Question 1

CAN I DO MY OWN MAINTENANCE?

Accepted Answer

If you are very good at maintenance, or like being more hands-on, you always have the option of taking care of the maintenance of your property on your own. In our experience, most people who attempt to be the maintenance man, or even the supervisor end up with more downtime, a lot of personal involvement, and more money out of pocket. If maintenance is your expertise, go for it… otherwise, we suggest you leave it to the experts. If you do your own maintenance, we strongly encourage you to use a Home Warranty Company.

Question 2

CAN I SEE MY PROPERTY ACCOUNTING ONLINE?

Accepted Answer

In choosing Diablo Pacific Property Group, you will benefit from many technological advantages including real-time access to your accounting. This includes the ability to pull dozens of reports to see how your property is doing and copies of any related documents. You can also see tenant rent payments as we post them!

Question 3

CAN DIABLO PACIFIC GET MY HOME READY TO RENT FOR ME?

Accepted Answer

Don’t worry about getting your rental property perfect before asking Diablo Pacific Property Group to manage it. We can take your home in any condition and get it rent ready fast. We’ll tell you up front what needs to be completed an provide cost and timeline estimates for your approval before we start.

Question 4

HOW DO I APPROVE MAINTENANCE REQUESTS?

Accepted Answer

Maintenance requests are sent to you via email in real time when the tenant inputs it in the tenant portal. You can approve or decline the work order, and one of our professional staff members will carry out the request. Repairs are paid for on the 10th of the month using the rent money collected on the 1st of the month.

Question 5

DO I REALLY NEED A PROPERTY MANAGER?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how experienced you are, and how much time/money you can invest while you learn. On the surface, managing a rental property seems like a pretty simple proposition. When you really get into all the little things that can happen with a home and a tenant, and the laws that govern how you work with both, it is more than most people can handle well. That’s why very few people manage their own rental homes long term. Most people handling a rental home for the first time will end up going with a property management company, or let frustration push them out of real estate investing entirely. How much does it cost you every day to have your property sit vacant? If you don’t know you should figure it out. Rent/30 is the cost of each vacant day while your busy life commitments push the rental to the back burner. Most people can’t afford NOT to hire a professional property manager.
Unless you have a solid background in property management, your most expensive choice will probably be to save some money and manage the home yourself. Unless you are very good at pricing your rental, running an ad, taking calls, and negotiating a lease, it is easy to add a month or two to each vacancy. You may lease the house for less than it is worth, or settle for a tenant you can’t properly screen. Unless you are experienced with managing the tenant, it is easy to have a simple 30-day eviction turn into 60 days or more of lost income. With a regular full-time job taking your time, even seasoned experts can rarely manage their own rental home efficiently enough to save money over a professional property management company. Those extra vacant months quickly cost you more than Management fees ever will.

Question 6

HOW DO I GET INFORMATION ABOUT MY PROPERTY?

Accepted Answer

As soon as you sign up with Diablo Pacific Property Group, you will receive a link to your personal portal. You will have access to copies of all important documents, including your Management Agreement, the current Lease Agreement, etc., online 24/7. If you need to talk to somebody after taking advantage of the wealth of information, we give you online, call or e-mail us anytime. We are happy to help you with any questions you may have.

Question 7

HOW CAN I MAKE SURE I CHOOSE THE RIGHT PROPERTY MANAGER?

Accepted Answer

Your property manager will have an impact on your experience as a real estate owner or investor. We are investors ourselves and have tailored this company to be exactly what we wanted (and could never find) in a property management company. If your property manager can’t answer “yes” to these questions, red flags should be going up for you!
Do you personally own investment properties?
If they don’t own investment real estate themselves, your property manager can’t possibly understand what it is like to be an investor, to have a vacant property, or to be left out of the loop. We believe it is impossible to effectively manage a rental property without that personal experience! If your property manager knows what it is like to have a bad tenant, they will screen better if they know what it is like to pay that mortgage with no rent, they will be more committed to getting the home leased, etc. If they aren’t passionate enough about real estate investing to be in the game themselves, how careful will they be with your investments? If they don’t nail this one, keep shopping.
Do you really have the time to focus on my home?
The critical thing to each investor shouldn’t be how many houses you manage, but how you will manage their ONE property. Before you sign up with a huge company, make sure they can provide you with the personalized care you deserve. How can you tell if they do a good job? Check them out with the BBB or with a simple Google search to find out if they manage their homes well, or just churn through the numbers.
Are your fees fair and easy to understand?
Don’t be fooled by all the smoke and mirrors. Nobody works for free, but some companies are masters of hiding the dozens of ways they can reach into your pocket. Ask about the renewal contract and find out if your rates will change after the first of the year. Ask about other things that may show up as bills on your accounting. Little extra charges and fees can nickel and dime a great property to death. Make your property manager be honest about their fees. Expect great service and be ready to pay a fair price for it, but avoid the gimmicky promotions.
Do you have a marketing plan for my home?
Leasing is a numbers game, and aggressive marketing will create more leads… and more leads give us more choices… more choices result in better tenants in less time. Make sure to ask the resources and avenues your prospective manager employs to maximize the exposure of your property.

Question 8

HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF MAINTENANCE REQUESTS?

Accepted Answer

Whether it is your primary home or a rental, things do go wrong in a home. The easiest way to lose a great tenant is to be careless with maintenance or let the property condition decline. We advocate being very proactive with maintenance to keep the relationship with the tenant strong, and to preserve the value of your investment. This aspect of your investment strategy is so critical that we strongly avoid cutting corners and going with the cheapest possible solution. There is usually a reason one painter is half the price of another… and it sometimes means paying the good contractor to do it right after you tried to save a little money. We will leverage our volume to get you a good job for a fair price.

