Lease Management Software Programs

What Real Estate Investors Need To Know About Property Management

2008-05-07T01:55:00.000-07:00

Once you purchase a real estate rental property, you virtually become the CEO of your own small business. Sure, you feel good about becoming a landlord and owner of your own private money-maker, but unless it?s raw land, your work has just begun.

Now you must manage the property. As a real estate investor who has chosen the renting of apartments as a business, your goal now is to keep the units full, and at the highest rent per square foot possible.

So let?s consider the big picture of property management and look at some rental management basics every real estate investor should be aware of inside real estate investment.

Property condition. Getting the best tenants and commanding the highest rent starts with a sharp-looking building that has good curb appeal. Keep the structure, landscaping, common areas, and parking in good clean condition.
Tenant applications and screening. Require each potential tenant to complete an application, and then follow up to verify their employment, rental history, and credit and criminal history. Remember, it is always easier to get tenants into your building then it is to get tenants out of your building.
Emergency repairs. Be sure you have reputable maintenance personnel on-call to service emergency repairs. This may be your job or someone you hire, just be sure the tenant has a repair ?help line? they can call 24 hours a day when something must be fixed immediately.
Aggressive marketing of vacancies. Get the word out about an upcoming vacancy instantly. Use signage, advertise in the newspaper, or post it on the web.
Move-in/move-out coordination. Always plan to get a unit ?rent-ready? within a day or two after it becomes vacated. Even when you don?t have a new tenant in the wings, a clean unit ready to show a prospective tenant does help.
Keys and locks. It is always a good idea to change locks each time you have a turnover in tenants. This added security is good for you and your new tenant.
Learn the laws about eviction. Know what you must do to evict a deadbeat tenant even when you don?t think it is necessary.
Keep accurate books and records. Maintaining a good income and expense history is vital to your rental property business and the cornerstone to profitability.

Many real estate investors simply turn their properties over to professional management companies. The advantage being that it relieves the real estate investor of the time and stress of having to deal with tenants and repairs, and puts matters like late rents into the hands of experts.

On the other hand, a professional management company is not free. Moreover, in cases where the property is small enough for owner management, the cost of outside fees for professional property management might not be justifiable.

You must decide whether you want to hire out the management out or to do it yourself. The important thing is not to neglect a sound plan for property management. Otherwise you could find that owning and becoming CEO of your rental property business can quickly become more unpleasant than profitable.

James R Kobzeff is an active real estate broker and developer of ProAPOD Real Estate Investment Software - Rental property analysis at your fingertips! Free real estate investing tips are available at ProAPOD's real estate investing blog

Top 3 Commercial Real Estate Investors Time Management Strategies

2008-05-07T01:52:00.000-07:00

One of the questions I get asked a lot from clients is how do I manage multiple real estate deals projects all at once? Here are some specific strategies for you to consider:

a) Who to spend time with?

I constantly have people wanting to meet with me, talk with me, etc. that don't contribute to the achievement of my goals they get put on the bottom of the pile and sometimes I never get back to them.

b) Keeping away from time vampires.

Time vampires are those that call you, come into your office, and tell you the "whole story" constantly. You need to politely tell these people "adios". You ever notice that you have those days where you have a lot of activity and by the end of the day you really have not gotten anything done? Time vampires are the main reason why.

c) Having a clear objective in the first place.

So, there you go. We did not reinvent anything today, but it is surprising how the use of your time is tied to your income and the results you want.

About Darin Garman, CCIM?Considered by many to be one of the foremost experts in North America on Apartment and Commercial Property Investments, Darin Garman assists investors in maximizing their wealth through commercial real estate investments.

Over the last 13 years Darin has assisted investors in the purchase and sale of over $300,000,000 in apartments and commercial real estate, and has direct ownership and management of over $11,000,000 in investment real estate himself.

Darin is a frequent guest on radio and TV talk shows, and has co-authored books such as ?Wealth Attraction For Entrepreneurs...The No Holds Barred Kick Butt Guide To Becoming Rich?, which was co-authored by Darin with business and marketing guru Dan Kennedy.

***** Have you taken advantage of the "FREE 2-Month Test Drive of Darin Garman's Commercial Investment Property Owners Association Membership" ? Go To: *****

www.garmanupdate.com or www.commercial-investments.com

Darin Garman, CCIM - Top 3 Commercial Real Estate Investors Time Management Strategies

2008-05-06T03:33:00.000-07:00

One of the questions I get asked a lot from clients is how do I manage multiple real estate deals projects all at once? "How to Succeed in Commercial Real Estate?" Here are some specific strategies for you to consider:

a) Who to spend time with?

You need to consider spending BUSINESS TIME on only those who are going to contribute to your bottom line and goal achievement. All else needs to get put into the "we'll get back to you" pile. It is easy to get locked up with people that do nothing but take up your time. Don't do it.
I constantly have people wanting to meet with me, talk with me, etc. that don't contribute to the achievement of my goals they get put on the bottom of the pile and sometimes I never get back to them.

b) Keeping away from time vampires.

What are your goals, your objectives?? Where do you want to end up? How do you plan on getting there? Without a plan you will be spinning your wheels and the cash flow and value of your will suffer because of it.

So, there you go. We did not reinvent anything today, but it is surprising how the use of your time is tied to your income and the results you want.

From Darin Garman, CCIM:

If you have not taken advantage of my special limited time 2 month complimentary "test drive" of the Commercial Investment Property Owners Association, here is another opportunity to see what you have been missing...

How to Succeed in Commercial Real Estate

An Introduction To Real Estate Property Management Software

2008-05-05T01:48:00.000-07:00

The real estate market is a booming industry. The success of the industry is a result of competition and the intervention of modern technology. Most people in the business prefer to use real estate property management software to stay ahead in the race. This software has been designed to cater to commercial and residential property, office buildings and apartments.

Real estate property management software is an effective and easy-to-use tool. This software helps people understand the real estate business. It is a quick response application that can store each detail of every transaction. This helps study non-payments and full-payments of rent, and maintains a detailed report of rent receipts and invoices.

Property owners are able to key inputs as and when required. The secured system is intelligent and allows changes from authorized personnel. Real estate property management software can evaluate an unlimited number of properties and units simultaneously. The software stores detailed data related to rent payments for all individual properties. This systematic approach eliminates any problems due to taxation.

Real estate property management software generates automated reports in cases of wrong payments and non-payments. The software does away with the practice of owners waiting for rent payments. All maintenance expenses or any extra revenue statements are regularly updated. The software also stores tenant information.

Residential property managers must select property management software that is most suited for their work. These applications are available with one-month money-back guarantees.

The residential property management system is considered to be time- and cost-effective for a manager and resident. The application can create a personalized website for an individual company in a relatively short time. This allows prospective and existing customers to visit the web site. This is a convenient method to view pictures of property, pay rent and submit maintenance requests.

Real Estate Software provides detailed information on Real Estate Software, Real Estate Development Software, Real Estate Investment Software, Real Estate Property Management Software and more. Real Estate Software is affiliated with Mortgage Banking Software.

Real Estate Property Management Software

2008-05-01T03:22:00.000-07:00

Property management is made much easier with the specialized help of property management software. It not only gives the virtual image of the whole property, but also gives the errorless calculations and accounting works, the cost factors, the management planning and such other works.

Real estate property management software solutions are helping people across the country to perform real estate property management tasks more efficiently than ever. Real estate property management software alleviates many of the problems that residential property managers face every day. Resident portal, resident pay, and resident works are the usual real estate property management matters that the software can help handle. Also, in order to save more time and money and to ease the work of maintenance, real estate property management software can help a lot of companies in creating customized web sites.

It is the real estate company that decides what they should pay attention to: some companies pay attention to the acquisition and disposition of properties, while others focus on long-range forecasting for invested capital. The real estate property management software gives solutions to all these issues: the customized online and offline data are carefully maintained, updated and processed to facilitate the company management to make decisions and actions. Apart from this, software solutions also provide the two major information workflows unique to the real estate industry. They are:

Asset Valuation: The real estate software solutions help in building the valuation models.

Budgeting & Forecasting: The software simplifies this by organizing and analyzing the data involved.

Property Management Software provides detailed information on Property Management Software, Real Estate Property Management Software, Rental Property Management Software, Property Management Accounting Software and more. Property Management Software is affiliated with Healthcare PM Software.

Real Estate Property Management: Is There a Tenant in the House

2008-05-01T03:20:00.000-07:00

You?re about to take the plunge and buy your first investment property. Should you buy something that you can live in, something you can develop and sell on, or should you buy a designated rental property? If you are going to choose the last option then you need to do your homework first. There are different types of tenancies and every one of them should be handled differently. If you do decide to opt for rental property investment then check out the property investment forum at http://www.singingpig.co.uk/articles.aspx#propertyInvestment
to find out more. It may be more complicated than you think. So before you make your final bid, or put your money on the table, you should ask where there is a tenant in the house.

Some properties that are sold at auction already have sitting tenants. Real estate property management is not for the beginner. To begin with you would need a substantial sum of money behind you if you have set your mind on rental property investment. Then, if you still think you are up for real estate property management you need to do your homework. The property investment forum will give you some insight on what you need to know. For a start rental property investment is not the same as other investments, real estate property management can be a big headache for the uninitiated. The market changes from day to day so what works for one person at a certain point may not work for you at another. You should make sure that your finances are such that they can support you through a period when property market prices go down rather than up.

So you take the plunge and you?re now in the business of real estate property management. You need to make sure that you?ve done your cash flow forecasts because you have to have sufficient funds for property maintenance. Landlords who don?t carry out proper maintenance not only upset their tenants, they could fall foul of the law and find themselves in a worse financial position. Rental property investment may be a good proposition if the place is empty when you buy it because sitting tenants may have a regulated tenancy which means that you could find yourself getting less than the market rental rate. This where the property investment forum can be really helpful because it gives a breakdown of the different types of tenancies.

Sometimes people are anxious to make money in property development but are not fully prepared for all the hard work that needs doing or the problems they may encounter. You shouldn?t be too quick to give up the day job. As this article has already pointed out the property investment market is not static and unless you have some money to fall back on you could find yourself in a lot of trouble. When it comes to rental property, as contributors to the property investment forum point out, if the property has sitting tenants then you will not make the money you might have anticipated. You may see tenants as your bread and butter but sometimes they are more of an expense than an investment.

Julie-Ann Amos is an international professional freelance writer/author and consultant, writing for www.singingpig.co.uk. She recommends their property investment forum at http://www.singingpig.co.uk/articles.aspx#propertyInvestment. For more information on her writing services visit www.exquisitewriting.com

Real Estate Customer Relationship Management - Ways for Agents to Increase Their Business

2008-04-10T22:54:00.001-07:00

In 2005, The National Association of Realtors reported that its membership increased by 13 percent over the previous year, reaching 1.2 million. With this many people trying to get a share of the pie, Realtors need to find ways to differentiate themselves and stay ahead of the competition. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) can help them do exactly that, and even more.

CRM comes from the observation that developing good relationships with your customers helps you deliver superior service to your clients, thereby helping your business thrive. Developing a CRM-focused business is not especially hard. It starts with basic guiding rules.

In the marketing lingo, the many ways a business interacts with its clients are called points of contact. By developing the quantity and the quality of these points of contact, a real estate agent will gain more customers.

Of all the existing points of contact, the Internet should receive special attention. In just 10 years, the Web has become an essential marketing venue for today's agents. According to the NAR, 77 percent of home buyers used the Internet to search for a home in 2005. When people think about buying a home the first place they go is often the Web. It is therefore a good place for agents to capture consumers' attention and gain their confidence.

However, many agents are still missing the point: they now have their own Web sites because they know people are looking for them, but they haven't quite figured out how to use the Web as a good lead generator. Here are ways agents can improve their online points of contact.

The layout of your site is key to retain surfers. It should be flawless, and the navigation should also be easy.

E-mails are another critical point of contact. Many agents provide their e-mail address on their Web sites, but an article in Realty Times reported that one of home buyers' main complaints about Realtors online is that they don't answer their e-mails in a timely manner. Decide now about a reasonable e-mail reply policy for your business. A 24- or 48-hour reply policy is probably what most people expect. You need to state this reply policy on your Web site and stick to it. People will appreciate it.

Another option is to allow people to schedule a tour directly from your Web site. This option is a great way to get people to meet with you.

Most people start looking for homes on the Internet a few months before they actually make a decision. It is therefore important for a real estate agent to keep in touch with future home buyers. A good way to maintain that contact is to send out a monthly newsletter, which would give the latest information about the town or area. It would also provide future home buyers with the latest listings that meet their criteria. An agent who sends out this kind of newsletters will find that many of these people remember this agent when they are ready to buy.

The key with CRM is to regularly evaluate existing points of contact to fine tune them in order to better serve customers. This in turn will ensure that agents have a successful business.

Content provided by 10x Media. Established in 2003, 10x Media provides innovative online marketing tools.It has expanded its online presence through networks such as Inside Real state, Inside Finances and Grab Real Estate, which contain thousands of pages for city and state specific real estate information across the nation.

Asset Management As A Tool In Beating The Odds

2008-04-10T22:53:00.001-07:00

Asset Management seems like some arcane science practiced by brilliant experts at first glance. Although the expertise of most money managers may be outstanding, the techniques of asset management are available to any investor. The whole idea behind asset management is to create some kind of stability in an investment portfolio that can protect the investor, to a certain degree, from market volatility. Market volatility is only a problem because, try as we may, we humans cannot predict the future. Any investment software or tracking method can only offer approximations of what the market might do in the future.

One of the key concepts of asset management is diversification. Diversification between types of investments, such as stocks and bonds, as well as diversification across a number of industries and countries can offer a buffer against volatility in any one investment, industry or country.

For the individual investor, this aspect of asset management can cause some confusion. The first question that comes to mind is; How much diversification is enough to offer protection against volatility? There is no easy answer to that question. The individual investor realizes that they don't have billions of dollars to work with like the mutual funds do. As a result, the investor has to limit their purchases.

The best approach is to educate yourself about the risks and rewards of each investment and sector. The next step is to select a basket of investments that are best suited to your risk tolerance as well as your investment goals. Also realize that as your portfolio grows, you can diversify more. Remember that the aim is to select good quality investments, but also to protect your capital as well.

Diversification within a sector can also offer protection against volatility. For example, in the consumer sector, investing in a supermarket chain that sells to basic consumer needs could be complimented by investment in a more diversified, higher end supermarket chain that situates itself in upscale neighborhoods. In this case, one would expect the high-end company to have higher profits, but in an economic slowdown, the basic supermarket chain might see less of a contraction. If possible, viewing data about how one performed in comparison to the other during past economic contractions may give a hint of future possibilities.

The speculative view of investing, whereby an individual hopes to make a large amount of money quickly, tends to be at odds with the diversification model of investing and asset management. There are two reasons for this; the first is that speculative investing is high risk, where as the diversified approach tries to limit risk and secondly, the concept of asset management aims at protecting capital, thereby ensuring survival and long term profits. One of the predictable outcomes for many speculative investors is to run out of capital and be forced out of the market.

There are three components to a realistic goal in investing; the first is a accurate idea of what can be earned through a particular kind of investment; the second is to know what you want to earn through investing; and the third is to decide when you will abandon an investment that is falling in value. All three of these issues call for some study and thought. It's easy to make an unrealistic judgment in this area. Once again this is where careful asset management can help you. If you are diversified, a mistake on a single investment won't be as devastating as it would be where there is only one investment.

The whole idea behind asset management is to give the investor the best possible chance of survival, which in turn will offer the best odds of ultimately succeeding in achieving their investment goals. Nobody can predict what the markets will actually do, but if you have a system that will protect your capital and keep you in the game longer, your odds of winning will improve.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Asset Management

Asset and Portfolio Management : How To Say Goodbye To Emotional Investing

2008-04-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

Portfolio management is an important part of your life. Maybe more important than you realize. You have an overall portfolio that is made up of everything you own. Within that portfolio is your investment assets that you need to manage in order to reach your financial goals and have a healthy and wealthy egg-nest to enjoy in your golden retirement years.

In order to profit from portfolio management, it is important to start by designing an investment policy statement and keep to it during the course of investing. An investment policy is your guideline? it's a rule of thumb meant to help you or your portfolio manager make the best decisions for you. Sometimes (actually, often!) our emotions cloud our judgment when it comes to investing.

A fairly significant time when emotion clouds our judgment is when our portfolio value is falling. Our knee-jerk reaction is to sell it all and put the money in a hole in the backyard. That happens far too often and was one of the major causes of the Great Depression in 1939 and the bursting of the tech bubble in 2000/2001. Investors are so easily swayed by emotion and what's called "the herd mentality."

An investment policy is designed to help you avoid emotional investing or getting caught up in the herd mentality. It's a statement ? as detailed or as vague as you want ? that outlines what your goals are with your portfolio, what your preferred asset mix is, and the timeline you have to get there.

Here is a sample investment policy statement. Due to space limitations, it is not heavily detailed.

Investment Policy Statement for John Doe

March 14, 2006

Purpose: the purpose of this statement is to provide me with a framework in which to manage my investment portfolio.

1. Account: My account is held at XYZ Discount Brokers. Their number is (800)555-1234. My account number is 123-456-789-123.

2. Investment objectives: My primary goal is growth and the mix I have selected is as follows: a.Growth: 55% b.Income: 25% c.Safety: 20%

3. Assets: My account is a standard account to hold equities, bonds, mutual funds, etc.

4. Current: I am investing a lump sum of $5000 into an equities and mutual fund mix that correlates to the above asset allocation. Each month I will deposit $200 into my account, divided into each of the asset allocations.

5. Goals: I want to have $100,000 within 25 years to enable me to buy a boat and sail around the world.

On this note, I hope that everybody who desires to generate massive profit from portfolio management, to take out a piece of paper and build your investment policy now. And remember to live with it, and I am sure you will find yourself much more rational in your investment decisions !

Stanley Chua is an investment optimizer and has been providing value-adding advisory in international business innovations, financial planning and portfolio management for the past 10 years. Looking to find out more how you can massively profit from managing your personal portfolio ? You can instantly receive a Free ?Portfolio Management and Asset Assessment? E-Course, at => http://www.portfoliomanagementguide.com

Financial Asset Management

2008-03-31T00:17:00.000-07:00

A company's or an individual's finances are very important in a lot of ways. Having a lot of assets right now is not a guarantee of stability especially when one considers today's erratic economy. Financial asset management is an effective way of handling one's financial assets which can take its place in various forms. When done right, financial asset management stretches the full potential of one's assets.

Financial asset management is responsible for managing and guiding investments and assets for increased returns. The risks and costs of managing these are also considered to make them last over their entire life span. The services that financial asset management provide commonly include but is not limited on checking services, credit cards, debit cards, margin loans, automated transfers from one account to another, and even brokerage services.

One's ability to write checks either as a form of payment or as a bond between the company and their suppliers or the individual and his/her concessionaire may be an indication of the company's or the individual's capacity to pay based on the assets that are currently in their or his/her name. Financial asset management also utilizes this method as a form of payment deferment for even better handling of finances. Financial asset management also handles credit and debit cards, allowing for proper management and on-time payments. Cash balances may also be automatically transferred into money market funds depending on the clients' discretion and is made easier through financial asset management.

Financial asset management tracks and records all the transactions made which are then organized then stored, ready to be accessed for future use. The centralization of the financial assets of a company streamlines the asset management process which gives the clients an idea of how well they are doing as measured by their financial assets. Upon knowing their financial status, the different options as to how to invest or maximize their assets are made available to them to further increase returns.

Asset Management provides detailed information on Asset Management, Asset Management Software, Asset Management System, Digital Asset Management and more. Asset Management is affiliated with Offshore Asset Protection

Asset Management FAQs

2008-03-29T01:42:00.001-07:00

Although asset management has been around for some time now, its popularity among industries has only been apparent in the last few years. People do have quite a number of questions regarding asset management especially if they are interested in employing the services of asset management companies.

What is asset management?

Asset management refers to the method that a company or a specialized asset management firm uses to track all fixed assets such as equipment, chairs, tables, computers and technology and even building which are owned by a company or an individual. The tracking of he physical location of these assets, the ways which can be used to manage these assets, and accounting for amortizations, depreciation values and future resale values of these assets are also part of asset management.

How can asset management be an affective financial tool?

Asset management makes it easier and more efficient to manage the assets owned by the company or the individual and looks into ways of investing these assets for added returns. Collective investment schemes, pension funds, private banking and wealth management are some of the ways which handle assets that make asset management more efficient and increase one's assets.

What are the processes involved in asset management?

Asset management involves a number of processes which are all designed to increase the productivity of companies or individuals. Asset management services include planning, procurement, accounting for daily operating costs through disposal; tracking physical location of these assets; and accounting tasks such as amortization and depreciation. Asset management also establishes contact with suppliers which make it easier for companies to contact these suppliers for service, warranties and replacement.

Why is asset management useful?

When one keeps track of important information regarding one's assets, assets may be properly accounted for, from whom these were purchased from; who uses these assets, where these assets are located, the suppliers to contact for support, and even lease expirations and the right disposal period may provide the basis for managing and optimizing the assets of the companies or the individuals.

What is Asset Management?

2008-03-29T01:41:00.001-07:00

Asset management describes the management of assets that are invested on behalf of different sectors. It is the process of managing money for individuals and companies alike through stocks, bonds, and cash equivalents among others. It is often used in the financial services industry and is made possible through professional investors who manage an individual's or company's assets based on pre-determined objectives and investment styles. Private banking, wealth management, collective investment schemes, even pension funds are some of the ways in which people manage their assets. There are also other ways of properly managing assets that are available for companies as well.

Asset management espouses the timely and proper management, maintenance and even tracking and disposal of assets, whether of companies and corporations or individuals. Asset management claims to manage the risks of losing all assets through time, which is especially important in businesses and individuals alike. Businesses consider asset management as an important facet in their industry since the services that asset management offers may increase sales while handling the companies' costs over time. A company's financial assets are maximized when companies utilize asset management services.

Companies often use asset management as a method to track their fixed assets. Asset management allows companies to control assets from procurement, daily operation and maintenance and even disposal. Assets include desks, chairs, computers, factory equipment and even buildings. Aside from tracking assets, asset management also manages the demand for resources and accounts for asset values and depreciation. Asset management organizes all these information to keep track of vital data that would enable companies to be aware of assets costs, from whom these equipment were purchased from, who uses these devices, where these are located, which company to contact in the event that these machines are damaged, even depreciation rates. Knowing all these would help manage the companies' assets and would eventually optimize the companies' assets.

Asset Management Advisors

2008-03-28T00:25:00.001-07:00

Asset management firms employ certified and competent asset management advisors who make it easier for companies to manage their assets. Asset management advisors are equipped with the needed skills, knowledge, expertise and connections to manage a company's assets to make these assets manageable for the companies and the people who work for the companies.

Asset management advisors help companies manage their assets in a variety of ways. They provide useful information regarding how assets must be managed properly and are also responsible for organizing these assets into easily accessed and easy to use formats which makes for convenience in the part of their clients.

Although asset management advisors may manage assets manually, this may only be limited to small industries having only minimal assets. However, for larger companies with bigger assets and for small companies whose assets are steadily increasing, asset management advisors employ asset management software or other pc-enabled tools that make the tedious job of asset management more efficient and less time consuming. When using asset management software, advisors are also tasked to tutor the users regarding its proper use. Further, the use of asset management tools prompted by asset management advisors increases the company's productivity since it provides relevant information about their assets without employing additional personnel to run these for them.

Aside from managing a company's assets, asset management advisors also provide feedback to their clients, making them aware of their assets. Such reporting is deemed useful for clients to see how much they have so far and what they can do to manage their assets. Knowing how to manage assets also enables companies to invest wisely; think of ways to cut-down operational expenses; and increase their productivity.

The services of asset management advisors are not only demanded for by companies, more and more individuals turn to them as well especially in terms of total wealth management. This is especially true for people with lots of money. Asset management advisors offer guidance and management counseling for their clients, whether they may be companies or individuals, relevant in handling their assets. Considering the reasonable rates that they charge, it is not wonder that asset management investors are becoming more searched for in today's finance markets.

Financial Asset Management Systems

2008-03-27T01:51:00.000-07:00

Financial asset management systems are also referred to as IT asset management services and are computer-run systems that keep inventory, track hardware and software assets that manages client's technology assets. These include the procurement, leasing or eventual selling of these assets. Originally intended to maintain management systems, financial asset management systems have be revised numerous times and are now used to more efficiently work on preventing and predicting system maintenance, recording and tracking equipment, coming up with inventories for parts replacement, and even providing labor scheduling. It is the primary goal of financial asset management systems to make asset management more reliable, accurate and efficient. Centralizing assets making them at arm's reach of the clients and even their suppliers as well.

