Property Management Insights

Georgia is one of the many states where Section 8 (now called the Housing Choice Voucher) is optional. Rental property owners can decide if they want to offer their property to the Section 8 community. HUD has been working to try to increase the number of homes available in ...

Tax time! Here in Georgia, we just received the assessments on our real estate property with taxes due between July and October. You probably noticed that huge increase in your tax bill and are choking on it! You can certainly file an appeal but since most counties reassessed, yo...

Brightening up your rental will help get it rented so much quicker. Here are some simple tricks we use to add more light to our rentals.1) If there are blinds on the windows, we will turn the slats upward. This small trick allows natural light to enter the home and bounces off th...

Over the years, HUD has become concerned about the number of Landlords withdrawing from their Section 8 program. So much so, that they finally asked Landlords why they are leaving. From feedback received across the county, HUD has begun implementing initiatives to retain and incr...

I come from a family that represents almost every branch of the military ... one uncle was in the Navy, one uncle was in the Air Force, my brother-in-law was in the Coast Guard and is now in the Air Force, my husband was in the Navy, my son was in the Air Force, and my dad was in...

I recently saw a statistic that 35% of renters have not been able to pay rent. That is huge. So, what are your options if you are a landlord with a delinquent tenant? Try Rent Assistance. Last March, the  Georgia Department of Community Affairs started administering the Rent...

How much security deposit should you hold? The general rule of thumb is one month’s rent but over the last few years we have noticed that tenants are just leaving lots of personal property and not really cleaning their rental upon termination of their lease. They are expect...

Who should handles lawn care? Over the years I have had the tenant take care of the yard ... but! Tenants don't do a grood job if they do it at all. Recently, I have had a change of plans. I'm now handles the lawn care maintenant and charging the tenant extra or it is inc...

If you are self managing your rental property, performing periodic drive-bys are important. Two to three times per year, get in your car and drive by the property and simply take a photo of the home from your car. Do not get out and walk around the home.  If the grass is too...

Can you write off all repairs? First you have to distinguish between a repair and an improvement. A repair is usually a small fix that keeps your rental in its current state and is relatively inexpensive. Patching holes in walls, replacing a broken doorway, changing toilet t...