Rental Housing Journal Arizona
April 2017 - Vol. 9 Issue 4
2. Phoenix Area Apartment Market Update 4. 4Q16 Market Overview & Multifamily Housing Update
6. Essential Cleaning Tips and Techniques for the Spring 7. Are You Ready to Rent to Millennials?
5. MODE Hires Industry Veteran as Senior Real Estate Manager
9. Dear Maintenance Men 11. Ask Landlord Hank
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How To Improve Your Tenant Selection and Screening By Landlord Hank
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was very proudly showing my very first rental property, which had been extensively renovated, to a nicely groomed and mannered young woman. She arrived for her tour, on time, in a newer vehicle, praising the property and saying she'd love to rent it. I fancied myself as astute and a good judge of character so I thought I'd skip the tenant screening step. I had her fill out an application and pay the fee. I told applicant I would let her know later in the day. As I thought more about not screening this tenant I decided to reconsider. I did screen her and found out she was in the process of eviction and hadn't paid rent in three months! So do not learn the hard way. Here are some questions and answers to help. Question: The landlord/investor has the property ready to rent-everything has been repaired and works properly, the unit is clean and looks great, inside and out. You have shown the property to a tenant prospect that seems to fit your criteria and can move in quickly. So what is the next step? Answer: This step is CRITICAL and if this step is not handled properly, the landlord will know first-hand why the landlord role is not for everyone. Tenant screening begins with your personal assessment of the prospective continued on page 10
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Homes in Short Supply as Home Shopping Season Kicks Off
here are 3 percent fewer homes on the market than a year ago, with the median home value hitting its highest point since June 2007, according to Zillow's February Real Estate Market Reports • U.S. home values rose 6.9 percent over the past year to a Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) of $195,700 in February. • Rents rose 1.2 percent over the past year to a Zillow Rent Index (ZRI) of $1,406 per month. • Inventory shortages will be a big concern for buyers going into home shopping season -- there are about 3 percent fewer homes for sale this year than last. • Minneapolis, Cincinnati and Detroit reported the greatest drop in homes for sale over the past year. • Mortgage rates on Zillow ended February at 3.89 percent, down from 4.01 percent at the start of the month. continued on page 3
Creating a Buzz to Attract Renters to Your Properties By Mary Girsch
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n the Chicago Tribune, the real estate section has a weekly feature that profiles an apartment community in their readership area, taking great care to describe the apartment in rich, picturesque detail. It’s one of my favorite parts of the newspaper; allowing me to experience a property that I may not typically visit. While this may not be feasible for most apartment communities, there are ways to create a similar buzz about your own communities. These can range bolstering your social media profile to teaming up with area businesses that are willing to send applicants your way.
While the strategies may vary, all can work to drive more quality applicants to your properties. • · Ramp up your social media strategy. This can be anything from creating a Facebook profile if you
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don’t already have one, to posting more in-depth information such as photos and videos of your apartment community that can be easily viewed and shared. Virtual tours of your community may also be useful. And don’t underestimate the value of Twitter, which can quickly get information out about your community and drive people back to your website for more information. Encourage your residents to share their positive experiences on social media as well. • Create a professional website that is loaded with tools that will appeal to those looking for a new continued on page 11
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