The Benefits to Renting in Alexandria, VA

Alexandria, Virginia, is one of the most beautiful cities in Northern Virginia. The oldest Washington, D.C. suburb, it wears its age gracefully, blending 18th century, 19th century and modern architecture with ease. Alexandria bills itself as “Extraordinary Alexandria,” and it’s easy to see why. There’s just something charming, artsy, and altogether ineffable about the city. It racks up accolades like:

Top 10 Best Downtowns 2014
Top 20 Most Romantic Cities in the US
Best Small Cities for Art Nerds
Top 10 Foodie Cities 2013
America’s Top ArtPlaces 2013

Of course, all this makes Alexandria a very desirable place to be. To find out more reasons why Alexandria is so desirable continue reading here.

Starting a Northern Virginia Neighborhood Watch Program

It’s a mad, mad world, and it is our responsibility — nay, our civic duty — to be, and stay involved in keeping our communities safe; maybe that means organizing a Neighborhood Watch program in your Northern Virginia neighborhood.

What is Neighborhood Watch?

Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program that encourages citizens to make their neighborhoods safer, thus improving quality of life, through common sense and education. Groups of volunteers may agree to watch out for the homes and property of one another, or might perform active patrol on the lookout for suspicious activity. To find out more about starting a Northern Virginia neighborhood watch program click here and continue reading.

What Are My Inspection Rights & Responsibilities As a Landlord in Virginia?

The lease has been signed, the keys handed over: You now have a tenant, and your tenant has found a place to call home. As a first-time Virginia landlord, it is very important that you are familiar with your rights and responsibilities when it comes to entering, inspecting, and maintaining the property.

First, and of primary importance is the move-in inspection. Develop a detailed, room-by-room checklist, and encourage your tenant to check the premises for any damage. You may want to walk through the unit together at the point of move-in; doing this will show your tenant that you are committed to ensuring he has a safe, sound place to live, and will allow for the immediate identification of glaring issues. To continue to learn what your inspection rights & responsibilities as a landlord read the rest of the blog here.

A Rental Safety & Maintenance Checklist for Landlords in Fairfax, Virginia — And Beyond!

Home. It’s a place of respite at the end of a long day; a place to put your feet up; a place you fill with love and family; a safe, warm, comforting place. Or it should be, but the reality is, sometimes home isn’t so safe. Accidents happen. Mold creeps in.

And tenants call for maintenance.

Listen, we’ve got good news.

When you made the decision to rent out your grandmother’s house in Fairfax, you signed on to answer the call. (Okay, you got me. That’s not the good news.) The good news is, with a lot of preparation, and a little help from the northern Virginia property management pros, you can keep your rental in tip-top shape. Perform a few basic safety and maintenance procedures before every tenant moves in and after he leaves, as well as periodically throughout your lease term. To continue reading click here and learn about general interior safety & maintenance.

Should I Choose the Stock Market, Or Real Estate Investment? Northern Virginia’s Property Management Pros Have the Answer.

Happy birthday!

Not your birthday?

Happy windfall then!

You’ve suddenly come into a large sum of money, and you know enough to know it wouldn’t be wise to spend it all. Sure, you’ll spend a little; maybe take a few friends on an all-expenses paid vacation out of the winter wonderland that is Washington DC; eliminate some debt; and with the rest, make a few smart investments.

But the thing is, you’re not sure if you should invest in the stock market, or in real estate. Each path to be taken has its advantages, and its drawbacks. As northern Virginia’s property management pros, it’s true that we might be a little biased, but read on. To find out how to choose a stock market investment continue reading here.

Beware the Ides of… Rental Horrors Could Happen to You!

Who is it in the press that calls on me?
I hear a tongue shriller than all the music
Cry “Caesar!” Speak, Caesar is turn’d to hear.

Soothsayer:
Beware the ides of March.

Caesar:
What man is that?

Brutus:
A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.

Beware the [day after] the ides of March.

No, we don’t mean the George Clooney / Ryan Gosling, but March 15. (Otherwise known as yesterday.) On March 14, 44 BC, Julius Caesar might have told you that Decimus was his very best friend, and Brutus, too. But just one day later, good ol’ JC was singing a different tune: Et tu, Brute?

