On this episode of Five Minute Friday, Bob is talking trash! No, not the smack talk variety, but rather new California legislation which has taken effect regarding the disposal of organic waste. This is something for CA landlords and property managers alike to be aware of, especially for multifamily buildings and apartment communities. Why is California doing this? California throws away more than 6 Million tons of food waste every year and more than 24 tons of combined “green organic waste”. SB...
Feb 11, 2022•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast The California legislative session for 2021 has come to a close and there is some important information to share about new California laws for 2022 pertaining to Covid 19 and tenants who may have suffered an impact. On this Five Minute Friday, Bob reviews the current status of the Covid Tenant Relief Act and what California landlords and property management companies need to consider before taking action on a tenant for nonpayment of rent prior to March 30, 2022. Disclaimer, we are not an attorn...
Feb 04, 2022•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Let's go back to some of the best guest conversations from last year in the “Best of Brainstorm 2021”, soundbites and highlights from leaders in the property management industry. Topics Covered [3:28] Episode 61 featured Mark Scott of Encore Realty in Bonita, CA and Daniel Rogers of All Seasons LLC in Colorado Springs, sharing their thoughts on moving away from the term "landlord". [6:40] In Episode 51 , our guest was Niv Davidovich, of Davidovich Stein Law Group, who gave us an u...
Feb 03, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast From our experience at North County Property Group as a landlord and property manager, it seems that for as many hours as there are in the day, there are three times as many interruptions that take you away from work that needs to get done. In the office, you can easily lose your train of thought with everyday interruptions and if working from home you’ll find lots distractions too. In small doses, distractions can actually be a good thing. Small breaks during the day often help to refresh your ...
Jan 28, 2022•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast At North County Property Group, we just love the month of January. No, not because of setting new year resolutions or starting yet another failed diet, but because it is the best time of year to kickoff new strategy and plans for our San Diego property management company . In this episode of Five Minute Friday, Bob shares his five ways to kick off 2022 with a bang at your property management company! #1. Develop your forecast, budget, and strategic plan. #2. Do an organizational checkup. #3. Set...
Jan 21, 2022•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Pest control in rental properties is a challenging topic for any property management company. Treating for ants, termites, mice and other unruly pests is likely to come up in almost any residential property. And determining who is responsible for treating a rental property for pests can also be a sensitive topic. Is it the tenant's responsibility that a property may have a huge ant problem, or is it a severe problem that existed prior to move in and therefore may be the responsibility of th...
Jan 20, 2022•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast There is no denying that Property Management can be an all-consuming profession. Once a Property Management business is established, however, it can be a fun and fruitful enterprise. For those who are considering starting a property management company, will 2022 be a good year and is the timing right? On this episode of Property Management Brainstorm, host Bob Preston is joined by Kathleen Richards who will share her thoughts on starting her own company and coaching others how to do the same. Ka...
Jan 17, 2022•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Happy New year and welcome back to Property Management Brainstorm podcast and the first Five Minute Friday in 2022! We are back for 2022 and ready to go for in the new year with renewed energy and enthusiasm to bring you great content from the Property Management industry. In this episode of Five Minute Friday, Bob shares some of the topics he plans to cover in 2022 starting with how to kick start your year, forecast and motivate your team for to achieve your identified goals and objectives. The...
Jan 14, 2022•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast As a real estate investor or property manager, it’s imperative that you have great representation regarding tax considerations. This is true, not only for running our own businesses, but also to provide the best possible advice if you have investment partners or investment property clients for your property management business. The key is planning to successfully and legally reduce tax liability in order to maximize after-tax income. On this episode of Property Management Brainstorm, host Bob Pr...
Oct 12, 2021•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Property Management Brainstorm host, Bob Preston, wrote an article for the December issue of NARPM’s Residential Resource Magazine, titled Ten Best Practices in Relationship Management . We thought it would be good to spend todays FMF on a quick review of those 10 best practices: Online Presence – This is where a cand interacting with your company digitally through your website or social media. CRM Software – Everything related to staying connected with that individual customer can be found in o...
