Latest News

Should I Rent My Home or Sell It? Expert Insights for Long-Term Wealth

Should I Rent My Home or Sell It? Expert Insights for Long-Term Wealth Published February 6, 2020. Updated June 22, 2023. Moving into your next phase of life in Seattle is exciting—but you have decisions to make. Leaving a house behind means you've probably been asking yourself this question a lot as moving day draws...

Summer Market Report

Summer Market Report As your trusted property management partner, Real Property Associates believes in keeping you informed about the latest developments in the Seattle Metro rental market. Here is an overview of the current trends and factors affecting your properties....

10 Ways to Spend Capital To Increase ROI: Property Management Seattle

10 Ways to Spend Capital To Increase ROI: Property Management Seattle Real estate investors should always look for ways to increase their return on investment. Your ROI is a crucial metric to determine the success, or failure, of the rental property. One of the best ways to generate more income and boost ROIs is with...

Investing Basics 101: Insight From Seattle Property Managers

Investing Basics 101: Insight From Seattle Property Managers Don't underestimate the foundations of real estate! Success as a Seattle rental property owner requires a commitment to basic principles, strategies, and practices that help your properties stand out, stay occupied, and generate the most income for...

Successful Portfolios Need the Best Property Management Seattle Offers

Successful Portfolios Need the Best Property Management Seattle Offers When it comes to full-service property management Seattle investors can count on, We come out on top for the seasoned real estate investors we serve. However, property management services aren't the only crucial element you need to successfully grow...

Growing Portfolios With Tips From Seattle Property Management

Growing Portfolios With Tips From Seattle Property Management Real estate investments are a solid vehicle for anyone looking to break out of the 9 to 5 lifestyle, achieve financial stability, and secure retirement. However, growing a profitable real estate investment portfolio takes a lot of...

Beginning a Portfolio With Seattle Property Management

Beginning a Portfolio With Seattle Property Management Sustainable wealth is built upon a foundation of real estate investments in the Seattle area that are held long term for the sake of your financial future. The more assets, the merrier—although the workload can quickly get extensive. With the help...

Evictions Now: Insight From Seattle Property Management Companies

Evictions Now: Insight From Seattle Property Management Companies Updated November 14, 2022. When property owners decide they need a renter to move out after repeated lease violations, they can go through the legal eviction process, should this process not run afoul of our new winter eviction moratorium. However,...

How To Know if a Seattle Property Is a Good Real Estate Investment

How To Know if a Seattle Property Is a Good Real Estate Investment Updated January 13, 2022 How can a property investor in Seattle know if they're considering a property that will be a good investment? There are no guarantees that you're making a good choice when buying your next investment property. However,...

Renting to Millennials in Seattle Is Easier Than You Might Think!

Renting to Millennials in Seattle Is Easier Than You Might Think! Is your rental property ready? Millennials are flocking to Seattle in droves—and they need places to live. According to Business Insider, Seattle is the second most popular city where millennials chose to move in 2019. The city grew by about 8,000...

SEATTLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SHARES – About Real Property Associates (RPA)

SEATTLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SHARES – About Real Property Associates (RPA) About Real Property Associates (RPA)

SEATTLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SHARES - How to Screen Rental Property Tenants

SEATTLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SHARES - How to Screen Rental Property Tenants It’s every landlord’s desire to have a tenant who pays the rent promptly and who takes care of the rental property. But how can you tell that a person is a good tenant? The most significant step is to conduct a proper screening check before you sign...

SEATTLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SHARES – Best places for rentals in Seattle

SEATTLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SHARES – Best places for rentals in Seattle Moving to Seattle is simply amazing; try asking anyone who resides in Seattle also referred to as "The Emerald City"! They may have a few quibbles about its traffic and graffiti - but what large city doesn't? And if you ask them directly whether...

SEATTLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SHARES - How To Increase The Value Of Your Seattle Rental Property

SEATTLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SHARES - How To Increase The Value Of Your Seattle Rental Property If you are planning to invest in real estate or if you are already a landlord, you probably want to increase your rental property's value in the housing market and Seattle rental market. You can always wait for an upswing in the housing market or...

Seattle's "first-come, first-served" Rental Law Rejected by Judge

Seattle's "first-come, first-served" Rental Law Rejected by Judge Judge rejects Seattle’s ‘first-come, first-served’ rental law as unconstitutional Choosing a tenant “is a fundamental attribute of property ownership,” King County Superior Court Judge Suzanne Parisien said in a written ruling. Share story Seattle’s...

The Seattle Rental Market – A Look Back and Forward to 2018

As we enter our 28th year in business and look forward to a new year, we certainly want to recognize and thank our owners for the opportunity to manage your properties. At last count, we have over 900 owners and ownership groups who entrust us to...

