Posts Tagged ‘business and finance’

Is Leasing A Car An Option For You?

February 1st, 2011

Thinking of leasing a car? Who wouldn’t want to have a brand new automobile in their garage? We shall now discuss several things you’ll have to be aware of before agreeing to a lease.

When you lease a vehicle, you’re given the right to use it for a specific number of months and miles. Yes, the monthly payments are lower than if you bought the car outright. And that’s pretty attractive! Nobody in his right mind would turn down a chance to have lower monthly payments if given that opportunity. However, you’ll be without a vehicle once the lease expires. Make sure you read the terms of the lease and read between the lines, because you just might have a chance to own the car – provided you buy it under a few conditions.

All things considered, it will be your decision. You may not want to keep a vehicle very long, in which case, leasing could be a valuable option.

Regardless, make sure you are aware of the costs at the start, middle and end of the lease. Does the car have any limits to mileage? Chances are there will be. What upkeep is required? You usually have to abide by manufacturer’s recommendations on servicing the vehicle (changing oil, rotating tires, etc.).

And should you decide to terminate the lease at any point, be prepared to pay a huge termination fee. All right, we’re just exaggerating – in all seriousness, you’ll have to read the terms and conditions of the lease and go back to them whenever you need to.

As we mentioned earlier, there would usually be mileage limits in a lease’s T’s and C’s. And you’d usually get a figure of above twelve to fifteen thousand a year. There may be a surcharge imposed if you go above. Before you and your family take your leased car on a vacation with you, always go back to the mileage limit on your contract.

It goes without saying that any damage or excessive wear and tear incurred would lead to additional charges.

Of course don’t expect to be approved for a lease if you aren’t insured.

There might be extra upfront costs, like a down payment, a security deposit, taxes and other fees. Always be prepared to pay more than the initial payment initially quoted to you. Do not sign anything unless you are aware of these extra costs.

A good number of Americans would rather lease a car than buy one. Leasing would be the ideal option if you’re a person who trades in his/her car every couple years, making sure it is properly cared for. It wouldn’t be the same if you’re someone who prefers to take your car out on family vacations and such, someone who can hold on to a car for a long period of time – it would then be better to buy the car instead.

Any occasion is a special occasion. Celebrate the moments in your life with fashionable birthday invitations and stylish wedding invitations that will make a lasting impression.

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Get Right Connection to Sell Timeshare

October 8th, 2009
by Larry Evans

To sell timeshare is not a problem if you have the right connection and proper support to do that. Doing a person-to-person sales call can be very tedious and time consuming and indeed tiring. The best way to dispose of your property is to advertise either through printed or broadcast media or go global by way of the internet. You can avail of advertising by getting connected with all major search engines on the web.

The good thing with the real estate business is its vast coverage which practically covers the entire global. You can make more money if you sell time share and turn it into a career. Be part of the real estate network in your locality where you will be working with a team of professionals who can readily help you hit some sales.

Timeshare is one of the real properties with a worldwide nature and you can sell timeshare in any part of the planet. However, if you do have the knacks in selling you can simply contact some licensed and well-established estate brokers who are more than willing to help you out with your concern. Getting the right connection in any form of business especially with the sales industry is of primary importance.

With the right people to do the job for you, all you have to do is wait for your check or proceeds of the sale. To sell timeshare if you do not know how to delve with the underlying mechanics can be truly difficult. Leave the talking to experts and professionals on this matter while you wait for your money. No man is an island and you need other people to do the talking and walking in your behalf if you are not a salesperson.

Real estate brokers are the experts on this particular area and they are of great assistance to your concern. Always bear in mind that, for the protection of your interest, you negotiate only with a known and licensed real estate brokers or agents. In case you find some difficulty in disposing your own, try to coordinate with any licensed real estate broker or agent when you want to sell timeshare.

About the Author:
To sell timeshare may not that easy but it can be done easily if you have the right connection and resources for it. You have all the freedom to choose which manner you need to do it. If you want to learn how simply visit www.timeshareadventures.com

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How To Hire A Good Property Management Company

August 22nd, 2009
by Steve Guy

Should you need to hire a professional property management company then the profitability of your property boils down to whether you hire a good or bad company.

Hire the right management company and you will have a lucrative rental. Hire the wrong management company and you will lose thousands of dollars.

