rentals

Need Help Finding a New Apartment? Apartment Locating Services

November 19, 2016 by khproperties 3 Comments

If you’re in need of an apartment, the agents at Kimberly Howell Properties can help. Apartments are somewhat different than rental homes as they are not listed in our MLS like you’re used to with homes for rent. This seems to create a fallacy that local real estate agents can’t help you find them. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The agents at Kimberly Howell Properties can assist you with apartment locating services as well…and the best thing is, their services are free to you! Many renters think they have to pay an up front fee to an apartment locator, but that is not common practice here in San Antonio (we know some areas of the country work this way, but that’s not how we do business around here) and much like house rentals and sales, the owner pays the fees to have us help find tenants.

So next time you need to find a new place to live, contact one of our agents, and let them know what your needs are. They’ll help you identify areas of interest and apartment complexes within your budget, take you on a tour of some properties, and help you navigate the apartment office’s paperwork and needs in order to get you settled in. Long gone are the days where you had to spend hours on the internet researching, then a few more calling each apartment complex to find out their requirements, and then a weekend or two driving around town only to find disappointment. Let our agents do the heavy lifting and get you moved in with a lot less stress and worry.

image courtesy of Bernard Spragg

How to View Kimberly Howell Properties Listings

June 29, 2016 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Many of our visitors are interesting in seeing just Kimberly Howell Properties listings – whether they’re clients of ours who want to look at their home or other homes we have listed, new visitors looking to get a feel for the homes our company lists, or prospective sellers looking for the right listing agent – our listings pages have proven to be popular. Recently, we split up the pages to make it a little easier to view our listings and we decided to give you a brief tour, so that you’ll know which section you want to view and how to view it. We have three options: view all of the Kimberly Howell Properties listings at once, view our homes for sale, and view our currently available rentals. Each of these sections is updated every 15 minutes, so you’ll never have to wonder if you’re seeing the latest or worrying that one of the homes you like is long gone.

Kimberly Howell Properties Listings

To see all of the listings we currently have, including rentals, land, commercial, and homes for sale, simply click on the “Listings” button in the main menu. This will show you everything we have.

To separate properties for sale and for rent, you’ll need to hover over the “Listings” button with your mouse and a drop down will appear, showing two new selections – “Available Rentals” and “Homes for Sale” – selecting either of these will take you to the current properties in that category.

You can sort the properties by using the drop down menu just above the map that you’ll see. There are several ways to sort, but the most common are by time on market and by price.

If you are viewing our site on a mobile device, hovering doesn’t work, but our mobile optimized site takes care of that issue for you. Clicking on the three line menu button (also known as the sandwich) will expand the menu and show all menu items, including sub-menus, giving you direct access to all listings, homes for sale, and homes for rent.

Of course, if you’d rather search for listings that are listed by everyone and not just Kimberly Howell Properties, you can use our home search, which we have also split into homes for sale and homes for rent. These listings come directly from the SABOR MLS and they are updated every 15 minutes as well, in order to give you the most accurate information on properties available.

image courtesy of Real Cowboys Drive Cadillacs

Rental Scams: What to Watch For

February 18, 2016 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Rental scams were the topic in a recent warning by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC), so we thought it would be a great time to cover some of the basics once again. Rental scams are serious business and we’ve seen quite a few here in San Antonio, some more sophisticated than others. Most of them work off the same basic premise, using rental listings placed on the internet, often at a price that’s much too good to be true. These listings attract potential tenants and then there is often some form of exchange of money for keys, but the keys never arrive. There are a handful of items that you can be on the lookout in order to avoid these types of scams and protect yourself and your money.

Grammar, language, and spelling. Not everyone is an English virtuoso, but like most scams, emails are often full of poor grammar, odd phrases that are the result of bad translations, and atrocious spelling. Scammers are getting more sophisticated though, so this isn’t always true…but it is a good sign that you might want to dig deeper.

