Property Management Insights

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...

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...

Recent reporting indicates that 1 in 10 homes around the Atlanta metro area are now owned by real estate investment trusts. So why do you care? As a small investor, these large investment companies are forcing housing prices to dramatically increase – as you may have notice...

SELF-SHOWING LOCK BOXES. Should you use them?Nothing is more aggravating then traveling to your rental for a showing only to have the potential tenant NOT show up or even call you.New technology has brought SELF-SHOWING LOCK BOXES to the market where tenants can make their own ar...

Grand Update! We help our owners with major remodels. Here's a home in Hapeville that was totally trashed. Our crew cleaned up the interior and are currently working on: painting cabinets, replacing countertops, refinishing the bathtub, sanding the hardwood floors, replacing ...

Marietta Square just had their first Octoberfest this weekend (October 9 &10, 2021). They closed the Square to traffic and set up food vendor trailers, tents with crafts, beer, and lots of live music. We got there on Sunday afternoon and had a hard time parking. The park was ...

How much should you expect to pay for annual repairs, maintenance, upkeep, taxes, and insurance on your rental?This is a tough question but there are ways to estimate how much you should set aside. Here are four methods – any one of them would work as a good estimate.Square...

Just for your information - Average Atlanta area rental prices: Atlanta: $1,645 ~~ Marietta: $1421 ~~ Decatur: $1300 ~~ Sandy Springs: $1602 ~~ Douglasville: $1308 ~~ Kennesaw: $1717 ~~ Smyrna: $1449 If you want to know what your how much your rental property will rent for, just...

Tip #19: It is critical that your rental home is in compliance with state and local building codes. You are responsible for ensuring your investment property meets health and safety regulations or your tenant may have grounds to break their lease or even worse, sue you. A judge i...