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Tenants Have to Follow the Rules or a Termination of Tenancy Could Occur

Leave a comment Folsom Homes for Sale / Folsom Rental Properties / General / Investment Real Estate / Landlord Tenant Issues / Property Management / Rent Control / Rental Rates / Roseville Homes For Sale

When Given a Notice to Enter to Make Repairs… Be Available

We recently had the occasion of having to serve a tenant on more than one occasion to allow a Plumbing company entry into his unit to make a repair on a water leak that the tenant originally called in.

The plumbing company made more than a few attempts to get into the unit, but the tenant was never fully cooperative. Plumbing companies and other vendors we use can not always make an “on time” appointment. They will do their best but a lot of times they will have a “window” of time.   For example, “well be there between 9-11”.

Personally I agree with the tenant that if they use a window, it means they have to be there a 9 but the vendor may not show up until 10:30.  However,  that is the environment we live in and while it’s sometimes inconvenient we have to get the repair completed.

When the tenant stood us up again, we gave him a 48 hour notice to enter.

On the day we were supposed to enter, we get there with a copy of the keys just in case the tenant wasn’t home which,  in this case he wasn’t,  although he said he would be.

Here’s a list of the violations of his lease.

  • The Keys We Had Don’t Work – Tenant Changed the Locks
    If you didn’t know, as a Tenant you are allowed to change the locks on your door, BUT, you have to give a copy of those new keys to the Property Manager/Landlord in case they need access,  as was this case. Since the tenant wasn’t there and would not be available, we had to drill out the key and replace the lock.
  • The Tenant had “unauthorized” pets in his unit !
    After we get into the unit we find the tenant has dogs that he never told us about and was not authorized to have.
 So What Can Happen To a Tenant in a Case Like This..? 

The Tenant is going to be given a bill for the replacement of the lock since he didn’t give us a copy.  He also had dogs and never told us or got authorization so he getting a Termination Notice.

The new Statewide Rent Control Law does not come into effect until January 1, 2020, so his “termination of tenancy” doesn’t require any reason for the termination.   This was a tool that made it easier for Landlords to get rid of Tenants who don’t follow the rules.

So the advice I’d give you if you going to be a renter is, please follow the rules.   Most property managers don’t like kicking people out of their homes, but if you don’t follow the rules that is what could happen to you.

If you are an Owner/Investor looking for Property Management Services, please check us out at Haven Properties, Property Management Services 2nd to None.

 

In the Mean Time…?

Make it a Great Day…!

Ed Favinger, Broker, CRS, GRI, SFR

Related Articles

Sacramento Rent Control is here & Statewide – What Are the Rules..?

Leave a comment Folsom Homes for Sale / Folsom Rental Properties / General / Investment Real Estate / Landlord Tenant Issues / Property Management / Real Estate Sales

California Apartment Association Has an Overview

 

Well it’s sad to say, but we’ve entered the area of State Wide Rent Control with the recent passage of AB1482 that was signed into law a couple of days ago by the Governor.

While this law could have been worse, it’s still takes away many protections for Landlords/Investors because they will not be able to easily raise rents to market rates or evict tenants that might pay the rent, but are disruptive to an apartment complex or not following the rules regarding care of their unit.

The real problem is the lack of affordable housing that is caused by the ever increasing regulations and barriers put up by governments, state and local.

I guess one good thing is there is no “enforcement mechanism” in place with this new State law, such as a “rent control board” that was created by the City of Sacramento.  By the way, that Rent Control Board will be funded by Landlords with another Annual Assessment.   So if a tenant has a dispute with you and at the same time owes rent to a Landlord, that tenant can easily get a Rent Control committee to hold a hearing delaying any kind of enforcement.

The rules, procedures and assessment amounts from the City of Sacramento Rent Control Board haven’t been published as far as I know.   So stay tuned and if you’re thinking of buying an investment property there or anywhere else in the State of California, you’ve got to be aware of the new law’s impacts.

