Best Practices for Screening Reliable Tenants

4/15/2025 (Permalink)

Happy tenants getting new keys

Best Practices for Screening Reliable Tenants

A thorough vetting process can pay off when screening potential tenants for residential rental properties. Comprehensive screening using best practices can minimize risks. It can also benefit tenants and landlords by establishing clear expectations throughout the transaction. Quality tenants reduce turnover and help landlords deliver a safe, well-maintained property and living experience.

1. Create a Comprehensive Rental Application

Start the search for reliable tenants with a detailed rental application. Get full tenant contact information, including cell phone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contacts, to assemble the applicant's background. To ensure tenants qualify for the lease, include a request for proof of income documents and recent employment history.

Add checkboxes with accompanying text asking tenants to give their consent for credit and background checks. Include space for at least two to three landlord and personal references. Add free space, and ask applicants to provide details on their most recent rental experience. Additionally, ask for commentary that could provide insight into the tenant's priorities and needs.

2. Verify Employment and Income

Assess a prospect's employment and income to confirm they can cover monthly lease payments. Don't just take their word for it. Validate with bank statements, pay stubs, or tax returns.

If feasible, contact the person's employer to verify claims about their pay. In some cases, the tenant might need more support to get clarity. For a good cross-check, compare income claims against the industry average for the person's job type.

3. Perform a Thorough Credit Check

Evaluate if the tenant can handle the lease payment and other monthly bills by checking their credit. Remember to verify the tenant has checked the “OK” box to consent to a comprehensive credit report. Check their credit scores from the three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and calculate the debt-to-income ratios.

Negative information may only show on one bureau’s report. Hence, one of the best practices for screening reliable tenants is to invest the time in reviewing all three bureau credit reports to capture the full picture. Look for patterns of rent defaults or chronic late payments. Use this information to decide on the applicant's risk level.

4. Review References and Rental History

Follow up on the landlord and reference contacts to determine the tenant’s reliability. Tenants can give false references, so invest the time to contact them. A situation may also warrant further verifying the contacts using property records and other information to ensure they are legitimate references. Ask about payment history, the number of late payments, and any evictions carried out.

Request information on the individual’s upkeep of their former unit and whether they caused any damage or left it in poor shape when they moved out. Check notes the tenant gave on their application against feedback from the references. Ask former landlords how long the tenant lived in their rental. Their responses shouldn't be much different than the tenant's application.

5. Evaluate the Background Check

When using the best practices for screening reliable tenants, it's crucial for tenant security and the property's safety to run a thorough background check. Use a service that can run comprehensive screens for criminal backgrounds. Verify that the prospective tenant has no court-related or active legal issues, like multiple or open bankruptcies.

Some situations are subjective, so consider the timeline for negative events or past offenses to decide whether they are still relevant. Consider the context of past incidents and how the tenant ultimately resolved them. Assess information from the background check with other sections of the tenant’s application.

6. Meet Prospective Tenants In Person

Set up a time to talk with tenants in person to gauge their commitment and character. Review the lease application together and ask additional questions to clarify or cross-check. Ask about the individual’s future plans to ensure they fit within the property guidelines.

Topics can include guest frequency and number of overnight guests. Don't forget about potential pets and lifestyle or work/school schedule. Ensure their activities fit within the property’s rules and noise levels. Observe the tenant’s overall demeanor and communication skills. Use this opportunity to address any application-related concerns or issues. Clear up issues that could affect their ability to keep within the terms of the rental or lease agreement.

7. Assess Tenant Compatibility

Consider how an applicant and their lifestyle fit within the property and community. Find out about the individual’s typical daily routines, habits, or hobbies. They might not give an honest answer, but it's worth asking if their behaviors have disturbed other tenants before. Offending habits include smoking on the unit's patio or loud, late-night electric guitar practice.

If the tenant has a pet, learn more about the animal's size and type. Consider having a pet interview to assess the animal's behavior and temperament to ensure it can coexist with the community. Include an addendum to the lease contract outlining pet owners' responsibilities. The individual is required to acknowledge this by signing the document.

Check social media sites to confirm consistency between the tenant’s application and their online persona. Look for any signs of risky or irresponsible behavior. However, social media activity should be a secondary source to support the other information gathered in the application and in-person interview. This process should allow for a good assessment of the tenant’s ability to respect shared spaces and achieve long-term compatibility with other residents.

8. Review the Tenant’s Property Maintenance History

Knowing how a tenant has maintained their previously rented properties is an essential best practice for screening reliable tenants to protect the value of the property investment. Ask tenants to provide evidence of how they maintained their previous unit. Confirm that the tenant can handle minor fixes and property upkeep.

The individual might talk about maintenance or repairs they performed at previous rentals. Ask for photos or a reference contact for verification. Evaluate the tenant’s ability and desire to proactively report maintenance issues. Less desirable tenants might let things go unaddressed or do a DIY fix themselves. For bigger issues like smoke damage cleanup process, professional service is warranted.

9. Assess Responsiveness and Communication

Good tenants typically communicate effectively and respond in a timely manner. During the application process, see if the tenant shares information. Try various channels such as phone or email. Consider the speed of their responses. Ask about their preferred ways of staying in touch. Assess how well the individual handles follow-up requests and in-depth questions.

10. Evaluate Long-Term Commitment Potential

In some cases, tenants may reveal clues about whether they're a possible long-term rental candidate. An easy "tell" is how long the person lived at previous rental properties. Inquire about their plans, such as whether they intend to remain in the area long-term due to a job nearby or younger children attending school. These life stages can motivate them to settle in the property longer.

Ask if the tenants have strong local ties, such as family. Compiling this information can give clues as to whether the tenant’s goals align with stability and a long-term stay. During the tenant interview, consider various lease renewal scenarios that may encourage quality tenants to stay on a long-term rental basis.

11. Review the Lease Terms Thoroughly

Start tenant relationships on the right foot by setting clear expectations from the first meeting. Work through a detailed review of the lease terms and legal responsibilities of the lease contract with the prospective lessee. Ensure the rental package includes detailed documents that outline the responsibilities of both tenant and landlord.

Best practices for screening reliable tenants include explaining essential rules and guidelines to the tenant regarding late payments, maintenance and repairs, and pet policies. Before signing, confirm that the tenant understands all the contract’s legal terms and is comfortable with each condition outlined in the document.

Invest in Finding Reliable Tenants

Sifting through rental applications to find reliable, quality tenants is not a perfect science. It takes several steps to collect data, some additional detective work, and perhaps a little intuition. When it comes to keeping properties in good repair to attract reliable tenants, landlords may be looking for "vent cleaning services near me" to ensure good indoor air quality and rental properties free of allergens, residual smoke, or mold. Look no further than the skilled professionals at SERVPRO®. Let our expert services become one of your best practices when maintaining valuable property investments. Contact us today!

Ways to Improve Tenant Communication Channels

3/25/2025 (Permalink)

Tenant talking to his landlord

Ways to Improve Tenant Communication Channels

Good communication allows tenants to feel good about where they live. For landlords and property owners, it can be easy to lose sight that the units you maintain are "home" to your tenants. For tenants, the idea of a "ghost" landlord who simply collects rent checks has become all too common. When landlords are absent or uncommunicative, this creates the impression that they don't care. Implementing some practices for communication between landlord and tenant can change the atmosphere. These seven tips for improving tenant communication channels show you where to start.

1. Have Standard Response Times for Queries and Emergencies

Don't disappear when tenants need you most! Unresponsiveness on the part of a landlord is one of the biggest sources of stress for tenants. Nobody wants to live with uncertainty when dealing with maintenance issues or needed repairs. It's important to respond promptly when tenants reach out for help. Consider having a dedicated email address or telephone line for maintenance emergencies. In addition, you should guarantee that all calls will be answered within a certain timeframe.

Don't forget to follow up after an issue is resolved. Reach out to tenants directly after maintenance requests have been fulfilled to ask if they're satisfied with the results. This should also be done whenever a tenant makes a complaint or request of any kind. It is powerful when tenants feel like landlords care about the outcome.

2. Use Multiple Communication Channels

This is especially important if you oversee a large rental complex. People have different preferences when it comes to how they communicate. When new tenants get welcome packets, they should include contact information that covers all common modes of communication. This includes phone, email, and written correspondence. When you need to share information with tenants, make sure you're broadcasting it through both email and SMS messages to boost visibility. High-priority items and official documents that require action on the part of the tenant should also be delivered as letters to tenant doors or mailboxes.

3. Do an Annual Tenant Survey

Asking tenants for feedback is an incredible way to help them feel valued. Create an annual survey that gauges tenant satisfaction based on multiple factors. Be sure to ask them to rate how they feel about your current approach to communication between landlords and tenants. While you may be putting effort into being communicative, a survey can reveal where tenants feel there's room for improvement.

4. Use Property Management Software

Is your communication with tenants struggling because you feel overwhelmed when managing requests or getting back to clients? Look into all-in-one property management software that lets you manage rent collection and tenant screening on the same platform that manages your messaging. Many newer software products for landlords allow you to send mass emails and text messages to your tenant list. In addition, many utilize chat features or automated response messages to ensure that tenant messages never get ignored when you're not in the office. The major benefit of using integrated property management software to communicate with clients is that you won't manually manage email or text lists.