Sep 24, 2021•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast As a landlord or property manager, do you ever feel like the word “landlord” comes with a negative connotation? The word has been in use for over 1000 years, dating back to an Old English concept, in which tracts of land were owned by a single person who came to be known as a "lord", and those occupying the land became bound and dependent on their lords for protection and of course obligated to pay rent for that privilege. Even though our culture has moved well beyond this ancient syst...
Sep 20, 2021•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are very proud that North County Property Group has been awarded with the CRMC designation by the National Association of Residential Property Managers ( NARPM). CRMC stands for Certified Residential Management Company and we are the only property management company in San Diego County to have this honor, only one of four in all of California, and one of less than 50 nationwide. So what is the big deal and why are property management designations important? The CRMC and other designations suc...
Sep 17, 2021•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hello and Labor Day weekend! As the Summer winds down and we move into Fall, Property Management Brainstorm wants to say thank you for your trust and confidence as a listener of the podcast. Our objective, and Bob Preston's as well, is to be a trusted source of information for you as a real estate investor, landlord, or property manager. Counting you among our listeners is something for which we are especially grateful. We are also proud to announce that our podcast host, and CEO of North C...
Sep 03, 2021•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast As a landlord or property manager, do you ever feel like you just can’t take a break from your property management job? Keeping your eyes on the ball so nothing falls through the cracks at your rental properties can be a never-ending concern. Maintenance requests, property viewings, leases to review and sign, tenant move ins, rent collection. Yikes! Research shows that many small business owners either don’t take vacation, or when they do, it’s a “working vacation”. On this episode of Property M...
Aug 28, 2021•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, often referred to as Section 8, is federal government assistance, administered by HUD, for very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled. The purpose of the program is to provide participants with affordable, decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Participants are provided with financial assistance, in the form of a voucher, so they can find their own housing within single-family homes, condominiums, townhouses, or apartments...
Aug 14, 2021•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hello Brainstorm faithful! We are happy to be back on the air with more Five Minute Friday and Property Management Brainstorm episodes, refreshed and invigorated after a month long hiatus for vacation, family time, and clarity breaks! In this FMF, Bob makes the announcement that he is now a NARPM® MPM®! That is, the Master Property Manager designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers. Bob has worked hard over the past year to achieve this designation and honor and d...
Aug 13, 2021•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hello Brainstormers! We hope you all had a very happy and safe 4th of July holiday and are enjoying your summer! It is great to have things open again for the beach, BBQs, and fireworks, wherever you may be. We needed a day off on the 4th and we are sure those of you in the property management business did too! It’s been tough to keep up with the show that past few weeks as we’ve been making some changes at North County Property Group to pivot back to a full reopening scenario in the State of Ca...
Jul 09, 2021•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast As a property manager or landlord, do you ever worry that you are not truly getting the full financial picture when screening tenant applications? A rental application may look quite good and complete, but in reality, some of the aspects that would be helpful in making a decision may not be visible. Wouldn’t it be cool if you could verify renter's income, payroll, past rent payments, NSF & overdrafts all in one, easy to pull, screening report? On this episode of Property Management Brai...
May 25, 2021•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bob Preston, host of Property Management Brainstorm, discusses the topic of relationship management in property management with Zach Williams of the Partnerships and Business Development Team at Podium. Several of the best practices in relationship management involve connecting with customers through ongoing messaging touchpoints and online reviews. Podium is a customer messaging platform that can help property management companies achieve these ongoing touchpoints, ultimately bolstering their c...
Apr 30, 2021•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast As a landlord or property manager, do you ever worry that a maintenance vendor you send to a property might not have the correct insurance coverage? Dispatching a repairman with insufficient or expired insurance could create a liability on your property management business. Further, its a big job to track all of the insurance policies from vendors to make sure they remain in compliance with your standards for coverage. On this episode of Property Management Brainstorm, Bob discusses the topic of...
