 11,000 attendees. People, technology, and spirit all in one place, spilling out in the streets of downtown Denver. If you missed it, don't worry there…

How One Woman Made It A startup success story is always heart warming and uplifting. Those who overcome challenges to keep progressing to new small business success are true leaders. Entrepreneurs put their heart and soul into their business and a reward is only right. In Entrepreneur Magazine, Andrea Gombalova Stevens, a property management startup…

How to Foresee Tenant Departures Why is it that good things must come to an end? Your tenants have worked out so well, they enjoyed living in your home or apartment, yet despite that bliss, they will decide to move on. Yes, it's so nice when people stay put, but everyone's life evolves. Young couples…

Apartmentalize in Denver Apartment Landlords and Multifamily Property Manager's biggest event is called Apartmentalize. It took place in Denver, Colorado this year on June 26,27, 28.  More than 11,000 of rental housing pros, multifamily investors, landlords and contractors attended the conference trade show here in the mile high city. Apartmentalize 2019 was held in San Diego…

Experience Colorado During the July 4th Celebration It's little wonder why Colorado is considered the best destination for tourists and recreational enthusiasts. The nature, recreation, tourist venues, and the incredible views for awestruck visitors on endless 14,000 foot mountains lends to Colorado's iconic status for epic adventure. A vacation to this region makes a lot…

Key News Stories for Property Managers In this roundup of top property management related news, we see Proptech, Realty, ecotech, landlord regulations, laws and innovation in service taking center stage. There's more going on than just innovation in tenant management systems and relentless growth in portfolios. It could be the new investment, technology, efficiency, and…

Leasing Success Aligns with Consistent Screening Are you a landlord managing your own rental properties?  Regardless of the size and type of your properties, your goal should be to qualify applicants in a timely manner, and then lease the units to well suited applicants.  That lowers vacancy related losses. A frequently asked question is “How…

It's Wise to Upgrade to Better Software There's two types of property management companies today: The first group are those who are using property management software.  Research shows these managers aren't all that happy with their solutions. The other group are those straggling property managers (late adopters) who haven't moved to fully automated systems, other…

Summer Maintenance Tips for Homeowners Given the cost of repairing mechanical equipment such as HVACs, refrigerators, furnaces, roofs, and bathrooms fans, it makes sense for homeowners (and property managers) to keep an eye on them. Summer will bring especially heavy loads on HVAC systems. If you missed the spring maintenance tips post, well it's not…

Operational Success: Always Starts with People Whether you’re an experienced Property Manager, or are new to the property management industry, you’ll encounter both expected and unexpected challenges in your daily operations related to occupancy, rent collection, maintenance, tenant issues, and more. Your staff will be responding to and resolving maintenance tickets, repairs, inquiries, etc. And…

The Cloud Property Management Advantage If you're wondering how other property management companies seem to be increasing services, attracting Millennial renters, cutting costs and automating all their hard work, you might want to check out cloud computing. The cloud is helping businesses leverage technology for new services, features and profitable management. What property management software…

Multifamily Real Estate Boom in Denver As we reported in the Denver Colorado Housing market report, the opportunities for multifamily property buyers and property management companies remains positive in 2019. Denver is one of the hottest cities for multifamily real estate this year. Sales and listings are up and Denver rent prices are rising. Other favorable…

Metro Denver's Housing Market Coming Alive Rebounding from 2018.  The 2019 housing market in Denver, Colorado is one of the hottest housing markets going, looking good for home buyers and apartment rental investors alike. All areas of the Denver housing and multifamily market are forecast to perform well this year. With Millennial renters and buyers making…

Improve Your Tenant Management Skills If you're considering getting into rental property investment whether through apartments, houses or multifamily blocks, it's wise to understand how to manage your future tenants professionally. Professionally means engaging with them using clear, helpful communication that encourages the behaviors you want to see.  Friendliness and courtesy are great, but what you'll…

