Author: Real Property Associates

Advanced Rental Payments: Insight From Seattle Property Management

Advanced Rental Payments: Insight From Seattle Property Management Published January 28, 2021 Updated April 27, 2023 Please note: This article is not legal advice. For up-to-date information and guidance, reach out to your attorney or Real Property Associates. It is not uncommon for investors to encounter renters...

How to Process Rental Applications for Seattle Properties

How to Process Rental Applications for Seattle Properties The rental application is the first and an important step to finding your next quality tenant!  However, before you can process it properly and legally, it's essential to set it up in a way that helps you gather critical information for a tenant...

What to Know About Emotional Support Animals and Leasing in Seattle

What to Know About Emotional Support Animals and Leasing in Seattle Published June 9, 2022 Updated April 13, 2023 Sometimes tenants don't come into a rental property alone: they are accompanied by a dog, cat, or an emotional support animal that comes to live with them in their rented property. While some landlords...

How to List Rental Property in Seattle (and Find Quality Tenants)

How to List Rental Property in Seattle (and Find Quality Tenants) Have you ever listed a rental property . . . and no one noticed?  A property listing can help quality tenants find your property or go unnoticed on rental listing websites. In the worst-case scenario, a poorly executed listing can attract...

Pet Screening Protects Your Seattle Property! Don't Skip This Step

Pet Screening Protects Your Seattle Property! Don't Skip This Step Published February 20, 2020 Updated March 23, 2023 Smart landlords know that it's a bad idea to place a resident in your rental property without a thorough screening process. Did you know you should do the same thing for pets?  Deciding to allow...

My Renter Damaged My Rental: Property Management Seattle Tips

My Renter Damaged My Rental: Property Management Seattle Tips Original publish date April 22, 2021 Updated March 9, 2023 Discovering more people living in your rental than are legally on the lease is a problem. Property damage caused by renters is also a common problem many Seattle real estate investors face. ...

5 Tips for Choosing Residential Property Management in Seattle

5 Tips for Choosing Residential Property Management in Seattle Residential property management companies provide property owners with a broad spectrum of assistance to help with day-to-day operations, including business and property marketing.  However, choosing the right property management company is vital to...

Seattle Property Management: 5 Common DIY Property Owner Mistakes

Seattle Property Management: 5 Common DIY Property Owner Mistakes Do you consider yourself a DIY property owner? Perhaps you know how to fix a faucet leak or are skilled at preparing spreadsheets and forecasting. We all like to save some money, and being involved as much as possible in property management is a...

3 Top Marketing Benefits of Hiring a Seattle Property Manager

3 Top Marketing Benefits of Hiring a Seattle Property Manager Whether you've just bought your first investment property and are preparing to put it on the market or have several assets in your collection, how you advertise your investments can determine the quality of your tenants, the number of leads that...

A Rental Property Owner’s Guide To Eviction Prevention

A Rental Property Owner’s Guide To Eviction Prevention The eviction process is no fun for either party involved in the lease agreement. It's a costly and time-consuming procedure for the property owner and stressful for the occupants as they seek alternate accommodations.  Once you factor in the legal...

Prepaids on the Cash Flow

Prepaids on the Cash Flow The cash flow shows how much money flowed into, or out of each account listed. Most accounts (like rents and repairs) only have money flowing one way. Money generally flows into rent, very rarely out. Because of this, the cash flow will consistently...

What Is Eviction: 6 Steps to Handle Tenants Who Just Can’t Pay

What Is Eviction: 6 Steps to Handle Tenants Who Just Can’t Pay You are a couple of days into the month and realize your tenant has not paid their rent. Best case scenario: your tenant has forgotten.  However, you are concerned about your bill payments without collecting that payment. Even successful...

Eviction Prevention: How to Keep Seattle Tenants Happy Long-Term

Eviction Prevention: How to Keep Seattle Tenants Happy Long-Term Evicting a tenant can be a time-consuming and costly exercise. The tenant turnover process is costly for property owners, as well. To protect your return on investment and avoid the cost and time involved in replacing tenants, eviction prevention is...

After the 30-Day Notice, What's Next in the Eviction Process?

After the 30-Day Notice, What's Next in the Eviction Process? There are many reasons why you might have served a 30-day notice. In many month-to-month rental situations, this notice is how you let the renters know that you're going to move on and do something new with this property. You may have no complaints...

What Does It Cost to Evict a Tenant?

What Does It Cost to Evict a Tenant? Evicting a tenant is never pleasant. Rental investment property owners don't want to deal with unruly tenants, but occasionally it happens. When it does, you may have to begin the eviction process. So, you may be wondering, what does it cost to...

How to Serve an Eviction Notice Letter the Right Way

How to Serve an Eviction Notice Letter the Right Way Serving an eviction notice letter is not something a property owner takes lightly. It's also not a task that is quickly and easily done when it becomes apparent that a tenant needs to be removed from a property.  There are many steps involved in...