There are a number of financial asset management systems available in the market nowadays. Although these systems may be quite costly, their popularity remains steadfast due to the rewards that companies may get out of their use. Before investing on a financial asset management system that works, companies must consider some important factors.

Because of the huge amount of data that is put into these systems, companies must consider the system's ability to store them in such a way that information may be easily searched for when needed. This makes it more convenient for the companies and the suppliers alike when searching for the information that they need. Another important consideration when buying financial asset management systems would be ease of use. Systems which are user-friendly and are easily manipulated are more preferred than other systems due to obvious reasons. It also lessens the likelihood of having to train people specifically for the use of the system itself, rather it may be used by anyone from the company.

Financial asset management systems also provide real-time updating and superb archiving for added efficiency. They may even include added features such as reporting and cataloguing and may even be customized to fit the needs of the company that will be using it.

Media Asset Management

2008-03-27T01:50:00.000-07:00

In the media industry, images and media files are considered to be assets since most of these are copyrighted and are exclusively owned by the companies themselves. Nowadays, most of the images are stored as media files and are protected and secured by companies which add to their assets.

Keeping track of all media files can be quite tedious for media companies, which is why media asset management remains a strong option to help companies manage their media assets. There are a number of firms who offer media asset management, and though the offer valuable service, usually result to the use of media asset management tools that can be bought, leased or even acquired for free.

Media asset management allows companies with media assets to view, organize, search, and process all media files in a convenient and organized manner. Media files such as images, movie clips, fonts, RAW images and sounds are some of the media assets that are supported by almost all media asset management software available.

Media asset management allows clients to view media files in a number of ways, also including information about the media files being viewed. This feature enables clients to keep track of the media files that they wish to keep, and also makes it easier for them to search for and eventually edit then use their media files. In the cutthroat media industry, finding the media files that one needs quickly is crucial. Media asset management organizes all media files which make it easy for users to find and access the files that they need.

Media asset management also recognizes the importance of protecting media files, especially since these are often irreplaceable. Media asset management systems make it easy for users to protect their media files by providing password protection that may enable users to publicly display their media files without worrying about these files being messed up or "stolen."

Private Asset Management

2008-03-25T03:03:00.000-07:00

It is quite difficult for companies and industries to manage all their assets especially if their assets take on various forms such as properties, finances, stocks and the like. There are instances that the sheer quantity of assets makes it hard for companies to handle them, often needing a specialized arm or division of the firm to manage their assets properly for optimal use. Even if asset management is often for companies or industries, there are cases when individuals turn to the services offered by private asset management to help them properly take note of their assets so they can manage these for greater returns.

Private asset management is usually for individuals who have a huge amount of investments that they consider as their assets. Wealth management is one of the services that fall under the umbrella of private asset management and is a common service utilized by those who are extremely rich. A private asset management advisor is usually tasked to take on the tedious job of tracking down all the assets of an individual or a family, creates an easy to comprehend and use database and also takes note of the locations, taxes, suppliers from which these are from, and even the depreciation costs and further earning potentials of assets.

Retirees are also some of the clients with which private asset management is quite popular. This is especially true if the retirees have never been in possession of vast amounts of money and are now faced with the challenge of managing the assets which they have acquired through time and through various retirement benefits. Making these assets last until their demise or managing them to obtain interests through timely investments so they have something to leave their loved ones are some of the ways in which private asset management works well for retirees.

Although private asset management does not come free, the reasonable rates by which its clients are enabled to properly management their assets makes up for the fees, hereby making it quite popular among private individuals.

Asset Management Services

2008-03-24T01:31:00.001-07:00

Managing one's assets to maximize returns is one of the popular options that a lot of companies turn to for optimum company growth. There are a number of asset management services available for individuals and companies alike, which allows clients to choose from among these services the one that would best fit their needs and goals. Asset management services may also be customized in such a way that the company's objectives and terms of use are followed for even added efficiency.

The services that asset management firms or asset management advisors vary depending on their client's needs. Although these services basically have the same premise, that is to manage the asset or the money of companies and individuals which can be done in several ways. Retirees who turn to asset management services usually employ asset management advisors or firm to manage their retirement plan for day-to-day management, living expenses, even health care, and may even include travel options as well. Availing asset management services would be a good option for retirees who seek to stretch their retirement fund without having to pool their finances with other investors the way that mutual funds do.

Asset management services also include account services that provide check-writing opportunities, credit or debit cards and automatic transfers from one account to the other. The latter is of great convenience between companies, their suppliers and their customers.

There are also asset management services that manage one's money through stocks, bonds and their cash equivalents. These services are more complex than the other services since expertise and much knowledge is needed by asset management advisors in the fields of asset management and the stock markets. These services are subject to pre-set objectives made clear by the clients who are also made aware of the different investment styles that may be used to manage their assets for optimization.

Property Asset Management

2008-03-21T02:11:00.000-07:00

Property asset management is part of asset management and includes property selection, the implementation of policies and performance standards for the said property, and the proper monitoring of the property's performance to meet the owner's objectives. In order to properly manage one's property assets, several factors are considered prior to acquiring properties.

Since acquiring property requires investing money and finances, asset managers work closely with their clients in planning as to which properties must be acquired. Careful planning that includes brainstorming, comparing the characteristics and prices of the items to be acquired, and checking on their importance to the client in meeting his/her or the company's objectives are done carefully. These steps are taken to ensure that the company is making the most out of their investments, acquiring properties which are not only useful and functional but are also reasonably priced. After proper planning, property procurement comes next. The process of procurement includes ordering the items needed and receiving, checking and making sure that the items ordered are in good working condition.

Property asset management also takes into account the operating costs of the properties that a company has. Operating costs include the daily costs which companies have to shell out for which enables machines and technology to run. Ensuring that machines and technology are in good working condition would maximize productivity and increase the company's earnings.

Property asset management also employs proper financial management. This involves accurate taxes, close depreciation estimates, and other costs. Because of depreciation or in the event of bankruptcy, companies may dispose of properties as well. Once machines and technology are disposed, these are required by law to be removed from the company's asset statements that asset management takes care of.

Property asset management is slowly becoming an efficient tool which enables companies to maximize production as it manages the properties and may be customized to fit the needs and the goals of the companies which they render service to.

Asset Management Companies

2008-03-21T02:10:00.000-07:00

There are a number of asset management companies which offer a wide range of services. These companies offer the essentials which cover asset management and may even offer added services depending on their clients' needs and also on the industry that these companies are in. Perspective consumers must always be on the lookout prior to employing the services of asset management companies since there are a number of asset management companies that are only after their clients' money and do not actually offer competent services fit for the fees that these companies charge their clients.

The services that asset management companies offer include the management of all their assets including financial investments, production machines, technology, even desks, chairs and other substantial supplies. Asset management companies render their services from planning on which supplies and technology or devices to buy and provide relevant help in procuring these equipment. Handling financial investments, including tracking, recording, properly accounting for, and even further investing these are some of the services offered by asset management companies to enable these companies to make the most of their financial assets. Also, asset management companies render services which help their clients to come up with an easily accessible information database for their clients' convenience. Keeping track of suppliers and also making them easy to contact upon procurement needs is also one of the services that asset management companies offer. This is especially useful when devices are in urgent need or when any of these equipment are damaged and may need replacement.

Asset management companies offer a wide range of services including properly keeping track and recording all of their clients' assets to make them easier to manage. The sheer number of asset management companies available would provide plenty of options that are attractive to a lot of companies. Consumers are advised to exhaust their efforts in searching for the right asset management company that would best fit their needs.

What Is An Asset Management Advisor?

2008-03-20T01:51:00.000-07:00

An asset management advisor is a person that helps with the task of managing your assets. This is what an asset management company dose as well. The difference being, that one is hired to do the job of managing your assets and the other one is hired to teach you how to manage your assets.

Both are based on outsourcing the task of asset management; however, you will most likely want to hire a company that specializes in asset management if you want this task to be done in a professional manner, especially if you don't have the expertise or the manpower to do it internally. On the other hand, an asset management advisor is what you will want to hire to aid and advise your existing team of professionals.

Does an enterprise need an asset management advisor permanently?

If you are a medium to large size enterprise then you are probably in constant movement in regards to your asset management. There are daily procurements, requisition for procurements and the discarding of old assets. With this in mind the enterprise that already has a good asset management system in place that is uses exceptionally well designed software, should run in a smooth fashion. However, if your company is lacking in any of these areas, you will definitely need help from a outside source.

Without an accurate, automated systematic approach to asset management it is impossible even for a seasoned manager to make the right decisions concerning your companies assets. It is very important to have a good asset management team in place. Once you have a good team in place and the reports are flowing in it is likely that a good manager will be able to make business forecasts by looking at the utilization and requirements of the assets available.

The role of an asset management advisor

A good manager will always take the opinions of experts into consideration before making any critical decisions regarding the future of the organization, marketing plans and expansion of the company. He or she will also need the advice of an expert when it comes to financial investments and asset management.

An asset management advisor, provides expert advice by analyzing all of the given factors in an enterprise, and working out the required reports concerning any changes that take place in any organization, this includes expansion too.

If you would like to learn more about asset management and how an asset management advisor can benefit you or your company then visit http://www.assetmanagementinformation.com

Swiss Bank Account Swiss Asset Protection Trust Swiss Wealth Management Portfolio Managers

2008-03-19T03:03:00.000-07:00

Swiss banks can offer a range of Swiss bank accounts to suit your needs. There is no cost to arrange a confidential consultation to discuss your Swiss bank account needs. Swiss Banks will provide information about Swiss bank accounts,ranging from the classic Swiss bank account, Swiss private bank account Swiss internet bank account and investment fund accounts to the highly prestigious numbered account. Swiss banks can provide an account ideally suited to your needs.

Accounts can be opened by mail negating the need for you to visit Switzerland in order to open an account. Additionally a number of services such as internet banking, mail retaining, credit cards and investment options can be set up on these accounts.

Account officers can be appointed speaking English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Arabic and the service can be customised to your needs.

See http://www.swissbankaccount.biz

A Swiss private bank can offer asset protection for clients with a substantial liquid net worth. Offshore asset protection is becoming increasingly popular with clients seeking to safeguard their savings from litigation, punitive taxation or possible future divorce settlements by distancing themselves from their assets in the eyes of the law. Swiss private banking consultants are highly experienced and can offer you the very best advice and services.

See http://www.swissprivatebank.com

Bank secrecy is not lifted for tax evasion. This is because failure to report income or assets is not considered a crime in Switzerland. As such, neither the Swiss government, nor any other government, can obtain information about your bank account. They must first convince a Swiss judge that you have committed a serious crime punishable by the Swiss Penal Code.

Bank secrecy will not be lifted for private matters such as inheritance or divorce if you have kept your banking information strictly confidential. It is up to plaintiffs to prove that the account exists if they wish the judge to pursue the case.

Asset Management Software Online

2008-03-18T02:23:00.000-07:00

Asset management software applications that are connected to an enterprise wide network or the Internet are referred to as online asset management applications. Connecting these applications to a network offers several benefits. In case of online asset management applications for manufacturing companies, trans-receivers are embedded in critical pieces of equipment which communicate with the asset management application allowing maintenance personnel to track the functioning of the equipment in real time, taking preventive maintenance measures and quickly attending to breakdowns. Online asset management applications also help companies manage their inventory from any location by simply using a Web browser.

Online digital asset management applications help information technology departments monitor all the hardware and software installed on the enterprise network. The advanced versions of these applications also help managers remotely control the hardware and software applications installed on the servers.

For media and advertising agencies, creative products like artwork, videos and images are also digital assets. Specialized web-based asset management applications for this industry help media companies automate the process of viewing, publishing, maintaining, and marketing their multimedia gallery or store. Software product development companies use online asset management applications for electronic distribution and management of the digital products they have developed.

Human resource online asset management applications help the HR department to track employee performance, manage talent and identify star performers. These applications also help in working out hiring plans, storing resumes, and tracking hiring status.

Several finance Web sites also offer their customers a feature to track their financial assets such as stocks and mutual fund investments online. These Web sites track stock price movements in real time and net asset values of mutual funds on a daily basis. Using the Internet a customer can log on anytime to these Web sites to get the latest status on their financial assets.

Asset Management Software provides detailed information on Asset Management Software, Digital Asset Management Software, Inventory Asset Management Software, Fixed Asset Management Software and more. Asset Management Software is affiliated with Free Project Management Software

Free Asset Management Software

2008-03-18T02:22:00.001-07:00

Asset management software applications that help a company optimize its asset utilization are highly sophisticated applications providing comprehensive functionality and are usually not available for free. However, a few companies offering information technology asset management software applications and other limited functionality asset management software provide free versions or trial versions that can be used free for a limited period of time.

Information technology assets include computers, printers, scanners and software licenses. Several firms have developed asset management software specifically for information technology assets.

SysAid is one such firm that offers free Asset Management Software. The available version is completely free, with no trial period, but the limitation is that it works in organizations with less than a hundred computers. If an organization with larger IT assets wants to use this software, it has to buy the full version from the vendor. The software enables you to view details of the hardware, the software, the manufacturers, the printers, and other assets on one?s network. It also prints reports of the organization?s hardware/software inventory.

Similarly, FootPrints? Asset Management software is available for free for an evaluation period of thirty days. This software among its many functionalities helps maintain software license compliance by automatically creating a dynamic audit of all software applications across the organization.

Free asset management software applications for management of financial assets are also available but are comparatively difficult to locate. These usually are meant to help an individual construct a portfolio and manage his or her investments. Web based applications are more commonly available.

Freeware and shareware versions of asset management software applications are available on popular download web sites such as www.download.com and www.freedownloadscenter.com. These sites also usually provide user reviews of the software applications as well as provide ratings based on user feedback.

Advances in Asset Management Software

2008-03-17T03:15:00.000-07:00

Asset management software has been around for some time now. The initial versions of asset management software applications were basic in terms of their functionality. The only function they were able to provide was to help create a list of assets with details of their purchase date and manufacturers. Slowly, improved versions of asset management software applications began to be introduced by various software product development companies.

Today asset management software applications have become quite sophisticated. The functionality offered has increased manifold to the extent that these applications have become complete asset management solutions. The present versions of asset management software applications not only help a company manage the purchase and maintenance of assets but also help in the creation of strategies and practices that result in cost reduction and enhanced productivity. They now track assets through the whole lifecycle of an asset, from the purchase until the asset is retired or the lease has ended.

Digital asset management software applications that help manage information technology assets have witnessed huge changes. These can now detect all the computers that are present on a network, verify the licensed copies of software applications installed on these computers and even control the computers on the network remotely. Some of these applications also have the capabilities of providing auto-alerts and notifications which instantly inform the respective department of changes to IT assets on the network. FootPrints Asset Management software for example, is able to run searches and reports to get metrics on current and historical asset information, which is broken down by hardware type, operating system, software manufacturer, among other things.

Given the pace at which technology is changing, it is not surprising that these applications have advanced so much. Even so it is sometimes incredible what these applications are capable of if used to their maximum potential.

Asset Management Software Methodology

2008-03-17T03:13:00.000-07:00

The term asset management usually refers to the management of an investment portfolio. However for a business, assets may include real estate, plant and machinery, vehicles, furniture, computer hardware and software besides financial assets. Human resources are also a form of assets for a company. Companies depend on all these assets as being key drivers of the business; however, they often do not have a comprehensive asset management system in place to optimize their utilization.

Companies are now increasingly recognizing the need to manage assets from a strategic perspective across the entire organization, rather than solely from a purchase or maintenance point of view. From the shop floor to the executive suite, the responsibility of maximizing the value of assets is a responsibility that extends to all.

Asset management software is a software application that helps a company optimize the purchase, maintenance and utilization of assets that are critical to business and financial performance, throughout their life cycle. This is an important source of cost savings for company and also provides productivity enhancement and regulatory compliance.

Asset management methodology has four inherent characteristics. These include asset management strategy, practice, project management and benefit realization. Asset management software methodology is the delivery framework related to asset management software that incorporates these four characteristics and brings together deliverable components that are priority-based, gradual, and progressive.

Asset management software applications generally follow a modular and scalable methodology that allows the application to be customized to the meet the differing needs of individual companies. Depending on their scale of operations and assets involved, a customer company can choose which modules will be best suited to meet its requirements in the implementation of an asset management solution.

The software methodology followed by good asset management solutions begin by defining the revenue streams, connecting the assets to the revenue streams and helping in realizing improved asset utilization leading to enhanced productivity and reduction in costs.

Asset Management Software Free Project Management Software

What Is Asset Management Software?

2008-03-13T03:08:00.000-07:00

Asset management is the administration of a company's asset by a group of individuals, entirely dedicated to the purpose of maximizing profits. It deals with the company's future economic benefits in monetary terms by keeping a check on cash balances, credit cards, debit cards, margin loans, and brokerage services. Asset management also involves infrastructure, plant, property, and human resources of the company. Company's assets can be managed either manually or using software applications. However, for avoiding wastage of resources and the resulting inefficiencies that slow down business returns, asset management software is a high-quality solution.

The asset management software is designed in such a way that it can keep track of the company's assets and provides data for analysis. In other words, asset management software helps to keep track of, monitor, and analyze business processes and resources. It replaces the manual work of asset management and provides with automatic solutions, which help to speed up the work and minimize errors. This asset management software helps in diverting individuals to more productive work; it saves time by eliminating manual file management. It proved beneficial to skilled professionals to manage time and efforts in searching for the required data. This results in the optimum utilization of resources, thus, increasing the productivity of the company.

This software helps in keeping track of an asset, its purchase value, all service costs, reduced value, and its benefit. The team then uses this information for analyzing and evaluating the present value of the asset. This analysis helps companies to implement their further plans regarding allocation of assets to the company's various departments. It also helps the organization to evaluate whether the asset is in usable condition, needs upgrades, or needs to be replaced.

Asset management software is an effective tool for a company to manage its material goods, analyze statistics, and arrive at business decisions. Various departments can access this asset data by the company's intranet. The accurate data analysis leads the company towards a better assets management.

Benefits Of Asset Management Software

2008-03-12T02:55:00.001-07:00

Asset management is the processes of planning, designing, and implementing advanced systems in managing a company's assets. It controls and increases the efficiency of the assets owned by an organization. It includes management of a company's infrastructure, plant, property, and human resources. The various components of assets may vary according to the industry type and needs. As business scenario is becoming more complex with large number of employees, their individual work profiles, and workflow spread over various departments; managing data and records manually is nearly impossible and hence, asset management software provide the apt solutions.

Much asset management software is presently available in markets. It enables efficient managing of companies' assets and is considered an important tool in any company's performance. This software also manages physical attributes of an asset such as finalizing the purchase requests, valuation, depreciation, asset receipts, and maintenance, warranties, and user data. They entirely manage all the business management issues comprising of cost management, capital budgeting, expense accounting, financial planning and reporting. With the administration of tangible goods, raw materials, finished products this software also manage their intellectual assets.

Asset management software provides analysis of data, which helps company to make new strategy plans for cash flow, helps in the finest utilization of resources, and in turn increase the productivity of the company.

Some other benefits of asset management software include automatic tracking of all hardware and software across the entire network of management systems, identification of unlicensed software installations, enhanced helpdesk productivity by presenting accurate inventory information, and generation of web reports that can be printed or emailed. Various departments of the company can access this asset data by the company's intranet.

Several websites also provide the latest versions of asset management software, either free of cost or at minimal prices. The buyers can compare features of the software of various companies along with their prices and accordingly choose the appropriate deal, which best suits their needs and budgets.

Asset Management in the Supply Chain

2008-03-12T02:53:00.000-07:00

Over the last decade more and more companies have implemented returnable and reusable transit packaging fleets and pools, whether it is pallets, tote bins, steel stillage, cages or even wooden crates. What is guaranteed is that these fleets require a capital investment, (whether directly or by a fleet / pool provider), and should be protected as you would any other company asset.

The specifications of the packaging vary enormously depending on the industry, the application and budget. However one thing common to many of the established packaging fleets or pools is that when they were originally specified, costed and implemented, a number of elements were not considered, and often still aren?t. These include repair and maintenance costs due to normal wear and tear as well as misuse, equipment loss, stockpiling and extended dwell and cycle times, lifespan of the equipment and the flexibility of the chosen design to adapt with developing and changing supply chain demands. These elements all have a cost impact, which can be substantial, and surprisingly many companies are either unaware of the real cost of their packaging pools, or just accept that it is a high cost and budget accordingly.

The key to managing costs of a packaging fleet is the in the initial equipment design and specification, the processes specific to the fleet within the supply chain and having an effective management and control system which can be easily integrated into the existing supply chain operation.

The starting point is therefore establishing the objectives of the packaging fleet and the requirements within the supply chain that you are looking to satisfy. Analysis of the operation and supply chain requirements, now and for the next five years, needs to be carried out and once the objectives and requirements are confirmed then the methods of handling and the type of packaging required can be established and specified. Success will be facilitated by a simple cost effective process design, which adds value to the existing operation by generating ?self funding? fleets, to include cost control mechanisms to reduce cost of damage, loss and misuse.

Process designs are unique to the individual customers supply chain needs, whether it is a simple hub and spoke operation or a complex multi tiered supply chain. Identifying the subtle differences between the needs if an inbound or outbound pallet or container pool is crucial to a successful solution.

The actual equipment design must take into account the physical requirements of the packaging, as well as the lifespan under actual working conditions, the ease of maintenance and repair, the ease of handling and of course the capital investment. It must be remembered that when costing a fleet it will probably be an initial high capital cost, compared to disposable packaging, but it is also an asset that can be depreciated over a number of years. The annual cost of running the fleet can be budgeted and this will vary depending on the individual supply chain needs. However these costs can also be monitored and controlled with a suitable management system.

There are a number of asset management systems being used to manage fleets or pools, and experience shows that a simple system, using established technology can provide the perfect tool for controlling your fleet effectively.

The objectives of a fully integrated pro-active fleet management system are as follows:

? To reduce overall packaging fleet costs
? To increase fleet visibility and cost control
? To optimise packaging fleet utilisation and minimise cycle times
? To provide proof of accountability for damage and loss
? To manage a repair and maintenance program

A suitable system should be modular, enabling it to cope for example, with a simple hub and spoke operation developing into a more complicated multi-tiered supply chain over a 3 to 5 year period.

Equipment losses can be put into two categories, actual loss and perceived loss. Perceived loss is where it is assumed that the equipment is lost as no one can account for its physical location. In reality the equipment is sitting in a warehouse or yard area unaccounted for and ignored. Actual loss is as its name would suggest and the equipment has been permanently mislaid or destroyed. Effective management will identify actual loss via audit trailing facilities and should negate perceived loss.

Damage will always occur to packaging equipment in the supply chain. However experience would suggest that an estimated 70% of damage is avoidable. Effective management will allow you to identify who is damaging equipment in the supply chain and handling processes of regular offenders can be examined and changed or improved to ensure damage is reduced. Damage data can also identify any design areas within the equipment itself that could be changed to reduce overall damage levels and therefore costs.

The example below shows the effect that increasing or decreasing the delivery trip cycle time in a pallet pool has on the pallet pool costs.

Cycle time management is key to the fleet size and therefore cost, so all efforts to reduce or maintain a minimum cycle time are paramount. This can be achieved through synchronous container flows integrated with lean manufacturing process. Cycle times should not be averaged out across the whole fleet and a good system will enable you to set individual cycle time parameters for specific user requirements. Minimising and reducing cycle times can create a surplus of equipment in the packaging fleet or pool. However this should not be regarded as wasted capital, but as cost avoidance on future packaging requirements as your business expands.

In order to ensure your objectives and requirements are met the system specification process must be thorough and realistic and tailored to suit the individual customer and supply chain needs.

? Your current management systems and process will be evaluated, and a suitable packaging management system designed and implemented
? Packaging fleet data can be captured via RFID readers, bar code scanners, or by manual entry of bulk movements.
? Data entry should be minimal so as not to increase on-costs and the risk of human error.
? There must be a high degree of control and a wide range of reporting capabilities, available via a local network or over the internet on a secure password access basis.
? The system must manage overall packaging fleet performance, including additional operations such as repair and maintenance, cleaning, damage inspection procedures and KPIs.
? There should be no limit on pallet / container types or the amount of locations where the fleet can be used in order that it can be flexible to a growing business.
? Data synchronisation with other systems within your business will facilitate accurate equipment planning for future or seasonal requirements.

The impact of packaging on overall supply chain costs, and indeed the impact on packaging costs brought about by changes elsewhere in the supply chain, can be tested theoretically using various cost modelling soft ware prior to actual implementation.

