North Cyprus and its environs now abound with comfortable, well-built Northern Cyprus villas and luxurious apartments in exclusive residential areas.

The level of services from restaurants in North Cyprus, shops and nightlife, professional and educational options continue to grow and mature, all helping to make this part of North Cyprus the number one choice for smart investors and lifestyle buyers alike.

Property in North Cyprus is relatively low cost and is some cases 40-50% cheaper than equivalent property in Southern Cyprus, and around half the price of property in Spain. Prices of North Cyprus properties are currently under market value in Mediterranean region and are expected to rise in following years.

Property market has gone through enormous growth since 2006. In the period between 2006 and 2008, the prices of properties were doubled, and had steady growth continued till today. Currently the average price of property in North Cyprus is about 1/3 of properties in southern Spain and half of properties in South Cyprus.

There are excellent Buy-To-Rent opportunities in North Cyprus. You can buy your property, enjoy your summers in Cyprus and then rent it out for rest of the year. There are a number of good property management service providers to ensure that your home is safe and the rents are paid on time whilst you are away.

Reasons to Invest in North Cyprus

* Your North Cyprus properties are priced BELOW today’s market value so you can buy your properties at a discounted price.

* During construction you can sell your properties in North Cyprus onto a ‘lifestyle’ buyer benefiting from any pre-scheduled price increases from the developer and additional capital market growth.

* You only pay a fraction of the total sales price to secure your ownership rights.

Yes, I say it is a secret that is kept among insiders in the real estate industry that India is the prime place for investors.This chief reason for this hush-up is that in the wake of the recession and its consequent slump in the market.

Ah, winter.

The season has a way of making us all feel closer.  It’s a time for gathering together, seeking warmth and shelter, and sharing good food.  Unfortunately, mice and other pesky rodents have never gotten the message that the invite doesn’t extend to them.

Unless your lease specifies otherwise, keeping mice out of your rental property is your responsibility as a landlord.  Rodent infestation is somewhat unique, however, and will be closely intertwined with state and local law.   A lease that gets you off the hook entirely is not only highly unlikely, it can also be considered unwise since a rodent infestation is both a health and safety concern.

To properly wage war on a mouse, it’s important to know a mouse.  The common house mouse is generally around 2 inches long and will spend the better part of its two year lifespan breeding (the average female can produce 6-10 litters each year) and eating (preferably something in the seed, nut, sweets, or fats department and easy to access within a unit or two of your building).  Mice are fairly lazy creatures, and will only travel as far as is necessary to eat (most often 10-25 feet, up to 50 feet or more).  They are grazers who nibble obsessively, and will therefore return to a food source as many as 30 times in an evening.  Because a mouse can feast on a single Cheerio for days, even trace amounts of food and crumbs can keep him satisfied.  They are also the Cirque du Soleil performers of the animal world, and can squeeze themselves into improbable spaces as narrow as a pencil.

Yes, they are formidable opponents.  To make matters worse, when a mouse problem is finally recognized it may have been developing for some time.  Mice are nocturnal and are rarely seen in the day.  Droppings are generally the first thing that will tip your tenants off to this unwanted cohabitation, and “a mouse or two” doesn’t tend to stay that way for long.

As soon as you receive a tenant report of a suspected rodent problem, immediate action should be taken.  Many states even require a response within a certain time frame (some as little as a few days).  As if the law or threat of health department investigation weren’t convincing enough, mice have also been known to gnaw electrical wiring, ruin appliances, and even cause fires.  They transmit disease, most commonly salmonellosis, and can damage and/or contaminate food, books, clothing, and virtually all other household items.

It is important to remember that as a landlord, you do have the right to correct an infestation.  As with any other maintenance issue, a mouse problem should not be used as an excuse for a tenant to break lease terms or dramatically modify a rental agreement.  As you would with all other maintenance requests, thoroughly document all action taken, with dates, and consult with and/or hire a reputable exterminator.  Communicate with tenants about your efforts, announce exterminator visits, and ask for cooperation.  Ridding a property of mice is very much a group effort.

To increase your chances of avoiding a problem, seal off dryer vents and utility, electric, phone, and all other lines entering the building.  Check them at least twice a year, along with the foundation.  Cracks greater than ¼” thick should be sealed, and weather stripping should be applied to all doors.  Accessibility is a bigger factor in rodent control than even cleanliness, so sealing cracks and openings should be a prevention priority.

