Tips For Buying Rental Properties In Houston TX

Are you planning on buying rental properties in Houston TX? If so, you’ve come to the right place! The Houston Texas area is without a doubt one of the very best locations in the United States for buying investment properties. Why? The answer is simple. Demand for rentals has only continued to grow here in recent years and this continues to make the Houston area ideal for every real estate investor.

In this article, we will share with you several tips that will help you to choose the right investment property in Houston or elsewhere in the United States.

Tip #1 – Where Is The Property Located?

Before purchasing an investment property in Houston, you should always find out exactly where the property is located. This step is vital because, knowing the location of the property may save you from buying a property that’s in a bad neighborhood or in a location that’s not close to restaurants, stores or the businesses that your renters may want to use on a regular basis.

Tip #2 – Always Get Title Insurance

Title insurance is a form of indemnity insurance predominantly found in the United States which insures against financial loss from defects in title to real property and from the invalidity or unenforceability of mortgage loans. … Typically the real property interests insured are fee simple ownership or a mortgage. – Wikipedia

Even though the current owner may tell you that the property has a clean title, you always want to get title insurance because you don’t want to find out about those title issues after you’ve invested in the property.

Tip #3 – Get The Rental Inspected

A good inspection of the Houston TX rental property could save you thousands of dollars because, the owner may tell you that the property was recently renovated but you’re never going to really know what’s going on with the investment property until you have it inspected.

Tip #4 – Get Houston Texas Property Management

Last of all, but most important, you should always hire a property manager to professional manage your rental property after you invest in it because, a professional property management company will save you the time, money and hassle of managing that rental yourself so you can focus on growing your portfolio of rental properties.

To learn more about the property management services we can offer you contact us today by calling (832) 971-1841 or click here to connect with us online.

Property Management Tips – How To Keep More Tenants

Searching for property management tips? If so, you’ve come to the right place! In this article we will offer you several tips that you can use for keeping tenants happy because a happy tenant will be someone who wants to renew their lease each year instead of searching for another rental property.

Tip 1 – Update Your Rentals

Most renters these days want to know that their landlords actually care about them, and are not just renting to get their money.

You can keep your Humble Texas Renters happy by updating your rental units.

Consider painting the inside and outside of your Humble Texas Rental Properties, replacing bathroom and kitchen sinks, improving curb appeal and adding more lighting outside.

Tip 2 – Make It Easier For Tenants to Contact You

Offer your Humble Texas Renters more ways to contact you including by your mobile phone or email.

Most renters won’t be calling, texting or emailing you 24-7, but they will like to have the confidence in knowing they can reach you should they have a question, concern or problem which needs to be resolved.

It’s also important to consider offering your tenants the ability to pay their rents online via your website or a 3rd party payment platform so you can speed up the process of getting paid and won’t have to deal with the age old problem of collecting checks from your tenants.

Tip 3 – Offer Perks For Tenants Who Renew Their Leases

Last of all, you should consider offering perks to tenants who are considering renewing their leases.

Some perks to consider offering are: 3-6 month gym memberships, restaurant gift cards, basic satellite TV or Wi-Fi for 6 months or free rent for one month.

Get Property Management Tips Here

For more property management tips or for affordable property management for Houston Texas or the surrounding area contact Vestpro Residential Services by calling us at (832) 498-0016 or click here to contact us through our website.

How Much Money Should You Charge For Rent?

By Vestpro Residential Services

HOUSTON – As longtime Houston Texas property managers, one of the most common questions that we’ve seen every single owner have after they’ve purchased a rental property in the Houston area, or elsewhere across the United States is: what should I rent my property for?

The answer to this question depends on who you ask but, thankfully determining the right amount to rent for your Houston Texas rental property is a lot easier than you think especially if you follow these simple steps.

#1 – What Does Your Houston Texas Rental Property Offer?

The first thing that you need to do when determining what to charge for rent is to think about all of the features and amenities that your Houston Texas rental property has to offer a typical renter.