You can still make money with investment real estate, but you’ll have to learn the new rules.

Managing a rental will probably be made a little more time consuming so why not hire a Property Manager.   A good one will help make you money and keep you out of trouble.

Check us out at Haven Properties, 916.990.0770 or call me anytime at 916.203.1260 if you have questions regarding Rent Control, the Rental Market or Residential Investment Sales.

Click Here for the INDUSTRY INSIGHTS prepared by the California Apartment Association.

 

In the Mean Time…?

Make it a Great Day…!

Ed Favinger, Broker, CRS, GRI, SFR   916.203.1260

 

 

Duplex Market Still Strong – Low Inventory – Prices Continue Up

Leave a comment Folsom Rental Properties / Foreclosure / General / Investment Real Estate / Landlord Tenant Issues / Property Management / Real Estate Sales / Rental Rates / Short Sales

Even Fixers Get Multiple Offers..! Just Not Top Dollar..!

I haven’t written an article in a while and thought I’d get back in here and update those of you that follow this blog from time to time

RE-SALE SACRAMENTO AREA DUPLEXES

Duplex sales in the Sacramento Region are still pretty healthy with rising prices and rising rents because of a Strong Economy.

Mistakes I See Sellers Make:

The biggest mistake I see some Duplex Sellers now on the market, is thinking an “as is” sale of a property that has a lot of “deferred maintenance” will sell for just about what a “Fixed Up” property will bring in.Duplexes - 1

Another mistake,  besides not maintaining the property, would be an existing unit Rents far below the market.  The reason usually given is “they are long term tenants”.  This reason ignores the fact when they go to Sell the Duplex, a new owner is going to have to deal with tenants receiving large rent increases.

Why to Avoid Those Mistakes:

Because they haven’t raised the rents during the long term tenancies, these tenants know they have a good deal and never report much in the way of needed repairs and since they always pay the rent on time,  the Seller hasn’t been by the property or maintained it unless it was an emergency.

Because the rents were so low, there was no incentive for the owner to make any upgrades to or any effort to enhance/upgrade.   Most of the time they only made repairs after a complaint.

Example of what I’m talking about:

I’m in escrow now on a Fair Oaks duplex where the HVAC unit will have to be repaired to the tune of $2,000 because the unit hasn’t been serviced in years.  What’s more… Even with this fix, there’s no guarantee and the contractor said you’d be better off getting a new unit.  Had it been maintained and serviced on a regular basis, the unit would have had more potential life and not become an issue in the Sale Escrow.

So the Bottom Line…? 

Prices are going up for sure and if you want top dollar for your investment, you should take an honest look at it and if repairs/upgrades are warranted, do them.  When you then raise the rent, you’ll see most tenants will put up with it because you have maintained it and they are proud to live there.

When you have maintained the Property and maintained Rents at Current Market, you are using the “prudent investor standards”.

By the way… Have you heard Interest Rates are coming down….?

If you’re thinking of Selling or Investing in the area, please give me a call at 916.203.1260.   I’ll actually answer the phone.. Texts will work also.

In the Mean Time…?

Make it a Great Day…!

 

Related stories

City of Sacramento Adopts Rent Control Ordinance BPE Law Group Blog

 

 

 

 

 

Sacramento Duplexes For Sale – Not Much Inventory – Prices Up

Leave a comment General / Investment Real Estate / Landlord Tenant Issues / Property Management / Real Estate Sales / Rental Rates

Yea… There’s Not Much To Choose From, But,  Rents Are Up Too….

If you are curious about the market regarding Sacramento Duplexes for Sale, I’ve got some recent stats/graphs for you.   We’re still in a Seller’s Market and I think you’ll see the graphs below make the point.  I think they will also change a bit next month.

If you have ever read any of my past articles, I’ve always said  “A nice well maintained Duplex will sell for a pretty good price now with multiple offers”, or something to that effect.   The Duplexes that don’t sell quickly generally have these characteristics.

