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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, before property owners can...

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, without the right information...

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...

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 near: "Should I rent my Seattle home, or sell it?"...

About Real Property Associates (RPA)

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...

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...

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...

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...

  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...

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...

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:

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.

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.

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...

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...

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...

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,...

 

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....

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:

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...

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...

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 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...

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...

   

  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,...

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...

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,...

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 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.

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.

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.

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...

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....

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...

  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.  

  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...

  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,...

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...