Seattle Property Management Tips and Tricks for Success

Seattle Property Management Tips and Tricks for Success Rental property investors need property management insights to be successful. However, purchasing the property is just the first step in getting the ROI rolling. Next, you need the tricks of the trade to move ahead and be profitable.  If you've ever...

Beyond a Free Lease Agreement Template: Legal Things to Know

Beyond a Free Lease Agreement Template: Legal Things to Know While it's true that you don't need a law degree to become a landlord, most property owners find they need to brush up on some key aspects of the law when they start renting properties out and writing their leases. Renters trust you to provide a...

From the Move in Checklist Onward: Managing Your Rental Property Well

From the Move in Checklist Onward: Managing Your Rental Property Well While investing in real estate can feel like an exciting way to build value in investments, a significant portion of the returns from the rental property depends on how you run those properties. It can seem like only a few simple steps until you get...

How to Become a Great Landlord: Seattle Property Management Tips

How to Become a Great Landlord: Seattle Property Management Tips From the first time you scan over a free lease agreement online to when you buy your 10th rental property, there are many lessons to learn about being a great landlord. As with many jobs, it can be hard to find balance: you want to balance your firm...

How to Choose the Right Property Management System

How to Choose the Right Property Management System Many property owners with more than one investment property start to notice how much time the rent roll, accounting, and other recordkeeping and monitoring tasks can take to stay organized and profitable. However, documents and other critical things...

A Seattle Property Management Guide to the Month-to-Month Lease

A Seattle Property Management Guide to the Month-to-Month Lease Rental property owners have a lot to handle every time a lease agreement ends, and another one begins. They must make sure the renters move out, assess damages, make repairs or do maintenance, and find new renters, which includes reviewing rental...

Choosing a Long-Term vs. Short-Term Rental Lease Agreement: A Guide

Choosing a Long-Term vs. Short-Term Rental Lease Agreement: A Guide Real estate rental agreements include plenty of customizable options. While property owners have to remain within the bounds of what real property management Bellevue experts can tell you to follow the law, you have many options for structuring your...

What Should be in Your Lease [Real Property Management Seattle Tips]

What Should be in Your Lease [Real Property Management Seattle Tips] When a dispute arises between a renter and their real estate investor landlord, one of the first places they turn is to the basic lease agreement they both signed. The lease agreement is how renters and property owners agree to work with each other...

Creative Real Estate Investing Strategies for Success

Creative Real Estate Investing Strategies for Success Creative real estate investing is an innovative way to make money through buying, selling, or managing properties. It can be an excellent alternative for those real estate investors who have been learning how to create wealth investing in real...

The Complete Guide To Successful Long-Distance Real Estate Investing

The Complete Guide To Successful Long-Distance Real Estate Investing There are many reasons why long-distance real estate investing makes sense. This strategy allows investors to buy rental properties in cities outside of where they live while generating more revenue! In addition, it's a great way to diversify your...

Real Estate Investing: The Best Ways To Find Deals, Make Money, And Have Fun

Real Estate Investing: The Best Ways To Find Deals, Make Money, And Have Fun Real estate investing is a long-term strategy to build wealth. It takes patience, intelligence, and a little creativity to find a good deal while making some money and having fun. Owning real estate is exciting while generating rental income from it...

What Are the Best Real Estate Investing Books and Courses?

What Are the Best Real Estate Investing Books and Courses? There are several different strategies to successfully invest in real estate, and each comes with its own set of risks and benefits. If you’re thinking about investing in real estate, it is crucial to understand the best approaches to maximize...

Seattle Real Estate Investing 101

Seattle Real Estate Investing 101 You may already know that owning real estate is an excellent way to make money for your future. However, for this to work well, the return on your investment must be high enough to cover your initial investment costs and ongoing expenses, like...

How Natural Disasters Factor Into a Seattle Rental Property and ROI

How Natural Disasters Factor Into a Seattle Rental Property and ROI When purchasing a rental property, it’s critical to do everything you can to protect your investment. Unfortunately, some things can impact your property and income (like natural disasters) that property owners have no control over. However, you can...

The Best Thing Seattle Property Owners Can Do for Better ROI

The Best Thing Seattle Property Owners Can Do for Better ROI Maximizing rental property returns requires the right strategies. Real estate investors enjoy more long-term passive income when meeting monthly or annual ROI goals! So, what helps to determine ROI, and how can you improve it? Is there one thing...

Why Bellevue Rental Property Owners Must Inspect!

Why Bellevue Rental Property Owners Must Inspect! An investment property owner must take steps to protect their assets, including scheduling regular inspections. These routine inspections can ensure that you stay on top of any issues and keep up to date on the condition of your real estate...

How To Identify Seattle Rental Properties for Maximum ROI

How To Identify Seattle Rental Properties for Maximum ROI Investing in real estate continues to be an excellent way for someone to build long-term wealth and prepare for the future. With the right real estate investment property, you can generate cash flow, build long-term wealth, and hedge against...

Owning Rental Properties in 2022: Is it Worth It?