  • Poor or “Fair” Curb Appeal and General Appearance – Lack Pride of Ownership.
  • Rents that are lower or much lower than Market Rent.
  • Price is not reflective of the above 2 conditions.

Low Rents – Updates/Upgrades:

If you are thinking of Selling your Duplex or for that matter any kind of Rental Investment Property, you might think about upgrading/updating the property a little.

Having the same great tenants over several years time does not translate into a much better positive outcome in the sale if the rents they are paying are only about 1/2 of what the same unit would rent for today.

Generally if you aren’t keeping the rents up, you aren’t maintaining the property because you don’t have the cash flow.   Tenants know when they are getting a good deal.

However, if you are a buyer and make an offer on one of these types of properties I’m describing above, you’ll have to take into account the Updates/Upgrades you might be faced with to get the “higher rents” the Seller says you can get.

We recently were in escrow on a Rancho Cordova Duplex the Seller has owned for almost 30 years.   Both units were in need of work.   One of the units had 6  people living in a 2 bedroom 1 bath unit.   Both units were paying only $800.00 per month when the “market rate” is in the $1,300 to $1,400 range.

The deal fell through because the Buyer wanted an adjustment in the price to reflect the deferred maintenance and the low rents.   The buyer would have to get possession by giving a 60 day notice to terminate tenancy before being able to start the “rehab” process.  The unit would then be vacant for another 30 days at least.   There was too much to over come… Low Rents /Poor Condition/High Price.

Let me know what you think of these stats.

________________________________

NUMBER OF UNITS FOR SALE – SOLD- PENDING

Graphics list vs sold 6-10-19________________________________

LIST PRICE TO SALES PRICE RATIO – AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET

List Price to Sales Price Ratio

________________________________

If you are thinking of Buying a Sacramento Duplex you want to take into account not only the condition, but the existing tenants and their current rent as well.   As long as you are aware of these issues, you’ll make a better informed decision on whether to go through the deal or not.

In the mean time…

Make it a Great Day…!

Ed Favinger, Broker, CRS, GRI, SFR  – 916.203.1260 – favinger@rwnetwork.com

Related stories

Sacramento had state’s 2nd highest rent increase. But there’s good news for tenants too Sacbee.com

Thinking about moving to Sacramento…?  SFGATE.COM

 

High Costs of Rent in Sacramento Turns Renters into Home Buyers

Leave a comment Folsom Homes for Sale / Folsom Rental Properties / General / Investment Real Estate / Property Management / Real Estate Sales / Rental Rates

Old News To Us in Real Estate.

There have been several articles all over the print and social media about the rising rental rates here in the Sacramento Region.   It was only a matter of time before Renters would turn into Home Buyers because it’s cheaper.

Our Property Management Company with approximately 400 total units of various configurations has only 7 current vacancies with, we think,  another 7 coming up within the next 30 days or so.Hand writing the text: Buying a Home

So it’s no surprise to those of us who work in the field everyday when we hear another news report about the market.

So after listening to the morning news on KFBK I got another news story from KCRA Channel 3 talking about the same thing.

Millennials are beginning to buy homes because Rents are so high here they’ve now begun to figure out it’s a better deal to Buy and own.

I’ve noticed that a lot of the Sacramento Duplexes being financed by FHA loans which are only given to Owner Occupied Buyers.. another trend in my opinion.   I’ve written before about buying a Duplex to live in one side and rent the other.  No surprise to me of late seeing more people do just that.

If you are currently a renter and would like to be a Home Owner, contact me today and I’ll get you started on your way.

In the Mean Time…?

Make it a Great Day….!

Ed Favinger, Broker, CRS, GRI, SFR     favinger@rwnetwork.com  916.203.1260

Related Articles:

This is the Number 1 obstacle keeping people from buying a home CNBC