1Q 2016 Rental and Sales Review

As first quarter 2016 (Jan, Feb, Mar) came to a close, it was clear that early 2016 has been strong for both landlords and home sellers.

Rental Marketnational vacancy rate

Vacancy rate is the percentage of unoccupied or vacant rentals of the total number of rentals in a designated market. It’s a common metric to measure the strength of the rental market. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the national rental vacancy rate closed at 7.0% for 1Q 2016. That rate has stayed fairly consistent over the past year, but the blue graph to the right shows how low the monthly vacancy rate is compared to the past seven years. So, what does a low vacancy rate mean for investment property owners? When vacancy rates are low, rent prices rise as tenants scramble to find properties. The red graph to the right shows that March 2016 had the highest median monthly rent in Minneapolis over the past 12 months. median rentSimply Residential used those statistics to justify recommendations of rental rate increases for a number of our properties during 1Q 2016. Low vacancy rates also mean rentals are on the market for less time. We saw this firsthand last month, as 1/3 of our March new lease signings occurred within a week of being marketed.

Real Estate Sales

As job and wage growth slowly drive the country’s recovery from the recession, we’re seeing a renewed consumer confidence. Couple the interested buyers with a low inventory of homes for sale and we have a seller’s market. Homesmsp.com reports that there was a 20.6% decrease in Twin Cities homes on the market in March 2016 compared to March of last year. marchThe multi-colored graph to the right shows how much higher the median sales price was in March 2016 compared to March in previous years. If you’re considering selling your investment property, please speak with us. Along with providing rental property management services, our on-staff licensed real estate agent and broker are happy to provide you a comparable market analysis (CMA) so you can properly consider the options of renting and selling your property. Also, know that we offer special real estate service pricing to our current property management clients.

Conclusion

Whether you’re renting or selling, Simply Residential Property Management’s leasing and sales team has you covered. The first quarter results from 2016 show that both the property rental and home sales markets are very strong. Simply Residential will continue to monitor important factors including the interest rate and the local vacancy rate. But it’s clear that now is a fabulous time to rent out or sell property.

4 Things to Consider When Choosing a Property Management Company

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Photo credit: Virtual EyeSee

You’ve crunched numbers. You’ve considered all the possible outcomes and challenges. And now you’re comfortable moving forward hiring a property management company to manage your rental property. Congratulations. While you’ve made some substantial progress, your journey to rent your property still has some road left to travel.

Entrusting your investment property to a property management company is easy, though admittedly emotional. But deciding which property management company to hire is the real important decision. These should be the most important factors you consider when comparing property management companies:

Pricing

One of the more important issues you’re interested in is the cost. There are fees for management, vacancy, set-up, maintenance, eviction, advertising, unpaid invoices and more. Renting a property is meant to bring you additional income, right? The less a property management company charges, the better.  But while price is obviously a major factor, don’t get too caught up in only the total cost of these fees. Consider how that cost is spread out over time. Some property management companies load up a management contract with upfront costs. Ask yourself, if they are paid up front, what’s their incentive to perform at a high level throughout the duration the agreement? Other property management companies forgo those heavy upfront costs in favor of building long-term relationships with you and proving themselves over time.

Personal Attention

You’ve heard the saying “Bigger isn’t always better.” That applies when considering property management companies. If your research shows that all factors are equal between two property management companies other than sheer size, you may receive more personalized attention from that small partner. You’ll be viewed less as a number and more as a true partner. In the end, we all want a property management company we can trust that provides timely and courteous communication throughout the relationship.

Maintenance

The property management company is responsible for maintaining  and hopefully increasing the value of your investment property during their time as your partner. That can be done by properly addressing existing issues and being proactive with preventative maintenance.  Here are a few questions to ask property management companies about their maintenance approach:

How are tenant maintenance requests tracked and acted upon?
What’s the process for after hours maintenance?
What can you tell me about your maintenance technicians?
Is maintenance coverage 24/7 and 365 days a year?
What’s the process for entering my property?

The Tenant

You already know how important a property management company is. The tenant chosen to live in your property is also important. The services of the property management partner should include finding, screening and securing tenants. You’ll want to know where your rental listing will be advertised, how screenings will be conducted on applicants and what steps will be taken to secure tenants. It’s important to feel comfortable with the property management company’s approach to tenants and their capability to find a great fit.

Learn how Simply Residential Property Management is simply different than other property management companies. Request a free rental analysis today!