The biggest goof owners make is that they don’t do enough research on a property management company. With a little research, you can avoid hiring a bad management company.

Stay clear of those big national real estate corporations that have both a property management division and a home sales division. Many of these corporations use property management as simply a tool to get their foot in the door with you so that they can try and convince you that you need to sell your home. That is where these companies make their money. Many of them will operate their property management divisions at a loss just so they can hit you with their advertisements on selling your home. There have been many a unhappy owner who has accused these huge corporations of purposely letting their home sit vacant so that they can try and get you to just sell your home. Whether or not these accusations are true, you want a property management company that specializes exclusively in property management in your local markets.

Get multiple bids and check references. You want to talk with other owners who are satisfied with the property management company. You should not sign an agreement with the company until you know they are good at marketing, renting, and taking care of the renter in your home. With that said, you need to realize that a good property management company will only charge about $100 or less a month on your home. So don’t go in blasting away. If you give off the impression that you are going to be a problem owner, they are more than ready to simply turn your business a way. After all, your business only means about $100 a month for them. Try and get two or three references that you can call. Call the references and ask if they work for the property management company or know someone who does. Ask the references how long they have been with this property management company and what they like and dislike about them.

Get on the web and do a check on the property management company to make sure they have all the legal licenses to do business in your area. Most states mandate that a company have a business license, a real estate license, and a property manager’s license. A good example is in California where property managers are required to have a real estate license.

Check the company’s insurance. If they are not insured, stay away from them. The company should have general liability insurance, professional liability insurance, and workers’ compensation. Remember, the management company will be collecting deposits and rent so they should have a bond on their employees to protect you in case of employee fraud.

Another big mistake owners make is that they do not ask the right questions when hiring a property management company.

Consider asking the following questions:

1 – Can you provide a list of exactly what management services are provided?

2 – Do you have a home sales division?

3 – Can you tell me exactly what the monthly operating reports you send me will contain and when I will receive a monthly income check?

4 – Where will you advertise my home? How much will it cost me to advertise there?

5 – How do you handle maintenance requests from tenants?

6 – Who will actually manage my property? What are her qualifications? Is she licensed? How many properties does she currently manage?

7 – Can I have three references? Specifically, can I have the contact information for three clients of yours with rental properties that are managed by the same person who will be managing my property and that is similar in type, size, and location to mine?

8 – Do you have a maintenance division? If so, do you only charge the actual cost of labor and materials without any markups?

9 – Are you able to get discounts with vendors and if so, do you pass on those savings to me?

10 – How do you handle late charges? Who gets to keep the late charges? If you keep the late charges, will you come down on my monthly management fee? If I get to keep the late charges, are you charging me a higher monthly management fee?

11 – Do you have general liability insurance and Errors and Omissions insurance on your employees? If so, is your general liability insurance for at least $2M and your Errors and Omissions insurance for at least $500K?

12 – Do you have a $500,000 Fidelity bond and a Forgery and Alterations policy of at least $25,000 for all employees?

13 – Do you co-mingle different owners’ funds into one account? Did you know this is illegal in most states because of pyramid type schemes that property management companies have run in the past? Do you agree that keeping your owners money separate is important? If you deposit all owners’ money into a single bank account, do you keep owners’ money separate on paper so that Joe isn’t paying Sally’s expenses?

About the Author:
Written by Steve Guy. I hope this article helps you should you choose to look for a professional property management company to manage your property. If you own property in Madera California and are looking for professional property management services, see Madera property management

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Property Owner Help – How To Legally Evict A Non-Paying Tenant

August 17th, 2009
by Steve Zappa

The Notice of Termination is the first step in the tenant eviction process.

Tenants can be evicted with a 30 Day Notice if they are on a month to month lease. The form that you use is called a 30 Day Notice.

First though, you need to check your local laws for what is an acceptable reason to serve a 30 Day Notice.

Subsidized housing programs often limit what you can evict a tenant for. They usually have forms where you have to list the reason for the eviction.

Some rent control cities require “just cause” for eviction, and the landlords notice must state the reason for termination.

An eviction can never be retaliatory or discriminatory in nature.

There are basically 3 types of Notice of Termination forms that you can use to evict a tenant.

Pay Rent Or Quit is a notice given to a tenant who has not paid the rent. This notice instructs the tenant to either pay the rent or pack up and move. Tenants are then given anywhere from 3 days to 30 days to pay the rent depending on your local laws.