Question 9

HOW QUICKLY CAN YOU GET A NEW TENANT IN MY HOME?

Accepted Answer

The fastest property to be leased in any neighborhood is almost always the best rental home for the best price. We will direct you on how to make your property the best, and how to price it to move. If you follow our lead, your vacancies will be very short… if we are trying to rent a home that is in rough shape and overpriced, be ready for a few extra mortgage payments.
We balance the need to end the vacancy with the desire to get the right tenant. We don’t want to sign a marginal tenant quickly, just to evict them in a month or two. We are committed to marketing the home for maximum phone calls, handling every call well, screening the tenants to avoid problems where possible, and doing it all ASAP.

Question 10

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET MY HOME UP FOR RENT?

Accepted Answer

We can usually go from a phone call to a listed home the same business day once you are ready to go. Our online forms make it easy to get set up, and a quick phone call with one of our licensed Agents will get the ball rolling, fast. Online advertising usually starts within one business day of you submitting your property information. Signs and lockboxes follow quickly with any recommendations for making your home show to its best potential. Nobody will get your home up, ready, and marketed faster than Diablo Pacific Property Group.

Question 11

HOW MUCH AM I INVESTING IN YOUR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SOLUTION?

Accepted Answer

For the dedicated price shopper, few things will be more confusing than trying to find the cheapest possible property manager (who you will naturally expect to outperform the more reasonably priced options). The reason for the confusion is that many managers will pull you in with an unbelievably low initial price that is loaded with hidden fees, and a January 1 renewal that hits like a landmine.
At Diablo Pacific Property Group we would rather lose a few of the passionate price shoppers than be the company they get mad at when they realize their “deal” wasn’t what they thought it was. Our fees are straightforward and easy to understand, but more importantly, honestly disclosed. We expect our clients to know we need to make a fair profit and we don’t mind being open about how we do it. Contact us directly to learn more about our pricing packages and structure.

Question 12

HOW MUCH RENT CAN YOU GET FOR MY HOME?

Accepted Answer

Rental rates fluctuate with the neighborhood, time of year, and many other market conditions. What a house will rent for is entirely a function of the current market and your competition during this vacancy. Unfortunately, it truly has nothing to do with your mortgage payment, what you rented the home for last time, or anything else. Making sure you are priced to move, without being too low, will be part of the initial visit our Agent will make to the home.

Question 13

HOW DO YOU HANDLE EVICTIONS?

Accepted Answer

Very few tenants ever need to be evicted, but it does happen. We always start the process with the intent to get the home back as soon as legally possible. Along the way, we encourage the tenant to cure if we believe they will learn from the experience and stay current in the future. We handle the 3-day notice, required mailings, and interfacing with the attorney should it make it to this point. When possible, we work with the tenant rather than evict them, but we are committed to having your tenant on track and staying current or finding you a new tenant who will.

Question 14

WHAT IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH A TENANT OR MY PROPERTY?

Accepted Answer

Being a real estate investor is a long-term commitment. If you follow the recommendations we give you during a portfolio plan, you will end up making real estate investments the foundation of your long-term wealth. One reality of being in the game is that if you own enough real estate over a long enough period, you will experience everything being a landlord has to offer! The good news is that the problems that can come up are pretty predictable and easy to plan for.  The key is to have the experience of a professional property management company behind you so you can get back on track quickly with minimal legal issues, loss of rent, and damage to the home.

Question 15

WHY IS DIABLO PACIFIC THE BEST CHOICE FOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SERVICES?

Accepted Answer

The Diablo Pacific Property Group team has accumulated extensive professional experience and industry accreditation in real estate investment and property management. Our agents are always available for personal mentoring and answering your questions about real estate investing. You will enjoy dedicated property managers and qualified leasing agents. Our customer service staff is committed to quick response and making sure our clients are so satisfied they gladly refer their friends to us.

Question 16

WHAT LEASE OPTIONS DO YOU OFFER?

Accepted Answer

We only offer a standard lease that complies with all state and federal laws to include all Fair Housing Laws. Leases can generally be 12-24 months in length with the option to renew if the tenant qualifies.

Question 17

WHAT KINDS OF PROPERTIES ARE YOU ABLE TO MANAGE?

Accepted Answer

We are perfectly happy managing a wide variety of single family homes, condos, and apartment communities. We specialize in middle to upper-middle income single family homes, condos, and multi-family apartment communities.

Question 18

WHAT TYPES OF PROPERTIES DO YOU RECOMMEND AS RENTAL INVESTMENTS?

Accepted Answer

There are literally hundreds of factors that impact the properties we recommend to our real estate investor clients. Overall, we focus on properties that will be held for long-term growth, in areas that have the strongest potential for maximum return on investment. The easiest homes to own and manage are the homes that attract the very best tenants in any given neighborhood.

Question 19

WHEN CAN I EXPECT TO RECEIVE MY OWNER CHECK?

Accepted Answer

We cycle owner payments once a month by direct deposit.  Fund typically hit owners accounts on the 15th, so there is never a “check in the mail.” Remember, you have online access to your accounting so you don’t need to call to know exactly when the tenant paid, or what your next check should look like.

Proudly serving Contra Costa, Alameda and the surrounding counties.

(925) 979 5550

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