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Manage Like Michael

Open Letter to Washington State Senator Kuderer

Dear Senator Kuderer, I am writing to share concerns over SB 5600. As I read the proposed language, I am struck by the extent to which it goes beyond protection of tenants rights, and instead fundamentally infringes upon property owners rights. It seems as though the legislation’s authors envision landlords as fat-cat tycoons. […]
Manage Like Michael

Spring Cleaning for your rental property: A quick guide to your Spring inspection

Spring Cleaning your Rental Property Some things to remember for your Spring inspection of your Rental. The sun is shining a little longer after you get home these days, and you’re starting to notice those cobwebs you didn’t see all winter, and that the closet has really gotten away from you. It’s time to binge […]
Manage Like Michael

Rental Maintenance: Appliance Troubleshooting

Hopefully you’ve read our previous blog posts about maintenance and issue prevention on sinks and toilets, and the bonus on snow. If you haven’t, go ahead and check those out. We’ll wait here for ya! 😉 This week we’re covering appliances in the rental. Every rental property has a variety of different appliances, if […]
Manage Like Michael

Rental Maintenance: Snow

Rental Maintenance: Snowmaggedon 2019 What did we learn after Snowmaggedon 2019? Well, we already knew we couldn’t trust the weather predictions, and we knew we wouldn’t believe it till we saw it. Unfortunately, this year, when Seattle winter came, and it really took us by surprise. What did this mean […]

Manage Like Michael Open Letter to Washington State Senator Kuderer Dear Senator Kuderer, I am writing to share concerns over SB 5600. As I read the proposed language, I am struck by the extent to which it goes beyond protection of tenants rights, and instead fundamentally infringes upon property owners rights. It seems as though the legislation’s authors envision landlords as fat-cat tycoons. […]

Manage Like Michael Spring Cleaning for your rental property: A quick guide to your Spring inspection Spring Cleaning your Rental Property Some things to remember for your Spring inspection of your Rental. The sun is shining a little longer after you get home these days, and you’re starting to notice those cobwebs you didn’t see all winter, and that the closet has really gotten away from you. It’s time to binge […]

Manage Like Michael Rental Maintenance: Appliance Troubleshooting Hopefully you’ve read our previous blog posts about maintenance and issue prevention on sinks and toilets, and the bonus on snow. If you haven’t, go ahead and check those out. We’ll wait here for ya! 😉 This week we’re covering appliances in the rental. Every rental property has a variety of different appliances, if […]

Manage Like Michael Rental Maintenance: Snow Rental Maintenance: Snowmaggedon 2019 What did we learn after Snowmaggedon 2019? Well, we already knew we couldn’t trust the weather predictions, and we knew we wouldn’t believe it till we saw it. Unfortunately, this year, when Seattle winter came, and it really took us by surprise. What did this mean […]

Manage Like Michael Rental Maintenance: Toilets You might have read our last blog about sinks and disposals. This week we’re going to cover the restroom and toilets. This was written with Jay LaBrie. Property Management isn’t glamorous. If you’ve spent even just a day working on rental maintenance, you know it’s not always pretty. Sometimes, we have to deal […]

Manage Like Michael Rental Maintenance: Drains Over the next few blog posts, we’re going to focus on rental maintenance issues that are preventable when the owners and tenants are on the same page regarding the proper care of the home. These suggestions are based on our experiences with owners and tenants and the common mistakes that end up costing both parties […]

Manage Like Michael 2019: De-Clutter & Make More Money! Do you have a New Year’s Resolution to de-clutter your life? What about make more money? Complete both by cleaning out that storage unit you call your rental! Many of our owners use the garage or shed at their rental as storage for those items that are rarely used. Some owner even use it to […]

Manage Like Michael Mold in a Rental Seattle, and the PNW are their own little Mold Farms. You can’t go anywhere without some sort of moisture build up or something decomposing in this climate. In this environment, property owner and tenants must work together to combat mold in a rental and prevent the potential harmful health effects. Property Owners Know […]