Gideon Hillman Consulting can assist you with knowledge and experienced based proposals and modelling solutions for Asset Management in the Supply Chain Investment into planning and consultative project management at the outset can negate over investment and additional cost in the longer term.

Gideon Hillman was employed at a Senior Management Level throughout Europe within the Materials Handling, Logistics and Specialist Supply Chain Services industry for over 12 years, (7 of which with TNT Logistics), prior to establishing Gideon Hillman Consulting in 2004. Gideon is a Member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport & The Institute of Management Consultants. As well as presenting to, and working with, Industry specific forums such as BARD / BPI in the music retail industry, the IISRP in the Global Automotive Tyre Industry and the Odette Group for Automotive Materials Handling, he was a Keynote speaker on "Asset management in the supply chain", at the 1998 IFPWA Global conference and has worked closely with the IARC (International Automotive Research Centre) on RFID implementation for Automotive Stillage Tracking. He was also a speaker on Asset Management in the Humanitarian Aid Supply Chain, at the 2006 Aid & Trade Humanitarian Relief Conference in Geneva.

What Is Enterprise Asset Management?

2008-03-11T01:43:00.001-07:00

Every enterprise and business organization thrives for effective strategies in order to maximize the returns on their assets. They do this by reducing operating costs, managing capital expenditures, and improving asset maintenance and utilization. Enterprise asset management solutions provide high-end, integrated, and complete capabilities to manage the assets of the entire business enterprise. These solutions provide updated information and maintain data that help in decision-making. Enterprise asset management solutions also support the strategic plans and operating procedures, which prove to be an effective tool to increase productivity and reduce costs.

The novel approach of EAM, Enterprise Asset Management, optimizes the business process by yielding significant savings and increasing the life cycle of the assets. This new approach may help in improving the entire life cycle, taking care of all the relevant phases starting from planning the right investments, specifications and designing to asset constructions, operations and maintenance procedures, finally moving towards the disposal and decommissioning of the assets.

An Enterprise Asset Management solution can be particularly helpful for asset intensive sectors such as the chemical, automotive, aerospace, defense, petroleum, and mining industries. Other industries that may benefit from the EAM solution include transportation, management, high-tech, government, and public sectors.

Various EAM solution providers sell solutions that are based on different architectures to support individual enterprise needs and business plans. The detailed PDF files about Enterprise Asset Management can be downloaded directly from the websites put up for the very purpose of providing an idea of how the specific solution works and help in managing assets and serving the business purposes.

EAM solutions support different platforms and applications and can be employed according to the specific requirements of the organization. Amongst many such examples is the SAP Net Weaver platform that allows a competitive edge and business flexibility and supports collaboration among the stakeholders within the network. The benefits of this EAM solution also include uninterrupted, complete, and real-time awareness of the assets, including real-time network visibility.

Enterprise Asset Management provides detailed information on Enterprise Asset Management, Enterprise Asset Management Software, Enterprise Asset Management Systems, Enterprise End-To-End Asset Management and more. Enterprise Asset Management is affiliated with BPM Consulting.

Asset Management - Key Part of Business Management

2008-03-11T01:41:00.000-07:00

Most manufacturing companies have recently discovered that fixed asset management should be a key part of the success of the business enterprise. It is now realised that fixed asset management leads to economy of production and operation. This in turn can to increase in profits of 10 to 15 per cent, which cannot be ignored as it makes a significant contribution to the bottom line of the business.

There is no doubt that inventory and production management deserves the main focus of the management for effective functioning in a manufacturing enterprise. If asset management was neglected, then fixed assets were not being effectively and efficiently managed. But in recent years it has been realised efficient management of fixed assets like plant and machinery and other movable and immovable fixed assets can lead to economies of scale. Thus proper monitoring and regular maintenance of productive fixed assets will give a longer productive life. The net effect of this is more profits for the business.

Naturally in fixed asset management, the assets responsible for production, research and development etc., which have direct bearing on the productivity of the business, need to be managed more closely. There must be constant monitoring on the maintenance aspect to prolong the useful life of the asset. Even a movable asset like a vehicle needs proper maintenance. Otherwise without regular running and maintenance the vehicle can soon become corroded and useless.

Every category of assets needs a different focus of management. Fixed assets need regular maintenance to ensure normal life of the assets depending on the wear and tear on the asset. Adequate planning is also necessary for building up financial reserves over the life of the asset for replacing the fixed asset at the end of its useful life. Thus the new plant and machinery can be ordered well in time to replace the old one.

Management also has to weigh the advantage of replacing the plant and machinery and other production assets or continuing to maintain the present production assets. They also must consider from time to time whether the asset has become obsolete owing to new technological advances. In recent times, technology has advanced at a rapid pace and management has to be vigilant on this issue to avoid being left behind by competitors. Asset management also includes adequate insurance to cover any extraordinary losses due to fire and natural disasters.

A type of awakening has taken place in major industries during the past decade on the role of asset management. It has become attractive due to decreasing margins and competition growing day by day. To avoid major capital spending, companies are now developing strategies to get optimum performance from available fixed assets thereby getting increased returns. This involves proper schedule of maintenance to minimise breakdowns and consequent loss of production.

In order to have reliability in scheduling, regular planning in conjunction with various departments, at least on a monthly basis is absolutely necessary. Standards must be set as well comparative analysis within industry standards must be evaluated to determine whether the company is achieving optimum production in line with the industry. If not, then suitable targets and best practices must be set up within a reasonable time frame to reach those targets.

Logistical performance must also be evaluated to consider whether transportation costs are economical and advantages of location are met. The management tools for evaluation can be in form of comparison studies, which can set up in form of graphs and bar charts for easy visual comparison. If fixed asset performance is seen to be below par, then priorities can be fixed for the focus on improvement.

Asset management tracking is vital in large manufacturing plant and utilities. Integration of asset management with raw material and maintenance procurement systems as well as financial systems and their cost versus savings benefits must be monitored on a day-by-day basis. Senior financial officers must therefore be involved in asset management.

Depending on nature of assets in different businesses. For example, utility companies, mineral companies, oil and natural gas are having large properties as part of their assets. These have to be effectively managed and timely decisions have to be taken whether to buy or sell properties for the health of the business. Depending on their values and necessity to the running of the company, the assets can be categorized for better management.

To assist company management, there are a number of established consultant companies having qualified manpower whose help will be beneficial for asset management. They can be very effective to audit present practices and suggest best practices, problem solving and action plans. It may be well worth the expense to hire established consultants to improve performance.

Asset management data can be computerised to enable management to chalk out strategies on an overall basis. Integration of asset management systems with other financial systems would give better picture of whole operation of the enterprise. This will enable various key officials to give their timely input to top management in order to devise suitable plans. For example, government may come out with special tax incentives for certain industries to invest in fixed assets. In a scenario where management is monitoring and managing fixed assets, the Finance Manager may quickly recommend purchase of new fixed assets to take advantage of the government's tax incentive for that business.

Lastly, it is the assets of a business which enable the production and delivery of its goods and services. So when fixed assets are being purchased or replaced a few important questions arise. What is the cost and cost benefit for the business. What funds are available? Should the asset be purchased new or secondhand or should it be leased and how will it benefit the business? Questions relating to the use of the asset could be. What are the operating costs? How much skilled and unskilled manpower would be required for operation? What are the training costs involved? What are the installation costs? What is the useful life of the asset? Is it the latest technology? These and many more questions need to be asked and answered. This will ultimately factor into the long-term strategy of the business.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Asset Management

How To Implement an IT Asset Management System

2008-03-10T02:58:00.000-07:00

Information technology (or IT) asset management can be a real headache because it is very difficult to organize and manage. It is also very difficult to really get professional and useful service. Fortunately, with the help of computers and the growing awareness of IT asset management has become a possibility within the reach of even small organizations.

In fact, IT asset management is extremely important if you want minimized risk, is undeniable. However, until recently, organizations tend to put it off because it's actually looked upon as something associated with a lot of trouble. This is not true.

Plan, plan and plan

In order to have an smooth and optimal working IT asset management system, you will first need to have a plan of action.

First and foremost: You have to organize your ideas so you will know what exactly you want the IT asset management to do for you. Initially, this will take a lot of time (and this is exactly why a lot of people have put it off) but this will definitely be time well invested.

AS soon as the plan is put on paper, it will be easy to work out a complex (as complex as your requirements are) IT asset management which will ensure that you will never miss an update or skip a security patch, and so on. The fact that you have an IT asset management system in place will also help you track your assets and correlate the data amongst the departments; thus highly cutting down the costs involved in searching, upgrading and maintenance of assets.

The IT asset management system also helps in optimally managing time involved in obtaining information concerning the long terms and short terms maintenance. This is actually like having a host of workers available to you. Each one of them will give you the required results if and when you need them, even if you do not ask for them. When you get the results, you will be able to find out whether you are on the right track or not and whether there is any requirement for additional inputs.

Always remember to include everything you need

Even the best IT asset management system will fail if they are not including all the vital requirements. There have been many known cases where the IT asset management systems totally failed because when they run it they found that it does not answer to the most important questions they had.

Therefore, it is important that you have a good plan and that this plan includes all the questions that you need to be answered by your IT asset management system.

Hugh Thorpe is an internet publisher and writer who likes to write about personal finances, asset management and related issues. Check out 1-Asset-Management.com for more detailed info.

Asset Management Software - How To Make The Choice Easy

2008-03-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

All businesses or companies need asset management; whether you are in retail, manufacturing, public relations, a call center etc. Now, what is asset management actually? This kind of management can be defined as the process by which you can manage your assets to the best of your ability. In order to do so, you and your company's key persons will need to know the strengths and weaknesses of the assets. This is the only way to know how to optimize their use.

Software for Asset Management and Strategy

For years, asset management has been done manually, with a number of registers and files to keep records. This was not the most time efficient and easy way to track assets. However, with the twenty-first century bringing us great computers blended with advanced and upgraded technology,asset management has been facilitated through computers and this has been made possible with asset management software. This is software that enables people to deal with asset management at the press of the button.

The software for managing assets that are available today is able to keep track of the value, use, depreciation, and utility age of any asset. This advanced software can highlight what the maintenance requirements are, when the assets would need to be discarded and above all it allows tracking of the assets. The possibilities and advantages of the asset management software are almost limitless. However, the best feature of this software is that it can give you accurate reports of the status of your assets at any given time, easily.

How Do You Choose Asset Management Software that Fit Your Business?

First, there are a few questions that you have to ask yourself before deciding which asset management software is the best for you. The following can be seen as an indicative check list:

1. Is The Price of the software cost efficient?t

2. The complexity of your assets?

3. How many employees can use the system or software at the same time?

4. Can it be scaled up as well as down?

5. The number of functions as well as the kind of functions the software give you.

There are mainly three important types of software available segregated by their functionality:

1. Automated - this type of software automatically collects records of data in time as well as tracks the data.

2. Inquisitive - this type mostly is applicable to the IT systems; it will be used for identifying the different parts of hardware (configuration) as well as peripherals and their addition or removal.

3. Repository - this kind of software is used for making reports and for different types of asset use and utility analysis.

This was a few points to keep in mind when you consider to purchase software for asset management or administration. It is important to work out a check list containing questions like those above. This is the only way you can be sure that the software you choose will fit your or your company's needs.

Hugh Thorpe is an internet publisher and writer who likes to write about personal finances, asset management, loans and related issues. Check out 1-Asset-Management.com for more detailed info

Asset Management

2008-03-08T00:26:00.000-08:00

Asset marketing is the process of dividing a portfolio into major asset categories such as cash, stocks, real estate, or bonds. In doing this there are three main strategies which are:

1.? Strategic Asset Allocation
2.? Tactical Asset Allocation
3.? Market Timing

Strategic asset allocation:

This focuses on designing a portfolio of investments that is suitable for your needs and sticking with that allocation through all market conditions.? Once an asset marketing to stocks, bond, real estate, and cash is set, it remains in place for a long period of time.? Due to the market always moving up and down a strategic asset allocation will get off target over time.? It is suggested that an investor should put their portfolios back on track with the original target mix from time to time, this is called re-balancing.? Re-balancing keeps a portfolio in line with an investor's goals and objectives, and helps control investment risk.

Tactical asset marketing:

Tactical asset marketing involved forecasting asset-class returns and increasing or decreasing commitment to an asset class based on the forecast.? Return predictions may be a function of fundamental variables, for example economic variables, technical variables, forecast of inflation, recent price trends, earnings or interest-rate forecasts, or a combination of several variables.? A tactical asset allocation is mainly based on these predictions.? Tactical Asset Marketing is also known as Active Portfolio Management.

Market timing:

This is tactical asset marketing taken to the extreme.? It involves forecasting asset returns and making "all or none' asset-class bets.? A market timing strategy may start the year 100 percent in Treasury bonds and end the year 100 percent in stocks.

No on likes losing money, and no one likes to be out of a bull market.? Market timing solves both of these problems. Although some investors may believe that there are strategies that will allow them to successfully weave into and out of the markets, the facts show that few people actually do so, and those people may be lucky rather than good.? Market timing is not recommended by the professionals.
No one knows which of these three will work well.? But the best bet is to keep a well-balanced multi-asset-class portfolio that maintains a strategic allocation over time.

Raj Selvaraj is an expert in finanical matters. He has worked many years in the Finance business. He has written many articles on finanical matters and his latest article on asset management can be found on www.managementasset.org

Understanding Asset Management

2008-03-06T01:13:00.001-08:00

Asset management is a form of investment management. The term asset management is sometimes used to refer to the management of all investments, including assets, or it may be used to refer to assets that don't fall under the more standard categories of investment management, fund management or portfolio management.

Asset management is one facet of the vast global investment management industry. Large financial institutions manage billions of dollars in assets for businesses and individuals all over the world.

Many insiders feel that independent firms are more successful and more dynamic in investment management than are large banks and insurance companies.

Asset management helps to protect and grow investments. The assets under management may be a large company's pension fund, or an individual's retirement savings. Institutions that manage assets have great weight in the financial markets because of the amount of funds under their control. The decisions these companies make as to how to invest and move around the money they control can affect the overall rise and fall of financial markets.

Pension funds accounted for more than $15 trillion of funds that were under asset management in 2004. In comparison, more than $30 trillion of private wealth was in investments in 2004, about one third of which was being managed by investment management firms. Asset managers in the United States account for almost half of all funds under management globally.

Understanding asset management is a complicated topic. If you have large investments, you want to make sure your assets are properly managed. Various financial advisors can provide information about the best fund managers, the institutions with the best track records, and in general the type of management that may be right for you or your business. Different types of financial management are indicated, depending upon the size of the investment capital, the form of the assets, and many other individual factors.

Luke Perry is a writer and administrator for Asset Management West a site that specializes in asset management.

Finding The Right Asset Management System

2008-03-06T01:12:00.000-08:00

Do you have a lot of assets that you need to maintain? If this is the case, you may need an asset management team to help you. Before we get into that, you are probably wondering what exactly asset management is. Asset management is a structured and system that is used to maintain your fixed assets on a day to day basis. This system is used through all phases of the asset's life cycle. This includes when the asset was first acquired until it is retired or no longer of use. It can be used to manage an individuals assets or a business and all of its assets. In order to maintain your assets, you must know what the asset you own is, when you got the asset, how much the asset cost, how much it will cost to maintain the asset through the asset's life cycle, where the asset is located, and what the asset will or can be worth.

Effective asset management systems have one specific goal that is always to be met. This goal is to reduce the costs of owning the asset and investing the asset in order to achieve the maximum and significant results. For this goal to be met, the asset management system should incorporate different functions, policies, resources, and procedures that help maintain the asset in a cost efficient manner and still leave you with significant results.

Most commonly, people use an asset management system to take care of their assets for them. There are many available. But before you choose one, you should make sure that the asset management system they use is the best one for your assets. It should include:

1. Various technologies to maintain and track your assets individually, meaning that it always knows where your assets are or where they can be found.

2. Uses a software system that is constantly updated.

3. Reduces your direct cost of owning the assets.

4. Controls shrinkage and/or other losses of the assets.

5. Seeks out information on a daily basis to lower the cost of maintaining the assets.

6. Follows a constant budget when maintaining the asset to reduce over head costs.

7. Provides a maintenance history on all costs of maintaining the assets.

8. Reallocates any assets that do not seem to be achieving goals so that they can meet these goals.

9. Lets you know when it may be advantageous to you if you disposed of the asset either through selling, trading, etc.

10. Makes the most of the potential of assets by ensuring they are appropriately maintained and used at all times.

11. Reduces the demand for new assets, thus saving money through demand management techniques.

12. Always tries to achieve greater value for your money through economic evaluation of options that take into account the asset's life cycle, full costs of the asset, and with value management techniques.

13. Reduces any unnecessary acquisition of assets or new assets. This is done by making any organizations that use your assets pay for the full costs of using and/or holding the asset itself.

14. Has all attention focused on gaining results.

15. Assigns responsibility of maintaining all aspects of your assets to the right departments.

If you find an asset management system that incorporates all of these items, you are sure to have an easy and effective means to managing your assets. Sometimes it is very difficult to do this yourself, especially if you own a large business, large corporation, or if you just have a great deal of assets to begin with. The right asset management system can make your life a whole lot easier and turn your assets into a much more profitable endeavor.

Robert Michael is a writer for Fixed Asset Management which is an excellent place to find links, resources and articles. For more information go to: http://www.aegisassetmanagement.com

Asset Management Tips For All Areas Of Your Life

2008-03-05T01:27:00.001-08:00

Asset Management Tips For All Areas Of Your Life

Do you think that asset management only related to taking good care of your finance and property? Well, that's what most people think, and that's how they act in their privet lives.

But if you try to look at things from a deeper and more profound point of view, asset management is important to all the real assets in your life, and these are not necessarily financial and materialistic things.

Your non-material assets could be your time (work time as well as recreational time), your health, your relationships with other people, your skills and knowledge, your hobbies and more.

As you see, it's important to maintain balance and implement asset management to all the assets in your life. True assets provide dividends if managed properly, and this goes to materialistic and non-materialistic assets.

Now that we have established this important insight in to our lives, what can we do to manage out assets better and later enjoy the fruits of this careful grooming?

Let's take a look at a few examples of good asset management:

1. Managing your work time - if you will be managing your free time in a better, smarted way, you could be saving as much as 1-2 hours of work every day. This can translate to getting more done, or, having more free time. In this article I can't get into all the aspects of task management, so let's just talk about the greatest tip: Planning and prioritizing. You need to have a specific, written plan that details what you want to achieve in your work, including dates. That, you need to do daily prioritization of your tasks, so that all the more important tasks are completed in that day, and the less important are pushed away, maybe for tomorrow. This way you will always get the important things done. You'll be amazed at how much time people waste on doing not-important things. Do this and you are guaranteed to create at least 1 more hour a day.

2. Manage your free time - decide what you want to do in your free time and do it. Don't get caught in doing things you don't want to do, like spending time with people you don't like. Consider paying people to do the things you don't like doing like cooking, cleaning, walking the dog...

3. Make some time to plan ahead for all kind of projects you want to do that require good use of your assets. For example, if you want to re-decorate the house, you may find out that you have all the assets to do it on your - you may have a friend who knows about decorating and will be happy to help (you can help them with something else in return). You may be able to take a course in decoration or read a book about it with the extra time you got from managing your work time right.

4. Your finance - most people don't handle their financial affairs properly, and therefore loosing out. It could be a very wise move to sit down and analyze where your money is going to. If you do that for 3 months, you can see that in many cases you can save a few hundred bucks a month. That money can be used to pay debt, go on vacation, purchase an asset and more.

So it's clear that asset management is something that should be implemented to all the areas of your life and not just your assets and financial affairs. Clever asset management of all areas in your life will help you lead a better life all aroun

Want to learn more about asset management? Visit Alex Dale's http://www.asset-management-101.info/. We talk more about parenting advice and parenting programs

Digital Asset Management Software

2008-03-04T01:34:00.001-08:00

If your business relies on digital files for its day-to-day operations, then you should definitely invest in quality digital asset management software ? designed to let you track, organize and retrieve important documents, images and other digital files easily.

Digital asset management software has long been a necessity for industries such as digital photography, graphic design, advertising and publishing. Newer versions have features that are relevant to other types of businesses and more and more industries are jumping on the bandwagon.

Among the converts are document-rich organizations that seek to modernize their filing systems. Digital asset management software, although best known for their ability to quickly track image files, now also track and retrieve documents and other frequently-used Microsoft Office files. The software usually captures all of the data/text in the file and then records them into the database. A user can type in keywords or phrases and be led to relevant documents. It also works on PowerPoint and Excel documents, among. Users can also create customized catalogs for their files and cross-reference files in several catalogs. This digital asset management software is so effective that many businesses are migrating from the traditional filing cabinets to these e-files.

What?s more, most digital asset management software is affordable even to smaller businesses. There are single-user versions that go for less than $100, and it only costs $50 more to upgrade to a professional version. Business packages are also affordable at about $2,800 including license. These packages already include servers, multiple user accounts and constant manufacturer support. There are even free online demo versions available to hesitant buyers. These demos have limited functionalities, but business owners who want to try the product out before purchasing find them very useful.

Asset Management Software provides detailed information on Asset Management Software, Digital Asset Management Software, Inventory Asset Management Software, Fixed Asset Management Software and more. Asset Management Software is affliated with Free Project Management Software

Asset Management Software

2008-03-04T01:32:00.000-08:00

If you employ the right technology, managing your business assets can be so much simpler. Say goodbye to time-consuming and error-prone manual asset management ?invest in effective asset management software and keep track of everything from purchasing and bar coding to stock control, all in one click.

When shopping around for asset management software, consider three things: applicability to your current systems, usability and report generation features.

The complexity of asset management software features you need depends on the density of your business processes. As a rule, you need software with the following essential modules: purchasing, depreciation, bar coding, inventory control and a help desk. If much of your existing asset management systems are already web-based, you should find software that is compatible with web browsers or (ERP systems when applicable).

You need software with an interface that allows any users to intuitively find their way around to lessen the downtime in trying to learn these applications. Test-drive the software to see if you can easily access such information as asset details, purchase prices, associated costs and audit trails. Information should be laid out so that you can see the history of every asset and track its location, movement and depreciation. The main point of asset management software is to make recording and retrieving easy.

Another important feature to look for in software is its report generation functionality. It should be able to easily generate preformatted reports and perform custom reporting and sorting. It should also be equipped with a graphics generator that allows you to access instant pictorial representations of the data you need. Your asset management software should allow you to point and click your way into comprehensive data that will allow you to spend less time computing and tracking and more time making big decisions.

Digital Asset Management Software provides detailed information on Asset Management Software, Digital Asset Management Software, Inventory Asset Management Software, Fixed Asset Management Software and more. Digital Asset Management Software is affiliated with Free Project Management Software

Asset Allocation Management Without Mutual Funds

2008-03-03T00:47:00.000-08:00

Many Investment Gurus, with a straight face and a gleam in their eye, will insist that successful investing is a function of expansive research, skillful market timing, and detailed technical analysis. Others emphasize fundamental information about companies, industries, and markets. But trends and numbers are secondary to a thorough understanding of the basic principles of Investing and Management, and their interrelationships. The ingredients for a successful investment portfolio are these: stubborn belief in the Quality, Diversification, and Income trinity from Investments 101, and operations that employ the Planning, Leading, Organizing, and Controlling skills introduced in Freshman Management. Here are some things to keep in mind while you season your experience with patience and marinate your investment process with discipline:

* A viable Investment Program begins with the private development of an Investment Plan. The first step is the identification of personal goals and objectives and a time frame for goal achievement. The end result should be a near autopilot, long-term and increasing, retirement income. Asset Allocation is used to structure the portfolio so that it operates in a goal directed manner. The finished Plan must be flexible in design, based upon reasonable expectations, simple in structure and operation, and easy to supervise.

* Use a "cost based" Asset Allocation Model. Although most of the Investment World operates on a Market Value basis for everything from performance analysis to Asset Allocation and Diversification decision modeling, you will improve your long-term results and stay within your allocation and diversification guidelines better by using a system based upon Working Capital. This widely unknown Asset Allocation "model" takes the hype out of daily stock market reporting and keeps the income investor's focus on appropriate statistics.

* Control your emotions, among other things. Clearly, fear and greed are the two that require the most control in the investment environment... particularly in these days of a reckless media, Internet empowered scam merchants, high-speed information gathering/processing, and cheap personalized trading capabilities. Love and hate need to be dealt with as well, but there are fewer out-of-body influences on these. Only strictly disciplined decision makers need apply for your Investment Management position... and you may not be the ideal candidate. Investment Management is a continual responsibility, not a weekend and occasional evenings avocation.

