Rental Trends

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and home owner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

Finding and selecting a property management company to manage your most valuable asset(s) is no small feat. The stakes are high — you’re looking for a firm or person you can trust to take care of a very valuable investment, maybe even your own home. And not everyone uses the services of a property manager, so recommendations from family or friends may be hard to come by.

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and home owner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

Real estate investments should be made on their potential to produce a good return (ROI) and consistent cash flow. Experienced real estate investors use financial metrics such as net present value, internal rate of return, and capitalization rate to evaluate real estate investment opportunities.

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and home owner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

Income property owners are likely aware of federal Fair Housing laws, but they may be less familiar with D.C.’s ban on discrimination based on appearance or other additional anti-discrimination protections that exist throughout the D.C. metro area.

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and home owner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

Trusting your valuable property to tenants is often a difficult enough step. When you live far away from the property, being a landlord is even more challenging. Many owners worry about whether things are going smoothly and struggle to stay informed without racking up big travel bills to check on the property. If there are problems, it can be difficult to manage repairs or legal issues from hundreds of miles away.

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and home owner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

Real life isn’t a day at the beach. But investors interested in vacation or resort properties can see that day at the beach in their future. Today, we look at the implications and advantages of investing in vacation property.

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and home owner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

How much can rent increase in Washington, D.C.?

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and home owner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

A recent report estimates that the D.C. metro area will grow by 1.5 million people and add 1.1 million jobs in the next 30 years, and that growth is likely to bring plenty of opportunity for area property investors.

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and home owner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

Renting out property can be a solid financial investment but to see the best return on it, consider how to be a good landlord. By implementing best practices, you will see lower vacancy rates, more quality tenants, and increased word-of-mouth referrals.

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and home owner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

The Fair Housing Act is a federal law that protects tenants and prospective tenants from illegal housing discrimination. However, many states — and the District of Columbia — have their own fair housing rules. These tend to expand on the federal law, guaranteeing additional rights to current and potential renters or homeowners.

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and home owner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

You’ve decided you to hire a professional property management services company for your investment property and you can almost feel the relief of being able to hand off the landlord tasks to a pro.

This biweekly sponsored column is written by the experts at Gordon James Realty, a local property management firm that specializes in residential real estate, commercial real estate and home owner associations. Please submit any questions in the comments section or via email.

Many landlords are unfamiliar with vacant home insurance even though the coverage is critical to protecting their real estate investments. The primary reason has to do with landlord insurance policies that typically only extend to occupied properties. If those dwelling places are vacant for more than 30 or 60 days (the time period is dependent on the insurance carrier and policy) landlord insurance can cease to apply.