Mice can be trapped or killed in essentially three different ways.  Toxic baits or poisons, called rodenticides, should be used with extreme caution or not at all if tenants have pets or small children.  Dogs in particular are attracted to these traps, which will obviously cause harm.  In addition, rodents nesting in walls or unreachable areas may return to nests and die, creating a persistent, unreachable odor.

The second method, trapping, can be used to kill or trap mice live.  Some traps can even capture multiple mice (these traps are typically available at farm and home stores).  Choose baits that are attractive to mice, including peanut butter, fats like bacon, and/or sweets.  Mice can be “trained” to comfortably approach traps if food is placed on an unset trap.

The third mouse weapon is less humane, but quite effective.  Glue boards function not unlike fly paper and trap a mouse as it walks on or near the board.  These traps are safe to use around pets and children (if a pet’s fur becomes entangled, it can be released with a small amount of mineral oil).  Carcasses should be disposed of in a plastic bag, and gloves should be worn when handling traps or baits of any kind.

Tenants can do their part by cleaning, storing all food in airtight containers or a refrigerator, using trash cans with lids, removing pet food, and keeping sinks and countertops free of water.  Be fair about reimbursement for tenant expenses related to rodent cures, and provide tenants with a list of helpful tips and reminders.

With a little care and preparation, you and your tenants will enjoy a cozy winter, and one with invited guests only.

We all have a love/hate relationship with our apartment ILS’s. We love them for everything they do, and we hate them for everything they do. Yes, I’m talking about Rent.com, ForRent.com, Apartments.com, Move.com, ApartmentFinder.com – those are my big ones, but I’m sure I’m not mentioning dozens of other ones. I’m talking about ALL of them! Don’t get me wrong, I love all my providers! They bring me traffic. Traffic is king these days. The provider’s sales agents are great – friendly, helpful, a HUGE resource to apartment communities. But, the actual services all lack something EXTREMELY important - make it easy for the prospect! KISS! (Keep-It-Simple-Silly!*) (*I hate calling anyone stupid, so have replaced stupid with silly)

A recent blog post I did and two recent discussions on Multi-Family Insiders got me to thinking:

Give the prospect what they want. In the end, they are our customer.

To read the recent RENT SODA blogpost and discussions on MFI that got me to thinking, click below:

There’s a MARKET for THAT! (my RENT SODA marketing blogpost)

Advertising on Yours (and Others’) Good Names : an MFI discussion started by Mike Whaling

The ILS Conundrum – an MFI blogpost by Mark Juleen

Why can’t the ILS model be more simple, and cater to the prospect? Make it easier?

If they get THEY want, you get more traffic, and you drive more traffix to US, and we get WE want…everyone’s happy!

I’ve been a renter before, and as a renter, or anyone looking for a service for that matter, I love it when:

1. …someone else has aggregated all the information for me into 1 BIG list. i love LISTS! I’m lazy, I have limited amount of time, and I need to find the RIGHT apartment without spending all my free time looking for an apartment. Come on, I have a life that I want to live. Being a professional apartment shopper is not my gig!
2. …once I’m on your site, make it simple for me to find my dream home. (i.e. if I’m looking for Minneapolis, don’t give me all the listings out in the suburbs! REALLY? Do you think that providing me with listings all the way out to Timbuktu serves me in anyway?) The more time I spend frustrated on your site, the unhappier I become.
3. Provide me with reviews. REALLY. Amazon does it, ebay does it, Best Buy does it – everyone and their dog allows for comments and reviews. I want to hear what other people like me who have done this before think.
4. Link me to the property. Come on, I know you want me to stay on your website so you can provide a report to those that pay you on how long the average user stays on the website. But REALLY? Once I have narrowed down the list of who I want to visit, I want to VISIT them. Make it easy for me!

What do YOUR prospects and renters want from an ILS? As a renter, what do they want to make the experience easy and enjoyable? Please leave a comment with your thoughts. In the end, we should give the customer what they want, and they’ll continue to come back for me. Let’s see if we can get the attention of the ILS’s!

Dear Apartment ILS: KISS!