* Avoid hindsightful analysis, and uninformed (or salesperson) criticism. It is painfully comical how hindsight has taken over in our society... in sports, finance, politics, and the professions, everywhere... everyone you hear is second-guessing and finger pointing. No one is willing to take responsibility for their own actions and everyone is willing to sue whoever coulda', woulda' or shoulda' prevented whatever happened. Investors cannot afford to be Little League crybabies. Make one of the three basic decisions (which are?) and don't look back. No person or program can predict the future, and your portfolio requires management today. The playing field for the investment game is uncertainty.

* Establish a profit-taking target for every security you purchase. The purpose of investing is to make more money than you could in a guaranteed, non-negotiable instrument. This larger money making expectation comes with an assumption of some form of risk... there are several, and its "in there" in all investments. In Equities, set a reasonable profit target and take less if you can get it quickly. With income investments, never say no to a profit equal to a year's income, or 10% if you like round numbers. There are always new investment opportunities, and there is no such thing as a bad profit... or a good loss.

* Examine Market Value numbers at intelligent intervals. Frequent examination is stressful and non-productive. There are no averages or indices that compare with a properly diversified Investment Portfolio, particularly if your Equity selections are screened for Quality and Income. Investing is a long-term endeavor, and neither Shock(sic) Market symbols nor current yields operate on a calendar year schedule. Look at market peaks and troughs over significant time periods that include "cycles"... and do separate your analysis by class.

* Avoid what the crowd is doing and shun investment products. Consumers buy products; Investors buy securities. The crowd is driven by the very emotions that you must learn to control. Stay focused on your plan; analyze your annual income and trading statistics. Buy and hold creates more real tax problems than real millionaires, and gimmicks and fads last just slightly longer than spring fashions. Always buy good stuff on bad news and sell into good news announcements.

* Don't try to save the world with your investment decisions. Never limit your investment opportunities artificially. Votes work better when it comes to changing your world, and corporations should not be the targets of your political hates... get rid of incumbents, state and local, until there are changes in the tax code, social security, tort law, environmental issues, etc. In the meantime, invest with your head, not your heart. The business of a capitalist society is...

* Keep in mind that you need Income to pay the bills, and that your cost of living in retirement will be higher than you think. If you insist on some income from every Equity security you ever own, and beat-the-bank income from income securities, you will obtain two important things: An annually increasing cash flow that will rise at a rate greater than most normal inflation rates, and a higher quality investment portfolio for better long-term investment performance. (If you use a cost based Asset Allocation model with at least 30% invested in income securities and no open end Mutual Funds or Index ETFs.) Never settle for tiny short-term yields or get hooked on those that are unsustainably high.

* Investing is not a competitive event, ever. You don't need to beat the market. You need to accomplish a set of personalized goals. Not even your twin's portfolio should be the same as yours. The faster you run, the less likely it is that you will succeed over time. Big risks, foolproof gimmicks, and exotic computer programs occasion more failures than success stories. Remember the Investment gods? They created Stocks and Bonds... only Stocks and Bonds!

* Avoid Unrealized Gains, Embrace Volatility, Increase Annual Income, and remember that all key investment moments are only visible in rear view mirrors. Most unrealized gains become Schedule D realized losses. As of today there has never been a correction (rally) that has not succumbed to the next rally (correction). Only an increasing income level can beat back inflation... a bigger market value number just doesn't do it.

Perge'

Steve Selengut http://www.sancoservices.com http://www.valuestockbuylistprogram.com Professional Portfolio Management since 1979 Author of: "The Brainwashing of the American Investor: The Book that Wall Street Does Not Want YOU to Read", and "A Millionaire's Secret Investment Strategy"

Unmatched support, service and financial growth: National Asset & Risk Management LLC (NARM)

2008-03-03T00:41:00.000-08:00

National Asset
& Risk Management LLC (NARM) is today's most progressive loss prevention and
debt and commercial collection
agency. Their purpose is to provide their clients with unmatched support,
service and financial growth. Utilizing the latest technology, collection
programs, and a highly skilled team of professionals,
National Asset & Risk Management
is changing the way that collection agencies operate. Their purpose is to
customize a program for each of their clients that will dramatically increase
the monies recovered from past due accounts, as well as decrease the amount of
time accounts are outstanding. National Asset & Risk Management, LLC, NARM,
headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is today?s most progressive
debt recovery and commercial
collections company. The collection division was started with one purpose;
to change the model by which
collection agencies operate. There is absolutely no way to match the
advantage of a debt and commercial collection agency that is part of the credit
reporting industry, the legal community and nationally recognized. NARM is the
largest privately owned business of its kind. They operate on the
Equifax and Debt Net system,
which offers nationwide coverage. They also work with the Trans Union and
Experian credit reporting systems, enabling us to access on a direct basis to
any credit report in the nation. NARM offers many
loss prevention,
debt recovery, collection
services and financial solutions
to its customers across the globe. National Asset &
Risk Management debt collection
services make use of their expertise and state of the art debt collection
software. They will analyze the situation and recommend the best strategy for
debt collection. They act on your behalf in the manner you wish, either using a
discreet approach, because you do not want to jeopardize a long-standing
business relationship by a single debt, or a more aggressive program. Whichever
way you want to handle debt
collection, National Asset & Risk Management is there for you.

Asset Management Software guide

2008-03-01T01:21:00.000-08:00

Asset management is the need of the hour. Any business dealing in manufacturing, distribution, physical sales, office or call center work has some physical and non-physical assets. The technique of choosing the appropriate equipment for a particular job, keep it functioning as long as possible and replacing it in a systematic way is the key to good management.

Today assets can be the means to some wonderful and lucrative ends. So asset management is no less than an art and can be stated as a comprehensive and structured approach to the long-term management of assets as tools for the efficient and effective delivery of community benefits.

Managing one's assets requires firstly an identification of need for the asset in accordance with the community requirements. Secondly you have to see the provision of the asset including its current maintenance and rehabilitation as per your needs. Third is the operation of the asset while the fourth is the disposal of the asset when it is no longer needed or beneficial in any way.

Due to a surge in the involvement of people in asset management task, various companies have come up with asset management software. Asset management software maintains a record of all the assets you wish to monitor. It is designed to manage assets, contracts, purchases and vendors at an economical price. Asset management software keeps a record of hardware, licenses, leasing information and so forth. It also guides as to which new equipment needs to be purchased, the quantity of equipment owned and when leases are up.

Asset management software is of a great use. There are quite a few benefits of implementing an asset management software solution. For instance the asset management allows the automation of processes rather than manually creating paper trails that can be torn or lost, it also tracks your company's software assets and licenses, provides management reports on companies assets, track company leases and hardware material, minimizes the expense especially by reducing the total ownership cost and serves as a user interface for the people to track their assets. The asset management software also integrates with incident and problem management, change and configuration management, service level management and other related Business Service Management processes straight out of the box.

There are three different kinds of asset management software-

a) Inquisitive- software is designed to interrogate or query the IT systems and identifies hardware configurations or peripherals or operating system and other software.

b) Repository- software organizes the collected data and stores it to allow an easy access for reporting and analysis.

c) Automated data collection type of asset management software tracks, records accurate data in time.

The asset management software comes in different packages. While choosing such a software package check out the functionality you need or the kind of task that you want the software to perform. Then take a look at the price and benefit of the package over the others. Also consider the package from the number of users perspective. Here you should bear in mind the overwriting risk of multiple users having the same files open at a given time. You should also know what is the scalability of the software, that can it cater to new avenues in countries other than your own and last but not the least you must find out if the software works with ITIL best practices.

Mansi gupta recommends that you visit Asset Management Software for more information.

Asset management companies' guide

2008-03-01T01:20:00.000-08:00

Be it any area or any sphere of life management is the key to success. Management of simple things such as your day-to-day activities etc. might not require much consideration but lot of planning is to be done when it comes to managing assets.

Asset management basically refers to managing money for individuals through stocks, bonds and cash equivalents etc. The asset management system has sprung from maintenance management systems and its aim is to optimize asset use and manage all maintenance efforts involved in making the assets as confidential, accurate and efficient as possible. The principles of asset management apply equally to all physical assets such as infrastructure, property, heritage, plant and equipment.

The strategy of asset management depends on financial aspects of ownership such as calculating the entire cost of ownership, depreciation, licensing, maintenance and insurance. Asset management can be in different spheres. For instance asset management in the field of property is known as property asset management, asset management in IT, in finance or investment asset management and asset management in inventory and physical stock.

Varying with the kind of an asset management strategy a firm or an individual can add value to his business, improve investment performance, manage financial risk exposure and reduce costs to business.

Keeping the incredible significance of asset management in mind, various asset management companies have mushroomed these days. An asset management company is a firm that invests the pooled funds of retail investors in securities in line with the directed investment objectives. By offering more diversification, liquidity and professional management service, an asset management service holds a niche above the individual investors.

A leading name in asset management and investment management services is Lazard. Lazard is known for investment banking with offices in more than 16 countries across the world. Lazard provides multiple services such as advisory services that include mergers and acquisitions, asset management and restructuring to corporations, partnerships, institutions, governments and individuals.

Similarly the Asset Intelligence unit of General Electric's Equipment Services has earned commendable name in providing intelligence based asset management and logistics services for commercial and transportation equipments. Hardcat is a leading asset management solution provider in UK, Australia and USA.

The joint venture between UK's top ranking insurance company Prudential Plc. and India's recognized financial institution, the ICICI Bank Ltd. has resulted in the ICICI Asset Management Company to supplement the Indian investor mutual fund products with different growing needs of investment.

All these proficient companies keep in mind the fact that investment is quite a challenging task that requires tremendous planning and risk. These companies function in a way to produce better risk-adjusted investment returns and present investment solutions to the clients.

Recently the prizes of traded asset management companies have touched the sky primarily due to two reasons- rising stock markets and industry consolidation. A paradigm instance here is that the Legg Mason shares increased by 76% due to the news that it was taking over Citigroup's asset management business.

All in all asset management companies are ideal resources to drive costs out of your business operations, increase profitability and get access to vast information database for making a prudent choice

Mansi gupta recommends that you visit Asset management companies for more information.

Asset Management Journal Guide

2008-02-28T22:59:00.001-08:00

Diligently managed assets of a business organization can make a lot of difference in its profit percentages. Judicious control over all tangible and intangible assets of a company makes sure that there are no leaking funds in the organization and all assets are utilized at maximum capacity. An inefficient management of resources and incorrect information about the objects in a commercial establishment may lead to drainage of finances and in turn adversely affect company?s performance.

Realizing the importance of asset management in any company?s performance has led to newer advanced strategies in this field of trade. Entire business management consists of host of issues comprising of cost management, capital budgeting, expense accounting, financial planning and reporting and many other similar topics. Asset management constitutes a large percentage of managing concerns in an organization. Apart from administering tangible goods, raw materials, finished products, vehicles, buildings and many other such items modern businesses also need to manage their intellectual assets.

Asset management is a comprehensive term and usually requires professional handling of the situation. There are many commercial asset-managing firms that offer services for administering various resources of the company. Many software are presently available in market that enable efficient managing of a companies assets. Traditional asset management meant dealing mostly with fixed assets in their every stage of life cycle. Entire infrastructure related to factory establishment comes under asset management.

Monitoring the whereabouts of assets, ensuring the availability of all resources required in an industry whether easily available or scarce is an integral part of managing assets for that company. Finalizing purchasing requests, valuation, depreciation, asset receipts, maintenance, warranties, user data and other related physical attributes of an asset form a major role of an asset manager.

Optimal judgment about methodology applied for managing assets of different enterprises differs according to their unique characteristics. No one procedure that has been successful for one concern can guarantee similar affluent results for another enterprise with different objectives.

Professional asset managers are also required to fix emergency problems arising due to unanticipated reduction in production capacity or a major break down in plants machinery, etc. the training received by them during their learning and skills learnt through experience facilitates a asset manager to handle every job diligently. Regular maintenance of assets ensures an adequate potential of asset manager while, recovering quickly from unpredicted adverse situation test the actual capability of asset management in a company.

The asset manager is liable to provide information about vast enquires related to it. The actual cost at procurement, vendor?s details, the department and the particular team that is using it, the physical location, depreciation and any other data related should always be available at any point of time. All this helps in efficient running of a business enterprise. Decisions as when new machinery needs to be purchased or the firm could carry on with just repairing old machinery and judgment about whether the concern should buy an asset or should lease it depends on information provided by the asset manger of the company.

Mansi aggarwal writes about asset management journal news. Learn more http://www.assetmanagementjournal.com

Asset Management For Web Developers

2008-02-28T22:58:00.001-08:00

When building large scale database driven web applications which require the development effort of numerous individuals and interoperating teams as well as networked access to a central repository of assets in the form of PHP code, HTML documents, images, source code, media files, and documentation it can help to organize the workflow by keeping track of data and intellectual property assets using specially designed asset management software applications that allow for a meta searchable database of digital media and a check in/check out system to allow multiple designers to work together without doubling up on the same task.

Asset management software isn't just for enterprise class development anymore. SOHO users will find software such as Canto Cumulus asset management software to be scalable to even the needs of a small design house with only 3-4 developers.

No matter what kind of web development you are doing, proper asset management is key to an organized workflow, especially on projects that depend on numerous individuals and teams and requires the document to "change hands" and allow for the scrutiny of the entire team during every phase of design and development.

Asset management solutions allow for a more disciplined approach to portfolio cataloguing and media library organization, which can help developers contemplate their creative palette and visual media assets more thoroughly and completely when selecting templates and production from the company's supply of IP.

If you find that your design team is having trouble maintaining a manually organized library of content and intellectual property and you want to have a library witch allows for rich meta tagging and highly organized searching and browsing, you should research investing the time and effort into setting up an asset management solution for your company today! The time and effort you put into an asset management system today pays off ten fold through more efficient workflow and library management.

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at www.asset-management-center.com

Asset Management 101

2008-02-27T00:43:00.001-08:00

Asset management is the method that a company uses to track fixed assets. It is the process of controlling assets throughout their lifecycle - from procurement, through daily operations, and finally disposal. Factory equipment, desks, chairs, computers, and property are some examples of such assets. Broadly speaking, asset management involves tracking the physical location of assets, managing demand for scarce resources, and accounting tasks such as amortization. Issues that are part of asset management include asset value and depreciation; purchasing requests, orders, and asset receipts; licenses, leases, maintenance, and other contracts; vendor performance, service levels, and warranties; departmental and user data; and physical asset attributes. One of the purposes of going all these lengths and putting in effort to organize all this information is to keep track of important information such as how much the asset costs, whom it was purchased from, who is using it, where it is physically located, which department code the cost should be assigned to, which vendor should be called for support, when the lease expires, when it should be retired, what the depreciation rate is, etc. This, in turn, provides the basis for managing and optimizing an organization?s entire asset portfolio.

When we speak of property management as part of asset management, it includes property selection, implementation of policies and performance standards for that property, and monitoring of its performance in relation to the owner?s objectives.

Generally, there are four broad stages of the asset lifecycle:

Planning and procurement: This involves planning, ordering, and receiving the technology.

Operations: This includes managing the day-to-day operations of the assets to maximize productivity.

Financial management: It involves ensuring accurate tax, depreciation, and other costs.

Disposal: Once it is time for disposal, you are required to remove the asset from the enterprise in compliance with environmental regulations.

Various tools are available for asset management. However, it is important to realize that asset management is primarily a process, and the tools aspect is just a small aspect of it. Since every organization is unique, with its own unique needs and strategies, the ideal asset management process for each organization differs.

Chris Tolamalu is interested in asset management. See http://www.assetmanagementjournal.com/ for more information.

Understanding Your Monthly Commercial Property Management Report

2008-02-26T01:36:00.001-08:00

Each month your property manager will send you a monthly report. Each company has its own format, using different property management software and internal processes. However, you should receive the following:

A one-page summary that highlights key issues about the property, e.g., one tenant is 30 days behind on the rent.
Income & expense statement. This should be a short statement showing the base rent, Common Area Maintenance (CAM) charges for each tenant, rent and CAM payments received from each tenant. It also shows maintenance expenses and management fee; so you may quickly determine if each tenant has paid rent or not. This statement itemizes all of the income and expenses which may include:
- Late fee: when the tenant pays late, he has to pay the rent plus the late fee. The late fee amount is normally stated in the lease. Normally, when the tenant pays late, the property manager has to do extra work to collect it. The amount of work depends on whether the tenant is too busy to mail the rent check, does not have the money or simply does not want to pay. Typically, the property manager is entitled to the late fees as an incentive to collect the rent.
- Management fee: this fee is usually a percentage of the monthly income from the property that both you and the property manager agreed in the management contract. If you have a very stable property with the same income every month, then the management fee is the same. Otherwise, it varies from month to month.
- Leasing fee: you typically see this when there is a new tenant or a renewed lease.
- Security/Fire Protection: your property may have fire & security monitoring services.
- Electricity: this is most likely for parking or common area lighting.
- Water: this is for both drinking and irrigation.
- Disposal: this is for garbage collection paid to the city.
- HVAC repairs & maintenance: this is the maintenance costs for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. Usually, there is a service contract for HVAC whereby the maintenance company will inspect the HVAC twice a year: once before the winter and once before the summer. So, you may receive the service bills only twice a year.
- Garbage dumping: sometimes people dispose their unused furniture, mattress on the property because there is no one around at night. The maintenance crew may have to clean up these things. Normally, you or the property manager will want a picture of the dumping to make sure that it is a legitimate bill.
- Landscaping: this is often the biggest expense item. Typically, the landscaper signs a one year contract to maintain the landscaping on the property, such as mowing the lawn, trimming the trees/shrubs, and planting flowers. Thus, the monthly payment should be the same for the whole year.
- Sweeping: the parking lot is usually swept daily, either late in the evening or before the tenants open for business. In the winter, there may be an expense for snow removal.
- Steam cleaning: the concrete sidewalk is normally steam cleaned once a month. This is done by the same company that handles the sweeping and landscaping.
- Roof maintenance: the roof of a commercial building is often flat and requires regular maintenance especially during the rainy season. The roofer may charge each time he is called to fix a roof leak. So, this is not something you see on the statement on a regular basis.
- Supplies: there are various things on the property that have to be replaced periodically: light bulbs, trash bins, sprinklers, etc.
- Bank charges: sometimes the tenants pay by check with non-sufficient funds. The bank will charge a fee each time the check is bounced.
- Legal fees: you may see this if the property manager has to evict a tenant.

As a rule of thumb, you should not spend more than 30 minutes to review the management report of a retail property with 10 tenants. If you have to spend much more than that, then your property manager has sent you too much information or not organized the report properly.

The property management company often proposes an annual maintenance budget for the property based on the prior year?s maintenance expenses. Each tenant is then billed a fixed monthly amount, proportional to the size of his unit. Thus, the base rent and CAM charges are the same each month; so, the tenants may expect to pay a consistent amount each month. Annually, between January and March, the property manager reconciles the accounting for the prior year. If the actual expenses exceeded the budget, the tenant will have to pay his share of the difference. In the event, the actual expenses were less than the budget; the tenant will be refunded or credited back the difference.

Do?s and Don?ts

Use email for most of your correspondence. This will allow you to have records (date, time) of all issues sent and received between you and the property manager. You may want to set up the mail option such that it automatically will save all out-going mail. In addition, you may want to create an email folder for each property and keep all email messages related to that property in that folder. This allows you to find information quickly.
Ask the property manager to email to you the monthly reports. You should save all of the reports on your computer. Time and time again, you will need to look at a report from a previous month. The easier and faster you can access them, the more likely you will do it. Paper reports are much more time consuming to retrieve.
Have a copy of the rent roll handy with rent rate, lease start date, lease expiration, and CAM share portion. When you are asked to approve a new lease, check to make sure it does not expire on a year when you have several other leases expiring. This minimizes the risk of high vacancies on your property.
David V. Tran is the CEO eFunding Inc., a commercial real estate brokerage, loan broker, property management, self-directed IRA investment, TIC and syndication company in San Jose, CA. His website is http://www.efundingcom.com. He may be contacted at (408) 288-5500. eFunding does business in all 50 states. He is selected as Pensco Trust?s (a major self-directed IRA custodian) Preferred Professional. David offers 3 FREE real estate investment seminars:
1. How to invest in commercial real estate for retirement income NOW.
2. How to maximize cash flow with 1031 tax-deferred exchange.
3. TIC/Syndication: strategy for small investors and self-directed IRA investors to acquire high-valued properties.
Andrew La is an Attorney, CPA, & Real Estate Broker in San Jose. His phone is 408-275-9683.

You are welcome to share this report, unedited and in its entirety, with anyone you like. You may not remove this text. ? 2007 eFunding, Inc.

Facts about Property Management

2008-02-14T03:04:00.000-08:00

Property management is the concern of many of us, taking into account the fact that our society is in continuous movement and change. Property management information is available not only in specialized magazines and research papers, but also online, on websites that have as their major concern study, market research, covering issues regarding marketing and leasing, land use and development, maintenance and other important subjects. There are also property management companies that offer their consultancy and assistance during an investment and management period.

The advantage of reading property management magazines is that they present both the academic and professional point of view. Besides, some of them are available online, too. Another advantage of property management magazines is that some of them are focused either on the national or international perspective regarding important issues. Property management magazines are a valuable resource for people who want to be informed about changes of this domain.

There are various online resource centers offering news and information about property management. You can find there information about property and real estate, tax deductions for landlords, frequently asked tenants concerning the legal or practical issues of tenants and landlords. Property management resource centers also offer useful tips for landlords and valuable details about usual issues. Tenant injuries is a subject discussed by online property management resource centers, pointing out insurance facts and landlord liability. There are also legal updates to previous information offered on the website so that the landlords would be well informed about recent changes.

Landlords may be amazed by the fact that there is property management software available. This property management software is of great help for landlords with a few rental units and for management of big properties. In this way, you can have your rental properties organized, benefiting from the smart Windows based software. This popular property management software reminds you of expiring leases, late rent, providing extensive reports in various categories. Property management is made easier and more accessible with simple software that provides necessary and valuable information in due time.

There are also National Property Management Associations focused on personal property and fixed-asset professionals. These associations can offer training, educational opportunities as well as certification programs, all of them concerning the subject property management.

You can find information and assistance concerning agriculture, industry property management. There are property management divisions concerned with some particular branches: real property, personal property and physical property. Property management can become easier with support, implementation and monitoring of procedures, regulations and policies for the management of real and personal property.

Property management companies have to deal with multiple responsibilities and aspects of management of ownership of real estate. These companies offer to negotiate and stabilize the relationships between landlord and tenant. They also manage income and activities involving expenses, repair, maintenance and other aspects of the construction and development.

Property management is much more than a matter of responsibility, awareness and information. It requires time, intelligence and witness, great attention to details, but also management qualifications.

Property related issues explained clearly at http://propertymeet.info Up to date property business and management factors that are affecting your monetary return.

What You Should Know About Property Management

2008-02-13T03:00:00.001-08:00

Now that you have made an offer to acquire a commercial property and are waiting to close escrow, you may want to start looking for a property manager to professionally manage the property. Your real estate investment advisor should present you with 2 or 3 local companies, each with its own proposal. Your job is to decide which company you will hire. The property manager will be the main point of contact between you, as the landlord, and the tenants. Her main job is to:

Receive and collect the rents and other payments from your tenants. This is typically simple until a tenant does not send the rent check. A good property manager will somehow get the tenant to pay the rent while a lousy one will throw a monkey on your back!
Hire, pay, and supervise personnel to maintain, repair and operate the property, e.g. trash removal, window cleaning, and landscaping. Otherwise, the property loses its appeal, and customers may not patronize your tenants? businesses. The tenants then may not renew their lease. As a consequence, you may not realize the expected cash flow.
Lease any vacant space.
Keep an accurate record of income and expenses, and provide you with a monthly report.

A good property manager is critical in keeping your property fully occupied at the highest market rent, the tenants happy and in turn helps you achieve your investment objectives. Before choosing a property management company, you may want to:

Interview the company with focus on how the company handles and resolves problems, e.g. late payment.
Talk to the person who will manage the property day to day as this may be a different person from the one who signs the property management contract. You want someone with strong interpersonal skills to effectively deal with tenants.

The property managing company normally wants a contract for at least one year. The contract should spell out the duties of the property manager, compensation, and what will require the landlord?s approval.

Agent?s Compensation: you will have to pay someone to manage and lease the property. You may have one company to manage the property and a different company to lease the property. However, it?s best to work with one company that handles both managing and leasing to save time and money.