US Rental Housing Market While the latest report on rents across America shows little growth in the last month, a historic timeline shows rents have not moderated in the last 9 years. Similarly the US economic growth and expansion have continued for 10 years. And while many former renters have moved on to buy their…

Airbnb and the Short Term Rental Industry As Airbnb prepares for a likely IPO this year, a good number of property investors and property managers still disregard the burgeoning short term rental market's potential. Airbnb is moving the short term rental market and their marketing machine keeps building awareness in different segments. The company announced a…

Property Owners Want Better ROI With all the new technology, they know they can get it.  It might seem unfair to ask you the property management company to grow ROI, yet their request for more is your opportunity to ask for more from them. There are 8 areas that you have control over and below you'll…

Creating Your Future Revenue Streams 2017 and 2018 were the best years for rental property investors. The best ever market for rental property owners. In 2019, it still looks promising with plenty of rental properties, low unemployment, and the economy performing well. It's rosy now, but there's plenty of threats that will lower your occupancy…

Powerful Resources for Property Managers & Landlords Smart consultants and advisors will tell you that if you have the right tools, information, guidance and resources, you can get anything accomplished. While we try to provide the very best online property management resource right here on the ManageCasa blog, our industry is vast, complex and evolving.…

Where Are Occupancy Rates Going? Multifamily investors and property managers keep an eye on local multifamily building occupancy rates and national residential rental occupancy rates.  They may be of the opinion that the occupancy rate says more about a rental housing market, neighborhood or multifamily development than anything else. Occupancy rates are a key part…

An Introduction to Proptech for Property Managers It's a startup world in the booming property management sector. A bonanza of newly funded firms fight to solve property manager's most pressing problems using new software and hardware technology. And since real estate and property management have resisted the adoption of technology and amidst a changing business…

The Mass Migration Away from Old Software There's one big factor causing property managers to investigate their next property management software solution  -- obsolescence. You may be experiencing lost or irretrievable data, limited analytics, poor communications, inaccessibility for users on the road, and slowdowns in performing daily business. Maybe your IT support costs are getting…

US Property Management Expos 2018 was a record year for the trade show industry according to CEIR. They believe even more people will attend trade shows and expos in 2019. According to Statista, the trade show/expo industry will be worth $16.8 billion by 2021 (up from 13.2 billion in 2017). Lots of growth, interest, careers,…

It Might Be Time to Go Pro If you're a multifamily property owner or investor with a sizable portfolio, or a busy landlord, there's no doubt you're under pressure. Volume of doors x administration x issues x costs = a big number. At some point, you'll need to hire a professional to manage things for…

Your Property Management Brand Have you ever considered what your firm's brand is? What do you think your tenants, landlords, and client property owners think and feel about your company? Your company's brand image is why prospects become customers. Without a good brand, high quality customers may not take your business seriously.  It's not deals,…

Rental Businesses Show Promise When I attended my first wedding event many, many years ago, I had to rent a tux for the event. It was not normal to rent anything back then, yet groomsmen renting a tux for a formal event was typical. Fast forward and people are renting almost everything now.  And it's…

Renting Continues to Be More Affordable Than Buying Smart property investors keep their eye on the road ahead for signs that their asset values and rental income might be in danger. Looks like investors can relax. According to a recent study, the outlook seems positive for rental demand along with slowly rising asset values and…

Multifamily Housing Looking Very Good into 2019 If you're one of the smart property investors in the last 2 years, you're probably smiling given reports on rising apartment stock, and rising rents with a monster customer base. This spring is a time to grow! Given the stock market looks to be beyond its peak, rental…

2019 Key Year for New Construction Recent housing market data tells us home buying is well down this winter. Yet for the multifamily sector, 2019 is a big year. For rental property owners and property managers, the high growth in construction projects means plenty of opportunity, and a changing marketplace. Due to low affordability most…

Top Tax Savings for 2019 It's spring again and the tax man is knocking at your door.  As a property manager or property investor, you’re undoubtedly wondering how to cut your tax payable. Tax is a serious issue representing one of your largest business costs. Get your tax losses down and you'll be singing a…