5. Have Dedicated Office Hours

Don't make tenants run around trying to get five minutes of your time. Like most professionals, landlords and property managers should have official office hours. During these designated hours, tenants should be permitted to visit on a walk-in basis to discuss issues. Of course, priority can be given to tenants who book appointments during this window. When tenants are always met with a locked door when they attempt to visit with their landlord to bring up concerns or make requests, it can feel like the landlord is hiding from them. By making yourself available during office hours, you are showing tenants that you are a professional who proudly stands behind how an apartment complex operates.

6. Don't Hide Problems

Improving tenant communication channels can also be done by simply being honest with your tenants. Unfortunately, many renters today have trust issues regarding landlords because they've been taken advantage of in the past. It's common for renters to feel like landlords and property managers cut corners regarding maintenance and safety. To ensure that tenants feel valued, take the approach of fixing problems as soon as possible instead of trying to conceal them. Be transparent about the fact that the age or condition of a building creates the need for ongoing repairs or mitigation to ensure that all units are safe and livable. Every landlord should know how to repair smoke damage, manage water leaks and mold, and address critter infestations.

7. Create a Newsletter

Monthly or quarterly newsletters help to build a sense of community for tenants. They also provide landlords with a way to showcase happenings and improvements that are taking place around the complex. This can also be a friendly way to share changes in policy or procedural updates that impact tenants. As rental prices increase in most places around the country, newsletters also help tenants to see where their money is going. For example, a newsletter can be a place where a landlord shares improvements or upgrades that enhance the quality of life for tenants. This can include everything from newly paved walkways to updated washers and dryers in the laundry area.

Tenant Satisfaction Starts With Good Communication

Improving tenant communication channels doesn't have to start with a big gesture. Imagine how happy your tenants would be just to get an email letting them know that you're taking steps to improve indoor air quality in their units using professional duct cleaning. At SERVPRO®, we've helped landlords and property managers create safe homes for their tenants for decades. Contact us today to make sure maintenance issues don't stand in the way of a positive relationship between you and your tenants.

Innovative Tenant Retention Programs for 2025

2/11/2025 (Permalink)

Tenants receiving home keys

Innovative Tenant Retention Programs for 2025

Tenant expectations have evolved and increased in 2025, requiring rental property owners to stay ahead by offering innovative and creative solutions. From smart home technology to sustainability and flexible leases, modern tenants seek additional amenities and a stronger sense of community.

Tenant-retention programs that offer these features and more will increase the chance of fostering tenant satisfaction and lead to long-term occupancy. Property managers and HOAs can strategically implement these moves to make their residential communities stand out in a competitive rental market.

Integrate Smart Home Tech

Many tenants use technology to make their living experience more comfortable. In 2025, landlords offering cutting-edge smart technology features in properties can benefit from this essential and effective way to retain tenants. In addition to enhancing tenants' comfort, energy-efficient solutions can reduce utility bills and save time with app-based monitoring capabilities.

Enhance rental units by installing voice-activated devices such as lighting fixtures and smart thermostats. Add video doorbells and upgraded smart locks to increase tenant security.

To increase tenant engagement, HOAs can host workshops that teach tenants how to get the most out of these innovative technologies. Additionally, consider working with local providers to get discounted smart home equipment and tenant installation services.

Provide Loyalty Incentives and Rewards

One of the innovative tenant retention programs 2025 is ushering in is reminiscent of retail loyalty programs. Encourage tenants to stay long-term by rewarding them for loyalty in meaningful ways. Introduce a system where tenants accrue points for paying their rent on time or providing referrals for new tenants.

Offer points-based rewards such as additional amenities or better parking perks. Provide valued tenants with tiered discounts on their rent or fee discounts based on their length of stay. Recognize tenants by providing them with discount vouchers or gift cards for milestones such as their rental anniversary.

Treat Pets Like Family

Creating a welcoming environment for tenants' furry family members is a growing trend and can improve tenant retention and satisfaction. Build designated dog park areas or dedicated green spaces for pet exercise. Additionally, consider adding pet washing stations or areas and offering pet grooming services through local providers.

Establish clear and reasonable policies for pet behavior and clean-up to ensure tenants and pets can live in harmony. Install waste-bag dispensers and garbage cans in strategic areas. When boosting resident engagement in your HOA, consider hosting community pet-training classes and adoption events.

Increase the Focus on Sustainability

As tenants become more environmentally and sustainability-focused, relevant amenities can attract them while reducing energy usage and related costs. Innovative tenant retention programs in 2025 can include amenities that focus on facilitating sustainable practices, such as providing compost bins and recycling stations.

Transition rental units to renewable energy sources, such as solar panels.

Incorporate native plants and sustainable landscaping into the property and provide tenants with community gardens or green spaces. Work with local partners to offer discounts to tenants who use eco-friendly methods for daily transportation. Encourage sustainable living practices through educational workshops and community sessions.

Offer Flexible Leases

Adapting leases to meet tenants’ diverse living arrangements can encourage loyalty and reduce turnover. Offer short-term, month-to-month, and co-living arrangements. Use simplified applications and digital tools to make the leasing process easier and more streamlined. Provide flexibility on move-in and move-out dates and allow tenants the option to transfer their existing rental leases.

To encourage lease renewals, offer discounts for early lease renewal signings. Entice tenants further by providing options to customize units, like choosing fixtures and wall colors.

Focus on Emergency Preparedness

Offering comprehensive safety measures and resources will provide tenants with peace of mind. Upon move-in, provide literature containing emergency evacuation plans and relevant resources. Educate new and existing tenants on the property's emergency procedures and local emergency contact points.

Provide fire safety equipment and run annual training sessions. Install secure areas or storm shelters in areas that experience extreme weather for tenant protection. Provide access to 24/7 emergency repair services for emergencies in tenant units, such as critical plumbing issues.

Provide Personalized Tenant Care

A personalized approach to support tenants can create a more satisfying resident experience. Innovative tenant retention programs 2025 involve using software tools to keep track of tenant concerns and preferences. Use this data to send personalized messages for holidays, birthdays, or anniversaries. Assign property managers to care for specific tenants and provide tailored support programs.

Respond promptly to tenant requests for maintenance and provide transparent repair completion timelines. After providing services, conduct follow-up visits to ensure tenants are satisfied with the maintenance work's outcome.

Add Co-Living and Shared Community Spaces

Appeal to tenants who embrace the shared economy trend and facilitate co-living by offering cost-effective, community-centered rental options. Designate specific units or homes for co-living arrangements. Enhance the experience for tenants by providing shared spaces like community kitchens, co-working areas, or language study programs.

Introduce a program to “borrow and share” items such as bicycles, tools or outdoor equipment. Work with tenants to develop programs for community-shared childcare or carpooling. Consider facilitating communal purchases for groceries, subscription services, or utilities.

Make the Property EV-Friendly

As more people adopt electric vehicles, accommodating tenants who own EVs can set the community apart. Support the move to make EVs mainstream by providing tenants with resources that cover government incentives and grants for electric vehicle purchases.

Offer discounts on parking spots for tenants that drive EVs and install EV charging stations for easy availability throughout the neighborhood or complex. Host community workshops that discuss transitioning to electric vehicles and work with automakers to provide exclusive tenant-only discounts on EV purchases.

Attract Digital Nomads

Adding features that attract digital nomads can provide access to a new and rapidly growing tenant demographic. Offer fully furnished rental units with flexible lease terms. Provide lockable storage options for tenants who frequently travel.

Ensure the community has seamless Wi-Fi coverage throughout so tenants can work anywhere. Partner with travel and co-working organizations to provide useful tenant perks. To attract an international tenant base, offer language classes and relevant cultural events.

Go Beyond "A Place to Live"

Tenant retention in 2025 is about creating a future-ready, comfortable, and engaging environment. Property owners and HOA management can enhance tenant relationships and cut turnover by integrating features like flexible leases, co-working spaces, and sustainability initiatives.

Providing tenants with a healthy and safe living environment is essential. Successfully addressing maintenance requests and issues such as poor ventilation or a mold problem can significantly enhance tenant satisfaction. Ensuring responsiveness and prompt repairs builds trust and increases long-term commitment. Let the professionals at SERVPRO® handle mold issues, water damage, and related problems with the quality tenants appreciate and expect. Contact us today to see how we can help.

Creative Ways to Handle Common Property Management Challenges

12/27/2024 (Permalink)

Magnifying glass and houses

Creative Ways to Handle Common Property Management Challenges

Managing properties has many challenges, from minor maintenance issues to emergencies causing significant damage. The right strategies and a creative approach can make a substantial difference in handling issues to ensure smooth operations and satisfied tenants.

To excel, property managers must go beyond standard methods of handling common challenges. Innovative strategies, proactive approaches, and emerging technology can help solve problems while maintaining and increasing the value of rental properties.

Preventative Plumbing Maintenance

When handling common property management challenges, plumbing issues are common in rental properties and can quickly escalate, causing significant and costly damage. A proactive approach can keep plumbing urgencies at bay. Schedule routine inspections for the property's water heaters, faucets, and pipes. This routine is essential in areas that experience freezing temperatures in winter.

Install smart leak detection sensors to catch water leaks quickly in critical areas like kitchens and bathrooms. Publish helpful content in a monthly newsletter to educate tenants on properly caring for drains. Include tips on which items can go into garbage disposals and drains and what should be avoided to reduce clogs. Create an overall property plumbing maintenance list that addresses seasonal tasks, such as adding insulation to pipes during winter.