Heartfelt sentiment. The person on the other end usually has a touching story about family or they’re a pastor or they just want to do something nice for someone. Any item that is tugging at your heartstrings a little too much is probably designed to do just that. By getting you emotionally involved, a scammer can play on your hope and optimism. While we know plenty of landlords that are good, honest, well-meaning people, the fact is, they are in the business of renting property for their profit. That doesn’t make them bad people, it just makes them good at business. Scammers love a feel good story and use them frequently, because it works.

Too good to be true. If the rental price for a house in The Dominion seems awfully low, it probably is. Scammers often pull properties off the internet and then list them below their value. The lower value attracts more people and gets them more chances at successful scamming someone out of their money. Combine the low price with the emotional heartstring factors mentioned above – “…we’re renting it out for so little because we believe that everyone deserves a chance, just like the one we got when we lost our home in the tornado that caused the mudslide that washed away our home and poor little Timmy…” and you can see how effective this can be.

Google the property. One of the best things you can do when you find a rental online and you think there might be something fishy – google the address. If you see the property coming up on several sites and the information is not matching up, you should raise the red flags. Also look for details like listing agent name, contact phone numbers, or emails. You want all these items to match up with the information you’re getting elsewhere. Google the name of the “landlord” or “agent” offering the property. Be careful though, many scammers use some pretty good tactics to hide their identity. From email spoofing to creating free email address (like Yahoo, Outlook, or Gmail) with an agent or owner’s name to sending very well crafted emails that look like the real deal (with headshots and logos and confidentiality disclaimers – we’ve seen some amazing ones), scammers try to make themselves look legit by mimicking the real thing.

Just fill out this form. If a landlord, owner, or agent sends you a typed out application in the body of an email (where they just type _____ to make a blank for you to fill out), run. Scammers are getting more sophisticated though, so some are using online applications – which are really just scam sites designed to take your credit card info when you pay the application fees. Also, you may have just given the scammer a whole list of personal data that they can use for identity theft. If it’s an online form, look at the address – does it look legit or is it igotyourmoney.thisiseasy.com?

Don’t send money out of state. There are few instances where sending a check out of state to someone you don’t know pays off. If the “landlord” is telling you they had to go out of town suddenly and you should just send the check to them there, you may want to think twice.

Work with an agent. Agents can help you find rentals and assist you with the application process. While not every rental ad you see online will be a scam, agents can often suss out what’s happening with a rental and if something is fishy, they can get to the bottom of it.

Whatever you do, if something isn’t sitting well with you, stop and ask questions. And if you think you’ve spotted a scam, let us know…we report all of them we find and try to shut them down as quick as possible so that no one gets trapped. Stay safe out there and good luck!

image courtesy of B Rosen

Why is My Rental Application Taking So Long?

February 12, 2016 by khproperties 49 Comments

You’ve searched for a rental and finally found the one you want. You’ve read all about how quickly the rental market is moving, so you rush to fill out the rental application, including what you feel is way too much personal information, and submit it along with the rental criteria and any other forms required by the property manager, plus an application fee. Then you wait. And wait. And wait some more. The clock seems to move slower than molasses and you’re beginning to worry that something is wrong and you won’t be approved. Why is your rental application taking so long? Why don’t you have an answer yet?

The Rental Application Process

Most people don’t quite know what goes on “behind the scenes” after you submit a rental application, so we thought we’d pull the curtain back and help you understand what it is that takes so long. Typically, most applications take 2-5 days (it used to be about 2-3 days, but now we’re seeing it closer to 2-5 days) for a decision, but there are instances where it may take more. We should note, the management company has up to seven days to make a decision – if they don’t make one in the time allotted, the application is considered rejected by default. That doesn’t help to put anyone’s mind at ease when they’re worrying about how much time the process is taking, but it is one of the lesser known facts about Texas rentals.

So why exactly does a rental application typically take so long? The answer lies in the three main components of the process. First a credit and background check will be conducted. There are companies that do these checks – they connect to national databases for credit and criminal background information, and depending on the company, they may also check eviction databases they maintain, search for social security number discrepancies, and show any previous attempts at verification from other property managers. These reports actually take up only a small amount of time and after inputting the information into their system, the average time for the reports to come back is probably less than an hour. The longest I’ve ever waited was about 5 hours.