Some of the features and amenities that your rental property might offer a typical renter could include:

Your rental is located in a quiet neighborhood.
It’s close to the University.
Offers more storage space because it has a garage, attic or basement.
It’s located near the best restaurants, bars, shops or stores.
Your rental property is close to public transportation like: trains and buses.
Your Houston Texas rental property is located in a walkable neighborhood, meaning that anything that a typical renter could want is within easy walking distance.

#2 – What Is The “Ballpark” Rent In Houston Right Now?

Depending on when you’re reading this article, that Houston Texas rental market could either have gone way up, or it’s gone down, depending upon economic conditions, job gains or losses and the state of the global economy.

This is why it’s important to establish a ballpark rent for the Houston Texas rental market right now that includes the average high rent, and average low rent for single-family homes, condos and townhomes in the Houston area.

Now you’re probably asking “how in the world am I going to determine the ballpark rents for an average Houston Texas rental right now?” I’m not a property manager. The answer to this question is a lot easier than you thought, to determine the average ballpark rent for a property in Houston right now just go online and visit websites like Zillow or rent jungle.

What’s great about websites like Zillow is that they offer you plenty of historical data and also accurate information regarding the rental market so you know what your property may have rented for in the past and what it should be renting for right now because the goal is to always rent your property for what it’s worth right now.

#3 – What Do Comparable Properties Have To Offer?

Last of all, but most important, think like a renter and take at least one day to visit comparable rental properties in the area and find out what those properties offer.

Do they offer the same bedrooms, bathrooms and square footage that your property offers? Do they have plenty of amenities like a hot tub, on-site fitness center, dog run or laundry area?

After taking the time to come up with a ballpark rent for Houston Texas rental properties, analyzing all the features and benefits that your rental property has to offer and visiting comparable properties in the area you should have more than enough information at your fingertips to come up with an accurate rent to charge for your Houston Texas rental property.

Get Houston Texas Property Management

To save time and money with renting your Houston Texans rental property yourself, contact the team of property management experts at Vestpro Residential Services today by clicking here to contact us online or by calling us at (832) 498-0016.

Should You Rent Your Houston Rental Property to a College Student?

By Vestpro Residential Services

As you move forward with the process of buying another Houston Texas Rental Property you will eventually have to ask yourself the question if you should rent your property to a college student or not.

Although some landlords may tell you that it’s not a good idea to rent to a college student the truth is that you can establish a consistent and profitable income stream when you choose to open your Houston Rental up to college students and not just traditional renters.

In this post we will share with you some of the benefits of renting to college students and what else you should know when you start renting to this segment of the rental market.

Benefits of Renting To College Students

Some of the benefits that come from renting to college students include:

Year-Round Occupancy – Since most college students go to school for 4 years they will also will many times want to stay in the same rental property during the time that they are going to college and this means year-round occupancy for the landlord and less turnover.

You Can Charge Premium Rent – Another great benefit of renting to college students is that you can charge premium rent especially the closer your Houston Texas Rental Property is to the university or college, and most tenants won’t have a problem paying premium rent especially if they live with roommates.

Getting Started With Renting To College Students

Before placing an ad online to rent to college students you should do the following:

Create an airtight lease that protects your best interests.
Create strict rules for your property including no fireworks, weapons or drugs in the house and no charcoal grills outside the house.
Always do a complete background check before approving a new college student to rent from you including viewing their credit report because this will only protect your best interests.
Require college students under the age of 21 to have co-signer on their lease just to make sure you will continue to get paid each month even if they don’t pay their rent.

Learn More

To learn more about renting your Houston Texas Rental Property to college students contact Vestpro Residential Services, LLC today by calling us at (832) 498-0016 or click here to connect with us online.

Is Buying Too Many Houston Texas Rental Properties A Bad Thing?

By Vestpro Residential Services, LLC

Thanks to historically low mortgage interest rates you may be buying Houston Texas Rental Properties at a fast rate but, is it a bad thing to buy too many rental properties?

The answer to this question is yes, if you don’t have Houston Texas Property Management. Here’s why:

Rent Collection

One of the biggest problems most property owners who own homes or multi-family properties have is collecting rent from their tenants each month especially when their tenants fall behind on paying.