Use Chemical-Free Mold Prevention

Mold growth can be a persistent issue, especially in humid weather. However, some proactive and environmentally conscious ideas are relatively low-cost and can prevent mold spores from blooming. Encourage the use of dehumidifiers in high-moisture areas of a home or building to keep the humidity levels low inside. If the property has smart leak detectors, these devices often have continuous humidity readings and provide access via an app.

Ensure that rooms such as basements and kitchens have proper ventilation systems installed to create good airflow. When renovating rooms, choose mold-resistant construction materials and paint with specially formulated mold-resistant properties. Educate tenants on the perils of water damage, such as mold, mildew, and warped or damaged flooring. Encourage them to report damp areas or leaks they discover promptly.

Improve Tenant Communications with Tech

When property managers and tenants do not communicate effectively, this can lead to dissatisfaction and other issues. Fortunately, technology tools can bridge this communication gap. Use a property management app to send out announcements, updates, and requests to tenants. Implement software or use a website with an online portal tenants can use to submit rental payments and make maintenance requests.

Create and send out regular newsletters with home care and safety tips. Include updates on community activities and other happenings. Consider also working with local vendors to provide discounts on goods and services, including coupons in the newsletter. Host virtual town hall meetings to encourage tenant feedback and open community discussions.

Proactively Mitigate Fire Damage

Property managers can minimize the danger and damage from fire hazards by combining innovative safety measures with time-tested standards. For example, they can install updated smart smoke detectors that alert property managers and tenants when they sense smoke or excessive heat.

Use fire-retardant materials when performing renovations or repairs. As part of a move-in package, provide tenants with a guide to fire safety that includes tips for evacuating their unit and exit routes for the complex. Also, identify and communicate safety gathering spots where tenants can wait for assistance. Conduct regular inspections and maintenance on sprinkler systems and fire extinguishers.

Handle Vacancies Creatively

Handling common property management challenges includes dealing with vacancies. However, vacant rental units do not need to remain empty, and some creative uses can generate interest among potential tenants and generate additional income. Consider hosting short-term pop-up art exhibitions or shops in vacant spaces, especially during holidays. Another option is working with local businesses to offer temporary or short-term leases for renters who are traveling professionals.

If the property has furnished vacant units, market these as corporate apartments to appeal to business travelers who may only travel home on weekends. Stage empty units and highlight them through virtual tours and online listings that have immersive features.

Develop Strong Vendor Relationships

Speed and quality work are crucial to managing repairs effectively and maintaining tenant satisfaction during unexpected disasters. To achieve these outcomes, property managers need a reliable vendor network. Emergency restoration services are an essential part of this vendor network, especially for issues like mold remediation, water damage, or fire restoration. Partner with professional services companies specializing in rapid response to protect the property.

Maintain a current directory of vetted contractors and emergency repair service companies. Seek vendors who will negotiate a bulk service contract to reduce the cost of recurring maintenance work. Schedule regular workshops or training to help contractors understand the needs of a specific property.

Low-Maintenance Landscaping Improves Curb Appeal

A property's first impressions matter; well-maintained and landscaped grounds can increase tenant retention and attract new tenants. Install eco-friendly landscaping, such as drought-resistant plants, which reduce water usage and minimize upkeep costs. For more efficient watering, install irrigation systems that operate automatically.

Enhance the property with outdoor seating areas and multi-use spaces like community gardens. In the newsletter, share information on eco-friendly planting tips and water conservation to engage tenants and encourage a sense of community.

Upgrade After Damage or Disaster

Turn disaster recovery into an upgrade opportunity. Restoring property does not always mean simply replacing the previous features; in many cases, it can become a chance to improve the space. For example, during a restoration, take advantage of the opportunity to install newer, more energy-efficient fixtures.

During interior renovations, upgrade to more modern finishes and materials, including flooring and cabinetry. Add features such as water-resistant vinyl flooring for flood-prone rooms or areas. Highlight these improvements and emphasize their safety and resilience as part of the property's marketing efforts.

Use Value-Added Amenities to Reduce Tenant Turnover

Valued tenants remain loyal and happy when a property offers them more than simply a place to live. Consider providing shared resources, such as fitness centers and coworking spaces. Work with local vendors to provide discounted services to tenants, such as HVAC maintenance. Consider periodically adding free services, such as pest control.

Upgrade units with smart home technology, including smart thermostats and smart lighting, for tenant convenience. Host community events, such as movie nights during the summer or seasonal parties.

Creative Solutions Increase Tenant Satisfaction

Effective property management requires attention to detail and practical resources to tackle whatever challenges arise. Preparation is critical, and when you have more complex needs, such as a professional vendor to handle large commercial restoration projects, partnering with expert restoration services protects your investments and reputation. Don’t wait—contact SERVPRO® today to see how we can help restore your property investment.

Planning HOA Community Events on a Budget

10/11/2024 (Permalink)

Connected House Models

Planning HOA Community Events on a Budget

HOA community events help homeowners feel like they are a part of their community and that they’re getting real value out of their HOA fees. Using some of your HOA budget to help foster and build a greater sense of community in your residence with fun, interesting, and engaging HOA community events, you can help attract the right homeowners and retain them for the long term.

The trick is to select affordable events that adhere to your HOA budget and organize these activities without detracting from other critical responsibilities like maintenance, repairs, and improvements.

Here are some of the most effective tips for planning HOA community events on a budget. These tips allow you to unite your community while retaining enough HOA funds to apply to those other essential items.

Consider Low-cost Community Events

HOA community events don't have to be extravagant and costly. In fact, some of the most successful activities don't cost much to offer at all. For example, you can hold events and activities like the following without making much of a dent in your HOA community budget:

1. Community yard sale
2. Charity events like auctions or runs/walks
3. Holiday celebrations
4. Community Garden
5. Outdoor movie nights or concerts
6. Farmer's markets
7. Yoga and fitness classes
8. Cooking competitions

Some of these events can even generate extra funds to pour back into your HOA budget. Others can help generate food for community members to enjoy, which helps them save money on their own budgets. Still, others cost very little to offer beyond initial set-up expenses. And if you find people in the community with talents to put on display, you can hold performances and festivals without needing to pay booking fees to hire talent for the events.

Enlist Volunteers

Speaking of volunteers, encouraging your community members to volunteer to help organize events helps save you the cost of utilizing paid staff or hiring out for those same services. Many of the homeowners in your community might possess some of the very skills and resources you need to set up a particular type of HOA community event.

What's more, many of the tasks in setting up a successful event don't require special skills but rather simply the interest and availability to participate. Therefore, before committing to paying or hiring anyone to help put on a given event, tap into the resources you already possess in the pool of folks most directly impacted by the success of these events: your HOA community members.

Good Planning

The more diligently and further in advance you plan for the community events you offer, the less likely you are to encounter unexpected costs as the event approaches. Last-minute expenses can be some of the costliest in an event budget, so taking the time well enough ahead of time to make sure you'll have everything you need on the day of the event is one of the most effective ways to ensure that the event takes the littlest bite possible out of your HOA budget.

Planning ahead can ensure the largest turnout possible at events and that you don't double-book or schedule events when other attractive alternate events are also taking place elsewhere in the area. Giving yourself enough time to prepare for an event helps get the most people involved and avoids potential challenges. Encouraging community involvement in event planning helps build community cohesion and ensure your events run as smoothly as possible, encouraging further participation in future events that continue to strengthen and build your community.

Take Into Account Community Interests and Considerations

The more members of your community attend the events you organize, the more value those events can provide to your overall community and, therefore, the fewer events you may need to organize to provide such value to your community members.

One way to attract the greatest proportion of your members to attend any event is to solicit suggestions of the types of events your community members would be most interested in participating in and attending. For example, you can take a survey to discover events that would appeal to the largest number of HOA members and give yourself the best chance of attracting a large turnout.

Shop Around

When you need vendors or suppliers to help set up an event and make it run right, you don't have to go with the first ones you find who happen to offer what you want on the date you desire. With extra due diligence, you can economize these costs to keep more of your budget available for other community wants and needs.

Shop around for the best vendors and suppliers at the best prices to serve your needs. Solicit estimates from multiple providers or encourage providers to bid on your project. Conduct your homework to find those providers who offer the greatest value for the lowest cost. Seek referrals from other local HOAs or community members.

Charge a Small Fee

While your HOA community is already paying regular dues for such benefits as community events, there are some events or aspects of events for which people may be willing to pay a small bit extra. For example, if offering child care services during an event can help enable more community members to attend an event, see if the parents in your community, or even your community, will be willing to contribute a small fee to cover those child care costs. The same goes for transportation or promotional costs, to suggest just a couple of others.

Employ Technology

Technology tools can help you plan HOA community events on a budget in several ways. You can use accounting and money-management software to help you budget your events, communication software to help keep all your participants and community members in the loop and participating in the planning and success of the events, and scheduling software to help organize the events at dates and times when the most number of community members will be available to participate.

Health and Safety of Community Spaces

When planning HOA community events on a budget, you need to consider where these events are to take place and ensure that those spaces are clean and safe for people to gather. That includes taking care of any necessary tasks, ranging from remediation of water and mold damage to repairs and reconstruction.

SERVPRO® can help ensure the health and safety of all your community spaces by providing essential amelioration services, including fire, water, and mold remediation and structural reconstruction. Make every HOA community a success, no matter your budget.

Whether it’s certain repairs, improvements, or water damage restoration Arcadia HOA members need to hold successful, affordable events, and SERVPRO can help. So, contact us today and start fostering a greater sense of community in your HOA.

