Market research is the first step in maximizing your rental property income. We provide an expert market analysis for each property we manage and work with you to determine the best listing price for your home.

Initial Property Assessment - We already know your neighborhood so the first step is getting to know your house. After discussing the basics with you, we’ll conduct an onsite examination to see the specific features of the house, the lot, the condition of the property and its immediate environs.

Competitive Market Analysis - Next we do our research. We reference a broad set of data from available resources including MLS to price your home. However, unlike data on recent home sales, reliable information about rental transactions is harder to come by. It turns out that the most precise pricing tool is our seeing your property and comparing it to similar properties in our portfolio. We consider neighborhood, location within the neighborhood, space and number of rooms, finish levels, amenities, walkability, how quickly similar properties were snapped up and at what price; and in some cases, parking and other practical daily use criteria. Analysing in-town rental market value is three parts art to one part science. Our rental home portfolio with its highly localized footprint is the key factor in our being able to provide you the most accurate expected rental value possible.

Rent Readiness Recommendations – Based on our assessment of your home and our experience managing properties in your neighborhood, we will create a list of things to do - from cleaning to painting - that will ensure the best impression for potential tenants. This attention to detail helps you to get the most money, rent faster, and attract tenants who will treat your home as their own.  We take the guess-work out of finding the best residents for your property. After advising you on how to make your home look its best and determining a pricing strategy to achieve the maximum rent for your home, we will market your property on numerous digital platforms.

Just prior to tenants taking possession and moving into your home, we conduct a detailed move-in inspection to record the condition of the property with photos, videos and 3-D images.

When tenants ultimately depart at the end of the lease, we repeat the documentation process, comparing our findings to the move-in inspection report and identifying any damages to the property for which security deposit may need to be withheld. We work hard to ensure you are not left making repairs for items damaged by your tenants.

Maintenance: Ensuring a Great Tenant Experience and Protecting the Value of Your Investment
Whether owner or tenant-occupied, homes require maintenance from time to time and addressing maintenance issues in a timely manner is essential for happy tenants and a healthy property.

Studies have shown that the #1 reason tenants leave a rental home to move to another rental is dissatisfaction with the sense of urgency on the part of a landlord when responding to maintenance requests and other tenant needs. Starting on move-in day, we begin a focused effort to secure the tenant's renewal at the end of the lease term. We have a keen appreciation that long-term tenancies are the most important single factor in maximizing Return on Investment (ROI) in residential real estate investments.

While our primary fiduciary responsibility is to our property-owner clients, we work very hard to build positive working relationships with our residents. Tenants frequently say things like: "We have never worked with a management company as great as Your Intown Home...." This is illustrated by our Google and Zillow reviews.

Tenants submit maintenance requests online. Our Maintenance Coordinator responds to each request by first trouble-shooting with the tenant to see if the issue can be fixed without dispatching a vendor. If it cannot, a work order is generated and sent to one of our thoroughly vetted, preferred vendors for diagnosis and repair.

Our current lease has a built in 5% increase in rent at renewal. If long-duration average tenancy is the most important factor in maximizing profitability, maintaining a pattern of consistent rent increases over time comes in at a close second place. Gradually raising rent over time ensures that your rental income stays in line with ever increasing expenses such as property taxes and insurance, and provides the capital required to maintain your home in the top-notch condition expected by today’s best tenants.

At the time of lease renewal, we inspect the property to ensure that the home is being well cared for and that we indeed recommend extending the lease for the current tenants.

Tips for Strong Lease
 
DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT: SIMPLIFYING YOUR EXPERIENCE
Between residents moving in to start the cycle and moving out (hopefully several years down the road), we take care of all the day-to-day logistics for the property. This includes collecting rent, managing maintenance requests, and enforcing the lease terms with residents. We distribute monthly income to your bank account by direct deposit and simultaneously email you a link to your monthly financial statement. At year’s end, we generate year-end tax and cash-flow reports for you and your accountant. All records and documentation are accessible to you in your personal online owner portal.