Interested in Investing in Real Estate or Property Management?

By Saul Klein via Real Town

Here is a short piece of rents:

Establishing the Rental Schedule

What will your unit command on the open market? Can you get more if the property is in better condition? What would it cost to put it in better condition? When was the rent last raised? Is there a shortage or abundance of competitive properties in the rental market? What are your competitors doing to rent their properties? The answers to these questions and more are required to effectively manage your property.

Remember that the value of income property is directly related to the income the property produces.

Owning and managing a rental property is like running a business. You must maximize income and minimize expenses. Keeping up with the rental market and keeping your unit rented is imperative. You don't, however, want to rent to just anyone. The poorly selected tenant can cause you the great legal expense and even dampen your enthusiasm for owning real estate!

So how do you establish market rents? It's easy. You call on available rental properties, comparing yours to the competition. You see, it all boils down to the law of supply and demand. Points of comparison are:

1. Size

Number of bedrooms and baths
Square footage

2. Amenities

Appliances - which ones?
Parking
Carpets, drapes, etc.

3. Who pays utilities

Gas and electric
Water

4. Length of tenancy - that which is most desirable depends on your market

Month to month
Lease for six months to a year

How do you find out all this information? You call and ask. You should have had a pretty good idea before you purchased the property. Fair market rent changes depending on market conditions. You must keep up with the market, increasing rents as appropriate.

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