Landlord Newsletter - January 20, 2015

Dear Fellow Landlord,

I'm sorry this newsletter has so much in it, but I had a lot to tell you about!

Screening Secret # 1 isn't really a secret, is it? It is so simple, and I wonder why so many people forget it!

If you happen to be in the Fort Lauderdale area this coming weekend, try to check out a real estate event with Laura Al-Amery who will share The Top 5 Little Known Strategies for with great income potential; Gary & Cynthia Schmidt who show you how to collect back rent even when you think it's long gone and Kathy Kennebrook who shows you how to find more great deals than ever, all at the Westin Hotel. Event Details below.

In this newsletter:

• Tenant Screening Secret # 1
  
• Criminal Background Authorization & Release Form
  
• I've Extended our NEW YEAR COUPON SPECIAL!
  
• Hot Real Estate Event in South Florida!
  
• Ask the Eviction Attorney
  
• Community Buying Group Discounts on Building Materials and Supplies for landlords
  

Please e-mail us if you have any questions or would like to add or share any material / information. Have a great month and an even more successful year ahead.
John Nuzzolese
John@theLPA.com

You are screening all the time.
Until you agree on the terms of the lease with your prospect, and have signatures of both parties on the agreement, you should be carefully evaluating the applicant . After you've completed all the steps of your tenant screening process, the final decision is made the moment the lease is finalized - when it is signed and all the required funds are paid.

I know it may seem harsh to kill a deal during or just before the lease signing, but I've been able to uncover disturbing knowledge about some prospects just before or during lease signings.

What do you do if you come to realize at the last minute that this is not the qualified tenant you thought you had for your rental property?

A: If this new knowledge is a deal breaker, you must for your own protection kill the deal.
How do you kill a deal?
There are 2 ways you can kill a rental deal at the last minute or during the lease signing.

1) The direct way. Confront the prospect with the information and explain that you can not proceed any further. In other words, Rip it up! Yup. Rip up that lease. or

2) Reschedule the appointment while you reconsider.

It is important to always do your best to eliminate the chance of renting to someone who is already showing you that you can expect problems from them.

New Year, New Career in Real Estate in South Florida!
A Step by Step Approach

Organized by Laura Al-Amery
Saturday, January 24, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM (EST)
Westin Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, FL (See details below)

I have invited 3 other speakers to this event:

Kathy Kennebrook,
and we will bring together all the relevant information that you need to be aware of today and give you the tools to jump on the "real estate train" before it is too late.

These are the topics that each speaker will cover -

Laura Al-Amery will present:

Introduction -
What Will Work in Real Estate Investing in 2015?
• What Has Changed from the Old Way of Doing Things and how to gain the edge?
• The Top 5 Little Known Strategies to watch out for with great income potential;
• A step-by-step plan of action that you can implement today and jumpstart your real estate investing career;
... and much more


*****************************

Kathy Kennebrook will present:

• You'll learn how to locate more deals in just a couple of weeks than you will be able to process in a year;
• How to find the owners of vacant, abandoned houses even when they don't want to be found;
• Learn How To Automate The Follow-Up Process and The Deal-Making Process;
... and much more


***************************

Gary and Cynthia Schmidt will present:

• Collect Back Rent - how to avoid the fear of a non-paying tenant stop you from owning properties and create passive income;
• The Correct Forms and Screening Procedures - how to execute the proper move in procedure and facilitate any eviction proceedings;
... and much more

Click for more details

***********************************************

I've Extended our NEW YEAR COUPON SPECIAL!
Why? Just Because.

Why not start kicking butt ASAP?

$5.00 or $10.00 COUPON CODE OR... Get a FREE Year

The Criminal Background Authorization & Release Form helps you find out if the tenant is being up front with you. It gives them the opportunity to tell you if there is any criminal history that may come up on a background check. Not only will you have the tenant's full authorization to do a criminal report with law enforcement agencies, you also have the written authorization required to obtain a credit report.

The fact that the tenant has nothing to hide and is willing to release credit and criminal (if any) history to you shows good faith and cooperation in the screening process.

This form can be used in addition to the LPA Rental Application or independently for the purpose of tenant screening authorization.

FREE DOWNLOAD The Criminal Background Authorization & Release Form

Real Estate Attorney John Reno, an expert in landlord tenant legal matters, has specialized in landlord tenant law for many years. Mr. Reno answers questions asked by LPA members to help solve all kinds of landlord tenant problems.

Dear Mr. Reno:
I have a pair of couples who rented my house, and they all 4 signed the lease. I added a termination clause, that the lease can be broken with a 30-day written notice, and payment of a one-month termination fee. One of the couples has given their written notice, which is causing the other couple to move out also as they cannot afford the house on their own. The couple who gave their written notice is only paying me ˝ of the termination fee, claiming that is how much they paid for rent. Technically I suppose that sounds credible, but obviously the other couple will not pay half, they did not want to break the lease and was not their idea. My question, is the couple breaking the lease responsible for the whole month fee? Is it worth going to court over? ($500)
Thanks for any help you can give!!
Nelson in Tennessee.

A: They should pay it all! You should send them all a letter, they're in breach- if you don't get it all- they'll (all four) be responsible for any lost rent until you re-rent. Whether or not its worth suing, that's your call.

If you have a landlord tenant problem you'd like to ask a question about, please feel free to e-mail me your question.
Submit a landlord / tenant question for Mr. Reno
Please try to keep your questions as short and to the point as possible.

All set for your Discounts at Lowes, Sherwin Williams, Sears & other Suppliers?
Set Up You Community Buying Group Savings through The LPA!

Take advantage save money at Lowe’s, Sherwin Williams, Sears Commercial and 20 other suppliers. The best part is that there is NO COST to you and existing Lowe’s LAR and Sherwin Williams accounts qualify for additional discounts. Take advantage of this program click here to register (no charge to you)

It costs you nothing and only saves you lots of money! Click here for this money saving member's only benefits!

Have you ever been beaten by a tenant on the rent? Most of us have and unfortunately, it is one of the costs of doing business as a landlord.
On the brighter side, remedies are available for many. If you have documented your tenancy with the proper paperwork including a rental application, lease agreement, late notices, etc., you may have a chance of collecting.

Credit bureau reporting is an option in which many modern landlords are beginning to participate....

Click here for the full article

How to Check your LPA Membership Expiration Date:

1. Be logged in with your LPA username & password
   
2. On the "Main Menu" (top right), click on "Your Orders" (right below your name)
   
3. The beginning date of your membership will be listed to the left of your membership order # in this format: YYYYMMDD
   

If you haven't already, please take the opportunity to sign up for The LPA's Quick Check Credit Reports! Quick Check is a simple, fast way to access online credit reports while saving you money!

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