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Archive for December, 2014
Legal Q & A Garage Conversions – by Franco Simone, Esq.
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
Q: My wife and I are considering converting our garage into a room to rent for extra income. What are the basic requirements in order to avoid any legal issues?
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Legal Q & A by Richard Beckman, Attorney
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
Question 1: Did San Francisco just pass a new law prohibiting tenant “buyouts”?
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Legal Q & A – By Dennis Block, Attorney
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
Question One: I rented a unit to a couple on a one year lease. Recently, the woman informed me that the couple had a fight and that the boyfriend went to jail for spousal abuse. At this point, one month’s rent is due. She informed me that she has moved from the unit as she is […]
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Driveway Encroachments and Disputes and An Update on Documentary Transfer Tax – By Dale Alberstone, Esq.
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
Hello everybody. Owners of older apartment buildings frequently find that the widths of their driveways are too narrow to accommodate today’s SUVs, trucks and other large passenger vehicles. In order to traverse the driveway from the front to back, tenants often have to drive their cars beyond the edge of the
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Great Victory for San Francisco Landlords!! – By The Pacific Legal Foundation
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
The Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) challenged San Francisco’s new “Relocation Assistance Payment Ordinance,” because it required rental property owners to pay their tenants oppressive and unconstitutional sums of money before the owners can regain personal use of their property — money the tenants can use for any private purpose they wish.
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A Landlord’s Christmas – By. P.A. Harris
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
T’was the eve before Christmas and all through the night, I tossed and I turned and then turned on the light.
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Proposition G, a Bad Law, Goes Down to Defeat – By Peter Reitz
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
On November 4th, San Francisco voters, by a decisive 54% to 46% margin, said NO to Prop. G! The draconian so-called “anti-speculation law” would have added onto the current transfer tax
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Smallest Rent Hikes in City History Considered A Victory as Rent Freeze is Avoided – By the RSA Reporter
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
Despite intense pressure and advocacy from Mayor Bill de Blasio and other major New York City elected officials, the City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) voted against a projected rent freeze and approved the lowest rent increases in City history at the RGB Final Vote in June.
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Six Success Secrets of a $22 Billion Dollar Family – By William Bonner
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
Gerard Mulliez is often called the Sam Walton of France. The Mulliez (pronounced Mool-yay) family got started in textile manufacturing 200 years ago. By the 1950s, the textile industry in France had collapsed. So, Gerard boldly took the family out of textiles and invested what was left of the family fortune in
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Benefits of Hiring a Property Manager For Your Single-Family Investment – By Cliff Hockley
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
Buying a single-family investment as a real estate purchase has been a well-established financial strategy for thousands of years. You purchased or inherited a home or condominium and now you have to figure out how to get your arms around it. Perhaps you were transferred and don’t think it is time to sell
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The DST: An Innovative and Effective Tool to Defer Capital Gains Taxes – By Chris Armes
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
It’s no secret that the transaction market for multi-family product is the hottest in recent memory. The past few years of a zero Fed Funds Target rate has reduced the cost of capital significantly. This reduction of borrowing costs has helped
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How to Efficiently Screen – By Robert Griswold
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
When you own rental property, one of your most important tasks is screening and selecting tenants. Because the process of screening tenants is time consuming, you need to have a system in place for doing it efficiently.
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The 10 Commandments of Property Management – By Phil Pustejovsky
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
You’re about to discover the 10 commandments of property management. Every landlord should apply these simple principles. And although I read books and attended trainings on property management when I first got started, the bulk of these commandments came from over a decade in The School of Hard Knocks. Here are your 10
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Amazing! Something Good from the California Legislature – By Jon Coupal
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
The phone call was from a frightened older woman in the Central Valley. “I can’t afford to pay my property taxes and I may lose my home by the end of the year if nothing is done in Sacramento.” While this call was eerily reminiscent of the years just prior to Prop 13’s enactment in […]
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The Importance of the Move-In Condition Report – By Gary Vasseur
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
There is nothing more important in the life of a landlord than move-in day – the day you legally transfer ownership of your investment for the duration of the lease to a stranger. However well vetted this stranger may be,
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Something to Think About #27 – Deflation: It’s not the Odds, it’s the Stakes – By Klarise Yahya, Commercial Loan Broker – BRE: 00957107, MLO: 249261
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
Executive Summary: The investor faces four major risk scenarios, but they are not equally likely. Inflation is the most universal and is commonly addressed with higher interest rates. The least likely but most serious risk is deflation. Deflation is defined as an inflation rate of less than zero and characterizes a failing economy. It is […]
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How to Reduce Capital Gains, Income and Property Taxes with a Living Trust – By, Michael K. Elson, Attorney
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
Since the year 2012, estate taxes have become less of a concern for most Americans. This is because the individual estate tax exemption had been raised to just over $5 million dollars. Though the anticipated 2015 estate tax rate will be 40% for any amount exceeding $5.43 million, there would be no federal estate tax […]
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December Holiday Ideas for Multifamily
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
A warm inviting smile from our staff is the perfect crowning glory to your holiday decorating efforts. Greet everyone with a warm welcome and ensure your faces and attitudes reflect the same joyous message that is presented by your
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Can We Really Expect Tenant Loyalty? – By Bruce Kahn, CCIM, CPM
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
I don’t know about you and perhaps it is my age, but I have noticed a definite decline in workplace attitudes and loyalty. In the past, workers were extremely loyal to the companies they worked for.
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Holiday Gift Ideas for Tenants – Size Doesn’t Matter – By Patricia A. Harris
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
Here’s a statement you don’t hear too often – “Wow … my landlord gave me a gift this holiday season!” Sending/giving holiday gifts once a year to your tenants (customers) promotes good will, lets them know you appreciate them, can turn bad tenants into better ones and makes it a little easier for them to […]
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Economic Outlook Dimming? – By Gary D. Halbert
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
The mainstream media was largely successful in convincing the public that the dreadful first quarter GDP number (-2.9%) was the result of the bitter winter in January and February. The media spin was that the economy would snap back strongly in the second quarter with growth of
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Christmas Safety Tips for Landlords and Their Tenants _ By Sharon Vornholt
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
Landlords are always concerned about safety issues in their investment property. But there is no better time than during the holidays, to remind your tenants of some basic steps they can take to keep themselves and the property they live in safe. Holiday decorations present many “opportunities” for landlords to encounter additional liability.
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For Your Residents, What Is Best Service? © – by Ernest F. Oriente, The Coach
Posted on 01. Dec, 2014 by AOA of California, INC..
“Best” service, especially in the property management industry, can be deceiving because the needs and expectations of your residents are changing and evolving rapidly. In addition, your residents are comparing your apartment communities to both your competition and to best service with every company, product or service they experience. By reading this article, you will
