By Chris Miller

With an expanding budget deficit, the addition of fantastically expensive social programs, a skyrocketing national debt and a “tax-friendly” presidential administration at the helm, many of my investors are wondering what their taxes will look like in the future.  This month’s article takes a look at what’s in store for us in 2011 – and beyond.

On May 28, 2003, President Bush signed the third-largest tax cut in U.S. history, the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003.  Those tax cuts, unless renewed, are set to expire on December 31, 2010.  And we can be pretty sure they won’t be renewed.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Tim Carter

Summary: A roof leak is a major nuisance for most homeowners. Finding a leak can be frustrating or relatively simple, depending on location and weather conditions. Leak detection may go easier with these tips for locating a water leak and roof leak repair.

Ten Most Common Roof Leak Locations

Roof leaks are a nuisance for many homeowners. They can be difficult to diagnose – that is a fact. To make matters worse, different weather conditions will produce leaks in different locations.

The vast majority of roof coverings operate using the principal of gravity. This can be a big help in locating a leak source. However, horizontal roof boards can trick you. A leak may actually be eight to 10 feet sideways from where you see the wet ceiling or spot in the attic.

Finding the source of some leaks is easy. Others will require detective work and possibly a garden hose and an inside spotter. If you don’t feel comfortable on a roof, you will have to find an honest roofer to assist you. Sometimes this can be as hard as finding the smallest leak! Here are some tips that may help you find a pesky roof leak:

Read the rest of this entry »

By Karim Juade

“The art of negotiation is, practiced by everyone, But the craft of negotiation is, practiced by a few.”
– Anonymous

“12 Keys to Negotiate the Best Deal Ever”
The following keys will unlock how to negotiate the best deals.
In this article, we will tackle the first three keys and in future articles we will tackle the remaining keys.

1. Everyone Negotiates
Every day, we negotiate with our spouses, children, bosses, employees, colleagues, bankers, or even our pets. We all negotiate all the time, every hour of every day whether we want to or not, over loans, projects, raises, dinners, dates, privileges, even the holiday leftovers. Some of us just do it better than others.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Stephen B. Fainsbert, Esq.

You and your spouse decide to purchase a vacation home with a couple who are your best friends.  You have always had a wonderful relationship with them.  How do you protect yourself if for some reason having this couple as friends is not the same as having them as co-owners of a vacation home where you have to decide on how you determine schedules on use of the vacation home, furnishings, cost of upkeep and maintenance?  A well written tenancy in common agreement (“TIC Agreement”) agreed to by you, your spouse and the other couple is essential.  To an extent this may protect you legally, but may not prevent the emotional differences which may be encountered in this sharing arrangement.  The case of LEG Investments versus Thomas and Donalee Boxler (the “LEG-Boxler case”) decided by the California Court of Appeal on April 1, 2010, illustrates these difficulties.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Justin Elliot

There are fundamental reasons why your apartment may not be renting as quickly this year as it may have in previous years. The first of which is the job market, which is no secret, but its effects have been hard felt. National studies have now revealed that only 1 out of 5 graduating seniors had received a job offer in 2009. In 2008, that number was better than half. This dynamic change has drastically reduced the number of new “renters” looking for an apartment.

The sour job market has also made people more apprehensive about moving in general. There is that underlying feeling, “will I even have my job next month or will there be more layoffs?” In fact, another national survey reflected that 25% less people moved last year than 2008. This again is eating into our pool of renters.

Read the rest of this entry »

By NAPSI

How long have you been ignoring that pitter-patter coming from the shower or jiggling the handle on that running toilet? Well, you may as well be pouring money down the drain. Fixing easily corrected leaks can save homeowners more than 10 percent on water bills, and it’s good for the environment.

While leaks may sometimes seem like small problems, they waste valuable resources and money over time. On average, a U.S. household leaks more than 11,000 gallons of water per year—enough to fill a backyard swimming pool. Common leaks, such as dripping faucets and aging toilet flappers, are easily correctable. WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is encouraging residents to fix household leaks:

Read the rest of this entry »

by Thomas J. Lucier

Six Steps You Must Take To Avoid Renting To The Proverbial “Tenant From Hell”

Let’s face it, California is over-populated with board-certified, repeat-offender “tenants from hell” who specialize in bilking ignorant, unsuspecting California residential landlords out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent and property damage annually. Here are six steps that you must follow when selecting tenants to avoid being victimized by California’s numerous “tenants from hell:”

Step #1: Establish tenant qualification standards based on legitimate business reasons.

Step #2: Provide all tenant applicants with a copy of your tenant qualification standards.

Step #3: Apply your tenant qualification standards uniformly to all tenant applicants.

Step #4: Require consumer credit and criminal background reports on all tenant applicants.

Step #5: Check, verify and evaluate the rental history and income of all tenant applicants.

Step #6: Deny rent to all tenant applicants who do not meet your tenant qualification standards.

Read the rest of this entry »

According to the most recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Japanese beetles cause more than $420 million in damage annually to trees, plants, flowers and vegetables. But did you know that Japanese beetles actually begin their lives underground as grubs? If left unchecked, grubs will damage your lawn. This one-two punch can create havoc in your landscape and cost you a bundle of money.

Read the rest of this entry »

QUESTION:   For many years, I have been living with my sister and her husband in an apartment they rent.  The property manager knows I live there, but I pay rent to my sister who pays the property manager.  Much to my surprise I learned the hard way that my sister had stopped paying the rent and that an eviction case had been filed against her and her husband.  I only found out when I came home one day and found a sheriff’s notice on the front door stating that we would be physically evicted in five days.  I never received any court papers and when I asked my sister for the court papers, I saw that I was never named as a defendant in the court case.  I didn’t do anything wrong here and I wonder if I can continue to live in this apartment.

Read the rest of this entry »

If a property owner has a growing number of properties, it’s inevitable that a day will come when they ask, “Should I outsource the day-to-day operations of my business to a property management company?”

Deciding when to outsource and which company to hire is one of the most important business decisions a property owner can make. Choose wisely, and an owner will be rewarded with the peace of mind that comes with responsible property management. Choose incorrectly, and an owner will be working harder after hiring a property management company.

Read the rest of this entry »