Don’t Get it? RENT SODA. GET IT!

-Daisy Nguyen

CEO

Web: RentSoda.com

Email: Daisy@RentSoda.com

Blog: RentSoda.WordPress.com

OK, so now that we’ve established that facebook does have a positive ROI, that we SHOULD be “doing it,” the question naturally becomes, how/what should we be “doing” on facebook?

This is PART III of a 3-part series. You can read the intro here:

Intro: 3 facebook questions everyone asks when starting out… 

OR Part I: The ROI of Facebook – the Value of Creating Community

OR Part II: Facebook-itis: Addressing the Fear of Facebook head-on!

This is a loaded question, as many times, in our industy, we are focused on leasing apartments. We naturally want to tout our advatanges and post our specials – the way our traditional marketing avenues with print advertising and ILS’s have allowed us to do. Please keep in mind that for our industry (as we have now discussed on the ROI of facebook – the Value of Creating Community), facebook CAN be a marketing tool, however, it is first and foremost a connecting and communications tool to creating and fostering community. Facebook is NOT traditional, so to be able to use it as a marketing tool, we will need to think about it non-traditionally. Throw away those ideas of just blasting what your community is about, “advertising” specials, or listing prices. To better help you determine what you should be “doing” on facebook, let’s address a couple of basic questions:

1. Who do you think your community’s “friend” or “fan” is?
2. Why do you think they are would accept a “friend” or “fan” request from you?
3. What do you think your “friends” or “fans” are there to see/hear?

These are the questions you SHOULD be asking and answering to determine what SHOULD go on your facebook page. IF your facebook page consists of 100 eager prospects just waiting for a rent special so that they can finally sign a lease with you, than by all means, advertise your rent specials.

I don’t think this will be the case for 99% of sites out there!

I’d like to open this up for discussion. Please leave a comment that answers the 3 questions noted above. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving a public comment, email me! (Daisy@rentsoda.com) My next article will compile all your private and public comments to share with all. (If you email me privately, I will leave include your comment, but won’t quote you. If you leave a public comment, I may quote you & link to your company. – OR tell me how you want it handled!)

Don’t Get it? RENT SODA. GET IT!

-Daisy Nguyen

CEO

Web: RentSoda.com

Email: Daisy@RentSoda.com

Blog: RentSoda.WordPress.com

 Custom Website Offers Travelers Vacation Rentals for Every Budget and Need

 Orlando, Florida – December 2009/Magical Memories/Press Release – Magical Memories, a leading professional vacation rental firm, located just a few miles from the Disney World Resort in Central, Florida is pleased to announce that choosing Orlando vacation rentals in the nation’s top vacation destination has just become much easier through their newly launched website.

 The company’s newly designed website makes selection of the perfect vacation home rental as easy as a few clicks of the mouse.   This customized site is rich with hundreds of photos, interactive maps and descriptive content, allowing guests to find accommodations to perfectly suit their needs and budget.  An advanced search tool even allows travelers to choose a specific home giving clear and concise information simplifies the entire process of making reservations online. 

 “The new site puts consumers, and us, in a great position, surpassing the standard of online booking.  It is much easier for a traveler to choose accommodations on our site than others like Expedia or Travelocity,” explains Jeff Chase, Director of Sales and Marketing for Magical Memories.  “For instance, the ability to quickly and economically book by property type is available, while those looking for more specific options will discover a complete photo portfolio along with descriptive content for each individual rental.  Our real time inventory system only shows what’s available and the consumer has the option of booking immediately.”

 Additional advantages of the new site, www.MagicalMemories.com,   include: a Specials page offering fantastic promotions along with an option to ‘Join Our eMailer’ that sends automatic notification about new promotional campaigns.  Another great new option is Select Choice, a collection of upscale properties for guests who desire the highest standard of luxury and amenities.

 Abundant options are offered by Magical Memories, comparable to the finest resorts.  In-home spa services, personal in-home chefs, medical concierge and babysitting services are available. Guests may also buy attraction tickets online through a partnership with The Official Ticket Center.

 “We are very excited with the way the site turned out,” states Chase.  “I really believe travelers will see the difference and enjoy the experience we’ve created for them.