Effective Marketing Strategies for Property Managers

9/19/2024 (Permalink)

Computer with Graphics | Effective Marketing Strategies for Property Managers

Effective Marketing Strategies for Property Managers

Your expertise could turn empty storage space into a thriving apartment complex. Unfortunately, Google tends to bury your site at the bottom of the results, and you're struggling to break 5,000 Instagram followers. Try these effective marketing strategies for property managers to reach clients and add more success stories to your portfolio.

Answer Frequently Asked Questions

A frequently asked questions (FAQ) page answers your most common questions so that visitors don't have to send an email and wait for a response, giving them plenty of time to reconsider their purchase in the meantime. Instead, they find answers within minutes and take the next step toward discussing a partnership.

Review your call logs, social media profiles, and chat history to find your most frequently asked questions. Then, assemble the questions and answers on a FAQ page. Add a reminder that customers can reach out to you if they don't find the answer. Serious buyers may have personalized queries that require a discovery call.

This also gives you a bite-size post for your content calendar. Periodically, highlight one of your FAQs on social media to provide insight into your operations.

Reduce Website Clicks

Grab a stopwatch and see how long it takes to perform essential actions on your website. These may include signing up for an account, logging in, finding your FAQ, learning about services, and finding contact information. Once you're done, ask yourself how you can reduce clicks to make your site clean, accessible, and convenient.

For example, do visitors have to click a drop-down box to find your "Services" page? Eliminate a click by linking that page directly in your header. Remove non-essential text that clutters your site, and delete pages that don't benefit the user. Every element on your site should have a clear, distinct purpose, making visitors linger as long as possible.

Make Yourself Easy to Reach

Sometimes, a purchase is a split-second decision. Your website needs to hurry the customer through the sale before they have time to change their mind.

One of the easiest and most effective marketing strategies for property managers is spotlighting their contact information. Clients don't have to dig through forms or talk to a chatbot for ten minutes. They simply call the number listed at the top of every page.

Browse your website and social media profiles, and ask yourself how you'd reach your company if you were a client. Is your contact information clear and easy to find, or do you have to search for help? How long does it take to receive a human response? A few seconds means the difference between a sale and a loss.

Host a Blog

Why are you reading about marketing on a cleanup and restoration business's website, anyway? Our site doesn't just sell our services--we support the community with insightful blog posts that draw traffic from all around the web. You can multiply your conversions when you start uploading your library of entertaining, introspective, and educational articles.

Most of your posts should relate to your industry to help you close sales. After all, a recipe won't inspire you to buy insurance or lumber--but if you find a delicious soup recipe on a cookware website, you might decide to order new utensils to go with your meal.

This blog offers effective marketing strategies for property managers, who are some of our clients. Think about your customer base and what they need to know. What are their pain points? What do their Google searches look like? How can they get the most out of your service?

Popular topics include:

1. Community news
2. How-to guides
3. Tips and tricks
4. Industry updates
5. Interviews

Before logging into ChatGPT and generating a few articles, consider writing your posts or hiring a freelancer. It's more work, but AI-generated content has a distinctly artificial voice that people can detect without software. Real writers have a genuine human touch and understand your audience in a way that machines can't.

Offer Gifts

A potential client stops by the bank and sees a tray of mints wrapped in plastic bags with your business card attached. They grab a bag of mints and think fondly of your company as they enjoy a treat. Later, since they already have your business card, they decided to call you to discuss their property situation.

When you offer gifts, people reward your generosity. Visit local institutions, such as banks, libraries, stores, bakeries, and parks, and ask if you can leave free branded items on the front desk. These might include pens, stickers, magnets, notepads, coasters, or bagged sweets. You'll reach people you never would've met in person.

For more reputation management, learn how to navigate tenant/manager relations in crises, such as water-related damage.

Optimize Your Website

What would you type into the Google search bar if you were looking for a property manager? You might search for "property manager near me" or "large property management company." Websites with those keywords rank higher in the Google search results, increasing those companies' leads.

You can perform some quick keyword research now by typing "property manager" or "property management" into Google and reading the predictions that appear. Search engine optimization (SEO) experts have special tools for performing intensive research and incorporating the top keywords into your site. Periodically, they might refresh your content to reflect the current trends.

Attend Community Events

Check the local calendar for concerts, fairs, festivals, and conventions where you can advertise your services. Once you've secured a space, you can greet customers at your booth, hand out flyers and business cards, offer branded gifts, and discuss first-time discounts.

You'll also get the chance to network with fellow businesses and take pictures to share on social media. Show your neighborhood that you're an active community leader who truly understands its needs.

Maintain a Clean, Safe Facility

Property owners and tenants rely on you to handle building damage. In emergencies, the units might be unlivable until the restoration team arrives. SERVPRO® operates 24 hours a day to remove mold and restore units after fire, water, or storm damage, including weekends and holidays.

Our services include:

1. Disaster response
2. Mold Remediation
3. Carpet and furniture cleaning
4. Structural drying
5. Sewage removal
6. Odor elimination
7. Fire and smoke restoration

We start with a damage assessment, then take steps to prevent further damage and discuss the recovery process. Our team undergoes rigorous training to ensure that we comply with Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) standards.

Call SERVPRO for 24/7 hour emergency service, or request assistance online.

Commercial Real Estate Technology Trends

6/6/2024 (Permalink)

Commercial Real Estate Tech

Commercial real estate has been on a wild ride in recent years. Following lockdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies transitioned to work-from-home to protect employees and the public.

While this trend was initially a short-term solution to a novel concern, the work-from-home movement only picked up steam, causing some companies to continue offering work-from-home options. In fact, some businesses completely reworked their plans and permanently transitioned to fully or partially remote staff.

If you’re in the commercial real estate industry, you’ve undoubtedly kept up with these changes and may wonder what’s next. We’ve put together some research to look into how technology is changing the face of commercial real estate, and we’re happy to share with you some of the latest commercial real estate technology trends to keep an eye on.

Every property management organization is different, and there’s no way to know exactly what the economy will do in the future. Still, the following trends are based on current events and emerging changes. You’re encouraged to research commercial real estate trends in your location, as real estate can be hyper-local.

Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools, is quickly becoming a hot topic and one of the latest commercial real estate technology trends. It monitors maintenance tasks and properties in real-time, updating property managers about maintenance needs.

Traditional property maintenance relies on a similar system, but AI-powered tools can adjust maintenance schedules based on variables. For example, in a traditional setup, a property will have a maintenance schedule for light bulb changes. This schedule may dictate that light bulbs must be changed every six months in certain areas.

A property that utilizes predictive maintenance tools can have the same schedule, but these tools can alter the schedule based on events happening around the property. If a bad storm causes a power surge at a commercial property, the predictive maintenance software can notate this and use real-time data to alter the maintenance schedule. Because light bulbs may be adversely affected after a power surge, the software may alter the schedule for changing light bulbs to have them changed sooner.

Another example may be where nearby construction has caused a water mitigation issue that changes the dynamics of property maintenance. These variables could be entered into the predictive maintenance software, which will factor them into the current plan. The AI may then temporarily alter the current maintenance plan to account for the changes in moisture levels and then dynamically alter the maintenance plan once the issue has been resolved.

Market Analysis Tools

Real estate owners in the commercial real estate sector also use software to monitor market dynamics and make data-driven, informed decisions. Because of the hyper-local nature of the commercial real estate industry, it’s vital to stay on top of trends in your area and keep up with what your market is doing. Monitoring trends via software and online applications has become more important in order to remain nimble in a changing market.

This can be even more helpful if you’re an investor in commercial real estate. Valuations change constantly, and population fluctuations and other factors can turn a once-thriving commercial real estate market into a ghost town and vice versa. Using analytics software to keep track of market trends can be an advantage for commercial real estate investors.

Commercial property managers also employ so-called “property intelligence” analytics to get a more in-depth look at properties. Property intelligence software is designed to aggregate all kinds of data points about a property or collection of properties to provide insights to owners and managers.

These insights save time over manual review but can also be incredibly useful when managing several different properties. The software aggregates data and can then offer recommendations for overcoming challenges, making improvements, and managing cash flow.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies have been in consumers' hands for about a decade but have mostly been used for gaming and entertainment. Although efforts have been made to bring VR into the workplace, it’s been challenging to find use cases where these technologies can really make an impact.

However, VR and AR have become hot trends in commercial real estate. Commercial real estate brokers and agents are using VR to provide virtual tours of available office space, allowing potential buyers and tenants to see and experience available properties.

This commercial real estate trend really took root during the COVID-19 pandemic, as face-to-face meetings were deemed unsafe. Still, as more workers and investors have spread out across the country, the need to be able to offer virtual tours has become more important than ever.

Additionally, using augmented reality technologies in the office sector allows professionals to work in interactive environments where people can collaborate using virtual objects. Augmented reality involves special glasses that overlay interactive digital objects across the user’s view. The user can manipulate these objects, and in group settings, multiple people using AR glasses can work together to manipulate objects in the same room.

Enhanced Security

Security technology is another hot topic among commercial real estate trends. Security at commercial properties is vital since commercial properties can encompass businesses that deal with sensitive data and living areas for tenants renting apartments or condos.

To add to the challenge of ensuring security at a commercial property, employees, customers, vendors, delivery professionals, and others often enter and exit these spaces during the day. With all this traffic, protecting commercial properties with appropriate security measures makes sense.

Although key card and PIN code systems have been in place at many commercial properties for decades, the smartphone era is changing how commercial property managers secure entryways. Some commercial properties have used security systems that rely on facial recognition and communication with mobile devices to allow access to properties.