Management fee: the fee varies between 3-6% of the base monthly rent for a retail center, depending on the amount of work needed to manage the property. For example, it takes much less time to manage a $2M retail center with just a single tenant than a $2M retail strip with 12 tenants. So, for the center with 12 tenants, you may have to pay a higher percentage to motivate the property manager. You should negotiate the fee as a percentage of the base rent instead of the gross rent. Base rent does not include NNN charges. Ideally, you want a lease in which the tenants pay for their share of property management fee.
Late fee: when a tenant pays late, he is often required by the lease to pay late fee. The property manager is allowed to keep this fee as an incentive to collect the rent.
Leasing fee: this fee compensates the property manager to lease any vacant space. In a typical lease contract, the leasing company wants 4-7% of the gross rent over the life of the lease. It also wants the leasing fee to be paid when the new tenant moves in. In addition, the leasing company wants around 2% of gross rent when the lease is renewed. The tenant may also ask for Tenant Improvement (TI) credit, typically between $10-20 per square foot to pay for construction expenses. So if a new tenant with a 10-year lease goes under after one year then you may lose money. As the landlord you should:
- Approve a long term lease (10 years or longer) only when the tenant?s financial strength is solid. Otherwise, it may be better to reduce the lease to 3-5 years.
- Make sure the new lease has a provision for some kind of rent escalation, preferably based on Consumer Price Index (CPI), i.e. inflation which is 3-4% a year instead of lower fixed 1-2% annual increase.
- Consider TI request from the tenant as one of the factors to approve a lease. The TI credit depends on whether you need the tenant more or the tenant needs you more.
- Negotiate for a flat rate renewal fee, e.g. $500 instead of paying a percentage of the rent for the life of the lease. The negotiation is easier with one company that handles both leasing and management.
- Negotiate to pay the leasing agent a lower percentage, e.g. 4% when no outside leasing broker is involved.

You can see that it?s very important to minimize tenants? turnover rate as it has a direct impact on the cash flow of your commercial property. A good property manager will help you achieve this goal.

Monthly Report: each month the property manager should send you a report on income received, expenses incurred, and property status. You shouldReview the report to see if the numbers make sense. You should:

Request a report showing both rent and CAM fees received.
Request a separate bank account for your property and have a monthly bank statement sent to you. Without this, the property manager will deposit and commingle all the rents from all properties that she manages into her company?s bank account.

If you instruct the property manager to send you the excess cash flow then you will also get a check.

Landlord?s Approval: the management contract should specify the dollar limit for exceptional maintenance expense above which would require your approval. This amount varies from landlord to landlord as well as the type of property. However, it?s typically somewhere between $500 to $2,000 dollars.

Communication with property manager: in the first few months, you and the new property manager should communicate often to make sure things go smoothly. You should give instructions in writing, e.g. email, to your property manager and keep records of all your correspondence. If the property manager does not do what you instructed, you may refer to your records and minimize disputes.

If you want to work hard for your money, you may want to manage your own property. However, if you want to work smart, your partner should be a good property manager.

David V. Tran is the CEO eFunding Inc., a commercial real estate brokerage, commercial loan broker, property management, self-directed IRA investment, TIC and syndication company in San Jose, CA. His website is http://www.efundingcom.com. He may be contacted at (408) 288-5500. eFunding does business in all 50 states. He is selected as Pensco Trust?s (a major self-directed IRA custodian) Preferred Professional. David is well-known for his 3 FREE real estate investment seminars:

How to invest in commercial real estate for retirement income NOW.
How to maximize cash flow with 1031 tax-deferred exchange.
TIC/Syndication: strategy for small investors and self-directed IRA investors to acquire high-valued properties.
You are welcome to share this report, unedited and in its entirety, with anyone you like. You may not remove this text. ? 2007 eFunding, Inc.
Andrew La is a real estate and tax attorney, CPA and Real Estate Broker in San Jose.

Property Management

2008-02-13T02:59:00.000-08:00

Property management pertains to the processes applied to maximize returns by effective administration of property?one of the major assets of most organizations. It also comprises the disciplines implemented on property rules and rental policies.

Property Management is a career profession that is a part of our growing business industry. A property manager?s employment can either be directly under the supervision of a real estate property owner, or for a property management company, hired by an owner or legal entity to look after the real estate over a particular span of time.

A property management company is tasked with the responsibility of managing the multiple aspects which come along with the ownership of real estate. This is akin to the role of management in any business.

One of the important roles property management companies play is that of acting as liaison between the landlord and tenant. Their duties include posing appropriate gross rent, accepting rent, responding to and addressing maintenance issues, advertising vacancies for landlords, and doing credit and background checks on tenants.

In exchange for the service provided, property management companies charge landlords a percentage of the gross rent collected each month, in addition to lease commissions.

In addition to managing income and expense related activity, property managers may also manage construction, development, repair and maintenance on a property. The direction of repair and maintenance is quite a large part of a property manager's function.

Property managers should develop a relationship with the management company, property owner and tenants that is based on a mutual trust and complete confidence in one another. His alliance with tenants gives an advantage to the landlord and provides them the necessary buffer servicing their desire to profit and distance themselves from their tenant constituency.

There are many aspects to this profession, including participating in and/or initiating litigation with tenants, contractors and insurance agencies. Litigation alone is at times considered an entirely separate function, set aside for trained attorneys. Although a person or persons will be responsible for this in their job description, there may or may not be an attorney working under a property manager.

Special attention is given to Landlord/Tenant law and most commonly evictions, non-payment, harassment, reduction of pre-arranged services, and public nuisance are legal subjects that gain the most amount of attention from property managers. Therefore, it is a necessity that a property manager be current with new laws and practices in their given localities, cities and states.

Excellent property management can only achieved by top-notch managers. To be the best in this field, one must know and stay updated on local ordinances and state laws; be highly honest and ethical in enforcing property rules and rental policies; be detail oriented and organized with paper works; have good communication and computer skills; like working with the public; have a strong sense of duty and commitment; and be an exceptional follow-up person.

Unlock the secrets of successful executives and professionals. http://www.BestManagementArticles.com -- the article directory with thousands of free articles in business and management--tips, advices, strategies and solutions for your success. Specialized articles in the field of Property Management may also be accessed at: http://property-management.bestmanagementarticles.com/

Property Management In Bulgaria

2008-02-11T04:24:00.002-08:00

Property investment in Bulgaria becomes more and more popular among Brits and other EU countries residents. Now that Bulgaria is a member of the European union, the investment has become less risky. The property market is going up for over 4 years now, but the prices are still much lower than the average in other EU countries. To make the best of your property investment in Bulgaria, you would need to find a reliable property management agent. The property management packages usually include 2 main scopes of services:

Taking care of your property while you are away, incl. cleaning, laundry, payment of bills for electricity, water and telephone, payment of annual municipal and local taxes, regular inspections, etc. The prices for these packages range from 500 to 900 Euro per year, depending on the type of property and its location.

Rent management. These services are provided for people, who are investing in "buy to let" properties (such as apartments in holiday resorts). The property management agencies organize the whole process of the renting: advertising the apartment, meeting the renters, organizing viewings, signing rent contracts, etc. The prices for this package are either percentage of the first rent (usually 50%) or percentage of each rent (usually 10 to 20%).

If you are planning to purchase a newly-built apartment in a sea or ski resort, you will also need assistance with the interior design and furnishing of your property. The property management agents might help you with that too. The prices vary depending on your requirements, but to make it suitable for renting, the repair works of a 100 sq.m flat will cost around 10,000 Euro.

Invest in apartments in Bulgaria. Profit from rents and property price increase. http://apartments.propertyinbg.co.uk/

How to Interview A Property Management Company

2008-02-11T04:24:00.001-08:00

Property Management companies come in all sizes and shapes. It seems that many of them are a small business or family business. If you have a large portfolio of properties or a large multi-family income property you can attract a variety of companies because many are paid as a percentage of rental income. If you have a single family home or a smaller rental property its just not that attractive to many companies because they won't see much income from it and you may not get the attention you deserve. You may find better service from a smaller property management firm.

How Do You Find Them?

Check with the standard sources such as referrals. You can also ask:

* Local Real Estate Agencies - They may have a local property manager they often recommend to or perhaps one of the agents also manages property.

* Check with your local Property Management Association or apartment association for a list of local firms

* In rural areas the State Apartment Association may be a good resource for a firm near you.

What Do You Look for In a Management Firm?

* Valid Brokers License: In may states a brokers license is required to operate a property management company. You can check to with the local dept of real estate to validate it and see if it has ever been revoked or suspended.

* Management Fees: Property Management fees are generally a percentage of rental income. Fees can vary from company to company and you should shop around. Expect fees of 5% or more as a percentage of rental income. If you own a single family home or a duplex that has a low rental income number, you may get quoted a flat rate.

* Maintenance Staff: Does the firm have its own maintenance staff? Are they 24 x 7 for emergencies? Will they provide you with itemized statements and for larger jobs three independent bids? Does the company charge a fee on top off the management fee for major upgrades?

* Working Relationship: Are they friendly and is the staff easy to reach at during normal business hours? Is the office clean and uncluttered? Do they respond in a timely fashion and can they provide referrals or testimonials for you to contact. In short, do you want to work with them?

* Reporting: All property Management firms should have software that will provide you with clear and professional monthly statements. Accounting: When will the manager mail your check to you? Can you use direct deposit? State laws usually dictate accounting rules for managers its good to have that information at hand. On Line Statements: Many firms will have on line monthly itemized statements available to owners. This convenience will increase transparency and save you time. EFT: Does the management firm allow tenants to pay online. This would allow bounced checks to be discovered sooner and that increases your cash flow. 1099: Will the management company provide you with an IRS-1009 and a summary profit and loss statement for tax purposes?

* Reserves: Most companies will require you leave some funds on deposit for small needs your property may require. This way they don't have to call you each time they need to send someone to fix a small item. You should ask how much reserves the company requires. Also, set a limit on how much a company may spend on your property for maintenance or repairs without contacting you for approval. Is $500.00 appropriate or $750.00, discuss your comfort level before you sign

* Vacancies: Do they charge a rental fee? Often companies will charge a percentage of the months rent for the service of renting a unit. The screening should process include an application, a credit report, a conversation with the prior landlord and income verification using the 1040 for self employed or pay stubs. The service should include reporting a qualified tenant to you and a proper lease. We provide a lot of info on tenant screening information. Be familiar with the process so that you can determine for your self that a good job is being done. You only want good tenants, evictions are expensive. Viewings: Some companies will be there for a showing to groups of people interested in the unit. Other companies allow prospective tenants use of the keys with a small deposit. Find out how viewers can see your property and whether you are comfortable with the procedures. If the management company staff shows the unit ask how often they will show and especially on weekends.

* Advertising: How will they advertise the vacancy? Be clear on all costs involved and have limits or a system of approval. Do they use the web? If so, can they create virtual tours or use photographs. These skills should translate into quicker rentals and better cash flow for you.

* Evictions: This should require a lawyer and the proper legal procedure for your area. How do they charge for this and will the lawyers fees be invoiced so that you can see the true cost.

* Termination of your Agreement: We like contracts that can terminate in thirty days with a written notice and without penalties. An exit plan that is agreeable to you is critical.

Good Property Management Keeps Bills Down

2008-02-09T01:57:00.001-08:00

In keeping with last weeks blog on how to stay in your home we are going to take a quick view of the markets this week and then offer some articles on how to maximize your tax benefits and how to manage property if you now realize you want to rent rather than sell until the dust clears.

First a quick look at the markets this week:

MSNBC: Housing worst isn?t here yet. According to Richard Syron, chairman and CEO of Freddie Mac ?The mortgages written in 2006 in the sub prime market are probably the most troublesome. They haven?t hit the reset point yet on interest rates.?

Syon went on to say "These steps are focused on helping individual people, and it will help the market. But once you get one of these market dynamics going, you don?t reverse them without it taking some time .... Theyve got to play themselves out.? NOTE: This is the best wisdom on changing markets yet! You can talk about it all day long....but trends play out according to changing circumstances and can be inconsistent.

International Herald Tribune: The S&P Housing index was released and it is an index based on twenty cities. The famed Robert Schiller is involved in crating this index and "He said the numbers indicate "a widespread downward trend" that started at the end of 2006 and has extended into the beginning of this year." How Steep a Downturn? The index looking at ten major metro cities notes a 1.5% decline in sales of single family homes. Seattle and Portland are the lucky ones with modest price increases.

Freddie Mac: Weak home sales are keeping a lid on mortgage rates. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.16 percent down slightly from last week. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.58 percent. The fifteen year FRM this week was 5.87 and down slightly form the week before.

Now for the good news: Seattle, Portland and Dallas saw rising prices... There are always minor trends within a major trend...in other words its still a local market. Relief is on the way, to be sure it isnt enough to turn a trend but we hope to keep enough bad news out of the markets to keep this downturn moderate and cyclical. Here are some of the important institutions helping to keep people in their homes:

1. Washington Mutual Inc., one of the country?s largest financial institutions, said it will refinance up to $2 billion in sub prime mortgages to help borrowers avoid default and foreclosure.
2. Citigroup and Bank of America have pledged $1 billion of mortgage financing to help sub prime borrowers who are facing the loss of their homes
3. Freddie Mac will buy as much as $20 billion in fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages to help borrowers with high-priced loans keep their homes. Hopes are this should be in place by mid summer.

What if You cant sell Now

If your home or condo has lost value an you are willing to wait the market out, then its a good time to rent. generally, when sales are down rentals are in more demand since people have to live somewheres. Strong rental markets are making rental property increasingly lucrative. Keep in mind that managing property is really work. You have to begin to see your home as a cash flow investment and rent wisely using good tenant screening policy. Renting requires a working knowledge of your local rental markets and a good understanding of how to price your rental so that it rents quickly and at the right price. Too low and you will rent very quickly at at a loss....too high and it will sit on the market and you will lose months of valuable rental income.

Good Property Management Keeps Costs Down

Focus on fixed costs are where we think successful property management is made. Mortgages and Insurance are necessary but prices vary considerably. Always comparison shop these products and have agents bid against each other and keep more of your money. Yourpropertypath.com is a good place to get bids and have agents compete for your business

Taxes and tax credits are areas where savings can be had but you must know whats available. We found a few good articles that can serve as a tutorial. Please do take a look:

A Tax-break Tutorial For New Homeowners: By Bill Bischoff. While the cost of renting is generally a nondeductible expense (except for when part of the home is used for business purposes), homeowners can claim an itemized deduction for interest on up to $1 million worth of mortgage debt used to acquire or improve their principal residence. Ditto for interest on up to $100,000 of home-equity debt secured by their principal residence. Real-estate property taxes can be claimed as an itemized deduction, too. You also can generally deduct any points you paid (or the seller paid on your behalf) to take out the mortgage"

A Primer on Homeowner Tax breaks: Now for the tax-law catches your realtor probably never told you about. Don't worry: What's detailed below probably won't have you running back into the arms of your landlord. But it just might give you a more realistic expectation of how home ownership will affect your future tax bills.

Mortgage insurance Gaining Steam: "This time next year, some homeowners who pay mortgage insurance will have an extra deduction on their federal income tax returns."

"In recent years, many borrowers have opted to get around using the insurance by taking two loans: a primary mortgage as well as a second, "piggyback" loan in the form of a home equity loan or line of credit. The equity from the second loan fulfills the down payment of the first, and there are tax breaks on the interest of both loans.

But many piggyback mortgages have variable rates( see articles on mortgages and how to shop for the best rate at yourpropertypath.com) that fluctuate based on the prime rate, which has risen over the last year. The set rate for mortgage insurance has become attractive to homeowners aiming for predictable loan costs, Katkov said. There's also the lure of simplicity that the mortgage insurance offers, since borrowers only need to deal with one set of loan documents in that option, he added. "

Its your property

All About Business to Business Property Management

2008-02-08T00:14:00.000-08:00

Business to business property management requires some aspects that point out the professionalism and competitiveness of the employees. Which are these aspects? The main requirements of business to business property management are screening and appraisal of the market pyramid.

Business to business property management specialists provide professional business administration, establishment of profitable goals and their realizing, as well as making decisions for the benefit of the customer. Consultancy and assistance is offered in case of need for business to business property management, be it the case of market research, maintenance, land use and development or issues regarding marketing and leasing.

Business to business property management has five major functions: leading, planning, coordinating, organizing and controlling. Being given the fact that all these functions require various tasks, competences and abilities, business to business property management aspects are accomplished by different professionals, trained for these special roles. All of them have special skills and abilities, respecting an ethical code of behavior in business to business property management and offering outstanding services. Leading the major project of business to business property management is a matter of a huge responsibility, as the leader should know the direction and main tasks of the property management process. The one responsible with planning should be aware of the tasks that have to be accomplished and the methods and manner of dealing with this process. Coordinating various activities, organizing events, market research, studies and statistics is another important part of the business to business property management process. Being in control with the entire situation or several aspects is another aspect that can?t be neglected and requires specific skills and abilities.

The performance of business to business property management companies should meet the high standards of the economic and technological development. Professionals involved in various functions of business to business property management companies offer their abilities and guarantee the performance and wealth of customer?s properties. Highly trained employees involved in the business to business property management meet the customer?s needs and special requirements, providing extensive reports, market searches and studies concerning the effective and successful property management.

People involved in business to business property management have specific roles and accomplish specific tasks, contributing to the great results of the company they work for. Business to business property management process involves the market study, the negotiation on the behalf of the customer, maintenance, repair and other tasks. Business to business property management involves many other tasks and responsibilities, requiring much attention, capacity of establishing new tasks and of accomplishing them successfully.

Business to business property management supposes the involvement of not so pleasant details, such as effective income management and other activities related with construction, repair and maintenance. In order to face all requirements and needs one should have many skills, knowledge and patience. That is why business to business property management companies are so successful, providing assistance and advice for those who can?t cope with so many roles and responsibilities. The rewards for professional services offered by business to business property management companies are worth the time and efforts spent in hard trying to achieve something that a professional can solve almost immediately.

Property related issues explained in detail at http://propertymeet.info Up to date property business and management factors affecting your monetary return.

What Real Estate Investors Need To Know About Property Management

2008-02-06T23:03:00.000-08:00

So let?s consider the big picture of property management and look at some rental management basics every real estate investor should be aware of inside real estate investment.

Property condition. Getting the best tenants and commanding the highest rent starts with a sharp-looking building that has good curb appeal. Keep the structure, landscaping, common areas, and parking in good clean condition.
Tenant applications and screening. Require each potential tenant to complete an application, and then follow up to verify their employment, rental history, and credit and criminal history. Remember, it is always easier to get tenants into your building then it is to get tenants out of your building.
Emergency repairs. Be sure you have reputable maintenance personnel on-call to service emergency repairs. This may be your job or someone you hire, just be sure the tenant has a repair ?help line? they can call 24 hours a day when something must be fixed immediately.
Aggressive marketing of vacancies. Get the word out about an upcoming vacancy instantly. Use signage, advertise in the newspaper, or post it on the web.
Move-in/move-out coordination. Always plan to get a unit ?rent-ready? within a day or two after it becomes vacated. Even when you don?t have a new tenant in the wings, a clean unit ready to show a prospective tenant does help.
Keys and locks. It is always a good idea to change locks each time you have a turnover in tenants. This added security is good for you and your new tenant.
Learn the laws about eviction. Know what you must do to evict a deadbeat tenant even when you don?t think it is necessary.
Keep accurate books and records. Maintaining a good income and expense history is vital to your rental property business and the cornerstone to profitability.

Property Management Web Site: Marketing to Renters and Property Owners

2008-02-05T23:16:00.001-08:00

Property management is a unique business that requires a marketing strategy for reaching property owners who want to hand over the burdens of rental management and prospective tenants who are looking for clean, well managed properties. A property management web site should be designed to communicate with both groups.

One of the requirements for developing an effective web site that delivers traffic your business is accommodating the needs of the search engines that send those customers to your property management web site. Property owners will most likely be looking for "property management" or "rental management" along with the name of your town or area.

Renters and prospective tenants are looking for an entirely different set of keywords. They are looking for "apartment rentals in your town, duplexes in your town, houses for rent in your town". You want the search engines to identify both sets of keywords with your property management company. We have found that it works well to have 2 sections in your web site. One caters to the needs of property owners who want to find out the property management services you provide and the other caters to the needs of renters looking for a place to rent in your area.

In many cases, you have 2 different sets of people within your company. One group specializes in working with the property owners and taking care of their needs. The other group consists of property managers that show and rent your properties. We have found that it works best to feature each group separately in the respective areas of your web site. Then the property owners and the prospective tenants are seeing the people they will be working with. Inquiries from your web site will be sent to the correct group of people as well.

You can see some examples of this dual concept in the property management web sites of HDA Management and Metro Property Management. Overall, you will find this is an effective marketing plan that meets the needs of property owners, renters, and the search engines that deliver your web content.

Jim is a web developer and programmer who works with his wife, Cari, in their full service small business web development company. We specialize in serving property management companies that want to market and manage their rental listings online.

Property Management: Online Rental Applications Must Be Encrypted

2008-02-05T00:57:00.001-08:00

If you have ever bought anything online, you will notice a little lock symbol that appears on your browser when you enter a secure shopping cart. When you click on the lock, a window pops up that shows the information about the company providing the SSL Certificate for that particular website. SSL stands for secure socket layer and indicates that this shopping cart is encrypted and is safe for you to enter your credit card information.

Some well known companies that provide SSL Certificates are Thawte, VeriSign, and GeoTrust. You will see the name of the company that is providing the encryption for this website and the date their security certificate expires. You should not enter any sensitive information if this security certificate does not exist.

Now take everything we just discussed and transfer the principles to the realm of an online rental application. All the needs for security and encryption still exist and many web developers or property management companies are unaware of this fact.

It is a good business practice to give prospective renters the opportunity to access a rental application through your website. There are 2 basic ways you can do this. The first is take your existing rental application and convert it to a .pdf file that customers can print, fill out, and either mail or bring in to your office. Then you do not have to worry about any of the security issues mentioned above.

If you do opt for an online form for gathering your application information, then we make only one recommendation. The form should be processed on a secure, encrypted page (with the lock symbol) and the information should be written to a database on your server. The form or information should not be sent through an e-mail to your inbox. The reason for this is that e-mail is not encrypted either and can be intercepted. Once again, you do not want sensitive information to fall into the wrong hands. That is why we recommend that the application information be written to your server and viewed through a secure administration panel.

This option costs more to implement than a simple .pdf application that can be printed out. It is important that you realize you have a responsibility as a property management company to handle prospective tenants' personal information with the utmost care and professional standards.

Jim is a web developer and programmer who works with his wife, Cari, in their full service small business web development company. We invite you to take a look at our portfolio of property management web sites and other web applications that we have developed. We specialize in serving property management companies that want to market and manage their rental listings online.

Property Management Website: Pictures Sell and Save You Time

2008-02-04T00:48:00.001-08:00

When it comes to marketing rental property, classified ads yield a tidbit of information with no images to engage the mind. Why would a property management website want to do the same thing? The internet is about communicating information with words, pictures and full color.

With database capabilities, a viewer can limit his/her search to properties with specific parameters. The days of having to read and call numerous ads just to gather the important information are gone. An effective property management website can serve listings and images that fit just what the prospective tenant wants.

Renters are thrilled with your company when you offer pictures of the exterior and interior of your rental properties. Everyone benefits from your service: 1. Renters save time and gas when they can view your listings online instead of driving around, 2. Showing agents save a half hour to an hour in wasted time by having renters preview properties online before taking them to a showing.

Most renters will know from your pictures whether they are interested. Once a property manager starts to show their pictures online, the showing becomes a matter of confirming what the prospective renters saw in your pictures. In short, your pictures do the selling!

Every property management company has to make a few adjustments to implement this service. If you need to buy a digital camera, we recommend the Cannon A-540 because it is one of the highest rated digital cameras in the $200 price range. It has 4x optical zoom, has a long battery life using 2 AA batteries, an easy menu, and simple mode dial for indoor, outdoor and other settings.

To get your pictures, you may need to spend an extra 10 minutes before or after a showing to get the pictures you need, then take the time to load them on your website. Once you have them, the rest of your job becomes so much easier and your tenants will thank you!

How to Select a Good Property Management Firm

2008-02-01T23:28:00.001-08:00

This is the time of year when vacation rental and investment property owners start taking a hard look at the revenues for the past 12 months and the quality of customer service that they and their guests received. With so many different property management firms and rental agencies to choose from in most markets, there is no need to suffer from lackluster performance on the part of your service provider.

Here are some thoughts to ponder when deciding whether to stay with your existing property management company or make a move to a better, more professional organization.