ABOUT MAGICAL MEMORIES

Magical Memories Management, Inc. manages more than $50 million dollars in second home real estate in the Central Florida attractions district.  With offices located only a few miles from the gates of Disney World Resort, Magical Memories offers more than 350 vacation rentals, including two to four bedroom resort condos, as well as three to seven bedroom luxury pool homes.  We pride ourselves on delivering a quality of service and standard of product that far surpasses our guests’ expectations.  We now make it simpler for you to create magical memories that will last a lifetime.  For more information, please visit www.MagicalMemories.com  or call (877) 265-9354.

####

For Immediate Release

December 1, 2009

Magical Memories

Dan Kline, Vice President

dkline@magicalmemories.com

(866) 628-0367

On occasion I take one of my kids along with me to check on properties, tenants, etc. when appropriate. My eldest son (4 years old) and I (old enough to have a four year old) went to deliver some notices and check in on things a tone property this morning. One of my tenants drives an ice cream truck and leaves it parked in the parking area behind the building where it inconveniently blocks other tenants access in and out (partly the reason I was there). Like any four year old my little guy said “hey I want some ice cream from that ice cream truck” and I told him that he probably isn’t home and that we can get ice cream from the local gas station, trying to avoid an exchange of goods & services with my tenant which is always a bad idea. My son’s persistence in the over-priced brain freeze inevitable super pop led me to a claim that I couldn’t since he was a “tenant of mine and I don’t like to buy things from tenants” based on the fact that most tenants would love to sell you something with a little “landlord love” included whatever that might be. A good rule.
My son’s response was “but Dad, he is not one of my tenants” and I was stumped with a big smile on my face. Luckily for both of us the tenant was not home.
The moral of the story, since I had to have one for my son, “make sure you have a strict parking policy with no room for misinterpretation….and of course don’t buy ice cream from tenants”

You’ve almost finished those turkey leftovers and the boxes of holiday decorations have been dug out from the depths of the closet and are ready to be hung. This can only mean one thing: colder days are on the way. And for financially-savvy landlords and property managers, cold weather means winterizing. Last year we looked at the top seven things every landlord should do to prep their properties for the winter months (to ensure that you’re doing everything possible to keep heating costs down and unit temperatures up, be sure to take a quick refresher look at that post). And for even more tips and ideas for winterizing with the best of ‘em, read on.

Door stoppers.
Most of us have been programmed to make sure that any gaps between the front and back outside doors and the floor are filled in with rubber door stops. But don’t stop at the exterior doors. Consider doors inside of your building that may be allowing heat to escape. Doors leading to attic stairwells are a prime example of an often-overlooked heat vacuum. Survey your property carefully to make sure that all doorways (both interior and exterior) are fitted with weather-stripping and rubber stops as necessary.

Pre-set temperatures.
If you’re providing tenants with controlled heat, investing in an electric, programmable thermostat will likely save you a lot of money in the long-run. While you certainly don’t want to freeze your tenants out, it’s also not necessary (or comfortable, for that matter) to keep the heat cranked up to maximum levels 24/7. An electronic thermostat will allow you to pre-program temperatures according to the time of day. For example, you may want to increase the temperature by a few degrees in the morning and evening hours, when the weather is likely cooler and tenants are home. Remember, these thermostats will allow you to over-ride the automatic settings should it become necessary to increase or decrease the temperature at any given time.

Roofing repairs.
Because it’s not the most easily visible part of your property, missing shingles or other gaps in the roof that allow the warm air to get out can be easily overlooked. As we all know, heat rises, so ensuring that your roof is in good repair is an essential part of keeping the heat in and the cold out. Depending on the size of your property, either you or a contractor should conduct a thorough examination of the roof to make sure that any missing shingles, tiles, or nails are replaced; that any gaps are fully caulked; and that any warped or darkened areas on the roof are identified and treated as necessary.

Electrical outlets.
They’re easy to miss, but electrical outlets can be exactly that—a perfect way to let costly heat out of your building. It may be a bit tedious, but it’s to your benefit to go through your property at least once a year, removing electric outlet covers to make sure that any spaces left by electrical outlets are filled in. These gaps can be easily filled with foam, which will eliminate the problem.