Modern security systems can either automatically activate when an approved device is within a certain distance of a door or when the user scans a QR code displayed on the device’s screen.

AI also appears here, and AI security systems are being used increasingly among commercial properties. These systems employ the aforementioned facial recognition, but they can also spot weapons under clothing items or note suspicious packages that have been left unattended for long periods of time. These security measures can be very useful when managing a large commercial property in busy business areas of crowded cities and downtown areas.

Tenant Portals

When managing a commercial property, you will likely deal with many tenants. Whether you manage apartments and condos or office buildings, communicating with tenants and offering a way for them to contact you and your management staff is important for several reasons. Solid communication can increase tenant satisfaction with their experience at your property, and issues can be resolved faster when you communicate efficiently.

Commercial property managers are increasingly relying on tenant portals to facilitate better communication. These are online spaces where tenants can log into an account and manage their experience with your property and staff using a computer or mobile device.

Tenant portals often feature the ability to pay rent online, report problems to management, receive notifications from your office, and chat with your team members or an AI chatbot in real time. Another benefit of tenant portals is that one portal can be set up for your company to use across multiple properties. Each tenant gains access to a personalized account. Still, you and your team can access the system's back end to communicate with and manage relationships with tenants across all of the properties you represent.

What Does the Future Hold?

When looking at the future of commercial real estate technology trends, Internet-connected tech will likely continue to play a large part in the everyday lives of property owners and managers. These technologies offer convenience and security but provide access to software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications via the web. SaaS technology allows commercial property managers to greatly expand their access to software that can be used to manage people and properties more effectively.

Additionally, hardware technology innovations and upgrades will likely play large roles in managing commercial properties. For example, commercial property managers use drone technology more often to inspect existing properties and scout locations for potential new construction or investment.

From a vantage point in the sky, drones can take high-definition pictures and videos that offer a unique perspective on potential development opportunities. Property managers can also use drone technology to inspect for maintenance and repair needs at properties that contain areas that are difficult to access on foot or land vehicles.

Contact SERVPRO® for Solutions to Commercial Property Maintenance Challenges

SERVPRO of Arcadia provides real estate professionals and commercial property managers with solutions to restoration challenges. We’re always on top of the latest technology. We're your partner when you need experts to provide restoration and cleanup services in and around commercial properties throughout Southern California.

Finding and Keeping Quality Commercial Tenants

5/13/2024 (Permalink)

How to Find Commercial Tenants

Your ability to find quality commercial tenants can greatly impact your success as a commercial property owner. The truth is that commercial landlords and business owners who need office or retail spaces have symbiotic relationships. When everything goes smoothly, your tenants pay rent on time and follow all lease rules while enjoying the square footage they need to run their businesses successfully. However, bringing in the wrong tenants can lead to constant turmoil. What's the secret to finding great tenants for your commercial building? This list outlines the keys to attracting high-quality tenants without letting potential tenant selection take over your life!

1. Create Compelling Online Listings

One of the best ways to ensure that you can find quality tenants is to attract a large selection of tenants. This is done through a compelling, informative listing. Make sure your listing is shared on popular commercial property websites that allow potential tenants to filter searches by location, square footage, price by square footage, and other important details. Examples of these websites include Property Shark and Loopnet. Details to place in your listing include:

1. Accurate information about square footage.
2. Crisp, clear photographs of the full property.
3. Suggestions for businesses that would fit into your commercial space perfectly.
4. Details about neighboring or adjacent businesses.
5. Any special features.

2. Ask for Referrals From Existing Tenants

If you have current commercial tenants, consider mining for referrals. It's common for business owners to be connected with other business owners. Contact your tenants to ask if they know anyone currently looking for a commercial or retail space. Consider offering a referral discount. If you're a first-time commercial property owner, attending local networking events can be a way to gather leads and referrals.

3. Invest in Luxury Signage

A single sign can go a long way in attracting high-quality commercial tenants. If your property is visible from the street, have a large custom sign showcasing the address, building name, and contact information for leasing. Who will want to move their business into space more than someone who drives that route daily?

4. Invest in Landscaping

When renting out a commercial space, how you present your property to the world is how your tenants present their businesses to the world. The best way to attract tenants is to provide them with a high-quality space they proudly call their operational headquarters. An easy way to make a property impressive is through professional landscaping that creates an elegant, elite aesthetic. If this is a newly acquired property, consider bringing in landscapers to help you plan a green scheme that can keep your property looking lush and manicured throughout the seasons.

5. Address Any Red Flags on Your Commercial Property

It's so important to remember that tenants for your commercial property are also screening you and your building during the leasing process. If you want to attract reliable tenants for the long term, providing a safe, attractive setting is critical. Here's a look at the red flags to fix before they cause quality tenants to go elsewhere:

1. Crumbling or broken pavement in parking lots or walkways is unsightly and poses trip-and-fall hazards for tenants, their employees, and their clients.
2. There may be visible mold or water damage inside the property. Before showing it, bring a mold damage company to remediate the issue.
3. Windows and doors that are not secure.
4. Outdated flooring, paint, wallpapers, and fixtures.
5. Clear code violations.
6. Junk, clutter, or items that previous tenants left behind.

6. Modernize Your Internet

While this may seem simple, equipping your building with high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi can be a great way to attract serious businesses to your property. Make this a selling point that is featured in all listings!

7. Offer Leases Options That Grow With a Business

The truth is that it can take time to predict the needs of a business. By offering flexible lease terms that can grow with a tenant's needs, you may be able to build a lasting relationship with a high-quality tenant on the rise! Unlike residential leases that are generally 12 months long, commercial leases can last anywhere from six months to five years. Some tenants may appreciate shorter leases that allow them to launch a new location. More established businesses may prefer the cost savings of locking in a long-term rental for a discount. You may attract a wide range of tenants by advertising that you're open to flexible leases.

8. Prioritize Tenant Retention

One way to ensure that you always have reliable tenants is to do everything possible to keep them paying their rent on time every month. Consider launching a retention initiative to please current tenants while showcasing your commitment to providing a quality space to future tenants. Some ideas include:

1. Conduct an annual survey of tenant satisfaction. If there are any noticeable trends in dissatisfaction, address complaints.
2. Offer competitive rates or rate lock-in offers for lease renewals.
3. Host "tenant appreciation" events, including catered lunches, food trucks, gift cards, and other fun perks.
4. Keep the property beautifully maintained.

9. Hire a Commercial Real Estate Broker

If you're overwhelmed by filling your commercial vacancies, you can hire a commercial real estate broker to help you find quality commercial tenants. Commercial real estate brokers are experts in showcasing properties, managing listings, interviewing potential tenants, conducting background checks, and getting lease agreements signed. By freeing up your mental and physical energy, you'll have more time to work on keeping your commercial property maintained instead of shuffling through lease applications.

It All Starts With a Quality Property

Ultimately, you won't find quality commercial tenants if tenants don't find quality when they tour your property. How confident are you that your commercial investment property is safe and attractive enough to begin welcoming new tenants? Remember that damage from flooding, storms, aging, and wear and tear can cause aesthetic, safety, health, and legal issues for a commercial landlord if issues are ignored. Don't wait for tenants to be angry! Get your property ready with residential restoration services in Arcadia, California.

Property Managers’ Guide to Attracting Reliable Renters

4/29/2024 (Permalink)

Attracting Reliable Renters

Finding reliable renters can be one of the most difficult aspects of owning an investment property. The truth is that finding good tenants can dramatically impact your experience as a landlord. It can also impact your ability to make your investment profitable. A quality tenant is someone you can rely on to:

1. Consistently pay the full rent on time every month.
2. Treat your property with respect.
3. Follow all rules for conduct on the property.
4. Honor your lease agreement.
5. Communicate maintenance problems with you.

The good news is that there are countless high-quality renters out there looking for a safe, comfortable place to call home. Knowing a few tips for finding and screening potential tenants for your rental listing can help keep everyone involved happy! Here are some tips for getting the right potential tenants.

Start With an Understanding of Rental Laws

As a landlord, one of your most important responsibilities is avoiding any form of discrimination in tenant selection. The Fair Housing Act prohibits all landlords from discriminating against tenants based on race, skin color, sex, nationality, religion, disability, or family status. Even the appearance of discrimination can be enough to land a landlord in hot water.

Set Firm Tenant Criteria

One of the biggest mistakes a landlord can make is to not create a profile for an ideal tenant. Without a benchmark, knowing how to measure each candidate can be hard. Here's a look at some basic criteria to consider:

1. Income Requirement: This will be specific to your renting property. Generally, landlords prefer tenants with monthly incomes two to three times the monthly rent. Landlords in high-cost-of-living areas may need to lower income criteria to account for higher rents.
2. Credit Score: Some landlords will look at a tenant's credit score to determine if they are a reliable fit. A credit score offers a window into a tenant's financial behaviors. Someone with a low credit score may have a history of failing to pay bills on time. Meanwhile, a high credit score showcases a tenant's reliability in paying bills.
3. Eviction History: Ideally, a tenant won't have a history of being evicted for conduct issues or nonpayment of rent.
4. Prior Felonies or Criminal Behavior: Can you refuse to rent an apartment or home to someone just because they have a felony or criminal background? This is a complicated aspect of landlord laws. In most states, denying housing to an individual strictly based on their criminal record can be seen as a form of discrimination. However, landlords can use their discretion when it comes to criminal behavior that could raise safety concerns. If you have any questions about housing laws when vetting potential renters, it's always wise to consult with a local attorney familiar with state and federal laws.
5. References: Consider asking for a reference from a previous landlord.

