As we leave the cool breezes and rain of Spring behind it is important to see what changes you may need to bring to your property in preparation for hot Summer days. First of these concerns is your water usage. If you've dialed back your timers for any outdoor sprinklers now is that time to reassess both the legal and desired amount of days/times you would like to water your property. Although we did have significant and much needed rainfall in early 2016 the California Drought watering bans have yet to be formally lifted. As such, it is important to take into consideration both the needs of your foliage as well as the schedules for watering that may be allotted to you by your City. If your property has Air Conditioning amenities it is a great time to schedule inspections of all A/C units in preparation for a surge in usage. Small, proactive changes such as filter replacement, proper cleaning of air vents, and refilling of Freon can bring a significant decrease in tenant maintenance calls and complaints. They can also help maintenance crews get a closer look and determine if any larger repairs may be needed in the foreseeable future. Checking for ventilation leaks can also be integral in helping maintain an efficiently cooled area- inspect all windows to ensure that they are properly sealed and double check the strength and status of your home insulation. For homes that do not have an Air Conditioner amenity you may want to ask tenants to take a look at all screens and screen doors for any rips/tears. Those minor openings can be the perfect route for pests including ants and roaches to make their way into a home and should be addressed before the Summer heat hits

Small preliminary checks such as these can be crucial to helping maintain a budget for your property and eliminate unnecessary, potentially costly maintenance requests in the future. Contact us today for more ways we can help you take important steps to protect your property today!

New property owners are often curious about deciding how to present a unit and/or helm the Rental Turnover process. Although we are happy to handle these such processes from start to finish, we welcome owners who would like to have a more hands on approach as well. As the rental market steadily increases there may be circumstances that render a more trendy approach to this process relevant to securing you a great tenant. Most important of these is stated in the old adage " location, location, location" ! If your property is suddenly in one of the hottest, up and coming areas in town drawing huge attraction to the young professional crowd your tried and true method of going all white or neutral for your unit paint job may not be so desired. Special touches including Accent Walls and tasteful use of color can really make your unit "pop" and we encourage analyzing if these small touches may benefit your property. Not to mention the Online advantage of having an eye catching photo as your front page picture to showcase your unit! When appealing to specific demographics it is important to remain fluid and really take into consideration how to make your unit their one-in-a-million choice when choosing a new home. These methods are also a great way to accentuate any unique features including Built-Ins, Wainscotting, Fireplaces, or even Architectural nooks. Using tasteful color contrast can help bring out the beauty of these details and allow your unit to dare to be different. We can help make your unit one-of-a-kind and attract the tenant you want, call us today!

Its no secret that technology is an ever changing world of innovation and creativity. There is a seemingly unending supply of new discoveries that help make life a little easier! More importantly, these advancement make us all more efficient. We can utilize time in ways never before possible and perform many of life necessary tasks with a simple click of a button. Understanding the importance of technology and staying up-to-date on the latest tools to help provide you better service is a priority at Maximum Realty and Property Management. Thus, we are excited to announce the activation of our new Cloud Based accounting program to give us 24/7 access to our properties. We can access tenant contact information, vendors information, bank ledgers, financial reports, and more from any computer, anywhere. In addition, we now also offer customizable Tenant and Owner Portals for your own password protected access to lease information, payments, documents, and maintenance. These portals are accessible from any device via the Internet. For more information on how we can keep you connected to your investments please contact our office. 

As pet lovers we understand the feeling one gets when thinking about your furry friends. There is nothing quite like coming home to a happy dog! However, as pet owners, we are also aware of the time and attention properly caring for a pet requires. Though they can be a bundle of joy, pets can also be detrimental to the health of a property. Whats worse, there really is no fool proof screening process to determine whether any tenant is going to properly curb and clean up after their pet. Thus, we are inclined to have a firm No Pet policy at all of our properties. However, we do advise that if an owner is particularly open to allowing a pet on premises to forgo any payment of a Pet Deposit in favor of whats called a Pet Rent. The main difference between the two payments being that A) a deposit must, by definition, be assessed at the end of residency to be returned or forfeited by the tenant and B) a deposit is often a one time, lump sum payment versus a monthly paid Pet Rent. If you or your fellow property owners are especially inclined to allowing furry friends as tenants we support only the use of a monthly Pet Rent to protect you and your asset. Pet Rents can be determined at your discretion and with regards to size,breed, and disposition. It is also easier to reassess this amount in the future should you require an increase. Most importantly, a Pet Rent is just that- a rent- and cannot be demanded via refund by the tenant upon move-out. Don't risk a destroyed carpet, warped laminate floor, or smelly hardwood surface! Protect yourself and your property and ensure that if needed you will be able to replace items with as much mitigated cost to you as possible. Contact us for more information on how you can maneuver this and other tricky aspects of tenancy! 