Is Chicago's Housing Market Worth Investing In? Chicago's Housing market like a few other housing markets, is recovering from the last recession, yet the political uncertainties of 2019 and the upcoming 2020 election hang heavily on the city's future. The windy city is plagued with high taxes, shaky financials, and restrictive government regulation. Up until a…

Housing Forecast Berlin One of the most dynamic cities in Europe, Berlin Germany also has one of the world's hottest housing markets. In 2017 and 2018, it was under significant pressure with squeezed supply and exploding demand. High asset appreciation, rental income growth, and low interest rates make it a sweet spot for real estate investment…

Property Management Expo - Pasadena One of the richest experiences for any professional is getting together with others who share the same passions and interests. These opportunities are rare, but for some can be a career and performance changing event. The Southern California Income Property Management Expo is California's premier trade show for property management professionals. -----------------------------------------------------…

Everything Property Managers Need To meet an ever growing set of demands, property managers are looking to tech and automation to help them streamline and grow profitability. They're wise, it can make a big difference. Simplicity and focus are key parts of this. And PM's and landlords want to enjoy their work, get more done,…

The Hawaii Buildings, Facilities & Property Management Expo Each year, property managers, facilities managers, landlords, rental property investors, HOA managers, service equipment company managers, other real estate professionals gather at the the Hawaii Buildings, Facilities & Property Management Expo in beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii. Trade show vendors find convention type events such as the HBFP expo…

Why Are Some Landlords and Property Managers More Successful? If you're on the hunt for a landlord or property manager, you'll need some way to assess your candidates. HR recruiters and owners have very different views on who an ideal landlord or property manager is. Traditionally, those with leadership skills and experience would win hands…

San Jose's Housing Market 2019/2020 In what is the Valley of Heart's Delight, is perhaps the heart of the new Silicon Valley. With exceptional growth, comes changes in the character, business focus, and location of residents. San Jose seems to be where everyone wants to live in 2019 and beyond according to predictions. As local…

Which California Cities offer the Best Property Investment? Looking for the best cities and communities to invest in properties in California in 2019?  California offers the widest variety and highest potential rental returns However, the best property really depends on whether you're looking to live in your investment, fix and flip, or use it as a…

7 Ways to Drive Growth in 2019 After a stellar year in 2018, many property managers might be thinking of coasting for 2019. Is complacency ever good in business though? Does the status quo actually even exist in modern property management? Have pro sports teams ever kept winning championships without continuous improvement?  Conversely, will a growth…

Tenants Love Tech Amenities Want to increase resident retention, grow rents and revenue, make residents happy, and increase the appeal of your properties? Some cool, new amenities might be the way to do it, but which new amenities create the best ROI for rental property managers? When tenants think of places they don't want to…

The Power of Automation in Property Management Software The work of property management staff never seems to end. Whether it's tenants, owners, landlords, contractors, and an endless stream of accounting tasks, the days can be gruelling. It's the same in most industries and as businesses increase their customer base and provide more and better quality…

Competing in the Always On Economy The property management business has come a long way. From checks in the mail to online rental payment apps, and scheduled office visits to online, real time customer service, the property management experience is different today for you and tenants. It's not just automation.  The goal is to serve…

Excellent Property Management Apps for 2019 Are you a property manager or vacation rental manager looking to leverage mobile technology to improve your business? Check out these amazing mobile applications to complement the power of your property management software and make you more effective. Whether you're managing vacation rentals, sourcing new properties or lowering your maintenance costs, these smartphone…

Bring Your Property Accounting into the Modern Era It's not often an accountant or auditor gives you the thumbs up unless you've managed your accounting accurately. And with all those bills, spreadsheets, invoices, and calculators, you're in for the usual arduous year end and tax time pain. Is now the time to upgrade a much…

6 Steps to Choose the Right Software Realtors, landlords, investors, property managers and more are still making the software transition in 2019. What is this big transition all about? For property managers of any sized operation, it's the important process of trying out and adopting the next property management software solution to help you modernize.  There's…