Finally, always list the security deposit on any advertisements or posts you use to attract tenants. The size of the security deposit is an important factor in screening tenants. If a tenant cannot come up with the required security deposit, this can indicate that the property is out of their financial reach. Situations where tenants stretch their budget to get into an apartment can be stressful for tenants and landlords.

Create a Clear Rental Application

Don't rely on verbal agreements when dealing with tenants! Always insist that filling out a rental application is the first step. Rental applications are important because they provide a way to collect essential personal information about prospective tenants. If you're interested in a property, neat and organized applications will allow you to reference applicant information when applicants contact you to follow up. A very basic rental application should have the following:

1. The full legal name of the applicant.
2. The full legal names of any co-applicants.
3. Contact information for the applicant.
4. Driver's license numbers.
5. Job title and location.
6. The applicant's Social Security number.
7. Current and previous addresses.
8. Income sources.
9. Monthly income.
10. Names and ages of any children who will be living in the rental.
11. Personal or professional references.

If your rental allows pets, provide a section where tenants can list all pets by type and breed. Many landlords choose to charge a nonrefundable application fee. In addition to covering the cost of conducting a background check, this fee ensures that only serious tenants apply. In fact, refusing to pay an application fee can be considered a very useful built-in screening tool!

Don't Skip the Background Check Just Because Someone Appears Reliable

While a lease application can provide first-hand information about a tenant, landlords should always verify application information using background checks. Always inform prospective tenants that you intend to conduct a background check once you have completed the application. Depending on which types of checks you conduct, background checks can reveal the following:

1. Credit score and history.
2. Criminal history.
3. Eviction history.

Most landlords consider a criminal background check the most important aspect of tenant screening. Keep in mind that background screening doesn't just protect your property. It can also protect neighbors and other tenants from harm. A serious criminal background check will scan millions of records to look for matches on state and federal registries.

Market Your Property Properly

The final tip for finding a great tenant is to offer a great property. While there's no doubt that you're eager to find reliable renters you can trust to pay on time every month, it's also important to remember that potential renters are just as eager to find well-maintained, safe properties they can call home for the duration of a lease. Showing off photos of a crisp, sparkling property maintained with care is a great way to attract high-quality renters with your listings!

The period between tenants is a great time to audit your rental property to look for any safety or aesthetic issues that might turn off tenants. Fresh paint, updated appliances, updated flooring, secure locks, and high-quality doors and windows can all give tenants confidence that they will move into a safe, properly updated space. One thing that can send savvy tenants walking in the other direction after touring a property is visible water damage. Unfortunately, landlords don't always have control over water damage. Anything from an irresponsible tenant who left a faucet running to a mechanical issue with the plumbing system can result in serious water damage. When left untreated, that damage can leave a property susceptible to rot and mold. Both landlords and tenants should know that calling a professional immediately for emergency water removal is crucial at the first sign of dripping or pooling water.

Final Thoughts on Finding Reliable Renters

When it comes to finding reliable renters, it truly takes two to tango. Yes, all landlords must conduct the necessary screening and background checks to weed out unreliable or potentially dangerous tenants. However, it's also essential to offer a property of the caliber that good tenants are looking for when they need a safe and attractive place to live. Do you need some help getting your property in shape to be listed? SERVPRO Arcadia offers fast remediation services for landlords in the aftermath of messes, mold, fire damage, and water damage.

Strategies for Improving HOA Board Member Engagement

4/11/2024 (Permalink)

HOA Board Member Engagement

In the evolving landscape of homeowners’ association (HOA) management, effective engagement between residents and the HOA board is essential to building thriving communities. But how can we improve HOA member engagement? By following effective strategies centered around improved communication, information sharing, and other types of relationship-building.

HOA boards can take several approaches to building mutual trust and promoting more active engagement. The following key strategies can elevate HOA community interactions, empowering board members and residents.

Improve and Enhance Communication

Communicating with community residents helps forge relationships with the HOA and, if managed well, creates an environment of trust. Conversely, poor or minimal communication leads to potential frustration, missed opportunities, misunderstandings, low turnouts, and reduced participation in community events and meetings.

Regular emails and a monthly newsletter are some of the easiest ways to keep the lines of communication open and provide valuable information and updates. Adding quality content ensures residents read the emails and do not immediately toss the newsletter. The board can provide updates on existing and upcoming neighborhood projects and issues, and the newsletter can include neighborhood stories of interest, project updates, and a calendar with dates for upcoming meetings.

Furthermore, communities can utilize a secure online forum or a software-based platform dedicated to neighborhood discussions, document sharing, voting, and other important matters.

Consider hosting quarterly or biannual in-person community meetings to encourage face-to-face interactions and allow residents to meet the board members and form relationships.

Be Transparent and Accountable

The type and amount of detail the board communicates make a difference in the quality of engagement it has with residents. When the HOA does not provide and maintain transparent communication, residents distrust the board’s decisions and feel disconnected. For example, when the board needs to increase fees or charge a special assessment, transparent communication that discloses the details is the best way to prevent distrust and resentment towards the HOA board.

Transparency in communication involves promptly sharing information such as meeting minutes, financial reports, budgets, and other relevant data among board members and the community. In certain situations, such as disaster recovery efforts, communication, and information-sharing becomes critical as the HOA and residents work together to repair and restore homes and common areas.

Board members may also establish performance benchmarks or metrics to measure performance and remain accountable to the community. For example, when overseeing coordinated efforts between homeowners and a chosen fire restoration company, the board can use these benchmarks to track progress, ensure accountability, and expedite the restoration services to keep residents informed and satisfied.

Empowerment and Inclusivity

Residents usually feel more motivated to engage when they feel their thoughts matter. Soliciting feedback, ideas, and suggestions is a tried-and-true method for improving HOA member engagement. Residents feel included in decision-making and empowered by having some say in managing their community.

When residents feel excluded from the HOA’s initiatives and decision-making processes, they will not feel that engagement brings benefits. Suggestion boxes and town hall meetings help residents have a voice and feel more included. Brewing problems, such as perceived or actual inconsistencies in HOA rule enforcement, may become known sooner, allowing the HOA and residents to problem-solve before things worsen.

To ensure board members remain engaged in their positions, assigning specific responsibilities or tasks to members based on their expertise, interest, and availability can contribute to a more successful outcome for both the board members and the community.

Training and Education

An essential way to improve engagement is to help residents become more familiar with the HOA’s rules and regulations. Resident-focused workshops and informational sessions can give community members valuable insights about their rights and responsibilities. This strategy can reduce disputes and misunderstandings while increasing understanding of the HOA's guidelines. It can also prevent residents from feeling unfairly penalized for violating unfamiliar rules.

Additionally, training for board members ensures the HOA provides clear direction to new board members regarding their roles and responsibilities. Offer comprehensive workshops or sessions to help familiarize them with the community bylaws and their contributions to managing the community. Offer access to additional resources, such as online courses or targeted webinars as needed, to keep board members updated on topics such as developing legal issues and industry best practices so they can better serve the community.

Provide Recognition and Appreciation

Improving HOA member engagement can include fun activities that make residents feel appreciated and acknowledged. Consider hosting community events using the neighborhood’s clubhouse or other amenities. Holidays provide the perfect reason for an event, such as an annual Easter egg hunt or Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, to build relationships and bring more families out for face-to-face time. Consider giving shout-outs and awards to celebrate residents’ wins and contributions in the community newsletter.

Engagement Starts with Communication

Proactive engagement is essential for creating and maintaining harmonious communities in HOA management. Disputes and disagreements can arise over various issues. Still, by prioritizing important outcomes such as transparent communication and inclusivity, boards can pave the way for more cooperative relationships and collective prosperity.

When facing challenges such as fire restoration needs, it's vital to collaborate with a reliable service pro near me. By partnering with trusted professionals like SERVPRO of Arcadia, HOA boards can ensure efficient and effective restoration and other services to meet the community’s needs. Contact us today to see how we can help.

Navigating Multi-Family Property Challenges

3/17/2024 (Permalink)

Multi-Family Property Challenges

Navigating Multi-Family Property Challenges

Multi-family properties are a solid choice for real estate investing, but they also serve as valuable resources for families and communities. A multifamily property offers investors long-term potential for growth, particularly in areas where urban sprawl is transforming the residential landscape. Property management professionals also help people enjoy their communities by ensuring multifamily properties are safe, well-kept, and inviting.

Multi-Family Properties Are Good for Investors, Families and Communities

Although multi-family units are good for families, investors, and communities, some challenges come with managing these properties. Security concerns, maintenance, rent collection, and more present different dynamics when managing multi-family rather than single-family or commercial properties. Thankfully, knowledge and the right tools can easily overcome these challenges.

If you’re a property manager who serves tenants in multi-family dwellings, below are some of the top challenges for multi-family properties, along with solutions:

Conflict Resolution

Tenant conflicts tend to be more frequent when managing various units within a multi-family property. These properties often require tenants to live close to one another, and whenever you have many people in a confined area, you’re bound to run into conflicts.

Even small conflicts involving noise in another unit can boil over with time, so having a conflict resolution system is a good idea. However you decide to set up and implement this system, you should consider fairness and impartiality. This can be challenging when managing hundreds of relationships with different types of personalities.