You know the story. But what you may not know is what this all has to do with leasing.

Appearances can be deceiving.

The people you think are your friends might — literally — stab you in the back.

The tenant you think will be respectful & responsible might turn out to be a nightmare.

Rental horrors could happen to you click here to continue reading and find out how.

Yes, You Should Charge Your Adult Child Rent. Here’s Why.

We’ve all heard the stereotypes; millennials are lazy, and entitled. While there’s a bit of reality in every stereotype, it’s real talk time: This so-called ME generation, the twenty-somethings boomerang-ing back into their parents’ homes after college, saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, and who are only just now beginning to find stable employment as the economy regains its footing aren’t the ones to be blamed.

Their parents are.

We could talk about how it was their parents’, and grandparents’ generation that created the muck of a financial climate millennials graduated into, but we won’t, as that’s a whole different animal. Please, don’t get defensive. That’s not our aim here. Just listen.

Most parents only want what’s best for their children; they want them to live comfortably, without the financial difficulty that comes along with having to come up with money for rent and bills each month. It’s understandable, and it’s generous, but it’s not doing your adult child any favors. Continue reading here to find out more about charging your adult child rent.

Small Kitchen Improvements Make a Big Splash in Your Fairfax Rental Home

The kitchen is the heart of the home.

Everyone knows this, and so it only makes sense that kitchen renovations are the best, and easiest way to boost rental property value. An upgraded, modern kitchen can attract the tenants you want, to pay the rental fees you want, but major kitchen renovations cost a lot of money and a lot of time you may not have — so kitchen renovations aren’t something you’ve seriously thought about. Until now.

Even if you can’t invest significantly in kitchen renovations, you can still reap the benefits of refinished cabinets, improved storage solutions, and other low-cost improvement projects. To learn about the small improvements that you can make continue reading here.

Washington DC First Quarter 2015 Apartment Research Report Reveals Vigorous Rental Demand in the Region

According to the recently conducted Washington DC Apartment Research Report for First Quarter 2015, high demand for rental property in the Washington DC metropolitan area has led to the highest number of apartments in more than a decade.

From the Washington DC Apartment Research Report:

Vigorous rental demand in the metro core drove developers to deliver the highest number of apartments in more than a decade this past year. Despite the level of construction, vacancy rose just 60 basis points as new properties lease up. The pace of job growth, although below the national average, is steady as a result of the federal government, defense contractors and lobbyists, and multiple Fortune 500 companies. This stable environment is attracting millennials and empty nesters to the D.C. core, where they choose to rent in submarkets proximate to their jobs, shopping, entertainment, and public transportation. The urban focus of these renters has allowed operators in the core of the district to nearly eliminate concessions. To see the 2015 annual apartment forecast click here.

Millennials Are Renting Their Northern Virginia Homes, Not Buying Them — At Least Not Yet

The so-called Millennial generation is all about bucking tradition. They’re marrying later. They’re all in favor of nap rooms and ping pong tables in the office.

And they’re renting houses and apartments instead of buying them.

That’s not to say they don’t want to purchase a single-family home eventually:

A survey report issued by the National Association of Home Builders in January of this year showed that as many as 75 percent of those young Americans born into Generation Y do want to own their own home, and most (66 percent) want to do so in the bucolic (northern Virginia?) suburbs.

They just don’t want to do it yet:

Another recent report — this, from the Urban Land Institute — found that a full half of Millennials rent their homes, a figure up markedly from the 37 percent of renters surveyed just five years ago. The same survey showed a decline in homeownership among young people: 26 percent, as compared to 35 percent in 2010.

To find out why millennials are choosing to rent and not buy click here to continue reading.

Winterize Your Rental Home: Do It Now

Brrrr. Northern Virginia may not be buried under six feet of snow like some other places, but it sure is cold. And it’s just going to get colder. Homeowners everywhere are breaking out their caulk guns, tuning up their HVAC systems, and reinforcing attic insulation, but your tenants must look to you — the landlord — to perform these, and other winterization tasks.

Winterizing your rental home will not only lower energy bills and reduce air pollution, so too will the necessity for costly repairs come spring become diminished.

To find out how to prepare for freezing temperatures continue reading here.

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