Thankfully when you hire Vestpro Residential Services to manage your Houston Texas Rental Properties you can have confidence that your rentals will be professionally managed and rent will be collected from your tenants on time each month eliminating the need for you to contact tenants or start collections against them if they don’t pay.

Maintenance

Another big problem for some owners has been the issue of maintenance because, it’s not always easy to handle maintenance issues if you own multiple properties.

With Vestpro on your side you will have peace of mind in knowing that your tenants will call us when they have maintenance issues and this will also help you keep tenants as well because, your tenants will know that the can depend on the property management company to solve problems when they occur instead of hearing making empty promises.

Customer Service

Last of all, but most important is customer service.

Many property owners offer customer service and poor support so that whenever there is an issue at one or more of their properties it will go unresolved for weeks or months.

At Vestpro we take pride in offering great customer service so that if your tenants call in with an issue they will be served by true customer service professionals every time.

Get Houston Texas Property Management

To learn more about how Houston Texas Property Management will make your life easier contact Vestpro Residential Services today by calling us at (832) 498-0016 or click here to contact us online.

Do You Respond Early To Your Houston Texas Rental Property Leads?

By Vestpro Residential Services

HOUSTON – You’ve owned Houston Texas Rental Property for a while now but there’s a problem, with your job, family and other responsibilities it’s getting more difficult for you to rent your properties.

One of the biggest reasons why it could be getting harder for you to rent your Houston Texas Rental Property is because you are not responding to your leads early enough when they express an interest in your rental properties.

In this article we will share with you the reasons why you should be responding early to people who express an interest in your Houston Texas Rental Property and when are the best days / times to connect with leads if you are not able to call people back right away.

Why It Pays To Respond Early To Your Leads

Did you know that a recent Harvard Business Review study found that business owners who respond to their leads early are more likely to have a great conversation with those leads compared to other leads that they may not be able to connect with in 24 hours or longer?

The sooner you respond to interest or requests for information about your Houston Texas Rental Property the better because, you will be able to connect with renters who are interested in your rental before they move onto viewing another rental in Houston.

Best Days and Times to Call You’re Leads

Let’s say that you are not able to call your leads back right away but you are interested in speaking with them about your Houston Rental Property.

You should try calling your leads back on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 8:00 am and 9:00 am or between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm because these are traditionally the best days and times to reach people since this is when their schedules are generally beginning or ending for the day.

Save Time and Money with Property Management

To save time and money with renting your Houston Texas Rental Property, contact the property management professionals at Vestpro Residential Services today by CLICKING HERE to schedule a consultation through our website or by calling us at (832) 498-0016.

Have You Lost Control Of Your Houston Texas Rental Property?

By Vestpro Residential Services

Have you been working harder than ever before to manage your Houston Texas Rental Property and in spite of the demand for rentals, you still find yourself behind financially every month?

If so, this is a sign that you may have lost control of your Houston Texas Rental, but the good news is that you can turn things around financially by following these simple tips.

Create an Operating Budget and Commit To It

Your rental income, especially if you own a multi-family rental property, should always cover your expenses and leave you with profit at the end of the month.

The best way to stay on track financially is to create an operating budget and then stick with that budget each month.

When creating an operating budget you should also be prepared for payments like landlord insurance and property taxes so you’re never left unprepared when it comes to your ability to pay those bills on time when they are due.

Work On Your Leasing Strategy

Create a lease which has stronger language when it comes to late payments just so tenants know that they will receive an eviction notice and not be allowed to “slide” if they miss making their rent payments on time.

You should also improve your tenant screening process and take the time to choose the right tenants instead of “warm bodies” who can pay the rent each month.

Improve Your Marketing Strategy

Instead of hanging fliers in your local laundry mat, or posting ads on Craigslist, you should create a new marketing strategy which includes options like paid ads on websites like Zillow and local classified ad sites which are sure to be read by prospective tenants.

Let Us Help You Get Your Houston Texas Rental Property on Track

To save time, money and the hassle of managing your Houston Texas Rental Property yourself contact Vestpro Residential Services today by calling us at (832) 498-0016 or CLICK HERE.