Manage Like Michael Vacant Listings Vacant Listings If your rental has been sitting on the market, vacant, for what seems like forever, you’re not alone. It’s that time of year and we’re not going to see it let up until March, when the busy season starts to pick back up. So, while you’re sitting with a vacant home, it’s […]

Manage Like Michael Hosting Guests for the Holidays Hosting Guests for the Holidays: A Guide Maybe you have family coming into town or maybe you’re the family going to visit for the Holidays. Keep your family safe and healthy with this guide. We’re thinking outside the box for you so you can think about what really matters, the food and the beverages. If […]

Manage Like Michael Haunted Rental Stories Haunted Rental Stories from Our Agents. Chased Out of a U-District Home Rebecca did a move-in inspection for our agent Jay LaBrie in the U-District. She had this to say about her experience: “[It was] just a super creepy house. It’s an old farmhouse style home built in like 1901 and almost all of […]

Manage Like Michael Fall Proactive Cleaning for your Rental Fall Proactive Cleaning for your Rental Here are some proactive things you can do to your rental property to prepare it for the fall & winter seasons. Your rental lease with the tenants probably lays out maintenance responsibilities along the lines of ‘tenants are responsible for the furnace filter and light bulbs, and the owner […]

Manage Like Michael Market your Rental Property like a Pro Market your Rental Property like a Pro So, you’ve decided to rent out your home! Congratulations on this big next step in your financial plan! Owning a rental property can be a rewarding experience; a fulfilling way to earn a little passive income while providing shelter for someone, while hopefully watching your property’s value appreciate. […]

Manage Like Michael Rent Prices are Dropping: It’s that time of the year. Rent Prices are Dropping: It’s that time of the year. It’s always the same, around this time of year all the news articles will exclaim that rent prices are dropping! They will fail to explain, however, that this is typical for this time of the year. We already touched on the best time to rent […]

Manage Like Michael Small Claims Court & Your Rental Properties You work hard to manage your property well in order to avoid litigation and the stress of going to court. That said, if you manage rental properties for long enough, chances are that disputes will arise. Going to court is typically a last resort, but there are times when Landlords and Tenants should recognize that they’re simply […]

Manage Like Michael Grilling: A Cautionary Tale Grilling: A Cautionary Tale Tenants and homeowners alike will likely fire up the grill this weekend for Labor Day. This week we wanted to cover some safety regarding your BBQ party, especially when you’re hosting at your rental home. It’s something you’ll see in the newspaper and everyone thinks the same two things; First, “They […]

Manage Like Michael Avoiding Fraudulent Rental Listings This linked survey is worthwhile reading for both renters and landlords. It points out various types of scams prevalent in the rental market, and ways renters can combat them. Avoiding Fraudulent Rental Listings With every great new tool available to the public, there’s always someone out there who takes advantage of it. While looking for […]

Manage Like Michael An Interview with Ann Lopez Meet our newest agent, Ann Lopez. With almost 30 years in property management, Ann joined us about a year ago. She’s hit the ground running – operating out of Kirkland, she’s already found her niche in North Seattle. I wanted to know how it was going since she began at Windermere, here’s the Q&A: What’s […]

Manage Like Michael More Families Renting Rather than Buying More families than ever are renting instead of buying. Between 2006 and 2016, 1.9 million more families* in the U.S. were renting their home at the time of the census, a 16% increase in just 10 years. In that same 10-year time frame, Seattle saw 40,000 more households with minor children renting, and a decrease […]

Manage Like Michael Preparing to Rent a Home Preparing to rent a home: So, you’ve graduated, or you’re moving from your parent’s place for the first time. Here’s what you need to get in shape before you go apartment hunting: Your credit score(s). Use a free credit company to check your credit score. If it’s in the poor range, these sites often have […]