First Rate Property Management Blog

Benefits of Pre-Leasing Rentals

Blog Post

By Jim Sharone Friday, October 13, 2023

Does your Property Manager Pre-Lease your properties?! Pre-leasing in property management refers to the practice of leasing or renting out a property before it is vacant and officially available for occupancy. This strategy offers several benefits for property owners and managers...

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Benefits of a Programmable Thermostat

Blog Post

By Jim Sharone Friday, August 18, 2023

A programmable thermostat offers several advantages and some disadvantages as well. Here are the pros and cons of a programmable thermostat:Pros:Energy Savings: One of the main benefits of a programmable thermostat is its ability to help you save energy and reduce utility bills. ...

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Smart Home Technology in Rental Units

Blog Post

By Jim Sharone Friday, July 14, 2023

Smart home technology in rental units can offer various benefits to both landlords and tenants. Here are some considerations regarding the use of smart home technology in rental properties:Enhanced convenience: Smart home devices, such as smart thermostats, locks, lighting system...

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Importance Of Power Washing Your Rentals

Blog Post

By Jim Sharone Friday, May 26, 2023

Power washing plays an important role in property management for various reasons:Maintenance of common areas: In multi-unit properties, there are usually common areas such as sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, and building exteriors that require regular cleaning. Power washing c...

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Why Changing Your Furnace Filter is Important

Blog Post

By Jim Sharone Friday, April 14, 2023

Changing your furnace filter is important for several reasons:Improved Air Quality: The primary purpose of the furnace filter is to trap airborne particles and pollutants, such as dust, pollen, pet dander, and mold spores. Over time, the filter can become clogged with these parti...

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Is renovating my rental worth it?

Blog Post

By Jim Sharone Friday, March 10, 2023

Reduces your unit’s maintenance costs:A freshly renovated unit will have much fewer maintenance needs since most things will be new. The cost of renovating is around 20% less because it is efficiently done all at the same time. No more multiple expensive one-off maintenance...

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Preventative and Proactive Maintenance

Blog Post

By Jim Sharone Friday, February 10, 2023

Preventive/Preventative Maintenance (PM) is "a routine for periodically inspecting" with the goal of "noticing small problems and fixing them before major ones develop." Ideally, "nothing breaks down."  A few examples of this include:I...

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Deferred Maintenance

Blog Post

By Jim Sharone Friday, January 20, 2023

What is deferred Maintenance? Deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance activities such as repairs on both real property (i.e. infrastructure) and personal property (i.e. machinery) in order to save costs, meet budget funding levels, or realign available...

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Owners! Get Your Property Rented!

Blog Post

By Jim Sharone Friday, January 24, 2020

One of the scariest times an owner goes through while renting out their property is the vacancy.  First Rate Property Management understands this and is ready to help!You will be receiving Marketing Updates from our leasing team every Wednesday your property is on the market...

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Pros and Cons of Airbnb

Blog Post

By Jim Sharone Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Recently the Idaho Statesman published an article, How Airbnb hurts Boise's affordable housing:  'It has driven up rental prices', which spiked some interest from our rental property owners.  The gist is that much of the affordable housing is being conv...

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