Apr 15, 2021•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the crowded space of the property management industry, making sure your company is standing out in the crowd is more important than ever. Tech savvy property managers are using digital media to snag single family owners with through their online presence. So, what about you? Are you putting your best foot forward with digital marketing? On this episode of Property Management Brainstorm, Bob discusses the topic of digital marketing for property management companies with Nicki Callahan, Founder...
Apr 01, 2021•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast California's Proposition 19, goes into effect on April 1, 2021, offering many protections to California home owners. If you are a California homeowner or investor, could you take advantage of the new benefits provided under this new law? Today's Five Minute Friday offers a quick summary of what Prop 19 is all about. 1. Senior citizens often live in homes that are no longer a fit because it may be too large or far away from loved ones or medical providers. 2. Severely disabled individua...
Mar 26, 2021•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast So far in 2021, we have been featuring new opportunities in the property management industry. One area not yet explored on the show is Real Estate Syndication. As a general definition, real estate syndication is a partnership between several investors. They combine their skills and capital to purchase and manage a property they otherwise could not afford. If you’ve got an eye for a good deal and good partners, this might be a great opportunity to explore in 2021, either as the syndicator or as a...
Mar 25, 2021•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast For the listeners who know Bob and his involvement in the National Association of Real Estate Property Managers, NARPM, you will remember that he is currently the President of the California Chapter. Last week was the CALNARPM annual conference and it was quite an event! For those who were not able to attend, Bob is dedicating this week's FMF to a quick overview of the conference and provides his top takeaways. Maybe this will convince you, even if you are not in the state of California, th...
Mar 19, 2021•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Most everyone would agree that 2020 was a challenging year for running a business, regardless of industry. For many property managers, it’s great to still be standing after all of the challenges presented from the COVID-19 pandemic. As we enter 2021, maybe in the midst of planning and goal setting for the year, there is no better time to be pondering the business opportunities available in the property management industry. On this episode of Property Management Brainstorm, Bob discusses the topi...
Mar 03, 2021•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Landlords have many responsibilities when it comes to renting their investment properties, working with their tenants, and keeping the property well maintained. On this episode of Five Minute Friday, Bob Preston provides his Top List of 8 Critical Landlord Responsibilities. 1. Comply with Anti-Discrimination Laws 2. Preparing the Lease or Rental Agreement 3. Make Legally Required Disclosures 4. Know the Rules Regarding Security Deposits 5. Follow Other Specific Aspects of Landlord/Tenant Law 6. ...
Feb 12, 2021•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast How much should a landlord expect to spend keeping their home maintained? It's a common question and there are some rules of thumb and considerations owners of rental properties can keep in mind when setting aside reserves to handle unexpected reserves. The 1% Rule: this popular rule says that 1% of the purchase price of your home should be set aside each year for ongoing maintenance. Using this logic, if your home is worth $450,000, you should set $375 a month for expected home maintenance...
Feb 05, 2021•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode, Bob discusses the evolution of the property management software market with his guest, Joe Easton, Channel Partner Account Manager, at one such solution called Rent Manager. Joe shares his views about the property management software market and about Rent Manager, which combines many features needed by property managers to run their businesses into a single integrated solution. Topics Covered [2:30] Bob greets Joe Easton to the show and asks him to introduce himself and product,...
Feb 04, 2021•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast On January 28, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom extended the state's eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021, by signing legistlation enacting the new SB 91. In this FMF, Bob Preston does his best to review key elements of SB 91 which combines with the previously passes AB 3088 to provide tenants with rent cap and eviction protections. Pauses evictions for tenants with an inability to pay all or part of rent due to COVID-19 financial distress. Establishes a State Rental Assistance P...
Jan 29, 2021•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Eviction law in California has changed quite a bit over the past year, first with “just cause” legislation introduced as part of State Assembly Bill 1482, the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, and then with moratoriums introduced as part of the Governor Gavin Newsome’s state orders by signing the Covid-19 Tenant Relief Act (AB2088) into law in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On this episode, Bob speaks with Niv Davidovich, Managing Partner at Davidovich Stein Law Group LLP, to discuss landlord/t...
Jan 28, 2021•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
