21 Tips to Ensure Your Home is Secure These Holidays

Leaving for the annual holidays, before you pack the car and head off for some well deserved relaxation - take some time to ensure your property is safe and secure in your absence.

1. Do not hide door keys under mats, rocks, flower pots or door ledges.  Leave your key with a trusted friend or neighbour.
2. Do not post on Facebook (Twitter etc) that you are heading away on holiday.  Burglars also know how to search Google.
3. Make sure that you lock all windows and doors, even if just leaving your home for a few minutes. Intruders only need a few seconds to ruin your day.

A Property Manager's Christmas

Don’t you just love it…Christmas time in property management-land.

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling,

ring ting tingling too

Come on, it's lovely weather

for a sleigh ride together with you

Call me Scrooge but as a property manager the thought of Christmas is one of dread!

QR Codes in Property Management - a new gizmo or real value?

Our website and branding is currently being redesigned and one of the topics to come up during this process is QR codes.  Q what codes I hear you ask!  Let me share what I have learnt and how I think this technology could be great for property management.

[Scenario] Driving past a property you like with a rental sign out front.  Would you rather see this...

5 Property Management Tips for Landlords

As any landlord knows, property management is seldom as it seems at a glance. Many homeowners who plan to let out their property assume that managing tenants and the property itself will be simple and straightforward, without understanding the huge amount of administration and effort that goes into the management of a property. For new landlords hoping to learn how to effectively manage their property in Melbourne, here are a few things to consider when letting out your property to prospective tenants:

The 'boomerang' generation - why young adults are moving back into the family home

It used to be that we looked after our elderly parents, often inviting them back into the family home rather than face the pro's and con's of retirement villages.  However it seems the trend has swung the other way with many young adults choosing to move back into the family home as they look to either save for their own house, finance extended education or ... are just happier to be living at home with the often more favourable dynamic of being treated as adults.

How to Avoid Real Estate Scams

After reading an article on the Australian Securities and Investments site regarding Rob Dale's sentence for defrauding four investors out of 2 million dollars,  I spent time searching for tips on how to avoid real estate scams.  The following article by Kathryn Vercillo presents great advice:

Real estate investment scams are definitely a problem that many unfortunate people have run into. Real estate is worth a lot of money (even in these days when the real estate market isn’t exactly at its best). That always attracts fraudulent people and that’s why someone who is looking to invest in real estate may come across a problem with scams. There are definitely some things that you can do to protect yourself from scams when investing in real estate though. In fact, a lot of these things are basic and common sense things that you probably already know but can forget in the hasty excitement of buying a new home for investment. Let’s take a look at them so you can keep them in mind and avoid getting scammed.

Property Management is...

There have been many articles posted on the benefits of property management, the comparisons with self managed properties and how to find a property manager to suit your requirements.  The following definition captures what you have the right to expect for your monthly property management fees, anything less is not acceptable.

New Zealand - Family's House Carted Off on Truck After Loan Payments Missed

I came across this article on Google and thought it worth a share.  While it did happen back in May, it's the first time I've heard about the actual house being repossessed.

Family's house carted off on truck after loan payments missed

By Edward Gay 5:30 AM Tuesday May 17, 2011

 

A family's home was carried away on the back of a truck yesterday because they failed to meet the mortgage payments. 

9 Tips to Secure Your Rental Property This Holiday Season [protecting your rental property income]

Christmas is a busy time of year for the less desirable professions of our society.  Yes, it is time to discuss theft, burglary and vandalism - and minimising risk to your rental property income.

If your existing investment property is going to be untenanted over holidays or your tenants are leaving for their summer vacation there are precautions you can take.   If your property is still in the ‘construction’ stage, what has up to now been a busy building site with tradesmen in and out all day will soon resemble a ghost town as the workers take their annual hiatus.