Taking care of these easy-to-miss heat escapes will go a long way to keeping heating costs under control during the winter months. Also remember to ask for your tenants’ help. Particularly if they are not directly paying for heating costs, it can be easy to forget the important difference simple actions like closing storm windows and removing cooling units can make during those winter months. Provide them with a list of simple winterizing reminders and be sure to offer your assistance with any of the requested items as necessary.

Comments »

Statistics

 

“I’m sorry. My Broker-in-Charge does not permit us to do lease options.  She said the percent of people that actually purchase is 8%.”  (Charlotte Realtor)

“Statistics are like a drunk with a lamppost: used more for support than illumination.”  (Winston Churchill)

Wow- 8%!  I still can’t get over that figure.  The things that come to the top of my head when I hear 8% are a:

• Lousy tip
• High sales tax rate
• Decent annual investment return

I began to wonder about where this 8% statistic could possibly be derived from and how accurate it could be.  The last time I checked, the National Association of Realtors doesn’t keep this statistic and I’m not sure how they could.  Non-licensed investors seem to do more of these which would take it out of NAR’s jurisdiction.  Home sales are public record and I’ve never seen them broken down into “Regular Sales” and “Lease Option Sales.”  The only person you need to tell that you want to exercise your option to purchase is the seller; then a normal closing occurs.  So I’m at a loss.  Did they take a representative sample?  Of whom and how did they find these people?  Most people don’t register the options at the courthouse.  Hmmm…  8%…

So I’m going to assume that this BIC was using this clumsily manufactured 8% statistic to support her firm’s wanting to sell homes and get the full sales commission right away.  She was not trying to illuminate the public about her doctoral thesis, “The Myth of Lease Options in the 21^st Century Post-Modern Era” where she painstakingly interviewed all home owners in the largest 20 cities in the United States.

I’m also going off the assumption that her point was that lease option deals don’t close often enough.  That I am most certainly going to agree with!  So the question is why.  It boils down to the lease option tenant either not wanting to pull the trigger and purchase or being unable to get financing.  It’s usually the latter.

To combat his, the top 5 things you can do to increase the odds of your lease option tenant buying the home they are renting are:

1. Make sure they have the ability to buy the home during their lease period!  Taking an option fee when the tenant has no reasonable way of purchasing during their rental is basically stealing!  This also makes a sale impossible.
2. Make sure the tenant has skin in the game by collecting a moderately sizeable option fee.  You can use your own discretion, but 1-5% usually works with a $3K floor. 
3. Entice the tenant to purchase by offering monthly rent credits (10-20% is sufficient).  This makes it so they are walking away from a good amount of cash if they choose not to buy.
4. Use some of the option money to pay for half of the credit repair.  Ask the tenant to pay the other half.  People only value things that they pay for.
5. Align yourself with a good mortgage or credit repair professional that is going to provide on-going credit and budget counseling to the tenant.

If you practice these 5 things, you may help push the national lease option closing average to 9%!

Brett Furniss is the President & Owner of BDF Realty, “Charlotte’s Most Innovative Property Management & Investment Company”specializing in rent-to-own (lease options) and rent-to-sell homes.  You can follow his Twitter thoughts on the Charlotte real estate market by clicking on http://Twitter.com/BDFRealty.  He is the author of the FREE E-Manual entitled “How to Rent-To-Sell Your Own Home” (http://www.RentToSell.com/RTS-Book.html) which details how to get the most potential buyers to your home in this challenging real estate market.

We will find you the perfect place to live along the California Riviera.  Whether you are looking for a long term residence to lease or a short term vacation home to rent, we can help.  We represent the finest residences available for your budget.

We can help you :

• Locate a Long Term Residential lease.
• Locate a Short Term Vacation Home.
• Relocate to Orange County.
• Manage an Investment Property for Maximum ROI.
• Lease to Purchase.

We proudly serve the following communities in the area many call California’s Riviera, Orange County.

How much do YOU & LANDLORDS know about Mold or Black Mold.?
Molds are microscopic fungi that need plant and animal matter in order to grow. It is estimated that there are greater than 100,000 different species of fungi that exist across the world. The purpose of fungi is to break down organic material and recycle them for future use by plants and animals. Because molds grow by digesting the organic material, they gradually destroy whatever they grow on. Mold growth on surfaces can often be seen in the form of discoloration, frequently green, gray, brown or black, but also white and other colors. The family of fungi includes mildews, yeasts, fungus, large mushrooms and mold. These thinly spun, threaded organisms produce spores that then allow them to spread themselves to different locations. Molds typically reproduce through their spores that are released into the air and land on moist, organic materials. The spores then germinate and begin expanding out in elaborate networks.