Seattle's Rental Market Forecast 2018

Seattle's Rental Market Forecast 2018 What 2018 Holds For Seattle’s Residential Rental Market Seattle’s 2017 was a year of many construction projects, consistent office demand from tech firms, and increasing multifamily rentals. These real estate trends were driven by the short supply...

Americans Moving Less

Americans Moving Less Though you wouldn't know it based on the influx of new residents and construction of high-rise apartment buildings in Seattle, as a country, we are moving less frequently, according to this article in The Seattle Times:

How the GOP Tax Cut Affects Homeowners

How the GOP Tax Cut Affects Homeowners According to this article in Business Insider, both the House and Senate versions of the GOP tax cut will eliminate one of the biggest tax benefits for homeowners.

New Regulations for Short-Term Seattle Rentals

New Regulations for Short-Term Seattle Rentals In addition to the new Airbnb and other short-term rental taxes voted on by the City Council last month, there will now be new regulations that will limit the number of units that can be offered and will require a license to operate.

Find a Home, Become a Star!

Find a Home, Become a Star! If you, or someone you know, will be looking for a home to rent in Seattle in early 2018, check out this opportunity to be a part of a new house-hunting reality-TV series. According to the president of the Casting Firm, "It’s a feel-good show that...

Seattle Rental Market Update

Seattle Rental Market Update Good news for Seattle landlords as recent reports reveal that rent prices throughout the Seattle area continue to experience an upward trend. Actually, Seattle rentals are currently among the highest in the U.S.. The news comes at a time when other...

New Tax for Airbnb Rentals

New Tax for Airbnb Rentals On Monday, the Seattle City Council voted in favor of a per-night tax on short-term rental properties, such as Airbnb units, according to this Seattle Times article. This new tax is a part of the Council's effort to alleviate Seattle's housing...

Is the Seattle Real Estate Bubble Going To Burst?

Not anytime soon, according to this Seattle Times article by Mike Rosenburg. Seattle has been the hottest real estate market in the country for a full year, with housing costs growing more than double the national rate. As we all already know,...

Another Seattle Landlord Tenant Regulation is Proposed

Another Seattle Landlord Tenant Regulation is Proposed

A second group has sued the city of Seattle over their new Tenant Ordinance

A second group has sued the city of Seattle over their new Tenant Ordinance As a Seattle area property management company, we have heard many threats from landlords who are "up in arms" about the new cap on move-in fees. This article talks about this landlord group and the lawsuit against the city to overturn the ordinance....

First Lawsuit for the New First In Time Ordinance Seattle

The Seattle Times reports the first lawsuit to Seattle's new landlord / tenant ordinance. We have heard rumors of several more to follow from other individuals and organizations. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out:

Preventative Rental Property Maintenance Advice for Your Seattle Home

Preventative Rental Property Maintenance Advice for Your Seattle Home Maintaining your rental property effectively will help you preserve its condition and increase your ROI. It will also keep your tenants happy, because they want to live in a home that is well-maintained and safe. Instead of reacting to every...

Getting Your House Ready to Rent to a Tenant | A Seattle Property Management How To

Getting Your House Ready to Rent to a Tenant | A Seattle Property Management How To If you’re an investor buying a home specifically for this purpose, getting your house ready to rent is pretty easy. However, if you have been living in the property and you’re now turning it into a rental property, preparing your home for a tenant...

Seattle is #1 Housing Market - Once Again

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/seattle-chugs-along-as-americas-hottest-home-market-despite-slowing-a-bit/ As written in the Seattle Times: Even as local home-price gains slowed for the fourth straight month, the region still had...

Rental Marketing How To – Seattle Property Management Advice

Rental Marketing How To – Seattle Property Management Advice Rental advertising has evolved from placing nickel ads in the classified section of local newspapers to major marketing campaigns on a variety of platforms, including websites and social media. This is a critical part of finding a good tenant and...

Best Rental Improvements for Top Dollar Rent in Seattle

Best Rental Improvements for Top Dollar Rent in Seattle To earn top rent in the Seattle market, you need to provide a property that’s desirable and modern. While there’s no need to completely remodel your property, you should make a few key improvements that will make a huge difference in attracting and...

How to Price Your Rental – Tips from a Seattle Property Management Company

How to Price Your Rental – Tips from a Seattle Property Management Company

Washington Eviction Process Legal Advice | Need to Know's for Managing Your Seattle Rental Property

Seattle property management companies and landlords need to follow a series of specific steps when performing a residential eviction in Washington. Brian Read, an experienced landlord and tenant attorney who has worked with RPA for several years,...