First and most important, are the owners of the company available when you need to talk to them or do you get sloughed off to an inexperienced trainee when it's an important issue that you need help with? Does the firm have a lot of turnover or can you count on the same professionals to help you year after year? Do you get a level of customer service that gives you a warm feeling or is there something lacking and you deserve better? Is your property bringing in the revenues you expected and is the firm continually improving its marketing program?

If you don't have complete confidence in the company that is marketing your property for vacation rentals or long term leases, then maybe it's time to make a change.

When you are comparing the services and fees of property management firms it's a bit like comparing apples and oranges. How do you accurately evaluate the sum total of all the various fees and expenses so you can estimate your annual net revenue? Are there hidden charges and monthly administrative fees that reduce your income? What is a fair commission rate to charge and what are the competitors in your market charging?

In Incline Village, the community where I work and live, the range of property management services and fee structures runs the gamut from bare bones to deluxe. If you are perplexed and confounded by these issues, then you are not alone. It seems that many property management firms (especially in the vacation rental business) try to nickel and dime their clients to death with excessive charges for cleaning, maintenance, credit card fees, administrative charges, processing fees, the list goes on and on.

Some firms charge a monthly administrative fee on top of the commission that they earn for managing a property. One can make an argument in favor of charging monthly administrative fees for short term vacation rental properties as they require more hands on attention to paper work with guests always coming and going. But charging this type of fee to the owner of a long-term rental property when all the paper work is done up front when the lease is signed is merely a form of gouging and should not be tolerated.

Processing fees for vacation rental properties are another bone of contention. Why should an owner or an owner-guest pay a processing fee? Companies that engage in this practice are trying to squeeze every penny possible out of the people who are really their clients. If you, your extended family or your guests have ever been charged a processing fee for making a reservation to occupy your own property, then you should seriously consider finding a firm that has more respect for you as a client.

Cleaning fees are another area that merits scrutiny. As a property owner you should not be forced to pay a cleaning fee every time you use your place, especially if there are no paying guests coming to the unit between your personal visits. Also, you should not be required to pay exorbitant sums for the annual "spring cleaning" that many firms insist on doing. If your property is supposed to be cleaned thoroughly after each paying guest, then why does it take several hours and cost hundreds of dollars just to clean a 2 or 3 bedroom condo in the spring time? Are the cleaning services padding their bills? Should you as a property owner and client of the firm have excessive fees extracted from you just because someone at the management firm claims that it took X number of hours to do the work in a unit that should have been reasonably clean to begin with? If you're skeptical about the charges for "spring cleaning", then it's best to either do the work yourself or hire a reputable independent cleaning service. The place will look just as good and you will save substantial amounts of money each year.

It is not always easy to find the right combination of great customer service, reasonable commission rates and high-quality care for rental properties. You can expect to find 2 of the 3, but finding all three things is very difficult. Since many firms in this business tend to experience high levels of staff turnover, finding a firm with a well-trained and stable pool of employees should be your first priority. Even if you have to pay a slightly higher commission rate, you will more than make up for it with increased bookings, better service and fewer problems.

If you own any type of rental property, then On-line booking capability is another big issue, especially when you realize that searching on the Internet is rapidly becoming the research method of choice for both vacation rentals and long term rentals. Any firm that does not offer this service is way behind the times and should not even be considered.

The Internet is a great tool for both marketing all types of rental properties and managing the vacation rental business. Just having a web site with pictures and text is not sufficient in these competitive times. If you are working with a property manager who refuses to set up on-line booking by the time you are reading this article, then it's time to change services. Select a rental agent who cares enough about you as a client to market your property 24 hours a day on the Internet.

Remember, when the rental office is closed, the only way that someone can book your unit is on-line via the Internet. If your property manager does not offer this service, you are losing business. Customers who search on-line normally want to book on-line and they will go somewhere else if they cannot book your property at the moment they are ready to make to a buying decision!

Don't settle for anything less than great customer service, a responsive, professional and well-trained staff and owners who are available and care about you and your property. Your rental property is a big investment and having the right management services can make a lot of difference in your annual rate of return and the long term value that you derive from the property.

Don Kanare is a real estate agent with Lakeshore Realty located in Incline Village, NV at the northeast corner of Lake Tahoe. Don writes a daily column about the new listings, price changes and general market commentary on Incline Village Real Estate. You can find Don's column on his web site at: http://www.InsideIncline.com

Guidelines on Property Management and Benefits of having a Property Manager

2008-01-31T01:09:00.002-08:00

Procure sufficient liability and additional property insurance as it protects you from losses to your rental property caused due to burglary, damage, combustion and blizzards.

Improve in your rental properties through painting, carpeting & flooring, installation of plumbing, fixing of lights & locks and also other carpentry works.

Choose a "property manager" carefully and explain his duties in detail. If you are incapable on managing your property then "property manager" plays a vital role in managing your asset and look after its maintenance.
You must make it a point on telling your occupants to inform you quickly if at all the paint of your house gets peeled off and any other problems regarding your maintenance.

If there's a problem such as lead or mold on the property, you must inform your "occupants" as soon as you came to know about it.

In case any argument with your tenants regarding to rent, repairs, your access to the rental unit and noise takes place, solve it without involving any lawyers and grievance.

Benefits of Having Property Manager

1.Help?s you Avoid Legal Tribulations

He will not let you face any legal tribulations, as he gets familiar to ?Acts? such as ?Tenant Act? or ?Landlord Act?.

2.Search Financially Qualified Occupants

Property Manager thoroughly scrutinize ?occupants? and assist you in finding them much faster and lessen your loss of income.

3.Once your home is rented

When you are away from home your ?property manager? will lookout your property to make sure that occupants to whom you have rented your home are taking care or not.

More info on Property Management http://www.browseme.info/property_management.asp Benefits of having a Property Manager http://www.browseme.info/property_manager.asp

Home & Pet Sitting - Your Home is NOT Alone!

2008-01-31T01:09:00.001-08:00

Do you and your family need to leave your residence, but prefer not to leave your home unattended? Let a house sitting service provide you with the peace of mind to relax. Hiring a house sitter is perfect it you have pets. The high cost of boarding and the undue stress it puts on your pet can be eliminated by using a house sitter while you are away.

Selling? The right professional home sitting and care takers can provide your property the warm ambiance potential buyers find appealing. Your asset will have the correct lighting and mood, improving that "first impression."

A watchful eye is the most valuable home security system. Your home will never look empty. Enjoy the benefits of having a watchful eye over your landscaping and maintenance contractors. Mail and deliveries can be received and forwarded. Utility and basic bill paying tasks can be counted on. Meet and greet real estate staff. Maintain the ability to have contact and control with your home base.

Estates, single family homes, condominiums, and townhomes are all candidates for house sitting. Your immediate property should not be under construction. If your property is for sale, the right house sitter should be happy to act as a liaison between your residence, and the visiting brokers and clients. Your care taker can help prepare your home with the correct ambient lighting, atmosphere, and mood. They can even have fresh coffee waiting! During open-houses, your home sitter should be happy to spend the day away from your showcase. House sitter are available to schedules and care taking opportunities as short as one month to over a year.

During the home sitters stay at your home they will be happy to provide basic services such as mail receiving and forwarding, utility bill payments, keeping a watchful eye on landscapers, pool or maintenance contractors, cleaning and upkeep, and care-taking your cat, small dog, or visiting with your horses. Situations with multiple pets and large dogs are perfect consideration for employing a home sitter, as the cost of boarding can be tremendous!

There are other opportunities that may not be suitable for a house sitting situation. Live in managers for apartments for example, may be better suited to an employment arrangement. If you have additional family members that will reside at the property while you are away the house sitter should be happy to visit and interact, share meals and conversation, and provide company. However, do not place the responsibility of caring for a person that can not care for themselves on your house sitter.

Benefits of house sitting

Security - not leaving your house unoccupied and susceptible to a break in.

Peace of mind - knowing your house and garden are being cared for.

No worries of burdening your friend, family or neighbor to mow lawns, water plants, check mailboxes, feed and exercise pets, etc.

Pet care - knowing your pet is happy being looked after at home, instead of at an expensive and foreign pet motel.

Someone reliable collecting and redirecting mail, and taking your phone messages.

Remember, there are benefits for the house sitter too - its a Win-Win arrangement!

Find a home sitters who's mission is to manifest a comfortable home environment to reside in temporarily. They should be looking for a partner to achieve the common goals. Finding the right person or couple to care take your residence while you are away will ensure that your home is happy and secure so you can be worry free.

House Sitting

professional home sitting and pet sitters

Choosing Property Management Software the Smart Way

2008-01-29T01:54:00.000-08:00

Face it, you don't need more headaches -- property management is hard enough by itself. Now you have to find a good software program to get your growing business organized. Hand scribbled notes and mountains of paper are a thing of the past -- hopefully.

Get the important stuff first, and then sweat the details

You can rule out 50% of the property management software on the market if you focus first on what you 'really' are looking for. The two main mistakes many people make is (1) buying software that is overkill for their needs (thus wasting money and time) or (2) going for the cheapest alternative and getting software that has defects and doesn't fit their need (thus wasting time and money). Let's look at the differences:

Overkill: Do you need software to manage your properties and your office too? Let your property management software do what it does best - manage property. For your office accounting and payroll, there are plenty of inexpensive products that are perfectly good for both large and small businesses. However, if you use another accounting software for your office expenses, you may want your rental property software to export your bank deposits and checks to your office management software. Other features that add to the cost that you may not need include budgeting, double-entry accounting, asset and liability accounting, and tenant background checking. Some features, such as tenant background checking are really done by well-known Internet companies, but the software vendor just buys the service first, and marks up the cost to you. The prices for property management software can range from $100 to $10,000 (or more), so don't buy more than you need. However, if you do buy a version that supports a smaller number of rental units, make sure that you can easily upgrade to the larger version at a reasonable cost (hopefully the difference in cost between that smaller and larger versions) and won't be required to re-enter any of your precious information again.

Underkill: Anybody with some web software can make an impressive looking web site. But underneath may be a piece of junk software. Look at the product, make sure you can run a full demo, and better yet a 'trial version' that allows you to 'try before you buy'. Make sure the software can do the basic things you need: (1) maintain a separate ledger for each Tenant and each Owner (2) write bank checks and deposits (3) maintain a vendor file (4) automatically post rent, management fees, and late fees (4) easily update your information. Make sure the software will handle a mixture of single family homes, multifamily homes, condos, and commercial without having to buy extra modules. Look for the ability to purchase add-ons, such as work order modules, online rent payment modules, or tax related modules -- you may need them in the future as your business grows. Be sure to check the cost!

Then, go for the details

Some things may not be critical in your property management software, but are great to have. These are features, such as a reminder system to keep track of appointments, log conversations and interactions with your tenants, and to pop up a list of tenants and owners that owe you money. Look for the ability of the software to transfer your tenant information to an inactive file, so that you can later look up your tenant info for credit references and to log back payments. Look for features such as the ability to automatically update rent amounts, automatically post amounts to each ledger, and to update your account names. Speaking of account names, you might want to find a software that uses 'real' names for your accounts like 'Rent Received', instead of an account number, such as '300021 - Rent Received'.

Don't take the Technical Support bait

Free Support! Most tenant management software companies don't even offer it, but even if they do, there may be big conditions. Some vendors force you to buy their expensive software updates in order to receive their technical support. Others offer free support for a short period of time then charge anywhere from a dollar per minute (with a minimum amount per call) to well over $100.00 per hour for support. You should get at least a 60 to 90 day free support plan as part of the purchase, but better yet, find an experienced vendor that offers free unlimited support. Yes, there are actually some vendors that back their products with free phone and email support.

Hidden costs

If you spend a frustrating hour doing battle with your property management software, what is that worth in dollars? Difficult, unfriendly software costs you time. And, if you have employees trying to figure out how to do something, you are paying them to read the 2 inch thick manual, and paying again if they have to call for support. Make sure your software program is easy to install, easy to use, and has plenty of help. You should always receive a printed user's guide with the program, a comprehensive built-in help file, and an online help page. Another big cost is the 'update'. Are you forced to buy it even if you don't need the new features? What have the last 5 updates cost the user base? Will you still receive any technical support if you have an older version? These are important questions you should always ask when shopping for property management software.

Follow these simple guidelines, and your property management software will help you grow a thriving and efficient business.

Paul Toller has worked in Real Estate consulting and Computer Software Development for over 20 years. He is co-developer of the Tenant File Property Management Software http://www.TenantFile.com. His latest release is a tenant lease creation software called Lease Designer http://www.LeaseDesigner.com.

Costa Del Sol Property Management

2008-01-28T01:22:00.001-08:00

Now that you have purchased a villa or apartment on the Costa del Sol, Spain, you now face another decision: property management or finding a company to look after your property. Whether your villa is in Fuengirola, Mijas Costa, Benalmadena or Marbella, you need to be sure that the property management company will provide you with all the services you require such as maintenance, cleaning, property administration, holiday rental services, building and refurbishment.

Multi Property Services - gives owners of Costal del Sol property who are interested in letting out their villa or letting out their apartment the confidence and piece of mind in knowing that they can gain the financial rewards of short- or long-term rentals while protecting their property and interest. Here are some tips for you if you are looking for a company in Fuengirola, Mijas Costa, Benalmadena or Marbella to manage your property or letting your villa or apartment.

Property inspections - the company you select should check your property on a weekly basis. Inspections should include a check of all plumbing, baths, toilets and making sure all showers are off and all other fixtures are in working order. It should also include an inspection of electrical outlets and small appliances, again to ensure that they are in perfect working order.

Outdoor inspections – includes the checking of lawns, gardens, and the pool for any damage. The rental property management company should make sure that the sprinkler systems and pool filters are working. The company should also regularly inspect for any pests or vermin.

Property administration - The rental property management company will ensure that utility payments, taxes, and other bills are paid in a timely manner. They should also provide you with a monthly report.

Property inventory - the property management company will go through the property with you, making a thorough property inventory and using that as the basis for checking the apartment or villa after guests have departed.

Cleaning services - Prior to the arrival of guests, the rental property management company should arrange to have your villa or apartment cleaned and prepared for letting. Some companies may, for an extra fee, also offer a greet and meet service for guests.

Mail pick-up – Any mail should be picked up from the property and forwarded on to the owner.

When you do find the right rental property management company, then owning a property in Fuengirola, Mijas Costa, Benalmadena or Marbella will be both a personally and financially rewarding experience. To learn more about subjects like costa del sol property management please visit the web site at: http://www.multipropertyservices.com

Georgi Mollov - SEO and Web-Design services - http://www.spainseo.com

Property Management Considerations for College Housing

2008-01-25T01:20:00.000-08:00

Property Management is not easy, but there are ways to make your job easier if you will understand a little about human psychology and work with the tenants whether they be business owners or residents. One group of properties that is an industry sub-sector is managing properties for college housing. The students will be renting the properties for the school year about nine months. So you need to average your costs over twelve months and total it up and then divide by nine for your costs.

Next you need to figure in the problems that occur and get busy signing people up for next year. Of course remember these are party animal kids and therefore you will need a substantial deposit from them up front and guarantees from their folks that you will be paid. If anything goes wrong you zap the deposit and let the parents know that one more incident and they are gone. Of course all this must be done swiftly, efficiently and without aggressive action. Warnings will help and nice polite staff is the key to diverting potentially hostile problems from these kids.

Being on good terms with the College or University is certain to help fill up the buildings thru referrals from the student information offices. Finding additional properties can be tough if the area is not use to massive numbers of young adults in the area. Most citizens nearby will complain and attempt to prevent that type of usage, as it adds lots of traffic, parties and just over congestion to the area. These are all interesting considerations to be discussed when contemplating property management strategies for College Housing Units.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.

Property Maintenance Management Software

2008-01-23T02:08:00.000-08:00

Properties represent buildings, apartments, houses and rooms which one rents out. With rising legal costs, real estate is a highly profitable business. Real estate properties belong to two categories, residential and commercial buildings. Although the cost of land rises every year, the buildings constructed on the land depreciate at a rate depending on the location, cities and region.

Properties depreciate due to the weakening concrete structure over the years, because of the effects of weather. Electrical and mechanical systems need to be replaced in due course. A property owner can have one apartment building or multiple buildings. Property management is itself a function covering domains like tenants, i.e., who lives in an apartment, the rent structure (including monthly and daily rentals), rate of increase of rent and the maintenance of the building and its installations.

Property management software is a powerful tool in the hands of property owners, managers and landlords. It helps keep track of the tenants in different apartments and buildings. All the financial transactions related to the building can be managed, and the data can be retrieved. Besides these functions, maintenance is an important cost center for the management of buildings.

Property maintenance management software helps landlords in optimizing the maintenance costs of the building. Maintenance costs include repairing the installations like utilities, and maintaining outdoor maintenance works. The major modules include work-order generation, a database of the contractors and tradesmen, the history of the work orders, reports generation of the asset, and maintenance costs, to help managers make decisions regarding repair works and disposal.

A major portion of physical assets of corporate houses is in the form of buildings. Hence, property management software can be integrated throughout the enterprise. This will potentially reduce maintenance costs, and therefore reduce the operating and administrative costs of organizations.

Equipment Maintenance Management Software provides detailed information on Equipment Maintenance Management Software, Facility Maintenance Management Software, Fleet Maintenance Management Software, Foundation Maintenance Management Software and more. Equipment Maintenance Management Software is affiliated with Fleet Maintenance Software.

An Introduction To Real Estate Property Management Software

2008-01-19T00:45:00.001-08:00

Residential property managers must select property management software that is most suited for their work. These applications are available with one-month money-back guarantees.

Property Management Software

2008-01-18T01:52:00.001-08:00

Property management software is a computer program or computer programs that serve to simplify, streamline, and otherwise facilitate the management of property you own or hope to own. The software is equipped with many useful functions to take care of costs, run tasks, oversee labor, and other helpful aspects. Property management, as the name suggests, is meant to deal with the proper management services and scrutiny of various properties. Nonetheless, property management is a particular discipline of defining and achieving targets in matters of properties. At the same time its primary purpose is to optimize the varied utilizations of resources including energy, space, time, people, technology and many others. But for every property management, time constraints play a major part in the whole process.

For every property management, work is conducted under the supervision of an individual property manager. It is the responsibility of the property manager to organize and supervise the work that needs to be done. There is a lot of software on the market that is designed to make a property manager's job easier.

All the property works are primarily planned through the application of software that not only gives the virtual image of the whole property, but also errorless calculations and accounting works, cost factors, management planning and such other works. Although the best property management professionals are hired for the projects, computer software gives the detailed analysis of the plan, including the calculations and statistical implications. There is even web-based software to manage and facilitate the handling of properties.

Real Estate Property Management Software

2008-01-18T01:51:00.001-08:00

Asset Valuation: The real estate software solutions help in building the valuation models.

Budgeting & Forecasting: The software simplifies this by organizing and analyzing the data involved.

Rental Property Management Software

2008-01-17T02:27:00.001-08:00

Property management, as the name suggests, is meant to deal with the proper management services and scrutiny of various properties. Property management is a particular discipline of defining and achieving targets in matters of properties. At the same time, its primary purpose is to optimize the utilization of resources such as energy, space, time, people, technology and many others.

To track the income and expenditures related to the holdings and rental properties, rental property management software solutions are ideal. Apart from this tracking of cash flows from the rentals, these software solutions facilitate the completion of the IRS Schedule E, come tax time. Most rental property management software is armored to do these basic rental property maintenance functions in a simple and clean way, providing a sturdy interface to support those tasks admirably. The software is also equipped to do documentation of expenses in a similar process.

A few benefits of the software are: automatic creation of the standardized supporting documents and analysis; time-saving to great extent in negotiating and approving leases; and helping the company with updated information on all ongoing lease negotiations

Some of the notable features of the software include sorting all kinds of deals by the virtue of status, leasing agent, property, unit or tenant. Most of the high quality and user-friendly software supports standard formats in MS Word and Excel. The supporting documents that are very important in matters of rental properties can be created and supported by the rental software. They are: lease agreement, construction estimate, and construction drawing.

Some Important Facts of Property Management

2008-01-13T23:18:00.001-08:00

And why I say this? Then, the property market is more and more competitive, actually: new companies are born, the technologies innovate constantly and produce new materials, the geographic breach is not more a limit thanks to the increasing and solid commercial relations generated through the Internet, and the receiving public is allows of competitiveness and quality of the present properties management services.

Therefore, it is strategic and relevant that management professionals fuse in an only quality service those points that the receiving market delay of them. A qualified service that integrates:

? Simple and realistic budgets.

? Projects to the measurement of each one of clients.

? Excellent yield at price/quality relation of project.

? Excellence of external contracted services.

? Flexibility, security and confidence.

? Fluid communication channels.

All these points of property management interrelated to each other and verified throughout the process, to principle to aim, establish a relation that offers clarity and confidence between involved parts.

It fortifies communication channels, it clarify the aims and it is the most effective instrument at the time that it is necessary solve no predicted questions that arise like result of new ideas and modification made during the same project development.

The present challenge is create communication channels between the different professionals from the sector to generate integrating strategies, which satisfy a demanding market.

The constant qualification, the multi-sectorial relations, handling of new technologies, the international projection and a solid position through the time are factors that will contribute to that the management of properties be an integral service more and more sophisticate and attractive.

Eloi Ruart is chartered surveyor and technical architect. Actually design property management projects for property interests in Catalonia.http://www.hfpmanagement.com eloi@hfpmanagement.com

Top 10 Reasons Why Landlords Should Use Online Property Management Software

2008-01-13T23:17:00.001-08:00

Introduction:

Online property management systems are becoming popular due to various reasons including easy of use, managing any type of real estate transactions including lease, daily operation or real time information on centralized locations. These systems being web based are easily accessible from all over the world and real time information is gathered.

The system manages all information through your web site. Individual residents can submit applications, make requests, pay online and many more other information can be shared. The property owner gets real time information about their property.

Property software solution providers have made the systems easy so that in a smallest time all the information can be gathered, analyzed and report can be generated at convenience.

Top 10 reasons for landlords to use online Property Management Systems:

1. Property Information: Organization of property information or creating property portfolios is one of the greatest tasks. The online property management system makes this easy. The images of property can be uploaded in the system for multiple owners and the system is capable to handle the information on any size of property.

2. Vacancy Information: All the information regarding leasing of the property can be easily managed and the prospective tenants can access more details about the properties, find out the terms and conditions, payment conditions and if satisfied may apply online.

3. Manage Leases: The property owner can access the property information online at any time, hence may manage the recording of leased properties. Customized information can be shared with other team members.

4. Receive rent online: You can manage and ensure timely receipts from your tenants. The online property managements systems are designed in such a way that after a particular date they will automatically assess a late fee as penalty. You may even generate rent receipts through the online system.

5. Managing Maintenance: To achieve highest benefits you are required to keep proper maintenance records of your properties. The online property management systems have provisions for maintenance and team members responsible for carrying out maintenance job can access the the information efficiently.

6. Service requests from tenants: Tenants may also apply online for maintenance requests and the team members can carry out the job.

7. Lease agreements: All lease agreements; lease duration and rent information can be centralized. On completion of the tenure the system will automatically inform the details of the concern property and tenant to you.

8. Tracking of expenses: Tracking property maintenance expenses and income expenses online and real time is easy. All the information can be retrieved quickly.

9. Specific property reports: A specific property or property portfolio can be tracked easily and all history of the particular portfolio can be retrieved.

10. Cooperation among team members: Various team members responsible for different task can communicate with each other, with property owner and tenants. Through the system the specific task to the team members can be assigned and managed.

John Rossow is Manager of Sales & Marketing, maker of online property management software for landlords, professional property managers, condos and homeowner associations (HOAs) designed to help them operate more easily and with better results. Buildium's rental management software automates the collection of fees and rents, improves maintenance tracking, increases resident satisfaction and more, all for a low monthly fee. For further details, visit the website, http://www.buildium.com or contact John directly at john@buildium.com.

3 Things to Consider: Hiring a Property Management Company to Look After Your Property Investments

2008-01-11T00:54:00.001-08:00

Property managers can be a very useful to land owners as the larger property management companies have scale of operations and can run your property for the busy landowner. This would in effect free the busy landowner with more time to look for more real estate deals. This article deals with three things to take note before hiring a property management company to look after your property.

Firstly, the most important thing people think about when hiring a property manager would be fees. Spend some time asking what their management fee covers, whether they will be collecting rent on your behalf and deducting their fee from the monthly rental. Also ask what their procedure is like for other expenses like insurance premiums, repair bills and other expenses that the property might incur.