How to Reduce Tenant Turnover Have you calculated how much revenue you've lost due to tenant turnover problems over the years?  It's a common underplayed issue for property investors, landlords, and even the best property management companies. When the boom times fade, will this become your top property management business issue? Let's take a look more…

10 Best Apps for Modern Landlords Are you a landlord who has more tasks than time? Welcome to the club. And due to those overwhelming amount of tasks and persistent problems, you'll be happy to know there's an app to help with most of them. Software applications for landlords are just a part of what…

Proptech for Property Managers and Realtors What will continue as a hot topic of interest for 2019 for property managers and realtors?  Each year it seems is the year of PropTech. As property professionals try to keep pace with technology and leverage its amazing power for doing work efficiently, they turn to these amazing solutions. These…

Study Shows US Renter Era is Coming It's a good time to be a property manager, rental income investor, or landlord. Opportunities will be spawned in the apartment and condo rental sector in the coming years. The US is becoming a renter nation due to sheer numbers of new renters along with supporting economic and…

Sydney Home Prices Fall most in 30 Years Sydney and the New South Wales district is beautiful, a destination of dreams for global travelers wishing to sample the lifestyle and unique economy of Southeast Australia. Change creates opportunities. And for investors and property managers, it's these times of change that create buying and management opportunities…

Top Landlord/Developer Concessions Landlords and property managers in San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, Denver, Phoenix, and Las Vegas are pulling out the stops to fill their rising vacancies and keep tenants in 2019. When vacancy rates rise, we all have to be more creative. In these markets, business as usual doesn't…

Create Your Lease Renewal Strategy While your focus is on giving tenants what they want, being professional, and responding quickly to maintenance tickets, you might still see a parade of tenants leaving.  A lease renewal strategy can help you keep tenancy rates up, and avoid losses. Hopefully you already have some tools to help you know…

Humanizing Property Management In recent posts we answered the questions, what do tenants want and also about what makes tenants happy. These are 2 extremely important questions. What questions have you asked as part of your business health checkup? There's one more key question: how do you personalize your relationship with tenants in the era…

How to Excel at Interviewing Renter Applicants Selecting the best tenants is only one of your top challenges yet it sure is one task to get right. Reducing tenant turnover and optimizing your ROI starts at the beginning with renter interviewing. We've talked about the best way to screen in the best applicants, knowing what apartment…

The Right Contractor is a Key Asset Finding qualified, experienced, licensed maintenance contractors is an important job for landlords or property managers. Properties don't stay in good condition by themselves. And if property management is 75% maintenance, this is a key area of business optimization for you. Whether commercial or residential, without the help of…

What's Top of Mind for Property Managers? Portfolio Growth, Revenue Growth, Improved Efficiency and Customer Experience Higher costs in the multifamily sector, housing markets, and ongoing evolution in the property management industry are forcing property managers to adapt/evolve or quit the business. Surveys show big ambitions, but do PMs have the tools and focus necessary…

How Healthy is Your Property Management Business? Health, fitness and wellness are big business in 2019. And in business, smart managers are paying more attention to healthy business performance.  That's because as the speed of business quickens and demands from clients increase, you need to be on top of things. You're a property management pro, well…

Business is Never Good Until the Customer is Happy Have you treated your tenants in a professional, businesslike way, and thought everything was fine, but it wasn't? Did they make complaints and eventually vacate the unit? Even very successful business people forget that business is about people. And when people feel good, they might stay…

Get Creative to Fill Rental Vacancies Are you building your rental property empire?  Or are you hoping to lower your vacancies and grow your revenue? Great goals for property managers in 2019, however, are you opened minded enough to let solutions come to you? Very often it's being motivated and taking these matters more seriously…

How To Generate More Leads In 2019, you'll lose some doors and clients and hopefully replace them with some new perhaps better ones. And when you need new property management prospect leads where do you get them? You can augment your own word of mouth/local prospecting many ways online.  You can design your complete online…