Someone found some humor in the Seattle rental market

Someone found some humor in the Seattle rental market THE SEATTLE TIMES BENJAMIN WOODARD ‘Sweet deal’: Ad for $2,000-a-month gingerbread house in Central District is the satire we all need right now For rent: a “HUGE micro house” with an “efficient floor plan” of about 1 square foot. But be warned, you...

Seattle Property Management News: What is the New “First in Time” Ordinance?

Seattle Property Management News: What is the New “First in Time” Ordinance? An important update that will soon affect landlords, property managers and owners of rental property located inside the Seattle city limits. Recently, the Seattle city council voted for and adopted some new ordinances that will affect landlords,...

Seattle's Rental Law and Unintended Consequences -- as reported by The Seattle Times

Seattle's Rental Law and Unintended Consequences -- as reported by The Seattle Times The first-come, first served renter's law has the best of intentions. But sometimes interventions in the economy can go wrong. By Jon Talton,.

As housing costs soar, Seattle becomes nation’s top roommate city -- as reported by The Seattle Times

As housing costs soar, Seattle becomes nation’s top roommate city -- as reported by The Seattle Times As living solo becomes more expensive, finding a roommate is essential for many city residents. Seattle now ranks No. 1 in the percentage of people living with an unrelated adult. By Gene Balk for The Seattle Times, gbalk@seattletimes.com.

Kshama Sawant’s Cap on Move-In Fees Gets One Step Closer to Full Council Vote - as reported The Stranger

Kshama Sawant’s Cap on Move-In Fees Gets One Step Closer to Full Council Vote - as reported The Stranger by Heidi Groover for The Stranger Over the objections of landlords who claim Seattle is burdening them with over regulation, a majority of the Seattle City Council sided with renters today and voted in favor of a proposal to limit move-in fees.

Most Home Buyers Keep Their Options Open, Consider Renting Instead -- as reported by Puget Sound Business Journal

Most Home Buyers Keep Their Options Open, Consider Renting Instead -- as reported by Puget Sound Business Journal SEATTLE, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's competitive housing market, most of those who moved recently considered both buying and renting while looking for a new place to live, according to the Zillow Group Report on Consumer Housing Trends.

Seattle Energy Benchmarking & Reporting

Seattle Energy Benchmarking & Reporting All mid-size to large apartment and commercial buildings in the city of Seattle are required to report energy consumption. If you do not report this information annually, you will be subject to a fine. One of the positive things that this does is...

Proposed Zoning Changes for the University District

Proposed Zoning Changes for the University District RPA has several buildings that we manage within the newly proposed density overlay as discussed in today's Seattle Times article. If passed, it will be interesting to see how quickly properties become assembled, proposed, permitted and constructed....

City of Seattle Vs Airbnb - the future of short term stay rentals in Seattle is on the line

Over the last few years, all of us who are in the Seattle property management business have seen the proliferation of short term stay rentals increase through websites such as Airbnb. A recent study suggested that the number of active Airbnb rentals...

What is Renter’s Insurance? Seattle Property Management Education

What is Renter’s Insurance? Seattle Property Management Education Everybody has heard of the term “renter’s insurance,” but not everyone knows what it is and what it covers. We’ve invited Andrew Cowan with FirstMark Insurance to talk to us about how it can benefit both tenants and landlords in Seattle.

Landlord Insurance Policy vs. Homeowner’s Insurance Policy – Seattle, WA Professional Explains

Landlord Insurance Policy vs. Homeowner’s Insurance Policy – Seattle, WA Professional Explains A lot of our clients have previously lived in the homes they are renting out, and when you go from being an occupant to a landlord, there are several changes that occur. Insurance is one of those changes. We are joined today by Andrew Cowen with...

Washington Eviction Process Legal Advice | Need to Know for Managing Your Seattle Rental Property

Washington Eviction Process Legal Advice | Need to Know for Managing Your Seattle Rental Property Seattle property management companies and landlords need to follow a series of specific steps when performing a residential eviction in Washington. Brian Read, an experienced landlord and tenant attorney who has worked with RPA for several years,...

Seattle Rents = 50% of San Francisco Median Rents

Seattle Rents = 50% of San Francisco Median Rents THE ZUMPER BLOG Zumper National Rent Report: March 2016 San Francisco, CA rent prices increased 2.6% this February to reach a median one bedroom of $3,590. Though up, rates remain below the peak of $3,670 seen last October. San Francisco maintains...
    How To Videos

    How to Reset a Garbage Disposal

    How to Change a Furnace Filter

    Article Topics

    See all