This page pertains to property owners and Questions they have about our management services. These are real questions from property owners locally. I have deleted their last names and email etc for privacy. I hope you find the answer to your questions here, or feel free to call us daily 9am to 5pm ...with email anytime!
Best regards,
-Don

FAQ's

QUESTION:

Below is the result of your feedback form.  It was submitted by
 (mandaxxxxx@comcast.net) on Friday, February 22, 2008 at 21:19:27

name: Manda A.
comments: Hello,

My husband and I are buying a second home and would like to rent out our home.  Can you give me some info you require to rent out our property?  Such as insurance that the property will rent on a timely manner?  And that your rates are reasonable?  Look forward to hearing from you...

Thanks, Manda A
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ANSWER:

Hello Manda, :-)

Thank you for your interest in our Rental Management services.
Help and info: www.bci-properties.com/owners.htm and www.bci-properties.com/property-management/rates.htm

1. You asked if there was any insurance, or assurance, that your home would rent in a timely manner? No property management company can guarantee that your home will rent quickly..., and no one can guarantee that the renter will pay on time each month. We think we do a better job than most other companies. The larger companies often turn over a new client to a 9-5 worker who punches a time clock  and does not work weekends. Whereas, we as owners personally handle each client's rental home with care and yes.... we do work on Sundays! Please be aware that sometimes renters loose a job or get injured and loose work, they get divorced or sometimes just move out in the middle of the night. These things can happen to any rental property. What we can do is provide loss prevention.

Loss Prevention: To have better success with our renters, we follow very strict with our guidelines. Tenant Screening is very important. We charge the applicant a $35 fee, which in turn goes to Landlord Solutions right here in Tacoma to do a thorough background check and criminal history, credit etc. - In short, we want good people who really want to pay their rent. We expect that you as a home owner will keep up your Home Owners Insurance as well, which is required by your Mortgage Company also, as long as you owe money on your home.

2. You asked if our rates reasonable? - In short yes. We demand less from a home owner than many companies, which the home owner does not realize until they have gone to one of these companies and paid the price first... and then returned to us. You have more options with BCI Properties, LLC:
                   A. As a licensed Real Estate Brokerage we can also sell your home if and when the time comes you wish to sell, at a big discount.
                   B. One other thing we are pro-active about is our Rent-to-Own program. If you wish we can offer your home to renters with an "option to buy" in the future, these type of renters tend to be more  serious.

We are a small company, but we are a very much "hands on" management solution and we have time to give you personal attention. The larger companies just want to toss you into the mix with a few hundred other clients, where you will often times get lost. Some of the rentals we have taken over are for home owners just like you..., coming from larger companies who allowed the home to be vacant for months. Often in these cases we have them rented in a timely manner. I hope we never get too big to care.

I hope to hear from you soon, we do care and will provide better personal service.
Best regards,
-Don
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QUESTION:

Below is the result of your feedback form.  It was submitted by
 (rxxxx@yahoo.com) on Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 15:41:36
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name: Richard
comments: Hello,

I own a property in Bonney Lake that I need to have managed as rental property.  If interested, what is your fee?
Regards,

Richard xxxxx
Property Owner

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ANSWER:

Hello Richard,

Thank you for your interest in our local Property Management services! Your answer to our fee is answered in detail below. We are a hands-on company, meaning that even after 25 years of property management us as owners still handle the day to day business in person to ensure that both owners and tenants are well cared for.

You may see more details about us at: www.BCI-Properties.com/owners.htm  ...here are a few thoughts:

• Professional Management: If you own a rental home, duplex, apartment or a Multi-unit complex that you need assistance with or would like help with managing, renting & maintenance. You need a  professional Licensed Property Management Company.
• We will do the work for you, call us today! We have managed rental homes and properties for over 23 years and have a support team for all contingencies. We are licensed by the Washington State Department of Licensing in Olympia and are full insured & bonded with multi-million dollar coverage. We are also members of the Olympic Rental Association and the local and National Association of Residential Property Managers.

• Maintenance etc -
  We are experienced in important areas, such as maintenance of rental homes and apartments, leasing homes and apartments/condos/lofts, collections, marketing, advertising, tenant relations, financial analysis and budgets, and knowledge of relevant local and state laws. We are a "hands on" company, servicing only local properties!
   
• We are fully Licensed and Bonded. Be aware of those who are not. Anyone who manages rental properties for another person other than their own property, are required by State Law to be duly licensed as a real estate agent or Broker. I am a licensed Broker.

  If you are interested in our professional property management,
 call today for more information or to schedule a meeting.

 Costs / Fee schedule -

• Fee schedule is included with our management forms, however the basic fee is generally 10% of the rental amount collected with a $100 minimum. There is also a requirement to have a small (generally $200 per unit) amount set aside in a Trust Account, for maintenance needs and emergencies in case of a tenant who calls us for help. Other details available by request. See: www.bci-properties.com/property-management/rates.htm
• Attorney fees - We have our own Attorney in Tacoma, for the real sticky matters such as Real Estate Law & Evictions. We have another Attorney who is good for Estate Planning, help to stop foreclosures and Bankruptcy law. If you need their advice or help you will receive the same discount or other concessions that we receive.
• Cost of Evictions - You will need to pay any costs associated with an eviction. We hire a professional company in Tacoma to do all of our evictions, you may contact them personally when needed or have us handle the process at no cost to you other than their fee, which can cost from $500 to $700 on average. These fees can be covered by the tenants deposit, only after determined in court that the tenant is liable... and yes, normally they are.
• Included in your basic fee - We collect rents, effect legal evictions, provide legal documents for proper tenant placement, provide maintenance plus pre and post rental clean-up services and a lot more.
• Advertising costs - We advertise your home, apartment, condo/flat/loft, farm and commercial properties daily....until they are rented at NO cost to you via the internet/web on our own website...see: www.bci-properties.com/listings.htm - plus we are Syndicated on the companies listed below. See the list. You may also pay an average of $100 for local newspaper ads if you so choose for a two week run...., if you wish to try to speed things up.
• We are also Fee flexible, if you wish to do your own clean-up before or after a rental unit is occupied, its ok. Its your call. You can do your own maintenance, clean-up, advertising and other related services if you so choose... most people find out its cheaper to just have us do it all for you.

  We follow the letter of the Law regarding all facets of our business including, but not limited to, providing proper trust accounts for both owners and tenants, serving required lead disclosure forms, 3-day notices to pay or quit, rules and regulations and other legal documents to tenants... plus, we have a good relationship with maintenance and service people who will handle any and all repair, maintenance and clean-up work as needed fast, and at a fair price to keep the costs low. We totally understand the need to bring your funds in, not to spend your money unwisely. Call us today.

We do have a Property Management Manual for owners and a Contract for Services that you will need to sign for us to have authority to manage your property, if you decide to allow us to work for you. Please know that we will need an inspection & review of your property, funding the account for maintenance & advertising needs, collecting required documents, trust account set-up and keys etc.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Emily or I will also call today to follow up on this email as well.
My direct line is;  Don - (253) 241-6695.