Omaha, NE Real Estate Property Management
A new concept in property management,
and we are Nationwide!
Real estate has long been recognized as a viable investment vehicle. Income producing property, such as home rentals, can be a good tax shelter and provide a nice income stream in addition to having the potential for capital appreciation. In the current market many sellers are keeping open the option to rent out their homes should they not be able to sell them at a fair price.
Real estate can be an outstanding investment or a source of aggravation. The determining factor often is the way it is managed. The key to being successful at it is having good tenants and keeping costs down. That is where our property management services can help.
- Unlike most property management companies we only charge for the time we spend servicing our clients' properties. Instead of charging a percentage of the rent (plus other fees), we charge a low $50 per hour service fee.
- Here is why our system is better, percentage fees typically run as high as 10%. A normal rate of return on residential rental property is around 10%. Under the traditional system the property manager often ends up with the profit instead of the property owner.
- Use our services as much or as little as you wish, you only pay for the services you use.
- Most property owners use our services to find and screen tenant applicants and utilize our oversight services, when oversight is needed. They have the rent checks sent directly to them.
- We can handle the occasional problem and arrange for contractors to make necessary repairs. We pass our contractor discounts on to you.
- We are always available to handle special situations on an as needed basis.
- Our goal is to minimize your maintenance costs so you can maximize your return.
Below is a comparison between the traditional property management fee structure and our discount fee structure. The fees are based on an average single family home renting for $1200 per month with a one year year lease that was renewed for a second year. Note: Management fees vary from company to company. The rates below are typical for the industry.
| Service | Typical |
Berkshire |
Berkshire R.E. Notes |
| Initial Account Fee | $ 200 |
$ 0 |
|
| Leasing Fee |
$ 600 |
$ 500 |
Assumes 10 hours
to find & screen tenant |
| Lease Renewal Fee |
$ 200 |
$ 50 |
Assumes 1 hour to revise lease & get signatures |
| Ongoing Management Fee | $2,880 |
$ 200 |
Assumes 2 hours per year for misc. issues |
| Total |
$3,880 |
$
750 |
Q. Your rates are obviously better, but how does your service compare to the traditional property manager?
With the traditional system, because the manager is paid a set rate, the less they do the more they make. If a landlord or property needs extra services or attention, the traditional property manager is in essence paying for it. With us, since we charge for the time we spend, extra services are a source of revenue. We do what ever is needed to provide the services our landlords need or the property requires. While we try to minimize your costs by not doing things that aren't needed, we are ready willing and able to provide any level of service our landlords require.
Q. Are there any types of properties that are not well suited to your fee structure?
Generally, the lower the rent amount the less benefit is derived from using an hourly fee. Properties that need a lot of attention are not well suited either. Our system works great for moderate to high rent properties that are in good condition. Attracting quality tenants is key, and they gravitate towards nice properties. Problem properties or those with a lot of deferred maintenance require too much time. Paying the property manager a percentage of the rent may end up being more cost effective on those types of properties.
Q. How does your nationwide management services work?
Most property management functions can be performed remotely, except for showing the property. For landlords that live in the community in which their property is located they typically handle the showings. For those landlords that do not live close to their properties we hire a local real estate agent to handle the showings. Of course if the landlord prefers, a relative or friend can show the property. The rest of the functions are handled the same as if the property was local.
Q. Is there an easy way to tell if renting is a good choice, financially?
A cash flow test should be the first test used to see if renting is a good option. Find out how much your house is likely to rent for and deduct the mortgage payment, association dues or any other cost of holding the property. The tenant is normally responsible for utilities and yard maintenance so those would not be included. If you have rent left over you have a positive cash flow.
Even if your cash flow is slightly negative renting still may be a good option. You have to make sure that you can afford to pay the deficit and that doing so is better than other options, like selling. It may make sense to see if refinancing the loan may help reduce monthly costs. We can give you a free analysis to see if refinancing makes sense.
Q. How can I determine if renting makes sense from an investment standpoint?
Assuming the property is in good condition and is not likely to become a money pit, there is a simple calculation that can be done to determine rate of return. If the rate of return is acceptable and competitive or better than other investments, renting should make sense. Take the net annual rent after taxes, association fees, insurance and expenses and divide by the market value of the property. As an example, if you have a house with a market value of $130,000 and you collect $13,200 a year in rent ($1,100 a month), pay $3,000 a year in taxes and $800 a year in insurance you would have a net income of $9,400. Your rate of return would be 7.2%. $13,200 - $3,000 - $800 = $9,400 / $130,000 = .072 (7.2%). If there were vacancies or repairs the rate of return would be lower.
Professional investors look at a variety of metrics to determine viability of an investment. There are a lot of other tests, but the two above should serve as a good initial indicator.
Q.
What
kind of properties do you manage?
Quality single family homes are our primary focus. We have found that a
quality property attracts quality tenants and quality tenants cause few
problems, maintain the property and pay their rent. In addition, we
treat tenants and potential tenants with respect, which keeps turnover
low and keeps both landlords and tenants happy. These factors lend
themselves well to our management system, because minimizing problems
minimizes the amount of management needed which minimizes the cost of
management. To see a representative
sample of properties we manage, click on the Portfolio
link.
Q.
Do you
offer "rent to own" programs and if so, how do they work.
"Rent to own" is a great tool for attracting tenants and increasing
return on investment. With our program the monthly rent is
increased by $100 - $200 to cover the option to purchase. A purchase
agreement is attached to the lease which sets the terms for the
purchase of the property should the tenant choose to exercise the
option prior to the expiration of the lease. The landlord may not sell
the property to anyone else, but earns an extra $100 - $200 a month. If
the tenant does not buy the property, the landlord keeps the extra
rent. If the tenant does buy the property, the landlord normally nets
more for the property than normal due to the lower cost of the sale and
strong purchase price. The tenant benefits from locking in today's
price and building equity through the rent payment and possibly market
appreciation. They also get to know the house because they are living
there.
Q.
What
if I decide to sell the property?
You can sell your property at any time. We can help you market the property, if
you'd like. We have the lowest full service rates and one of the most
comprehensive marketing programs in the area. For more information on our full
service, discount brokerage programs, click on the
Sellers
link.
Q.
Where
do you advertise the properties and how much will it cost?
We use the major national and local real estate sites to attract
qualified tenants. In addition to the major sites below, we place
advertisements on the Multiple Listing System, which gets the property
on local real estate company's search engines. Anyone searching on the
major broker sites, CBSHome.com, NP Dodge.com and our site will find
your house! Best of all, the advertising costs you nothing.
- AOL Real Estate
- BackPage.com
- ByOwnerMLS
- Campus Avenue
- Enormo
- FrontDoor
- Geebo
- HotPads
- LiveLovely
- MapLiv
- Military.com
- Oodle
- RentBits
- Rentenna
- RentJungle
- RentMatch
- Trovit
- Trulia
- Vast
- Walkscore
- Walmart
- Yahoo!
- Yakaz
- llow
- Zumper
Offices in Omaha, NE U.S.A., Licensed Iowa & Nebraska Realtors
Serving Bellevue, Bennington, Carter Lake, Council Bluffs, Elkhorn, Gretna, La Vista, Omaha, Papillion, Ralston and surrounding communities.