Owning Rental Properties in 2022: Is it Worth It? Rental property management is hardly the "set it and forget it" investment that some new investors hope it could be. A Bellevue property management company will tell you that owning and managing rental property involves a lot of business decisions,...

How Seattle Owners Can Maximize Opportunities At Lease Renewal

How Seattle Owners Can Maximize Opportunities At Lease Renewal Being in the rental investment business involves a lot of hard work and the right strategies. Residential property owners must stay proactive to generate excellent cash flow and ROIs. If you remain stagnant or miss specific opportunities, a rental...

How to Analyze Vacancies and Listings For Rental Properties

How to Analyze Vacancies and Listings For Rental Properties Selecting the perfect investment property is never an easy task for investors. Many factors go into making the best choice for maximum ROI. From the neighborhood in which a property is located to the amount of property taxes you'll have to pay, a...

What Kind of ROI Should Owners Expect for a Rental Property In 2022?

What Kind of ROI Should Owners Expect for a Rental Property In 2022? Looking into 2022, rental property investors may be wondering where to put their money next. With the cost of homes rising, knowing what kind of ROI you can expect from your investments might be an urgent question on your mind. Property owners need...

Why Tenant Screening Is Critical For Better ROIs

Why Tenant Screening Is Critical For Better ROIs Preventing risks is a cornerstone of success as a real estate investor. However, there are challenges to balancing it all for better ROIs, from the risk of making a poor investment to dealing with the costly effects of bad tenants. Whether it's...

How Future Development Impacts Bellevue Rental Properties

How Future Development Impacts Bellevue Rental Properties Are you keeping an eye on future development in the Bellevue area? Investing in a way that delivers a healthy return on investment (ROI) for rental properties means analyzing the impacts of development on your investments. Sometimes this is fairly...

How Mid-Lease Inspections Help Seattle Property Owners

How Mid-Lease Inspections Help Seattle Property Owners Maintaining rental property ROIs requires the right experience and strategies in multiple areas. From managing maintenance requests to collecting the rent, property owners must avoid mistakes and be proactive to produce excellent returns. However,...

How New Appliances Boost Rental Property ROI

How New Appliances Boost Rental Property ROI When you are a property owner in Bellevue, making strategic improvements to your properties can attract better renters and boost ROI. In addition, keeping your properties in great condition can cut down on the volume of maintenance requests you...

How Local Amenities Help Seattle Investors Find Good Properties

How Local Amenities Help Seattle Investors Find Good Properties Successful real estate investors know the importance of understanding the market before laying out cash or committing to financing for a new rental property. Once you have a property, you've made a long-term investment. So, it's vital to go into the...

5 Hidden Rental Property ROI Killers in Seattle

5 Hidden Rental Property ROI Killers in Seattle Generating enough ROI for a rental property is a critical balancing act. Property owners have to find the right balance of costs vs. income to balance the ROI for an investment. However, hidden investment property ROI killers will sink your income...

10 Things For a Resident Benefits Package That Benefits Investors

10 Things For a Resident Benefits Package That Benefits Investors As a rental property owner dealing with daily property management tasks, it's essential to do all you can to make your residents happy. This might be easier with some renters than it is with others. However, happy renters are more likely to renew...

How the Job Market Impacts Bellevue Real Estate Investments

How the Job Market Impacts Bellevue Real Estate Investments Owning investment property comes with many responsibilities. A Bellevue, Washington investor has a lot on the table to manage, including property management services, lease signings, rental rate analysis, and more. One of the most significant...

How Not Knowing a Seattle Rental Property's Cash Flow Hurts

How Not Knowing a Seattle Rental Property's Cash Flow Hurts In any business, cash flow must be a priority. Without money coming in from your rental property, property owners have difficulty making payments on the mortgage and other expenses that come with owning a rental home. This can lead to paying for...

Improve Rental Property ROI With These Easy "Hard"ware Tips

Improve Rental Property ROI With These Easy "Hard"ware Tips As a property owner, one of the most important things to do is maintain your properties. With insights from the best property management Bellevue offers can help you make the right decisions regarding any upgrades to your rental property and...

How Crime Rates Can Affect a 'Perfect' Seattle Property

How Crime Rates Can Affect a 'Perfect' Seattle Property You've found the "perfect" investment property in Seattle. However, have you taken a look at the crime rates for the area? While a property that seems to have everything a renter wants might seem like an ideal purchase for your portfolio, a high...

Defining Bellevue Rental Property Goals: Cash Flow vs. Appreciation

Defining Bellevue Rental Property Goals: Cash Flow vs. Appreciation Every landlord has different Bellevue rental property goals. Defining your specific goals is critical to your success and evaluating ROIs.  Are you investing for cash flow or are you investing for appreciation? What's your rental property strategy...

How to Keep Seattle Rental Properties Competitive: Home Office Spaces

How to Keep Seattle Rental Properties Competitive: Home Office Spaces It's no secret that rental property owners are feeling the pressure of the pandemic. With many people staying home during this time, property owners have to adapt to meet the needs of renters looking for more space to accommodate an at-home...
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