Anonymity is another factor involved in conflict resolution for residential property management. Failure to protect the identity of a complainant could make the situation worse. At the same time, anonymous reports can be abused by a tenant with a grudge. Your goal should be to resolve conflicts without escalating situations further.

To overcome these challenges, draft a conflict resolution policy and have tenants agree to it upon signing leases. Follow these policies across the board in every conflict resolution scenario to keep treatment of tenant concerns consistent.

Tenant Screening

Tenant screening can be among the top challenges for multi-family properties simply due to the scale of the process. Property managers typically need to screen a handful of applicants in a single-family unit. This alone can be time-consuming, but tenant screening becomes all the more challenging when this process scales to include hundreds or thousands of applicants.

Fortunately, property managers have access to a range of technology tools to overcome these challenges. Property management software can aid in the screening process to speed things up using automation. Prospective tenants can submit required data online, and software can then process this data against various criteria to ensure a good fit. This saves time when dealing with large numbers of applicants.

Maintenance and Repairs

Maintenance and repairs can be another set of challenges when managing a multi-family property. Unlike a single-family property, where you only have to keep track of a single series of maintenance and repair concerns, multi-family properties can develop a range of issues over time in multiple units.

Due to the scale of multi-family property management, you will likely face year-round maintenance and repair concerns across multiple units within a property or complex. Addressing issues like restoration of water damage can be paramount to tenant satisfaction. Likewise, exterior concerns like paint or siding can present ongoing challenges that should be addressed routinely throughout the year.

To overcome these challenges, multi-family property managers are encouraged to implement an inspection system alongside property management software. Artificial intelligence built into today’s property management software can track when maintenance was last performed at a property and even predict maintenance needs before they become major issues.

Rent Collection

Rent collection can be another of the top challenges for multi-family properties. As with tenant screening, the scale of rent collection tasks can become daunting when working with hundreds of tenants monthly. In addition to collecting rent, property managers also have to issue receipts, look up tenant data, ensure cash flow is routed correctly, track tax information for accounting, and more.

Software can once again be a tool to overcome these challenges. Automated rent collection tools allow property managers to accept rent payments online, and receipts can be issued automatically. Using software tools, tenants can also look up their online payment histories 24 hours a day.

Many software apps for rent collection and multi-family property management also handle tax accounting information for property managers. This information can be imported into tax software directly, further saving time and ensuring data accuracy.

Contact SERVPRO of Arcadia for Professional Restoration Solutions for Multi-Family Properties

If you’re a property manager who needs a trusted partner for restoration services at multi-family properties, contact SERVPRO of Arcadia. We’ll be happy to go over SERVPRO cost considerations and provide answers to all of your questions.

Commercial Property Management Best Practices

3/12/2024 (Permalink)

Commercial Property Management

Commercial Property Management Best Practices

Commercial property management plays an important role in the economy. While business owners need places to run their companies, property management professionals are hard at work to keep things running smoothly in the background.

Whether you manage traditional office buildings, retail complexes, coworking spaces, or other commercial property forms, a lot of work goes into ensuring tenant satisfaction and a safe environment for all. You have to keep up with the management of the actual property. Still, at the same time, you need to put your interpersonal skills to work when navigating different personalities and industries.

If you’re looking for ways to make your life easier as a commercial property manager, below are some commercial property management best practices that can help you work more effectively and efficiently:

Review Your Standard Lease Agreements Annually

When you first got into property management, you probably spent much time drafting your standard lease agreement or agreements. You probably considered the needs of potential tenants and thought about the long-term implications of each item included in your lease documents.

Although these documents have served you well, now is a good time to review your lease agreements to see if any changes can make it easier to do your job. This is particularly true if you’ve had the same agreements in place for years and haven’t made any changes.

Economic factors, changes in workplace trends, and more can all impact property management over time, and your lease agreements and commercial property management best practices must keep up with the times to be effective.

Now would be a good time to review your standard lease agreement documents to review items and update policies. Make sure you have your attorney review your final drafts to give their seal of approval.

Handle Work Orders in a Timely Fashion

Repair requests and other work orders should always be handled promptly. Effective commercial property managers have systems to ensure this happens, and many today use property management software and even artificial intelligence to keep things in order.

Whether you need to contract with a water restoration company, a general contractor, or another contracting professional, your work order processing system should be as efficient as possible. Commercial property management best practices dictate that work orders and repair requests get addressed quickly to improve tenant satisfaction, but this can also be a legal issue.

If you don’t address commercial property maintenance and repair concerns brought up by tenants, your property management company may be the target of a lawsuit if someone becomes injured. Failure to efficiently address work orders may also cause existing problems to get worse over time, leading to higher costs and more problems.

Have a Schedule for Inspections and Maintenance

With all you do daily as a commercial property manager, it can be easy to let inspections slip by the wayside. After all, if no one is reporting a problem, everything is fine, right?

Unfortunately, you may discover expensive problems brewing without an inspection schedule. Routine preventative maintenance and inspections allow you and your team to get ahead of normal wear and tear before issues like malfunctioning light fixtures or smoke detectors turn into major repairs.

Regular inspections as part of a property maintenance plan can also ensure energy efficiency, especially if you manage older office spaces or retail spaces that haven’t been updated. Older, inefficient fixtures can lead to higher energy costs, and you may be on the hook for these higher costs depending on your lease agreement. Over time, high energy costs due to inefficient fixtures, wiring, pipes, and routing can eat into rental income and make predicting and controlling costs more difficult.

Make Communication a Priority

The most important best practice in commercial property management is to communicate often. Communication is vital between your team and tenants and between your team and vendors, contractors, and other service professionals with whom you work. A communication breakdown often delays responding to work orders, and poor communication can also earn your property management company a bad reputation in the community.

To make communication easier, think about all of the methods of communication at your disposal. Consider talking with tenants to survey them on their preferred methods of communication as well. Email, phone calls, text messages, and standard mail all have their place when it comes to effective communication in property management. Make sure you use the right method for the right purpose to keep everyone up to date on repairs, maintenance, inspections, and expectations.

Involve Your Team

Lastly, involve your entire commercial property management team in decisions. This doesn’t mean you need to allow everyone to make big decisions, but you should keep your entire team in the loop and ask for feedback often.

Every member of your team, from your office staff who work face-to-face with tenants to your contractors who complete repairs and process work orders, should be knowledgeable and passionate. They need to have a vested interest in ensuring tenant satisfaction.

When you communicate clearly with your team, they can provide this same level of communication to your tenants. In turn, you experience greater efficiency in handling tenant concerns and questions, resulting in a more efficient workflow.

Contact SERVPRO of Arcadia for Professional Water Damage Restoration Solutions

If you manage commercial properties, SERVPRO of Arcadia is here to make your life easier. We specialize in water damage restoration and other solutions for commercial property management. 

2024 Trends in Commercial Property Management

1/4/2024 (Permalink)

Stay ahead of the curve with 2024's Commercial Property Management Trends.

Commercial property managers have had their hands full over the past few years, responding to the pandemic and all the resulting changes. In 2024, as the commercial property rental landscape continues to evolve and adapt, property managers can take proactive steps to find and take advantage of the opportunities within these challenges.

The dynamics of the economy, changing tenant expectations, and continual technology innovations have combined to create a profound transformation in commercial real estate. Innovation and adaptation are the friends of commercial property managers, and the following points discuss some of the trends to look for in 2024.

Advancements in Technology and Automation

Technology for Tenants

As people shop online more and package stealers continue proliferating, many properties have added smart-locker storage for tenants to receive their packages safely. This trend is expected to grow, and tenants will look for additional technology integration, such as SMS notifications and other tech-related options that enhance their convenience.

Keyless entry is another growing trend that tenants appreciate. More commercial properties offer digital amenities like free WiFi and 5G integration, and this trend is expected to continue. For areas where theft is an issue, video doorbells and security cameras can set your property apart. Landlords and property managers can also use security cameras to manage and monitor the property around the clock remotely.

Operational Software

Operating commercial properties involves many moving parts, and commercial property management trends in 2024 will continue to emphasize automating, streamlining, and improving workflows with SaaS and cloud-based software platforms. Cloud-based property management software connects operational teams online, increases effective communication, and offers tenant portals for more efficient repair requests and other tenant needs.

Managing properties using virtual tools such as Zoom interviews or property tours is becoming a norm, and integrating AI and IoT will continue to grow. IoT, or Internet of Things, refers to tools that typically use WiFi or Bluetooth to automate activities. Property managers are implementing IoT tools such as automated or smart lighting, smart laundry, smart locks, automated lawn care, and smart temperature control.

AI will enhance property management by refining processes such as more personalized tenant experiences where AI anticipates tenant needs and preferences. Property management software may also use AI to improve virtual property tours to help tenants more effectively imagine themselves in the unit. AI tools may offer insights that drive coordinated smart building systems, such as assisting in adapting their operation to environmental conditions based on the property’s occupancy patterns. These adjustments can save on energy consumption and other resources while reducing costs.

Continued Evolution of Tenant Preferences and Market Dynamics

More Multifamily Units

The rents for multifamily units often cost less than those for single-family dwellings, driving increased demand for additional multifamily units. Renters are also migrating to states with lower taxes, and while they want the lower rents of a multifamily unit, they also want more spacious homes with additional amenities. Tenants for all types of rental properties also demand more services and amenities in exchange for the rising cost of rent, including high-speed internet, in-unit washers/dryers, and HVAC.