The notice called Cure Or Quit is given to a tenant who has violated a condition of tenancy listed on the lease agreement. It instructs the tenant to fix the violation in a certain amount of time, which is usually determined by state law, or face an eviction.

The Unconditional Quit or Notice To Quit notice instructs your tenant to move out in a certain amount of time without giving the tenant a chance to fix the violation in the lease agreement or even to pay the rent. You must be careful with this notice. This notice frankly says just get out. Most states do not want you to use this notice unless the tenant has broken the law in some way such as selling drugs from the apartment or has totally damaged your rental unit. Do not be lazy and use this form as just a “catch all” form. In the few cases where a tenant has won against a landlord, it involved the landlord using this form.

If your resident chooses not to correct a violation of the rental agreement or to pay you rent, she is not instantly evicted.

You need to start the eviction process.

You file the required forms with your local court and arrange to have the tenant properly served with a summons and complaint. The complaint is usually a pre-printed form, and you can only seek unpaid rent and actual damages. Any attempt to demand late charges or other fees can cause your complaint to be denied.

Most new owners make a mistake on how they serve the tenant. Do not just slip this notice under the door or stick it in the mail. You need to follow your state’s rules for what constitutes correct legal service. There is the age of the person serving the notice, the method of delivery, and so on. Check with your local attorney for the laws of service in your city.

By law the court will set a trial date. Your resident will be given a certain amount of days to file his own answer to your complaint.

What usually happens is that when the tenant gets the legal summons and complaint, it scares him into vacating your rental unit because he knows he violated some condition of the lease agreement.

If the tenant settles with you out of court, that’s fine but you must officially dismiss your eviction with the court.

If your tenant doesnt file an answer in a timely manner, the eviction action proceeds to court without the tenant.

The court calls this an uncontested eviction. The court asks you to state your case. The tenant is not there to deny your charges. You will usually win as long as you provide the court with good documentation and paperwork.

4. If the tenant files an answer and appears at court, you each will be given a turn to make your case before the court makes the final ruling.

This is called a contested eviction. If youre prepared and professionally present the facts in a well-supported case, you can generally win. However, the courts can be very harsh if youve acted illegally or in a retaliatory or discriminatory manner toward the tenant.

5. Once you win the eviction lawsuit, you then give the judgment to the local police.

The local police will contact the tenant and tell them to move immediately by a certain date of face a lock out. A lock out is when the police come to your rental unit and physically remove the tenant and all her belongings from your rental. Make sure you have a locksmith meet the police at your rental and change the locks as soon as you regain legal possession of your rental.

You should have a property management company or a lawyer deal with the evicting of your tenant. The reason is that it is a complex process with forms and letters to file and serve that must be done exactly by the book. Any mistake along the way in this eviction process will delay the eviction and you’ll have to start all over again even if it is clear that the tenant has violated a condition in the lease agreement.

There are many eviction and collection law firms that specialize exclusively in legally evicting tenants.

With an eviction collection law firm, you simply turn the tenant over to them and they do the rest. They handle filing with the court, serving the tenant the legal notices of pending court action, and they even call the police and schedule a date for the lock out. All you have to do is show up at your home for the lock out so you can change the locks. Next, they have their own collections department where they keep calling the tenant to work out payment arrangements and put a negative mark on the tenants credit report until he does pay.

About the Author:
By Steve Zappa. I hope this free advice helps you with dealing with legally evicting your non-paying tenant. Should you need professional property management services and if you are a property owner in Madera, California see Madera property management

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Do Not Be Involved In A Self Help Eviction

August 13th, 2009
by Fred Stiles

Self help eviction is when you take your own actions to kick out a tenant without going through the courts. There are procedures you have to go through with the court and that is the only legal way you can evict a tenant.

A self help eviction is any one of the following actions to remove a non-paying tenant from your home: changing the locks to prevent the tenant from entering your property, threatening the tenant, turning off vital utility services, and remove a tenant’s personal property.

Never threaten self help eviction in order to get the non-paying tenant out. You can not threaten a tenant with changing the locks or shutting off the phone. Almost every state has statutes that prohibit threats of self help eviction.

If you are dragged into court for a self help eviction, the judge won’t care that the tenants were behind on the rent. If the tenant is in possession of the premises, and you want him out, and he won’t leave, you have to go through the correct procedures with the court.