Secondly, you might want to hire a property management for their expertise. Some property management companies may be good at running residential properties but they may not have any experience at managing a commercial property. Thus I would suggest that you spend time asking the manager what is their current class of properties in their stable and go down to those properties and observe the properties and then go and talk to the tenants of the building.

Thirdly, proximity of the management office is one key consideration. For commercial property, you would notice that the management office is always sited within the commercial building itself so as to respond quickly to any complaints by the tenants. For residential property, the management company that you hire should have an office located in close proximity to your property so that they can rectify problems as they arise.

In conclusion, hiring a real estate property management company can be useful to free up time for owners and allow the owners to spend more time looking for more profitable deals. Take some massive action today and look for your next real estate investment property and soon when you have enough properties, you can pass them over to a real estate property management company to manage and then you can go for a well deserved holiday.

Joel Teo is the owner of several websites and takes a keen interest in real estate investment. For more real estate investment resources go to: http://www.realestateinvestment101.info/Investment_Resources.html

3 Reasons to Hire a Property Management Company to Run Your Real Estate Investment Property

2008-01-11T00:53:00.001-08:00

Real Estate Investment sounds like a cool thing to do during the weekend but the problem arises when you start having to many properties to handle. The solution to your real estate investment problem would be to hire a property manager who can then run your property for you and deal with any problems that may arise. The key is to get a reliable person who can then do any repairs or maintenance work for you.

This article will highlight three additional reasons why you might want to hire a property management company to look after your real estate investment property for you.

Firstly, you might be a busy professional or business person during the weekdays and you do not want to run around looking for a plumber or roof repairer sometime during the week. Time is valuable also if you have several properties that you own and it does not make sense to baby sit your properties.

Thus you would do well to remember that your monthly income is dependent on the number of deals that you can find to add to your real estate investment portfolio. Get your focus right and you will make more money from your real estate investments.

Secondly, proximity is a key issue. One real estate investment author states that he does not own property unless it is within one mile from his own residence. If you want to look after your own properties it is fine but you must be able to go down and take a look if there is any issue arising from your properties.

Note that returns from both offshore rentals and capital appreciation currently in places like Dubai might prove more lucrative so if you are looking into offshore real estate investment, hiring a property management company is a must. Similarly, if you are looking at investing in property outside the state that you reside in, it will be necessary for you to hire a property management company to look after your property.

Thirdly, if you are new to the type of property class, you might want to consider employing the services of a property management company. For example if you have been involved in residential real estate for a long time and you decide to expand to commercial real estate, you might not be familiar with the documentation, the procedures and the possible problems that may arise from such real estate. Hiring a property management company therefore may help you solve some of your transition problems and like mentioned earlier free you to explore other real estate investments.

In conclusion, real estate investment property when done on a small scale in your locality may be okay for a while but when your investments start getting numerous and unwieldy, you might want to tap on the services of a property management company to help you manage your properties thus freeing you to look for more property deals.

Joel Teo is the owner of several websites and takes a keen interest in real estate investment. Learn more about real estate investment at http://www.realestateinvestment101.info

Property Management Advice for Landlords

2008-01-09T00:21:00.002-08:00

Discover what every landlord should know about finding tenants and why picking the best person is not always as easy as it sounds.

The most important decision any landlord makes is deciding who can live in their property. Who will you, as the owner, allow to live in your investment? This decision is so vital to the profitability of any property investment business and affects the business on so many levels that it?s amazing that some landlord don?t have a formalised procedure to protect themselves from making bad decision.

Let?s think about what we?re actually doing when we rent a property. Instead of thinking of the property as a monthly income generator think of it as a pile of cash. Cash you have tied up in the deposit and purchasing costs. Cash you hope to gain a regular income from through renting and more cash that you?ll receive if you sell the property and realise your capital gains. (Assuming house prices have risen since you purchased). If you include in this the value you place on your time spend finding the property, buying and arranging the rental then we have a very serious investment on our hands indeed.

Now, imagine all that money in real, tangible terms, stacked up in a room in the house and then consider we hand over the keys to someone and say, ?See you next year?. Now we can begin to see how important it is to select the right tenant. Of course, I?m being dramatic and we do have legal safe guards but I hope that by considering your investment in terms of hard cash (like a professional investor) then you?ll treat the question of occupancy very seriously.

There?s more to it than just financials. Not only are we trusting the tenant to look after our investment but we?re also investing our free time with them. What do I mean? If we are managing the property ourselves and not using a letting agent then we have made a serious commitment in time to look after that tenant. If you have a tenant who does not appreciate your property or does not treat it with care and respect then you run the risk of losing your evening and weekends in maintenance and management tasks. What about rent collection? An unreliable tenant who does not pay on time creates stress and worry. Legal protection lets us all sleep better at night but the practicalities of recouping money and legal costs are a headache we do not need and one that?s very avoidable.

Once we know how seriously we need to take the task of finding the correct tenant we can start looking for the very best people. In this case ?best? has two simple criteria. 1) They pay on time and in full 2) They look after the property as if it were their own.

I?m going to discuss three tools we can use to help find good tenants. The first is a long and very comprehensive application form. I ask for as much detail as possible from the tenant. I need all their contact details, ID, proof of current address such as telephone or electric bills, previous addresses and, perhaps most importantly, references from their employer, previous landlord (if they?re moving out of home I?ll ask for their parents? contact details) and a character reference from a recognised member of the community such as a Doctor or Teacher. Importantly, I always act on these references. I will check with whomever they have given to make sure the details are correct and they can vouch for the applicant.

Secondly, I ask for a larger deposit than the usual 4 weeks rent. Typically I ask for 6 weeks rent (UK law give the tenant an automatic option to sublet if the deposit is too excessive, say more than 8 weeks rent). Paying more upfront is usually a good sign that they are serious.

Finally, I have to feel comfortable about the people. If I can get along with them when the property is viewed and when we talk on the telephone and if I don?t have any intuitive alarm bells going off then I trust my own judgement.

At this point you might be wondering about a credit check? Yes this is a great tool depending on the affluence of your potential tenants. Some of my properties are let to people on social security benefits, many of whom I?ve had to help set up a bank account even. In these cases a credit check would not be beneficial but for better off tenants it can be a worth while exercise.

Once we know how to approach the subject of finding great tenants we can consider why people make poor letting decisions. In my experience the worst decisions about tenants are made in pressure situations. An empty property is very damaging to the bottom line of a landlord. If a property is unoccupied it?s very tempting to let the first person who comes along have the tenancy. I know, I?ve made the mistake myself (several times I?m reluctant to admit). This situation is exacerbated if you find your property is not in demand. If you only get one phone call from your advert in the local paper then you?re putting pressure on yourself and your business.

Therefore, the best way to make a good decision is to have a lot of people to choose from. Creating a big list of possible tenants comes from good advertising with good descriptions of you property and its selling points, realistic pricing (even undercutting competition in a renter market) and building a solid reputation as a landlord.

Steve Norton is a landlord with 9 years of experience and owns properties in the UK and Australia. With a clear focus on making the landlord's life as easy as possible while maximising profit more of Steve's insider tips on landlording can be found at Property Management Advice for Landlords.

Selecting a Property Management Company

2008-01-09T00:21:00.001-08:00

If you've spent any time in a resort community, you've probably encountered a good number of vacation rentals. These can vary, from cabins to condos and perhaps even a seaside bungalow. These are properties frequently owned by absent investors and rented out to guests on a nightly, weekly or monthly basis. In a busy resort community these homes can not only be a gracious lodging experience, but often more economical than hotels especially at "high season" rates.

If you're among the many considering investing in a rental property you must make a choice. Prepare to spend the time to maintain the unit and arrange for reliable housekeeping services, advertise your little getaway on the internet and in the local media, and provide facilities for checking guests in and out. The alternative is the preference of a majority of out of town owners...hire a reputable property management company to help maximize your ROI.

Here are a few guidelines to help in selecting the management company that best meets your needs.

Naturally, word of mouth can help you in your research. Talk to locals and other rental property owners. Most will be happy to share their experiences with you.
Note the visibility of the management company in the market. Are they easily located in the local phone book? How many units do they manage? Do they have actual office facilities or are your guests reporting for check-in to someone's garage? Do they advertise in the local travel guides and other area publications?
Technology plays an important part in property management success. Does your candidate have a solid internet presence? Can you see ample photos online to help selecting an appropriate retreat? Can you easily check availability and book online? Most important, how easily can your candidate be found in the online community? Target a search engine and a search term that you feel people might actually use to shop for a property.

In Ruidoso, New Mexico a mountain resort community the most popular vacation rental is the mountain cabin.

Select, for example MSN...and the simple search phrase "ruidoso cabin". If your property management candidate shows up in the first page, you've located a firm that has the marketing savvy to help your investment succeed. If the company you're investigating is number one on the first search page you've found an aggressive, professional marketer with the tools you need to maximize the return from your investment. If they do not appear in the first three pages of search results...move on. They may have a website, but it is not positioned to help you make reservations.

What is the rental experience like for the guest? Is the initial contact with a friendly, knowlegeable reservationist? Here's where your own powers of observation come into play. Call your candidate and actually book a stay in one of their managed properties. How were you treated? Was the property well maintained and clean? Would you rent from them again? This simple technique can be a real eye opener.

These basic questions will help you get started in selecting the property management that can help you realize your investment plans.

Bob Huntington works in property management in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Visit his websites at http://www.casasderuidoso.com and http://www.ruidosocentralreservations.com Bob also authors the blog Visiting Ruidoso at http://www.visitruidoso.blogspot.com

Commercial Property Management Public Relations

2008-01-06T22:34:00.001-08:00

It is important always for property management companies to maintain a good standing in the community. This is why property management companies are always involved in civic events, service clubs and chambers of commerce. Often property management companies also operate parking structures and parking lots and are aware of the need to fill up as many parking stalls as possible for the maximum price point. There are many ways to do this. One of the most inexpensive ways is through free publicity. A car wash fundraiser on your lot during a slow time of the week may be just that opportunity.

Let?s say for instance that Sunday is your Lot?s slowest day a car wash for church or youth group might be an idea. Christian radio stations will play public service announcements alerting people the day and time and of course the location, Your Parking lot. The radio station will play the spots 5 times a day for a week. Free airtime and all you have to do is be a Good Samaritan. Just think every good Christian in town will remember to park in your lot, instead of a lot next door. Christian customers may also cut down on Hit and Runs and seldom break into the car next door.

Perhaps Saturday is a slow day you can have a local High School Group hold a fundraiser their. High School bands have annual budgets in excess of $40,000. They have 100+ kids in the groups and that means 1.5 parents per kid, who are all your potential customers. Sound good so far? It gets better. Sometimes for a big event you can get the radio station down to do an onsite remote and give away T-shirts and prizes. Thus promoting them selves on your parking lot. Each time announcing who is involved and what location it is at.

?Come on down we are at the corner of main and 5th street in the Central Parking Lot, bring the whole family.?

Great for you, the more people who know about your lot the better. Once a person is familiar with your parking lot they are more likely to feel safe pulling into your lot instead of a nearby lot. The price point between competitors may also not be an issue anymore. After all you are the community-oriented business, the other guy is just a parking lot. Just because you are in a business that does not appear to lend it?s self well to getting your name out there, does not mean you have to take a back seat. Be creative, think outside the box and get er? done. Think on this in 2006.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.

Property Management Company - Hiring One

2008-01-06T22:33:00.000-08:00

Hiring a property management company is a great idea if you have even a small apartment building. Having someone taking care of all the small details of a rental property means you'll have more time to find the next good investment. Also, trying to do it all yourself is the surest way to make your real estate investment experience a bitter one. To find a good property manager, ask the following questions.

1. Other properties they manage? It's best if they have rental properties that are similar to yours. You can also drive by their other properties to see how they are maintained.

2. The fee? They vary around the country from as low as 4% of gross rents for larger buildings, to as high as 12% for single family homes. Be sure the fee is clearly stated and understood.

3. Extra costs? Are showings extra? Do evictions cost extra (beyond the legal fees)? Any other extras?

4. Who actually handles your property? It's best if one person handles your building all the time, and has some experience. Get their name.

5. How and when is the fee collected? Will you be billed, or will it be deducted from your account directly? Monthly? Quarterly?

6. Type of advertising? Exactly how will they advertise the units and what will it typically cost you?

7. Time and cost to prepare units? What's the typical cleaning fee on a vacancy, and how long will it normally be before it's rented out again?

8. Type of accounting? Which types of reports do they send, and how often? How are accounts set up?

9. Their hours of operation? What are their business hours, and who takes weekend calls?

10. What needs owner approval? What dollar amount needs your authorization, and is this negotiable?

You should ask other questions, based on your particular needs and the particular property. Be sure to ask everything up front, and you'll have fewer misunderstandings, and a good manager. Real estate investing and being a landlord is a lot less stressful with a good property management company.

Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. To learn more, get a free real estate investing course, and see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

Property Management Software as an ASP

2008-01-03T00:54:00.000-08:00

It used to be that in order to manage your properties, be it apartments, mobile homes, or office space, each of the managers would have to store the data on their own machines either on software built for that purpose or with an assortment of personal databases and/or spreadsheets. In order for a central office to be able to view that information or do any sort of reporting, the individual managers would have to mail a floppy disk to the central office, or, as things became more advanced, email or ftp that information. IT Managers hoped that the property managers were backing up their software in case of computer crashes, but never actually knowing if that was occurring or if the backups were valid. Among the other problems that were sure to occur in these scenarios were differing versions of the software, being tied down to a specific operating system, being tied down to a specific computer (the one with the installation), and difficulty correcting problems in the data from a remote location.

I talk about those things as if they are archaic when, in fact, many companies still rely upon these decentralized programs and databases and outdated methods to manage their properties.

Recently, however, companies that wrote these personal solutions have begun to develop centralized solutions based on web servers. And they are not the only ones. Intense competition from Internet startups with savvy web developers backed by knowledgeable property managers and property management companies have appeared, sometimes overnight.

Is it worth it to try one of these out? What does it buy you?

Whether you go with a proven player in the property management software market or a program written by a fledgling company, moving to an Application Service Provider (ASP) most likely provides you with the following important concepts. This list is by no means all-inclusive.

Centralized Data and Software

With data in one location, you can ensure backups happen on all of the properties as many times as you deem necessary. You no longer have to worry about whether your managers are backing up data.

With data in one location, you can run reports on all of the properties at the same time without waiting for managers to mail or email you their data. You can even view these reports with real-time data.

All of your manager?s machines are always running the most up-to-date version, and the ASP doesn?t have to take time building and testing the patches to make sure they patch the program properly on all supported operating systems. They can just make and test the changes on their own servers, and move those changes to where the property managers themselves can use the modifications.

Data fixes do not require the data to be zipped up and sent to the programming company, nor do they require access into your computers or networks.

Versatility and Convenience

No more are the days when you have to buy the Windows version, the Mac version, or, if you are especially daring, trying to get the version of the software to work with the flavor of Unix or Linux that you have selected. If done properly, property management software will run on any of the more popular web browsers on any environment you choose.

You no longer need to bring the computer with you that has the installation on it. You can access your properties from any library, school, Internet caf?, home, or work location at which you find yourself, as long as you have a connection to the Internet.

Cost

How many property managers honestly want to pay a team of IT professionals to manage all of the software and its upgrades at all of their properties?

There is really no need to keep using antiquated alternatives. If the convenience of easy access from anywhere using any web browser doesn?t provide enough of an incentive, the easy and less expensive management and real-time statistics and reporting should. Take a look at some of the choices in online property management software today, and see how easy managing your properties can be.

David Hickenbotham is a professional writer and programmer. He develops property management software for Resident Map.

Buying to Let Guide - UK Rental Property Management

2007-12-30T22:54:00.000-08:00

Buying to let top 10 guide Buying to let This is where most developers end up. Once executed, this can prove to be money for old rope. Ok thats a bit pushing the point, but here i can teach you some really useful tips on how to let with very little fuss. The essetial element is to first consider the previous chapters as just as important as the monthly cheque you receive from your tennants. In effect the two are very much releated. So re-read those chapters before you get to this exciting chapter on how to but to let.

My 10 Steps to success Ok i'm going to make this very easy by revealing my 10 steps. Follow this and you will succeed, ignore a step and you may struggle. Here goes...

1. Find the right area to buy into and make some appointments with local letting agents normally estate agents will be able to offer help with letting too .

2. Once you've picked their brains to assess the state of the lettings market (and discovered what type of properties are most in demand) you can begin the house hunting game. Get several viewings under your belt to get a feel of the market.

3. Talk to mortgage providers early on in the game to ensure that you find the best deal. If you have a personal financial advisor, they will do this service free of charge, use this free service, it may save you money and time along with our useful free development guide on this site.

4. Once you've found a suitable property put in an offer and be patient. What you might think is a silly offer may prove to be a bargain, remember you can always increase your offer.

5. When your offer on the property is accepted you'll need to get a licensed conveyor or a solicitor to deal with the legal and financial paperwork.

6. This is the step that can seem to go on forever, the survey and searches.You will also need to get it valued. Then you'll be in a position to finalise your mortgage arrangements with your finance lender.

7. Who will property manage ? Once you've been handed the keys you'll need to decide whether you are happy to manage the property yourself or if you want to hand it over to a letting agent.

8. The chances are that the house will need some work doing on it, so it's best to get the workmen in there as soon as possible. You will find our buying to let profit calculator useful at this point.

9. If you're planning to let the property furnished it makes long-term sense to invest in solid/ robust furniture (ideally carboot sales house clearances or local auctions are an ideal way of sourcing good solid furniture without putting costs through the roof).

10. Before your tenants take control of the property, do make sure that they are clear on the terms of your contract to avoid any later possible complications.

Rental Property Management http://www.rentalpropertymanagement.co.uk
The Authority on Buying to let property in the UK Your free property development guide

Should You Use a Property Management Company or Manage Your Real Estate Investment in Florida?

2007-12-29T01:11:00.001-08:00

When considering investment properties, first of all, it must be determined that it is profitable and a good idea to purchase rental properties. Let?s talk about this aspect. Owning rental property produces rental income which, if after expenses are deducted produces a profit, would be viewed as a good investment. Add to this the possibility that property has the potential to increase in value over time and you have some solid reasons to purchase investment properties.

If the rental income is paying more than the monthly mortgage amount leaving some excess for home repairs, it is possible the home could be paid off entirely by renters. At some point in the future, this same home can be sold with the seller receiving the full value of the property. Sounds like you can?t go wrong in owning rental properties. But is this true? It all depends on whether the investor has thoroughly completed their homework.

If you are presently considering an investment in rental properties, be sure you do some thorough research. It?s important for the property investor to gather adequate information before committing to rental property ownership. Searching the internet, reading real estate publications, attending seminars, and speaking personally with property investors is a great beginning that will place you on the road to making a wise, informed decision. Starting up a business is a little like real estate investment. Knowing the facts and putting time into the purchase gives you a much greater chance of success. Doing your homework can prevent disastrous property investment decisions. Why a Real Estate Investment in Florida? There are many issues that need careful consideration before making a final decision on property investment. These include the location of the property, Are you interested in an urban or rural location? What is the condition of the property, how much maintenance will be required to keep it in good working order? What are your financing options? What do taxes run on that particular piece of property in that location? How will you select tenants?

These are all vital questions that could determine the success or failure of your venture. Let?s refer to the first and probably most important of questions to ask regarding property investment. What location will you choose? In searching for the best possible location, it is important to look at trends among renters. The American population continues to grow with a gain of about one person every 14 seconds. Where are all these new people coming from? An increase in our own population and immigration account for this strong growth. With this in mind, it is safe to say there will be a continued need for housing in the future. Concerning the immigration population, California, New York and Florida lead the list, in that order, in new residents. What a potential pool of people to pull from! Looking at the cost of real estate purchase in these three states, a real estate investment in Florida ranks among the most reasonably priced. Along with the strong immigration growth, Florida is a hot tourist destination, making it an ideal location for the purchase of rental property.

Real Estate Investment in Florida ? Where is a Good Choice?

Along with having the 3rd highest rate of population growth, the high tourism rate is definitely a great reason for a real estate investment in Florida. With its year-round temperate climate and vast array of attractions, both natural and created, it is the ideal location for family holiday vacations. Families and singles return again and again to enjoy the delightful holidays Florida offers. Deciding where to purchase your real estate investment in Florida may be a difficult decision. Tourists in Florida are searching for sun and fun. A real estate investment near the beach, from Key West in the south to Jacksonville in the north and east from Daytona Beach to Fort Myers would offer good returns on your investment. Beach lovers will pay top dollar for rentals near the ocean. Let?s consider Central Florida as a wise real estate investment. Walt Disney World has made Orlando the 3rd favorite tourist destination for overseas travelers. Only Los Angeles and New York City rank higher. With its resplendent and numerous lakes, tropical landscaping and modern, clean skyline, Orlando, the largest city in Central Florida, has aptly earned its title of ?The City Beautiful?. Along with the biggest drawing card of all, Walt Disney World, theme parks such as Universal Studios and Sea World, have made Orlando one of the largest markets in the world for tourism. 2.6million international travelers flocked to Orlando in 2004, according to the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, a 12 percent increase from 2003.

Real Estate Investment in Florida ? Where in Central Florida?

Having established the fact that Central Florida is a hot tourist market, it would stand to reason that a real estate investment in Florida, particularly the Central Florida area, would make good business sense. But how would one go about locating a desirable area and property for this investment? A beginning search would lead you to researching properties listed with the major real estate companies or visit craigslist.org in your area. Deciding which type of property is important. Do you prefer a single family residence, a townhouse or condo? Keep in mind that townhouse and condo purchases may offer onsite property management services. Will your real estate investment in Florida purchase be in a new development, or in an established, older area? Purchasing rental property in a new development often offers pre-construction prices which can be substantially lower than prices post construction. Are you available to manage the property, or do you wish to employ a property management company to take care of the details of property upkeep, record keeping and renter booking? Doing it yourself can save you 6 percent and more of the cost of rent, but can end up costing you if you don?t know what you are doing. If you do not plan on living in close proximity to your rental property, it would be wise to consider spending some extra dollars to employ a property management company. This will save you headaches and time, your own time for property maintenance and the time it takes to locate renters.

Real Estate Investment in Florida ? Consider Davenport, Fl Considering a real estate investment in Florida, just 5 miles southwest of Disney you will discover the quiet, quaint town of Davenport, Fl. Its central location yet off the beaten track give it an appeal all its own. Davenport, Fl is only 2 square miles in size. With its small town appeal, it is an attractive rental option for tourists. Davenport, FL is under 30 minutes from Universal Studios, Sea World, Disney World and other Orlando attractions. It is just one and ? hours from Kennedy Space Center and within an hour?s drive to Tampa (home of Busch Gardens) and Cocoa Beach. After a hectic day at the major tourist attractions, what a welcome respite it would be for renters to lodge in this quiet location which is surrounded by orange groves. Convenience is another drawing card with a Super Wal-Mart, open 24 hours a day, just nine miles away. Kissimmee is just a short drive with its spectacular nightlife entertainment options such as Arabian Nights and Medieval Times. Family oriented Kissimmee attractions, Green Meadows Farm and the Silver Spurs Rodeo are also nearby. The small town environment of Davenport, Fl offers a quiet stay that is near all the most popular attractions, including theme parks, family spots and great shopping and dining, located not far from the Florida Mall, outlet malls and the Orlando Mall.

Bimini Bay, Davenport, Fl

Located in Davenport, Fl in close proximity to Walt Disney World, is a brand new development, Bimini Bay. On 80 acres, 360 three bedroom two bath townhouses are ready for purchase. The Davenport, Fl townhouses are turnkey ready with fully equipped kitchens, appliances and all that is needed to set up house including linens. There will also be 360 fully equipped one bedroom apartments. The planned amenities include a resort pool, two movie theatres with stadium seating, a major chain restaurant, a large Club House, a pool, lazy river, water slides, exercise room, tennis and volleyball courts along with many other features. The best part about an investment in a townhouse at Bimini Bay, Davenport, Fl is that the property maintenance aspect is taken care of for you. The investor reaps the benefits of ownership such as property appreciation and the ability to stay in the purchased property for a minimal fee without the headaches of property management. The onsite management team takes care of maintenance, markets the property and secures renters. The investor receives the same rental income each month, making this a low stress investment. At the beginning of this article, there was discussion on managing rental property yourself or obtaining a management company for this purpose. Purchasing property at Bimini Bay ensures the on-site management will handle all the issues of property management, while allowing the investor the advantage of a steady income along with the benefit of using the property.

