January 2009

  • Building a Positive Relationship With Your Landlord

    By dubayns on 1/21/09 6:04pm
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    There are few things in this world that can be more frustrating than a grouchy, demanding, or vindictive landlord. Not having a good relationship with yours can cause undue stress and anxiety, especially around the time that rent checks are due. Being friendly and proactive can help to diffuse any landlord anxiety before it even begins.

    Laying the Foundation

    The first step in a good landlord-tenant relationship should occur on the day of move-in. Let your landlord know who you are and a little about yourself by introducing him or her to your family or roommate. This will help them put a face to a name and helps to humanize your room mate which will help your landlord connect to you as not only a customer, but as a person. All mature, professional business relationships begin with an introduction and a firm handshake.

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  • Why Renting is Almost the Same as Buying in Today’s Market

    By Michael Jon Lazar on 1/20/09 3:35pm
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    If you have ever heard from disturbed and perturbed homeowners who commonly lament that they feel like they are merely renting a home from the bank as opposed to their wiser friends who choose to truly rent a home and not be subjected to the ins and the outs of home purchase, there are ample reasons as to why. First and foremost, a home is supposed to be an investment, however when owners are dwarfed by costly repairs, dropping home values and banks that seemingly don’t really care about them, many times it is similar to renting a home, which would, in the end, cost a lot less and have no apparent contractual long term strings attached.

    How the Numbers Stack up
    Here is a good way to compare the costs. Let’s say you bought a home at a decent average interest rate of say eight percent on a thirty year fixed note—in the end you pay roughly a hundred or so grand in interest on a four hundred thousand dollar home.

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  • Foreclosure Real Estate Proving to be Lucrative Rental Investment Opportunity for Some

    By Michael Jon Lazar on 1/6/09 9:01pm
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    As the economy takes a most certain dip and turn, and the real estate market spurs on a recession, millions of homes have entered the default process, and even more have already been foreclosed upon. This recent trend has created a huge demand for loss mitigation specialists, who are needed to fill the many vacant positions in loss mitigation jobs, which help negotiate settlements between lenders and struggling home owners.

    While some people may be losing their homes, others are investing in those lost homes. In many cases, foreclosure real estate is hot commodity for an avid investor who is looking to build up their portfolio with quality homes that can be acquired for some of the lowest prices in history.

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  • Customizing your rented space . . .

    By macallister on 1/5/09 7:19pm
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    I've been renting apartments and homes for over twenty years. And because I love the freedom to pick up and move whenever wanderlust strikes, I anticipate renting for a good many more.

    Renting doesn't mean that we have no attachment to our physical surroundings, though. Our living-space is important to both health and mental well-being, so it deserves a little consideration, and occasionally some extra work.

    One of the beauties of renting, of course, is that you're not ultimately responsible for the maintenance of a house. In the meantime, however, you can often make arrangements with the landlord to customize your living space with small and fairly inexpensive improvements like paint, updated cabinetry, flooring, or carpet. Usually, in fact, the owner/landlord will deduct part or even all of the cost of those improvements from your rent.

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