The next two items are the real time killers. There are two items that need to be verified – your rental history and your employment and income. In order to do that, a property manager will send forms to your current landlord and employer. Along with those forms, they will send Page 4 of the TAR Residential Lease Application, which is an Authorization to Release Information Related to a Residential Lease Applicant (that’s a mouthful!). Much like it says in the form name, it gives your employer or landlord permission to release information to the company processing your rental application.

Unfortunately, we often see these forms sent, but not returned in a timely fashion. We will often try to contact whoever is listed on your application (your boss, supervisor, or human resources manager or the apartment manager or landlord) a few times to see if we can speed up the process, but many times we are met with, “I didn’t receive that” or, “Can you send it again?” This is where the bottleneck occurs – without the forms, we can’t verify important information, so we just have to keep trying.

Apartments are actually the worst at returning these forms and it can be quite frustrating. Not only do they go a bit slower than everyone would like, but if you haven’t given your notice yet, many apartments will not release any information on your rental history. This can lead to your application being turned down for unverifiable information (check the property manager’s rental criteria for exact details of their requirements).

The process takes a while and it can be frustrating. As a property manager, we want to speed up the process, as getting a tenant in the home is our ultimate goal and every day the rental is not filled is costing the owner money. We recognize the issues and work to find ways to help the process along, but these forms are really in someone else’s hands and more often than not, they are the cause of your rental application taking so long. The best way you can help? Provide good contact information and include a name, telephone number, fax number, and email address for the appropriate contact. If you only give the bare minimum contact information, that means someone has to track it down, further slowing the process down. Always fill out your applications completely and make sure you write legibly – it really does matter!

image courtesy of LifeSupercharger

Read the Rental Criteria When You Apply For a Rental

February 5, 2016 by khproperties Leave a Comment

In processing rental applications, we often come across applicants that say “I didn’t know that.” Trouble is, they should have known it, because it is spelled out in our rental criteria, a document that we require to be signed by the rental applicant. The rental criteria vary between property managers, but should always be looked at carefully when considering applying for a rental. If you fail to read what you’re signing up for, you may find some surprises later down the road. While every form differs in content, there are some basic items that will be covered in any rental criteria forms you may come across. Not only is it important for you to see the rental criteria, it is required by the Texas Property Code – Sec. 92.3515.

Rental Criteria – What Does It Contain?

A set of rental criteria, typically printed on a page or two and most often requiring a signature (which it should), will contain the basic outlines of how your application will be processed. It should contain information about income requirements (typically 3x rent here in San Antonio) and possible reasons for denial of your application. Most rental criteria in San Antonio will also contain information about renting with pets and in particular, non-allowed breeds (the so-called “aggressive breeds”). In the reasons for possible denial, it should clearly state what items will be looked at and how negative items reported will affect your application.

An example list might include being denied for falsified information, incomplete information, unverifiable information, insufficient income, type/breed/numbers of pets, criminal convictions (in particular violent, sexual, fraud, and drug charges can be cause for immediate denial), poor credit history, negative rental history, evictions and broken leases, and any behaviors that might indicate an unruly, disruptive, or violent applicant. Most applications allow for some explanation of any negative items that may appear and you should always take the opportunity to explain so that it may be carefully considered along with the other data the processor might find. It is always better to tell the property manager up front, then to neglect to tell them and have them find a major item in their checks. No property manager likes surprises.

A Note About Unverifiable Information

Many applicants will hurriedly fill out an application and leave a lot of information blank. Two of the biggest items we often see skipped over are fax numbers and email addresses. Fax numbers are getting less common and email is king, but neglecting one or both of these items for your employer or current address (if you’re renting) is one of the worst things you can do to your chances for approval. When your application is processed, your employment is verified and your rental history is requested from your current address. If the person processing your application cannot get a hold of these people and cannot track down the information, you may be denied for unverifiable information. We see it a lot where we call and call and call your current landlord, and particularly when it comes to apartments, they do not respond with information on fax numbers or email addresses. We are required to document these items (there are specific forms that we use to request the information) and Page 4 of the Texas Association of REALTORS® Residential Lease Application is an Authorization to Release Information form which gives us the right to collect that information from your employer and landlord (and authorizes them to give it to us).

