Any homeowner or landlord in Los Angeles knows the feeling — a tiny twinge of dread before opening the utility bills. It might be what you expected or worse, but it’s hardly ever better than you expected. There’s just no way around the fact that American homes consume a lot of energy, and all those […]

No matter how you look at it, moving can be stressful — especially when you add kids and pets to the mix. Packing everything you own, changing routines and uprooting your household is a surefire recipe for stress no matter who you are.  When you can’t understand why everything is in chaos, it’s even harder […]

DIY Home Inspection Checklist from Foundation Repair Services A house is more than a home, it’s also an investment. Whether or not you’re thinking of selling your home in the near future, it’s important to keep up with maintenance in order to protect your investment and ensure it will continue to hold its value for […]

Everyone dreads the tax deadline, but preparing and starting the process early has its benefits. Below, we’ve outlined a few helpful tips to help you prepare so you’re not running around last minute trying to get your taxes in order. 1099 Information Verification When sending 1099s to property owners and vendors, make sure that you […]

Millennials and Gen X Renters are now the Buyers The Great Recession of 2007 was a difficult time for Generation X Americans and their credit scores. This harrowing event not only caused bad credit to stay on one’s FICO score for seven years, but also caused bankruptcy to be visible for up to ten. But […]

As a residential property manager, maximizing rental income and occupancy rates often means investing in periodic improvements to your property. But how do you juggle making the right upgrades and updates, while also ensuring an overall increase to your return on investment (ROI)? No matter your geography, there are several lower-cost ways to improve a […]

Now that winter has arrived,  it is crucial that a landlord or property management company ensures the community swimming pool is protected while not in use.  Our local swimming pool contractors provided a few tips to help save property owners time, hassle and money: Start winterizing your pool early It is a smart idea to get an early start […]

A dilemma for many landlords is how to keep their real estate portfolio fresh and inviting, whilst keeping their costs to a minimum. Often neglected is in this process is lighting. Lighting affects the way your home, apartment, or condominium looks to future tenants. It is too easy to go for the cheapest lighting designs […]

When considering the installation of a solar power system for a home or investment property, there are numerous options with a wide degree of price points.  Bob Monnet of Flatiron Solar – www.flatironsolar.com – helps us to navigate the solar sea by detailing the two most popular home solar systems: Solar Electric and Solar Hot Water. […]

When moving into your new home, there are a lot of loose ends to tie: You need to research ways to help your pet adjust to a new home; go over stacks of insurance and mortgage documents; make sure the moving company doesn’t leave anything behind; and so on. Enter: the move in checklist. On […]