More Property Management Services

Demand for more professional property management services should continue to increase in 2024. Tenants expect and desire the expertise of knowledgeable management, especially when dealing with property repairs, disputes, and other issues in multi-unit settings. Tenants also demand the technological tools often provided by professional property management, such as online portals for repairs, questions and issues, and the ability to pay their rent online.

Commercial property management trends in 2024 also emphasize using tools like improved and streamlined tenant screening processes and advertising available units on multiple platforms, including social media.

Updating Business Strategies and Addressing Economic Factors

Managing Costs to Improve Profit

In 2024, commercial property managers will benefit from prioritizing profitability while keeping costs under more strict control. Acquiring new properties can increase revenue and profits through operational synergies. In contrast, new services like outsourcing to high-quality vendors such as a reliable restoration company can save on labor costs and keep properties in tip-top shape to command improved rents. Adopting technology such as specialized property management software can also reduce labor costs by automating some of the back-office administrative work of property management.

Considering Economic Factors

During rising inflation, property managers must constantly monitor and reduce costs wherever possible. Additionally, the new year is a great time to focus on scaling up the business by implementing growth-hacking strategies and considering refinancing options to take advantage of potential federal interest rate cuts.

For 2024, although there is no guarantee, sources predict the Fed will continue to reduce mortgage interest rates. Savvy property managers and owners will poise themselves to refinance more expensive loans and leverage the increased value and higher equity in existing properties to make additional investments. Lower interest rates often stimulate economic activity, which may create opportunities to improve occupancy rates and achieve higher rents, especially if the rental market remains tight.

Political and Regulatory Challenges

Taxes (and Other Costs) Go Up While Loopholes Disappear

Commercial property management trends in 2024 include strategies to offset the effects of rising taxes and closing financial loopholes for commercial property landlords. Property managers can expect changes such as government measures attempting to capture more real estate-related revenues. Governments may pressure property managers and landlords to lower or normalize rents to aid housing crises in higher-priced housing markets.

Additionally, landlord insurance for rental properties is undergoing changes that affect tenant evictions and other issues while becoming more costly. Commercial property managers can potentially lower the cost of the policy by increasing the deductible, prioritizing as many safety features on the property as possible, and requiring renters to carry renter’s insurance. Safety features include updates like carbon monoxide sensors, tankless water heaters, and fire-resistant roof coverings.

Political Motivations

Politicians may focus on a growing homelessness problem and the lack of affordable rents in many areas. Leading up to the 2024 election, some politicians may highlight a need to enforce regulatory compliance among landlords and property managers as part of their platform.

A Consolidating Industry

The entry of large corporate property management companies may challenge independent or smaller property management firms. Sometimes, these larger companies have more extensive resources to provide cost-effective services, increased marketing resources, and value-added options such as financial reporting for multi-unit properties or property portfolios. These firms may also offer lead-generation services and additional brand-building for properties under their management.

Win by Staying Ahead of the Changes

Successfully navigating the changing climate of commercial property management relies on property managers recognizing trends and proactively embracing and managing them. While preparing to take your properties into 2024, consider these trends and how to extract opportunities from them to improve and grow your business.

From integrating technology that automates operational work and provides additional tenant amenities to anticipating and staying ahead of economic shifts, vigilance is critical. Reducing costs by outsourcing work to commercial restoration services and other third parties is one of many strategies that can help you leverage innovation and position your business to handle the changing landscape in property management more effectively.

Stay agile and informed; the coming year of challenges and opportunities will reward your property management business with success and prosperity. At SERVPRO of Arcadia, we can help you with water damage cleanup, mold remediation, cleanup from fire and other damage, and general cleanup. Call us today at (626) 447-4128!

Condo Complex Gone Wrong!

11/9/2021 (Permalink)

Kitchen Water Damage

When condos are not properly maintained sewage back ups and pipe leaks are bound to happen. One of our property management clients experienced severe water damage to several units in  the condo complex they manage. It all started when the top unit's sink drain line clogged, causing water to travel in to multiple units below. 

The unit which caused the loss had significant damage to hardwood flooring, walls, cabinets, vanities, and bedroom carpets. Due to the fact that condos are constructed directly above each other, this caused damage to the units below in their ceilings down to their walls and into their floors as well. Some Unit owners had contents that were damaged in which had to be inventoried for total loss and salvaged items packed up. 

How SERVPRO handles large loss commercial jobs

10/5/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPROs amazing Desiccant Dehumidifier

Do you own a large warehouse or commercial building? Ever wonder how, if you had a water damage, SERVPRO would be able to help you in a timely matter?

We understand that time is of the essence when it comes to businesses in need of a clean up. That is why we use a DESICCANT DEHUMIDIFIER. The desiccant is a large machine that helps dry your building materials, walls, and documents more efficiently than your typical dehumidifier. Along side the desiccant, our team of technicians will be there to remove any excess water and rebuild your building like it never even happened! 

Here at SERVPRO our goal is to get the job done so that you can get back to your lives and business as soon as possible! 

Commercial Fire Damage Heroes

10/5/2021 (Permalink)

Commercial Building

Fire damages can be profusely devastating for anyone, especially those of business and commercial building owners. SERVPRO understands that time is money in any instance, so we work hard to get your building back to pre-fire condition very effectively! 

THINGS THAT CAN DAMAGE YOUR BUILDING DURING AND AFTER A FIRE:

• The initial fire itself, of course, will cause burning of furniture, documents, walls and more
• Smoke and soot from the fire can be very harmful to the human body and also cause sever damage within your walls
• Although firefighters are doing heroic work stopping the initial fire, the water used will cause other types of problems like mold if not attended to accordingly

SERVPRO has 24 hour services and most times we can have a technician at your location in under an hour!  

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned (Covid-19 Edition)

10/5/2021 (Permalink)

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned (COVID-19 Edition)

Getting back to normal life after the global pandemic we've been through with COVID-19 since March 2020 is scary for most people. Loved ones might have contracted the virus, someone you know, or even yourself! You can rest assured because our SERVPRO professionals have come up with an industry leading defensive cleaning program for commercial buildings called Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.

This is a higher cleaning standard of proactive viral pathogen cleaning. With SERVPRO professionals already having years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, we go beyond your standard janitorial cleaning. Certified SERVPRO Cleaned has over 100 exclusive cleaning products to meet your specific needs!

For example, SERVPROXIDE is an amazing hospital grade disinfectant that is certified for direct food contact surfaces. 

We strive on only using the highest quality of cleaning products to ensure the health and safety of our customers and employees.

For more information please visit: https://www.SERVPRO.com/certified-SERVPRO-cleaned

Commercial Losses, Our Specialty!

2/20/2020 (Permalink)

This facility consists of multiple buildings, that are occupied by a handful of Universities. The facility management called us towards the end of the work day. Within the hour of receiving the call, we assembled an experienced crew, and arrived onsite to begin our assessment. SERVPRO of Arcadia, an industry leading company, excels at mitigating water damage and dehumidification. We have trained technician that will be in and out before you know it, "Like it never even happened." If you are in need of our services for fire, water, mold, and sewage backups, do not wait; we do it all. We take great pride in being a quality service, that is always here to help. Pick up the phone and dial (626) 447-4128, and will send our certified crew immediately. 

Large Commercial Losses - Our Specialty!

2/20/2020 (Permalink)

Remember, our SERVPRO crews are ready to assist in all and any circumstances for water and fire damage. No matter how large or small the damage may be, we here at SERVPRO of Arcadia are confident that our team can get the job done! Our most recent project takes place at the Westfield Mall located in Arcadia, Ca. Large commercial jobs like this, have to be dealt with extreme caution due to the high volume of foot traffic that flows in and out of the mall. Whenever our technicians are on the field,  they take into consideration the environment they are working in, so that they can figure out how they need to approach each job. Every job is different and unique in its own way. Especially when dealing with large commercial losses. Staying one step ahead of the operation allows us to provide the best quality work.

Commercial Water Loss

1/20/2020 (Permalink)

We received a call from a valued customer who had experienced significant amount of water damage. The cause of this loss was due to a break in the kitchen supply line which comes directly down from the upstairs break room. The water began to seep through the sub floor and eventually made its way to multiple offices. SERVPRO of Arcadia was onsite in under an hour and immediately started extracting water. The following day our crew was onsite continuing the demolition of affected walls and flooring. Our next phase will consist of allowing the structure to dry with the help our dehumidifiers and air movers. This will prepare the building for the reconstruction phase. At the end of the day we helped put this customer back in business leaving it, "Like it never even happened."

Welcome to SERVPRO of Arcadia

1/16/2020 (Permalink)

Welcome to SERVPRO of Arcadia's blog page.

We will share helpful tips and inform you about our services and community events.

We take pride in being a part of the community and want to do our part in making Arcadia the best it can be. 

For those of you who do not know what SERVPRO is, here we have listed the services we provide:

? Fire, Smoke and Soot cleanup
? Water Mitigation and Dehumidification
? Mold Remediation
? Contents Claim Inventory Service
? Large Commercial Loss
? Move Outs And Contents Restoration
? Document Drying
? Catastrophic Storm Response

? Contents Cleaning
? Deodorization
? Biohazard and Crime Scene
? Vandalism (Board-up and cleanup)
? Ceilings, Walls and Hard Floors

We here at SERVPRO of Arcadia are open 24-hours, 7 days a week. You need us and we'll be there to make it, "Like it never even happened." Call (626) 447-4128, for any questions or concerns you may have.