In addition to trying to track down that information, one of the biggest issues renters face is when they’re applying for a new rental while still under a lease at another place. Most landlords/property managers will not release rental history if you have not given notice. Apartments are notorious for this and most of them here in San Antonio will simply deny our requests for information if you have not given them the required notice. Without rental history verification, we cannot process your application fully and you can be denied for unverifiable information.

Make sure you read the rental criteria so you know just how and why you can be denied. If no rental criteria is offered to you – ask for it. If someone refuses to give you a copy of their rental criteria, they can actually be held responsible for giving you your application fees back if you are denied.

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The Upside to Renting Out Your Home

February 4, 2016 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Sometimes, it makes sense not to sell and to hang on to your house as an investment and not as your home. There is an upside to renting out your home, even though it does take some time, some work, and often, some money. Whether you decide to go it alone or hire a property manager, there are a lot of rules and regulations you must follow and you’ll be responsible for repairs and upkeep. Finding tenants is one thing, keeping the house in great shape in order to protect your investment is another. Homeowners often ask us about the pros and cons of renting out their home and it’s definitely something you don’t want to jump into without considering all the facts, but in the end, it can be a great decision that can benefit you financially and with the right planning beforehand, can leave you some peace of mind.

Renting Out Your Home

When you rent out your home, you don’t have to stop building equity. Real estate markets are constantly in flux, but the good news is that the San Antonio real estate market is growing – we saw a 6% increase in average home price in from December 2014 to December 2015. Some particular pockets actually saw much more than that (check out our analysis of the neighborhoods with the most sales in 2015). If you have tenants in your home, the values in the neighborhood may still continue to rise leaving you with money coming in to offset expenses while you bide your time waiting to see even more value increases (hopefully) and build an even greater level of equity in the property. We recently talked with one homeowner whose property in a historic area close to downtown has seen a rise in value of nearly 50% in the past four years. With the growth of the Pearl Brewery and all kinds of jobs in the downtown area, these owners have decided to put their home up for rent for the next year or two, as they feel that the market in their area will likely just continue to improve and when they finally go to sell, their equity should be through the roof.

Depending on your financial situation, renting can actually be immediately profitable for you. If you have equity in the home, the amount you earn as rent can be significantly more than your regular monthly payment on the mortgage. This positive cash flow can be useful in preparing for unexpected repairs or, even better, investing in other activities – vacations, other property, paying down the mortgage, gifts, or more.

The San Antonio rental market has been extremely hot and if you are in a position where you need to move quickly, advertising the home for lease may get you results much more quickly than a traditional sale. Not only is the application to move-in timeframe much smaller (think 3-10 days generally versus the 30-45 or more days for a purchase), but the amount of time to find an interested party is much lower.

It’s not just about the money, it can also be a stress reliever. Whether your home is sitting on the market for sale, forcing you to keep it in show-ready condition, make special arrangements, or even just having to maintain the yard and call on contractors for appliance repairs, there’s a lot of work that comes with homeownership. If you put a tenant in the home and hire a great property management company, you can practically leave all of those hassles to them. When you pay a property manager, you are paying a relatively small fee to have someone else supervise these activities and help work to keep your home in good condition even with tenants living there.

Plus, you might be surprised what you can qualify to purchase without selling your current home. Most lenders can’t count the income from a rental property until you’ve had it leased for at least a year and many people are actually pleasantly surprised to learn that not selling their current home is not a barrier to purchasing another property. You will, of course, need to check with a lender on the details of your particular financial situation.

Like all things real estate, the trick is to sit down and look at your options. Weigh them all and look to see what serves your needs and gets you the outcome you desire. There are always advantages and disadvantages to any situation and your agent can help you with understanding those in your situation. If you do decide renting out your home is a good option for you, ask questions and be informed before signing on the dotted line. Whether you work with a property manager or go it alone, there are a lot of laws that affect you and you definitely want to stay informed so you can do things properly so you avoid any issues down the road. If you have questions about your home, feel free to contact us and we’ll be glad to help.

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