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Archive for the ‘lease’ Category

Deciding to Rent Instead of Buy

September 24th, 2010

By Mark Schecter | No Comments »

leaseNot long ago, many people considered buying real estate part of the American Dream. It was a goal that most everyone looked forward to.

That was before the most recent market crash.

Now, more and more people are starting to think they are better off (at least, financially) renting instead of buying.

This departure from the past is picking up steam, even throughout Florida.

Even renters who are able to qualify for mortgages feel as though they are getting enough home for their money when they rent.

In some instances, people are opting to pay just as much as (and sometimes more) than a mortgage payment.

3 Reasons for the Shift

1)    Some renters are holding off on buying because they are concerned that prices still have not hit their lowest points. If they purchase a home today, it may be worth less in a few months. Thus, they are waiting to see how the market recovers and home values stabilize.

2)    Other renters are foregoing buying because of the responsibilities that are involved in owning a home. In Florida, many homeowners are still trying to recover from damage caused by hurricanes, floods and other disasters that insurance did not cover.

3)    Homeowners that are reluctant to sell due to the present market are also contributing to the shift. While they hold off on selling and wait for the market to recover, a growing number are offering their homes for rent.

Due to this recent shift, real estate experts are realizing that today’s market is no longer just a buyer or seller’s market. Instead, it is becoming more of a renter’s market.

Have you witnessed this growing interest in renting?

Offer Incentives to Keep Tenants Happy

September 16th, 2010

By Mark Schecter | No Comments »

Offer Incentives to Keep Current Tenants Happy and Attract New Tenants As the commercial leasing market grows more competitive, landlords are looking for ways to keep their current tenants happy and attract new potentials.

One way to do this is to offer incentives and rewards that your competition is not providing.

Offering Incentives to Attract New Tenants

As you know, an empty office building is money going down the drain.

Here are a couple of tips that will help you attract new tenants and fill those vacant office spaces.

1.  Offer new tenants a 3 to 6 month period of free rent.

2.  Nowadays, many office spaces come with a kitchen area. Fully furnish the kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave and a few other appliances.

3.  If the tenant expresses interest in altering the office layout, offer to contribute a portion of the costs of upgrades and alterations.

4.  Provide parking in a covered garage and/or reserved parking spaces, if possible.

Rewarding Current Tenants

Most landlords will tell you they save money by keeping their current tenants happy.

Not only do they save on the costs of cosmetic items like new carpet and paint, they also save on repairs that can get quite expensive.

Some landlords offer the perks mentioned above, while others reward their tenants with free Internet access, cable television, and gift cards to popular restaurants when they renew their existing lease.

When you offer current and new tenants incentives that other landlords do not offer, you’re able to stand out from the rest of the crowd.  Your tenants will feel appreciated and will happily lease with you instead of the guy down the street.

Do you have any incentive ideas for landlords? Share them in the comments section below.

Renters Affected by Rising Foreclosure Rates

June 3rd, 2010

By Mark Schecter | No Comments »

rentalHomeowners are not the only people affected by the rising foreclosure rates.

In some parts of Florida, renters are also experiencing problems as a result of default mortgages they have no control over.

As a renter, you are not responsible for a mortgage but your landlord is. If he is unable to pay the mortgage on the rental property, the loan will go into default and the bank can take the home back from the landlord.

You can find yourself facing eviction with limited time to vacate the property.

This can cause a tremendous amount of stress as you struggle to not only locate a new home, but come up with the cash needed to satisfy the deposit.

In addition to sudden evictions, Florida residents in some locations are seeing a rise in rental prices.

A number of factors contribute to the rising costs, including the fact that many renters are waiting for home prices to bottom out before making a decision to buy. And as the demand for rental properties increase, the prices do too.

Although the market is showing signs of steady improvement, lenders have tightened their restrictions and now require close-to-perfect credit and larger down payments.

If you’d like more information about leasing residential (or commercial) property, contact our Fort Lauderdale real estate attorneys today. You can use this form to email or call us at (954) 779-7009.