Lisa Carson
Real Estate investment in Florida Expert
http://www.biminibayresortinvestment.com
Offering the only Guaranteed Monthly Rental Program in Orlando Florida for Florida investment Properties

Rental Property Management - Ten Questions

2007-12-26T22:37:00.000-08:00

Why hire rental property management? Because doing it all yourself is the surest way to make your real estate investment experience a bitter one. You also have more time to find the next deal when there is someone taking care of the details for you. Hire a good property manager, but first ask the following questions.

1. How much is the fee? Fees vary around the country from as low as 4% of gross rents for larger buildings, to as high as 12% for single family homes. Be sure the fee is clearly stated and understood.

2. What other properties do they manage? It is best if they handle rental properties that are similar to yours. It is also helpful to drive by their other properties to see how they are maintained.

3. Who will actually handle your property? It is best if one person handles your building all the time. They should also have some experience. Get their name.

4. What costs extra? Is it extra for showings? Do evictions cost extra (beyond the legal fees)? Any other extras?

5. How is the fee collected and when? Will you be billed, or will it be deducted from your account directly? Monthly? Quarterly?

6. What type of advertising? How do they advertise the units and what does it typically cost you?

7. Cost and time to prepare units? What is the typical cleaning fee on a vacancy, and how long will it normally be before it's rented out again?

8. What needs owner approval? What dollar amount needs your authorization, and is this negotiable?

9. Hours of operation? What are their business hours, and who takes weekend calls?

10. Accounting? What reports do they send? How often? How are accounts set up?

There are probably other questions you'll have as well, based on your particular needs and the particular property. Ask everything up front, and you'll have fewer misunderstandings. With good rental property management, real estate investing is a lot less stressful.

Steve Gillman has invested real estate for years. To learn more, and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

What to Look for in a Property Management Company

2007-12-23T22:04:00.001-08:00

?Management is nothing more than motivating other people.? -Lee Iacocca

If you are interested in making money through rental properties you may want to consider hiring a property management firm. New investors want to believe they can do it all themselves and in the process save money. Unfortunately, they get overwhelmed quickly and their exciting investment venture turns into way more work then they expected it too. Property management companies to all the dirty tasks for you. This frees up time for you to seek out your next profitable investment. If you are interested in hiring a property manager you might want to consider the following questions.

Make sure you ask the management company how much their fees are. The national average for management fees is about 4% of the income made on large rental properties. However it can be a good deal more for single family homes, sometimes over 12%. Make sure you understand the fee, payment schedule, and services upfront before you sign a contract and hand over any money. Ask about direct withdraw from you checking account. Streamlining your business is the best way to make sure you are using your time wisely and on the right things.

Be sure to ask them what other properties they managed and the address for a couple of them. This way you drive by and see the kind of outdoor work they do. In addition, you do not a company which usually handles apartments to take care of your family residences or vice versa.

You want to ask who will actually being handling the property and speak directly with that person. It is never too soon to open the lines of communication with the people you are hiring. Make sure this person has experience and can prove it.

Ask what types of advertising do they use. Do they place ads in newspapers, online, magazine, or on the television. How much will advertising cost.

What is the typical cleaning fee for a vacancy and how much time will it take to prepare the place to be rented again.

When are they open and how can they be reached after hours.

Renting properties is a great way to make extra income. The smart and experience investors can even quit work and live entirely off real estate options. However, do you not let yourself become overwhelmed. If you feel like you can not handle your properties yourself hire a management company. This will allow more time for you to do what you want and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Visit the Global Investment Institute and signup for our free Online Investing For Beginners E-Course at www.Global-Investment-Institute.com Investment webmasters or publishers, please feel free to use this article provided this reference is included and all links remain active.

Financial Planning and Interest Only Mortgages - Property Management Business

2007-12-20T21:52:00.000-08:00

I have observed many changes in my life over the course of living it, and I can tell you that as you grow older, Caution will become your friend; when you're young, you simply throw him to the wind. As you get older, you wait for him to blow by, and then you reel him back in, why? Caution has only a few friends, but several adversaries: Haste and Waste; after several trips around the block with these two, Caution begins to look like a much better friend. Part of the requirement for being a friend to Cautious, is that you take the time to examine all your options, and make a good sound decision. This is when I was introduced to Financial Planning, 401(k) s, Retirement Funds, etc. I've told this from a story standpoint, but it is in all honesty, the truth. As you get older you do become more cautious in your investments, with your time and your money. Interest only mortgages are one of those options, that if you're investing in real estate for the short term, and you've consulted with a reputable financial advisor, you might want to consider. Investment portfolios do not generally include real estate, so more than likely this is a business venture or an investment business. In either situation, financial planning is a must. This is one of those options, that should however, be considered only after careful planning and thought. The trade off, may be or may not be to your benefit. Long-term investments, those with capital gains, and purposes other than a quick profit, I don't' believe are candidates for the interest only mortgage. The interest only mortgage doesn't offer much in the way of building and growing investment value, because you simply never increase the value of the asset to you. You increase the value of the loan for the lending institution, because you are continually providing a profitable situation for the lender. Your principal investment responsibility never decreases. What about the short-term implications and your financial planning? Well, this leaves many doors unopened and many avenues unexplored. However, given the fact that you're considering the impact of the interest only mortgage product on your financial planning expectations, there aren't very many "short-term" considerations open for discussion. The only short-term advantage to interest only is that your monthly payment is often very low during the term of the interest only payment. When you consider the impact your 401(k), an MSA, an IRA, or any other tax deferred savings or retirement program can have on your bottom line, the interest only mortgage doesn't really have that much to offer in the realm of tax savings, or tax deferment; yes, it's true that your mortgage interest is tax deductible, but not on a one-to-one ratio. Tax deferred retirement accounts, even SEPs, for the self-employed individual have a one-to-one ratio of tax savings. Another long-term financial planning consideration: when you would normally have paid out a regularly amortized loan, you will still be paying on the interest only mortgage. What could the potential savings be, for you, if you weren't still paying on a mortgage? The time value of money is a concept that few consumers ever learn to appreciate. It means the dollar you have today, will be worth less tomorrow than it is today, therefore saving today yields a much better benefit than waiting until you're 35 or 40 to begin saving and planning for retirement. Quite often, your home is your greatest asset, and is the only savings that many consumers have managed to accumulate. If the only payments you have made were for the interest due on the principal, you effectively have no accumulated savings. Now, that might not be an issue for someone in their 20s or early 30s; however, by the time you reach your 40s, you have begun to contemplate retirement, and ways to save for that phase of your life. As I stated earlier, caution and good sound financial planning may determine that an interest only mortgage will benefit you greatly. But, I would only consider this option only after I had taken time for careful consideration and good financial planning.

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Property Management in Louisville

2007-12-18T22:15:00.001-08:00

Whether you are just getting started with a few projects in Louisville or are a long time property manager you know that you have quite a busy task ahead of you. Property Management in Louisville is not nearly as simple as it once was. Due to increasingly rigid city codes, a rise in required paperwork, contracts and more, being a property manager is a time consuming venture. There are many time and money saving options available to managers, but none are as effective as the use of property management software

Many property managers have given property management software a try and had great success with it. Not only has it saved them time and money, but it has organized aspects of their business that were previously a mess. Others have yet to even give management software a try because they fear it won't be flexible enough to fit their personal management needs. Contrary to these ideas property management software is actually quite versatile and an excellent aid to property managers.

Product Management Software Versatility

Many property management software systems are exactly as one may fear. They are tailored to one type of management style and will only work if you manage your property in the way the software is set up to run. This type of software may be good from some beginners, but property managers, for the most part, are incredibly creative and intelligent and want to manage their properties in their own way. If you are that type of property manager you need to find a software program that is flexible enough for varying business plans. A program that is intended for the management of thousands of properties will not work for someone who is only managing ten or twenty properties. A good software program will allow you to manage your properties in the way that you choose to be best suited for your business plans.

Features

Management software should come equipped with many useful features, but frequently those features are not actually included. Some software programs will list all of the things that they can do, but once you actually purchase them and put them to use you learn that those features are not standard, but come with a monthly fee for their use. A good software program should come standard with all the features it advertises. They should be included in a low monthly fee, and not in addition to the previously quoted fee. You would not buy a car just to find out that in addition to your monthly payments you also will be required to pay a brake light and headlight fee. The same is the case with property management software.

Online Capabilities

In the modern internet age we live in, it is becoming more and more important to be able to run our businesses over the internet. A business that is not internet friendly is an unprofitable business. This is another thing to consider when choosing property management software. You need a software program that you can use on the internet and whose functions are internet friendly. It would be a detriment to your business to not be able to have this option available. An internet friendly software program is a must.

In general property management software can be very useful when collaborated with your property management in Louisville if you find the right software for your needs.

Kent Fairbourn is an avid sports fan and Client Account Specialist for 10x Marketing. Go now to see how Buildium can help you manage your properties.

Kent Fairbourn is an Account Specialist for 10x Marketing

Property management on Costa del Sol

2007-12-14T22:58:00.001-08:00

Multi Property Services - gives owners of Costal del Sol property who are interested in letting out their villa or letting out their apartment the confidence and piece of mind in knowing that they can gain the financial rewards of short- or long-term rentals while protecting their property and interest. Here are some tips for you if you are looking for a company in Fuengirola, Mijas Costa, Benalmadena or Marbella to manage your property or letting your villa or apartment.

Outdoor inspections - includes the checking of lawns, gardens, and the pool for any damage. The rental property management company should make sure that the sprinkler systems and pool filters are working. The company should also regularly inspect for any pests or vermin.

Mail pick-up - Any mail should be picked up from the property and forwarded on to the owner.

Georgi Mollov - Search engine optimization - SEO and SEM

How to Choose A Property Management Firm

2007-12-12T23:14:00.000-08:00

When you are comparing the services and fees of property management firms it's a bit like comparing apples and oranges. How do you accurately evaluate the sum total of all the various fees and expenses so you can estimate your annual net revenue? Are there hidden charges and monthly administrative fees that reduce your income? What is a fair commission rate to charge? In Incline Village, the range of property management services and fee structures runs the gamut from bare bones to deluxe.

If you are perplexed and confounded by these issues, then you are not alone. It seems that many property management firms (especially in the vacation rental business) try to nickel and dime their clients to death with excessive charges for cleaning, maintenance, credit card fees, administrative charges, processing fees, the list goes on and on.

Some firms in Incline Village charge a monthly administrative fee on top of the commission that they earn for managing a property. One can make an argument in favor of charging monthly administrative fees for short term vacation rental properties as they require more hands on attention to paper work with guests always coming and going. But charging this type of fee to the owner of a long-term rental property when all the paper work is done up front when the lease is signed is merely a form of gouging and should not be tolerated.

Processing fees are another bone of contention. Why should an owner or an owner-guest pay a processing fee? Companies that engage in this practice are trying to squeeze every penny possible out of the people who are really their clients. If you, your extended family or your guests have ever been charged a processing fee for making a reservation to occupy your own property, then you should seriously consider finding a firm that has more respect for you as a client. Cleaning fees are another area that merits scrutiny. As a property owner you should not be forced to pay a cleaning fee every time you use your place, especially if there are no paying guests coming to the unit between your personal visits.

Also, you should not be required to pay exorbitant sums for the annual "spring cleaning" that many firms insist on doing. If your property is supposed to be cleaned thoroughly after each paying guest, then why does it take several hours and cost hundreds of dollars just to clean a 2 or 3 bedroom condo in the spring time? Are the cleaning services padding their bills? Should you as a property owner and client of the firm have excessive fees extracted from you just because someone at the management firm claims that it took X number of hours to do the work in a unit that should have been reasonably clean to begin with? If you're skeptical about the charges for "spring cleaning", then it's best to either do the work yourself or hire a reputable independent cleaning service. The place will look just as good and you will save substantial amounts of money each year.

It is not easy to find the right combination of great customer service, reasonable commission rates and high-quality care for rental properties. You can expect to find 2 of the 3, but finding all three things is very difficult. Since many firms in this business tend to experience high levels of staff turnover, finding a firm with a well-trained and stable pool of employees should be your first priority. Even if you have to pay a slightly higher commission rate, you will more than make up for it with increased bookings, better service and fewer problems.

On-line booking capability is another big issue, especially when you realize that searching on the Internet is rapidly becoming the research method of choice for both vacation rentals and long term rentals. Any firm that does not offer this service is way behind the times and should not even be considered. The Internet is a great tool for both marketing rental properties and managing the vacation rental business. Just having a web site with pictures and text is not sufficient in these competitive times. If you are working with a property manager who refuses to set up on-line booking by the time you are reading this article, it's time to change services and go with someone who cares enough about you as a client to market your property 24 hours a day on the Internet with on-line booking.

You can find more information about real estate and property management at http://www.InsideIncline.com.

Don Kanare of Lakeshore Realty, Incline Village, NV is a former business consultant from the Bay Area who uses his entrepreneurial and problem solving skills to help his clients achieve their goals. Don received his Bachelor's Degree from Boston University in 1977 and relocated to the west coast shortly thereafter. Don is an avid fan of the Tahoe lifestyle and enjoys skiing, hiking and outdoor adventures

Real Estate Property Management: Is There a Tenant in the House

2007-12-07T22:17:00.001-08:00

Complementing the job with Property Management Software

2007-12-05T22:34:00.001-08:00

What is property management, a property manager, much less Property Management Software? These terms are fairly self-explanatory and they serve an important function when dealing with rental property and acting as a liaison between a tenant and their landlord.

Before we get into the role and the importance of property management, let's talk a little more about their responsibilities and the roles of a tenant and a landlord. Afterwards you'll understand better where Property Management fits into the whole picture.

The Tenant-Whether they're college students, single residents, or families, various tenants have one purpose in mind; to temporarily rent a home at a reasonable price. Things such as location, price, and quality of the overall home (furnishings, appliances, etc.) will all be taken into consideration. A tenant's responsibility will be to maintain the quality of the landlord's property including furnishings, appliances, as well as the overall interior and exterior of the property while living there. In the event that the landlord's property is damaged, the tenant is held accountable for the damages. This responsibility is almost always covered in an agreement/contract agreed and signed upon the tenant before moving into the landlord's property.

The Landlord-Landlords make profitable earnings from their real-estate, so a continual check on the maintenance on their property will constantly be beneficial. Landlords are responsible for generally updating the furnishings inside the property. Some of these basic essentials include couches, an entertainment system, kitchen appliances, desks and bedding mattresses to name just a few. In a lot of cases, a landlord is physically unable to be an on-site manager of his/her property, usually because they are living out of state or are too busy or overwhelmed to handle the many properties they may own. It is up to the landlord how involved they want to be with corresponding with their tenant. Generally, most landlords will use a mediator to control the business matters with their tenants.

The Importance of Property Management

Property Management serves as that mediator between the tenant and the landlord. Property Management helps both parties in the following ways

Benefiting the Landlord

*Advertises landlord's property to prospective tenants

*Handles all correspondence and assistance with tenants

Benefiting the Tenant

*Fast, local access with on-site management for tenants

*Serves as a neutral party with objective problems of landlord's property.

Property managers have the potential to fulfill a vital role to their clients with the right tools. An important resource such as property management software will help better organize the manager's role as the mediator between the tenant and landlord. With the internet being a popular medium to worldwide users, managers using this software will have the online edge to communicate with their clients at a faster and more efficient pace.

If you are a landlord seeking to take over your own property management affairs, this online software will help you get a jump start on the various duties of property managers. If you are a property manager overwhelmed by your current work, look at your many online software options to help ease your management duties and help you to become a stress-free manager.

Buildium's line of Property Management Software centralizes all the aspects of managing your properties into one simple online software system.

Some Important Facts Of Property Management.

2007-12-05T22:33:00.000-08:00

The real estate market, specifically property management market for United Kingdom and Spain, evolves constantly and requires all experience and commitment of management professionals to satisfy the necessities for construction, buys and sale of buildings for more demanding clients every day.

And why I say this? Then, the property market is more and more competitive, actually: new companies are born, the technologies innovate constantly and produce new materials, the geographic breach is not more a limit thanks to the increasing and solid commercial relations generated through the Internet, and the receiving public is allows of competitiveness and quality of the present properties management services.

Therefore, it is strategic and relevant that management professionals fuse in an only quality service those points that the receiving market delay of them. A qualified service that integrates:

? Simple and realistic budgets.
? Projects to the measurement of each one of clients.
? Excellent yield at price/quality relation of project.
? Excellence of external contracted services.
? Flexibility, security and confidence.
? Fluid communication channels.

All these points of property management interrelated to each other and verified throughout the process, to principle to aim, establish a relation that offers clarity and confidence between involved parts.

It fortifies communication channels, it clarify the aims and it is the most effective instrument at the time that it is necessary solve no predicted questions that arise like result of new ideas and modification made during the same project development.

The present challenge is create communication channels between the different professionals from the sector to generate integrating strategies, which satisfy a demanding market.

The constant qualification, the multi-sectorial relations, handling of new technologies, the international projection and a solid position through the time are factors that will contribute to that the management of properties be an integral service more and more sophisticate and attractive.
Eloi Ruart. Chartered Surveyor & Arquitecto T?cnico. http://www.hfpmanagement.com eloi@hfpmanagement.com

Property Management Spain

2007-12-03T01:38:00.000-08:00

Property Management Spain

Would you hand over the keys to your house to a stranger in the street? I am guessing the answer would be no - unless you have a property in Spain of course!

100's of owners of Spanish property hand over the keys to their holiday homes to property management companies and letting agents on a regular basis. Many of these owners have been met at their own property by any of the increasing number of expats operating this type of service from home illegally.

Property owners can be sucked in by pretty websites or adverts in local papers, by people offering them all types of services - cleaning, management, maintenance, rentals - generally at a cheaper rate than legal companies offering the same services. Owners then presume that they are getting better value for money (ie a cheap service) and hand keys to these individuals along with the consequent risks.

Citrus Iberia Property Management has been operating since 2002, at which time there were very few companies offering these services to Spanish property owners. In the last two years, the market has become swamped with individuals designing websites and running local ads offering the same services - the difference is that a high percentage are not legal.

For owners of Spanish property who need someone on hand to take care of things in their absence, or require a rental and changeover service, it is advisable to contact several management 'companies' in the area in which your property is located. Many (including Citrus Iberia), will offer to meet you at your property when you are next in Spain. This is necessary as the company needs to see the property to give a quote on services and required, and to judge what income may be generated from rentals. However, at this stage do not part with money or keys. Insist on a follow up visit to the offices of the company, or perhaps visit their offices before they visit your property. Contract can be signed, keys handed over, and any monies paid once you are safe in the knowledge that you are dealing with people who are not going to disappear overnight.

Instead of wasting your holiday time, check out these services before you leave. Searching the internet for property management services in Spain, can reveal a vast number of results. Make enquiries to various websites offering the type of services you are interested in, ask if you can meet them at their offices when you are next in Spain.

I have already done this research myself - a staggering 85% of replies were from people happy to meet me at the property, but unwilling to let me have an office location! Try it yourself - many will insist on meeting you at the property - or even a local bar! Others will not reply when you become insistent, which I take to mean that they have no office.

You wouldn't dream of handing over your house keys to a stranger in your home country, so why do it in Spain?

I have worked in the holiday rentals business for the past 6 years and now run Spanish Villas Spain, part of Citrus Iberia (CB) a British Estate Agents, Property Management, holiday & long term rentals Company on the Costa Blanca.

Property Management in Spain

2007-11-29T21:13:00.001-08:00

Whether a newcomer to property investment in Spain, or an experienced semi-residential property owner, you will have seen advertisements for plenty of private companies and individuals offering a property management service of some description. But who needs it?

The services offered by property management companies vary widely. Some specialize in finding you holiday and longer term tenants, while others concentrate solely on the care of you and your property. More unusually, certain companies are able to offer not only this but also a full after-sales service to your property purchase, assisting you in getting your property up and running after completion and beyond.

Mana?a, mana?a

One of the obvious benefits in working with a property management company is overcoming the language barrier that can hit when you start trying to arrange for things to be done in Spain. A prime example is organizing a telephone line - no mean feat even if you're bilingual. But also, things tend not to happen overnight in Spain and you can find yourself waiting in for this plumber and that electrician and wasting your valuable holiday time. You've worked hard to earn your holiday - why waste it when you're here?

Low cost airline - late night arrival?

So, you got a bargain on the flights - but you're arriving at midnight! It seems a great idea until something goes wrong. The water heater has been turned off for weeks, your villa or apartment is freezing cold (or unbearably hot) and no-one has arranged for the air con gas to be replenished. You need new lightbulbs so that you can see what you're doing and, of course, there's no milk for your morning coffee! On a more serious note, perhaps there have been unwanted guests in the property - insect or rodent, or even human.

A good and reputable property management company will thoroughly check your apartment once a week and provide you with a detailed report advising if any work needs to be carried out. Not only will they check that the apartment is clean and secure, but they are also trained to look for signs of damp, infestation and minor construction problems. If work is required, they will provide you with quotations and upon your approval, arrange for the work to be carried out under their supervision. You will arrive in your perfect property ready to enjoy your holiday.

Making life easier for you

Airport pickups, welcome packs or grocery shopping are also available from most companies as well as cleaning, laundry and ironing services. As a minimum, your property management company should be able to check that your apartment is clean and the beds are freshly made prior to your visit.

Generate an income

Those wanting to generate an income from their property can also benefit hugely from a reputable company's network of holiday and longer term rental customers. Not only can they market and maintain the property for you, but they can also vet customers and ensure that the apartment is looked after with due care and attention by those using it.

It also takes a lot of the stress away when you invite friends or family to use your property in your absence. Someone is available 24/7 to meet and greet them, make sure they have a key, show them how to use your appliances and advise them on where to go in the local area.

It's all in the extras

More dynamic property management companies go a whole lot further offering services that make themselves indispensable to you in a very short time: -Post construction cleans, marble polishing, lock changes and snag lists * Handymen services, plumbers and electricians * Furnishing and d?cor advice, supervised deliveries * Bookings for car hire, hotel accommodation, golf tee times, flights * Grocery shopping, welcome packs and fresh flowers * Limousine and minibus hire * Yacht and private plane charters * Restaurant bookings * Babysitting, cot and high chair hire * Occasional bed hire * Video/DVD hire * Event management and organization (parties, weddings, conferences) * Secretarial, administrative, translation and office services * Advice on schooling, local classes, medical care, church services, tourist information, excursions * Recommendations for legal, financial, mortgage, snagging and tax advisors

Peace of Mind

So who needs it? Everybody with a property in Spain!

Property management provides private individuals and company property owners with complete peace of mind while they are not in Spain.

Remember, there's always someone on the end of the phone... just in case.

Susan Pedalino is Masters Degree qualified in Intercultural Communication and teaching English as a foreign language. Susan regularly writes for www.eyeonspain.com, the Spanish off plan property forums website and www.eyeonworldwide, the overseas property forums website.

Rental Property Management Key in Costa del Sol

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Once you've taken the leap and purchased a villa or apartment in Spain's beautiful Costa del Sol, you face another crucial decision: finding a company to look after your property when you are away. Whether your villa is in Fuengirola or Marbella, you need to ensure that the rental property management company you select will provide you with the service, maintenance, and oversight that give you peace of mind.

The right rental property management company gives owners of Costal del Sol property who are interested in letting their villa or apartment the confidence of knowing that they can gain the financial rewards of short- or long-term rentals while protecting their assets. If you are looking for a rental property management company to oversee your villa or apartment in Fuengirola or Marbella, here are some tips to find a good fit:

Property inventory - A reputable rental property management company will go through the property with you, taking a thorough property inventory and using that as the basis for checking the apartment or villa after guests have departed.

Regular property inspections - Ideally, the company you select should perform a weekly property inspection. The inspections should include a check of all plumbing, making sure all showers, baths, toilets, and other fixtures are in working order. It should also include an inspection of electrical outlets and small appliances, again to ensure that they are in working order.

Outdoor inspections - The rental property management company should inspect lawns, gardens, and the pool for damage and to make sure that sprinkler systems and pool filters are in working order. In addition, the company should regularly inspect for pests and vermin.

Mail pick-up - The company should offer regular mail pick up and a forwarding service.

Property administration - Ideally, the rental property management company will ensure that utility payments, taxes, and other bills are paid in a timely manner. They should also provide you with a monthly report on the status of your property, as well as a line item list of any maintenance issues that need to be addressed.

Cleaning - Prior to guest arrival, the rental property management company should arrange to have your villa or apartment cleaned and prepared for letting. Some companies may, for an extra fee, also offer greeting services to and owner's renters.

When you find the right rental property management company, owning property in Fuengirola or Marbella and be both a personally and financially rewarding experience.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Visit this Real Estate Website and Majon's Real Estate directory

Property Management Company - Hiring One

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