Do not even think about engaging in a self help eviction. There have been many cases where a landlord removed a tenant’s personal property and put it on the sidewalk or even in the trash. A judge could easily award your non-paying tenant with a $20,000 damages award. Most judges will not require the tenant to produce receipts for his belongings because such proof of purchase could have been disposed of in the lock out.

There is also a law you can be sued under called the common law intentional torts of conversion. This is simply fancy legal wording that means the exercise of control over an item in a manner inconsistent with the rights of its owner which permanently deprives the owner of its value. You can also be sued for trespass to chattels which means which is the same as the law above but which temporarily deprives the owner of its value. And of course you can be sued for trespass which is the unlawful entry upon the property of another enjoying right to possession. Because these claims for relief are intentional torts, if court can award not only nominal damages, but punitive damages plus attorney fees as well.

Take a look at WILLIAM SPANO v. HANNA ABDALLA South Carolina Superior Court (October 3, 2002) Hanna Abdulla engaged in the act of self help eviction by changing the locks and removing William Spano’s personal property from the premise to the sidewalk. Hanna Abdulla’s defense was that she thought the tenant had abandoned the premises (she should have posted an abandonment notice but she did not). The court was not convinced that she was telling the truth and awarded Spano $1,800 for the three months of rent expense he incurred to live elsewhere. The court further awarded $1,200 in punitive damages and attorneys fees.

In the case of Gordon v. Morris, 2001 Ohio App. (February 2, 2001) the landlord changed the locks just before the end of the month upon learning that the tenants had shut off the utilities and removed most of their belongings. The trial court awarded the tenants only $96.77 in actual damages (they had paid rent through the end of the month but were deprived of the use of the apartment, and this was the prorated amount). But the trial court further awarded $1,000.00 in punitive damages and $1,462.00 in attorneys fees.

I often hear owners complain that the courts are siding with the tenant and not owners. This is simply not true. The courts are not siding with non-paying tenants. What the courts are doing is trying to prevent violence in our society that frequently occurs over the struggle for the possession of land. Think about this. If it was legal for a landlord to turn off the electricity or to change the locks, that same tenant could turn violent and club you to death. While on the surface it might seem like the courts are on the side of the tenant, they are actually protecting you. Just follow the court approved procedure for evicting a tenant and you’ll be fine. If you don’t know the legal way to evict a tenant, then hire the surfaces of a professional property management company.

About the Author:
Written by Fred Stiles. I hope this article helps you with renting out your home. If you need additional help and are a property owner in Fresno, California, see Fresno property management

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Marketing Tips For Your Rental Home

August 12th, 2009
by Tina Stevens

Owners often come to me when they have problems finding a tenant for their home. The problem is not always a soft market. Sometimes, the problem is what I like to call the “first impression”.

Whether you are trying to find a job, or trying to find a tenant for your home, first impressions are very important.

One of the best ways to convert a prospect into a tenant is how you manage the first impression.

You need to remember that your house is not the only house for rent in your area. Renters have many options. You are competing against other owners for the best renters. One way to beat your competition is to have a professional attitude and to make a good first impression.

A professional attitude is what you need. A professional attitude make a great first impression because it says to your prospect that you will be able to meet their needs in a professional manner when a problem arises. But it is more than that. A professional first impression says that you are competent at what you are doing. This kind of professional attitude is what most property management companies have over owners who manage their own property.

Part of making a good first impression is returning your prospects phone call as quickly as possible. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when renting out your home is to not return prospect phone calls immediately. It is a big turn off to your prospect if they can’t reach you. Immediately they think that if you are hard to get on the phone now, what’s going to happen if you move in and have a maintenance issue? A very interested prospect will only call once or twice before giving up and moving on to another rental home.

You need to have your paperwork in order. Have your rental application and rental contract, with all addendums, ready for their review. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to not bring your rental application and rental contract with you. If you tell a prospect who is interested in filling out your rental application that you forgot to bring it with you and that you will call him later when you find it, you will lose the prospect. You’ll call but the prospect will not call you back. He’s already gone on to another rental home.

First impressions are everything. Return prospect calls immediately. When you show your rental home, have a professional attitude. Wear professional clothing. Be organized. Bring your rental application and rental contract, with all addendums, with you.

About the Author:
May you find this article helpful in renting out your home. If you should require more help with renting out your house in Madera, California, go to Madera property management

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