When we say full service we mean it! Maximum Realty and Property Management can both manage and, when the time comes, sell your income property! Our experienced agents are in tune to the market climate to give you the most accurate information on how to service your sale successfully. Stay tuned to this Blog for Tips and Tricks to putting your best foot forward in selling your property the smart way! 

​Bed Bugs are an increasingly common concern in both public and private spaces. They are described as such:
 
 Appearance: Bed bugs have six legs. Adult bed bugs have flat bodies about 1/4 of an inch in length. Their color can vary from red and brown to copper colored. Young bed bugs are very small. Their bodies are about 1/16 of an inch in length. They have almost no color. When a bed bug feeds, its body swells, may lengthen, and becomes bright red, sometimes making it appear to be a different insect. Bed bugs do not fly. They can either crawl or be carried from place to place on objects, people, or animals. Bed bugs can be hard to find and identify because they are tiny and try to stay hidden.
 
Life Cycle and Reproduction: An average bed bug lives for about 10 months. Female bed bugs lay one to five eggs per day. Bed bugs grow to full adulthood in about 21 days.
Bed bugs can survive for months without feeding.
Bed bug Bites: Because bed bugs usually feed at night, most people are bitten in their sleep and do not realize they were bitten. A person’s reaction to insect bites is an immune response and so varies from person to person. Sometimes the red welts caused by the bites will not be noticed until many days after a person was bitten, if at all.
Common signs and symptoms of a possible bed bug infestation:
• Small red to reddish brown fecal spots on mattresses, box springs, bed frames, mattresses, linens, upholstery, or walls.
• Molted bed bug skins, white, sticky eggs, or empty eggshells.
• Very heavily infested areas may have a characteristically sweet odor.
• Red, itchy bite marks, especially on the legs, arms, and other body parts exposed while sleeping. However, some people do not show bed bug lesions on their bodies even though bed bugs may have fed on them.
 
 
 
 
Early detection is key in preventing the unnecessary spreading of pests on your property- if you have suspicions that a tenant may have Bed Bugs it is important to proceed with immediate inspection and treatment. Further, as of the beginning of this year, you must be in compliance with the disclosure laws with regards to properly informing all residents of any inspection results. Treating Bed Bugs is no small feat. Appointments require extensive preparation not to mention the need to dispose- yes, dispose!- of all furniture exposed to the infestation. Don’t risk the health of your tenants and your property! If you are in need of assistance in the management of a property you feel may have this potentially dangerous issue please contact us for immediate assistance.

The importance of screening tenants properly and thoroughly increases each day in the Modern World. As technology grows more intricate, so too do the ways individuals may falsify documents. It is not uncommon for prospective residents to provide false bank statements, social security numbers, identification, and references in hopes of duping an unsuspecting property owner. Computer applications including Photoshop make the task of creating even a false check simple and easy to do. Though no process is infallible, our twenty years of experience are our best defense in helping decipher between who’s a real catch and who may be a nightmare in waiting. Our application process includes no less than seven tiers of requirements-each with their own purpose and level of detail. It’s our very own Fact Check! Don’t go the Leasing and Screening process alone. Even if management is not quite your goal, Maximum Realty and Property Management also offers Leasing Only services for those seeking assistance in choosing the right tenants for their property. For more information on how our process differs from that of other management companies please contact us. 

The best property management team is one that prioritizes cooperation across the board. Team Work is invaluable and in honor of the approaching Thanksgiving Holiday we recognize our staff and most importantly give Thanks for the effort and determination they present in office each and every day. Whats more, we extend this same gratitude to our clients for entrusting to us such important investments. THANK YOU! Wishing you a very Happy Holiday, Maximum Realty and Property Management.