If the mold spores are ‘toxic’ they can adversely affect peoples’ health. The effect on people will depend on the type of mold involved, the metabolic byproduct of the mold,as well as how much contact there is and the length of exposure, as well as the susceptibility of the person exposed. This last factor is important for children who can be affected more easily than adults. There are no definitive studies proving that ‘toxic mold’ makes people sick, nor is there a way to measure one’s exposure to mold. A growing number of medical experts and lawyers now believe that exposure to one type of mold in particular; stachybotrys chartarum can result in more serious health symptoms such as pulmonary bleeding, memory loss and even brain damage. Other symptoms may include headaches, fatigue and allergies.

Molds are found in virtually every ecological niche and are found outside in nature and in homes and buildings. They are most prevalent in areas that have moist or wet climates. Molds are simple organisms that thrive in warm, damp, dark, poorly ventilated environments. In a home these areas could be shower areas, closets, behind refrigerators and even inside wall cavities. Such conditions can be caused by un-repaired roof leaks, sprinkler spray hitting the house, plumbing leaks, overflow from sinks or sewers, a damp basement or crawl space. When damp conditions are present, mold is able to grow on such diverse materials as wood, carpet, insulation, cloth and all types of food. The spores of S. chartarum are in the soil and are introduced along with floodwaters or the dust and dirt entering with the water incursion. The fungus is most commonly found in homes or buildings which have sustained flooding or water damage from broken pipes, roof, wall, or floor leaks, condensation etc. Wet conditions are required to initiate and maintain growth. It is most common on the paper covering of gypsum wall board, but can be found on wallpaper, cellulose based ceiling tiles, paper products, carpets with natural fibers, paper covering on insulated pipes, in insulation material, on wood and wood paneling and on general organic debris. The paper covering of fiberglass insulation is another area for growth. The fungus can be hidden in the ceiling, walls or floors with no or little visible evidence within the interior of the room. The spores, however, can contaminate the interior of the room through holes and cracks in the building materials (aided by negative pressure) or be transported via the air handling system. Condensation due to poor design or faulty heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems can promote growth of the fungus. The fungus will usually produce large amounts of conidiophores and conidia giving the substrate a black appearance that can be slightly shiny when fresh and powdery when dry.

Everyone is exposed to some mold on a daily basis without evident harm. It is common to find mold spores in the air inside homes; most of the airborne spores found indoors come from outdoor sources. People often come into contact with molds in moist area in and around their homes or when mold spores become airborne. These spores can come into contact with people through the skin or when ingested. Mold spores can also be present from active mold growth within home, office or school where people live or work.

Nearly all mycologists, or fungi experts, agree that indoor mold exposure, if extensive, can cause those exposed to the spores to become sensitized, resulting in the development of allergies. Symptoms usually include wheezing, shortness of breath, sinus congestion, eye irritation, a dry cough and skin rashes. The elderly, asthmatic, infants and young children and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk to reacting negatively to molds. The ill effects of molds generally break down into four categories that include allergies, infections, irritations and toxicities. Allergies are the most common reaction to contact with molds and these can run the spectrum from very mild and temporary reactions to acute, chronic illness.

