PropertyManagementMaven: Renting "Sight Unseen" not as scary as it once was......

In my rental market, we have many families moving into the area - military to local facilities and JAG school at UVa, medical school families as well as graudate school students....many of these families don't have time to come to the area to view homes.....luckily, with the assistance of my husband who does my floor plans and an AWESOME website hosted by HomeRentals.net, I am able to capture this market to the benefit of my clients with higher rents, faster rent-ups and more stable rental income.

1) My HomeRentals website allows 99 photos and shows them individually or in a slide show format

2) I take photos when the property is vacant and my husband does floor plans with the aid of a program called Home Plan Pro....

3)  I take at least 2 pictures of each room from opposite directions including the garage, basement, storage and laundry  I have loads of neighborhood photographs from builder/developer marketing websites as well as by taking them at various times during the year.

4) I have my application in PDF on my website so that if prospective applicants wish to apply for a property....they

......download the application form from my website, all adult applicants complete one and fax it to my office

.......I e-mail confirmation and request move-in monies via Fed Ex * first full month's rent AND security deposit with appropriate pet deposit.  I do NOT want certified funds....I want their personal check

......once I receive these, I generate a lease packet  * an original and 1 copy of my 6 page lease that I sign live, lead disclosure if required, my 19 page Resident Handbook with appropriate utility contact information marked, lease transmittal memo AND SASE.  I request that the signature page of the lease be faxed back to me and that one executed copy be returned in the SASE.  They retain 1 copy of the lease for their records.

.....when I receive the faxed signature page, I remove/cease the marketing of the property.

.....my leases ALWAYS expire the 3rd Friday of the month so there is often 7 to 10 days between the old and new tenants to accomplish any "make ready" items.

I ask that they advise me when they will be arriving in the area and I leave the home keys under the front door mat and any garage door openers on the kitchen counter.  When I drop off the keys, I make sure there is toilet paper in all bathrooms, that the blinds are open and thermostate temp set appropriately, that there are NEW front and back door mats and that the grass has been cut.

I make it VERY CLEAR that the property remains available until the executed signature page is received and their check is cashed.

http://VAHomes4Rent.com