1 in 5 Americans suffer from allergic rhinitis (nerves), the most common chronic disease in people; · 1 in 9 Americans suffer from allergy-related sinusitis (nasal) · 1 in 10 Americans have allergy-related asthma (lung) · 1 in 11 Americans experience allergic dermatitis (skin) · Less than 1 in 100 Americans suffer from serious chronic allergic diseases. These statistics indicate that allergic reactions are extremely common in people. Often the specific cause is not known and in question. Recently, the existence of mold in homes, offices and schools has emerged as a real possibility as the cause of these allergic reactions. Stachybotrys chartarum (also known as S. chartarum) is a fungus that has become notorious as a mycotoxin producer that can cause animal and human mycotoxicosis. Over the past 15 years in North America, evidence has accumulated implicating this fungus as a serious problem in homes and buildings and one of the causes of the ’sick building syndrome’. In 1993-1994 there was an unusual outbreak of pulmonary hemorrhage in infants in Cleveland, Ohio where researchers found S. chartarum growing in the homes of the sick infants. This incident increased the awareness of home/building molds and brought this fungus to the immediate attention of the medical community. Although there are many unanswered questions about the effects of S. chartarum on human health, the accumulation of data (from observations and research) over the past 65 years tells us that one should not handle materials contaminated with S. chartarum (without proper safety procedures) and strongly indicates that indoor environments contaminated with S. chartarum are not healthy, especially for children and may result in serious illness.

Mold is mostly white or black in color. You may suspect there is mold in the air if you see patches of cottony or speckled growth on walls and furniture. You may smell an earthy or musty odor. One may suspect mold contamination if individuals experience some of the symptoms described above when in the structure. Evidence of past or ongoing water damage should also trigger more thorough inspection. Mold growth may be found underneath water-damaged surfaces or behind walls, floors and ceilings.

Testing is not recommended as a first step to determine if there is a mold problem. Reliable air sampling for mold can be expensive and requires expertise and equipment that is not widely available to the general public and there are few available standards for judging what is an acceptable quantity of mold. The simplest way to deal with a suspicion of mold contamination is, if one can see or smell mold, you are likely to have a problem. Mold growth is likely to recur unless the source of moisture that is allowing the mold to grow is removed and the contaminated area is cleaned.

Our Betanix® 6000 and Betanix® paints, primers, and sealers and Moldwash Wipes are engineered to knock out mold.     By Eric vonKnipe.

When your winter bills start to raise look to your heating source for respite from more than just the cold, consider the following. By changing your filter once a month you will significantly cut down the energy it takes to push warm air through a dirty filter. That in turn will cost less in your monthly energy bills.
If you don’t have central heat and have a window heating unit, clean your filter at least once a week to help prevent the same expense. Filters cost $1.00 to $5.00 on average and will save you much more in energy cost over the winter months.
You can also buy plastic to cover your windows and doors that will prevent cool air from intruding your living spaces. The directions are easy to follow and the kits can be purchased at any hardware store. You can also roll up an old towel and place it at the base of your entry doors to further prevent cool air from entering. Replace weather stripping (or install) as needed to finish off the efforts to stay warm and reduce your potentially hefty utility bills.
With central air/heat units, don’t set your thermostat to “on”, keep it on “auto” so that it doesn’t run all the time, just when you need it. It is a good idea to keep your temperature in the 60-70 degree range. If you want 80 degree weather move to the desert, otherwise you will pay a premium to bring the temperature to you living spaces

Investors were confused as to why they should buy Gurgaon property in India.This was the case a few months ago.This confusion and dilemma all emanated form the fall out of the world economic meltdown.It its sweep, the financial downturn has had its toll in the property market in India also.

The television shows mentioned in the previous blog are all great tools for gaining a better understanding of the real estate game. Following are some of Buildium’s additional honorable mentions.

• No frills, no acting, no drama … just some nice old-fashioned real estate rehab. This Old House is a time-tested staple of real estate television.
• Learn how to transform your property into a revenue producer with HGTV’s Income Property.
• Maybe a little different than your average rental, Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing follows high-end real estate brokers as they try to move property in Southern California. Due to the economy, recent episodes have even showcased some high-end rentals.
• Don’t make the same mistakes as these Property Virgins on HGTV; learn from their house hunting lessons.
• Here is yet another fun show where investors take a piece of real estate, smash it up, and create a masterpiece.  Flip This House on A&E is the perfect Saturday morning pick-me-up.

Comments »

We’ll be back next week with more in property management.  Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Landabout!

Thanks for reading my blog.  I try hard to respond to every email I receive, but I receive more and more every week.  It is getting hard to keep up.  I started a forum that will address tenant debt and tenant screening issues to help answer the commonly asked questions.  Please help me get the forum off the ground by registering and posting your questions.

The forum url is: www.theinformedlandlord.com

Thanks,

Bill Gray

Bill@thelandlorddoctor.com

www.thelandlordoctor.com