 Perhaps one of the most important things that property management companies do is manage the tenant acquisition and selection process. Each company has their own vetting process, and while no screening process is fool-proof, the time you take up front is well worth the effort to avoid a poor tenant selection. If you use a property manager, we've got you covered. If not, take a look through this article for some great tips on how to:
Frontier West Properties is a fully-licensed and insured property management company serving the Flathead Valley. We are proud to support the commercial, residential, HOA, and property maintenance needs of our customers in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish, Somers, and Lakeside.
For more information, call 406.249.3257 or visit our website at www.frontierwestmontana.com
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 Summer 2019 Vacation Rentals in the Flathead Valley are filling up fast! Check out these listings below and be sure and share with those who are looking to vacation to Northwest Montana. Both spots come with docks or boat slips to get on the lake! Call for availability today. Frontier West Properties is a fully-licensed and insured property management company serving the Flathead Valley. We are proud to support the commercial, residential, HOA, and property maintenance needs of our customers in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish, Somers, and Lakeside. For more information, call 406.249.3257 or visit our website at www.frontierwestmontana.com Dust mites account for 70% of all respiratory allergies, much more common in fact, than food allergies - especially for children. Dust mite allergies have become a full-blown health problem that no one is talking about. This can be an even bigger issue for those moving into rental dwellings. It wasn't until I started digging into this issue a little deeper that I realized such a simple, easy, and effective test for dust mites existed! Check out this video on the Ventia Test and run the 10-minute test on any suspect areas to move you and your family toward a healthier indoor living environment. It pays to test.  Frontier West Properties is a fully-licensed and insured property management company serving the Flathead Valley. We are proud to support the commercial, residential, HOA, and property maintenance needs of our customers in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish, Somers, and Lakeside. For more information, call 406.249.3257 or visit our website at www.frontierwestmontana.com  Have you received on of these!? Or one like it from Flathead County or another municipality regarding permitting of your short term rental property that you may have listed on sites like VRBO and Airbnb? You may have heard about recent legislation or ordinances regarding short term or vacation rentals but have not researched how to navigate the sometimes cumbersome permitting processes. We can help! Take a look at the following article or give us a call with any questions you may have or help that you need with the process. Regulation. Regulation. Regulation... Regardless of your political views, it can be frustrating when the government imposes new legislation and rules that result in the requirement to permit something that previously required none. It typically feels like government over-reach and the usual public grumblings boil up. However, the fundamental shift that the VRBO market is going through is a change from a residential issue to a commercial one, and that changes everything. Residential leasing (for more than 30 days) is done under "as-is" or no warranty ideology just like buying a used car. Private landlords are not required to bring a dwelling up to new building and safety codes beyond those that the dwelling was constructed under. Management Companies are licensed by the Montana Board of Realty Regulation and have a higher standard of building code and life-safety compliance, but those rules are far from those of a Marriott. When the word "commercial" comes into play, we all know that public safety becomes a large factor. Short term / vacation rentals are in fact businesses similar to bed and breakfast establishments or even motels. The public renting short term rentals is now making assumptions on safety and quality and they must be protected from themselves sometimes. Where I am going with all of this is to help owners understand that this kind of regulation and permitting is a good thing! The customers of these products demand a high standard of safety and sanitation. The rules, though new and untested, are a good idea! They protect the environment, the neighbors, and ultimately the safety of a tenant with regard to egress, fire, police response, trips, falls, and general health. The permitting process can be long and costly, but you are not alone. Feel free to reach out to Frontier West Property Management with any questions or help needed, and remember that the rules are there for good reason and protect both the customer and the landowner. Frontier West Properties is a fully-licensed and insured property management company serving the Flathead Valley. We are proud to support the commercial, residential, HOA, and property maintenance needs of our customers in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish, Somers, and Lakeside.
For more information, call 406.249.3257 or visit our website at www.frontierwestmontana.com  You're away from your rental for the weekend and get a call from your downstairs neighbor, "there is water coming from our ceiling and dripping into our living room. I think we can hear water running in your apartment." Life happens - it's that simple. As a renter, what are you responsible for? What is your owner responsible for? What would renters insurance cover if you were found to be the reason for damage to another renter's space? What would be excluded? Renters need to be savvy in today's market. This article describes all you need to know (and what you're too embarrassed to ask) about renters insurance. More questions? Give us a call. We help renters navigate all sorts of renter challenges and let you know where you may be exposed to risk you aren't aware of. Frontier West Properties is a fully-licensed and insured property management company serving the Flathead Valley. We are proud to support the commercial, residential, HOA, and property maintenance needs of our customers in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish, Somers, and Lakeside. For more information, call 406.249.3257 or see our website at www.frontierwestmontana.com  I have been told that online content should have water marked photos and I understood why this week. One of my listings was digitally stolen and offered back via scam at a lower 'too good to be true" price. When the false ad was clicked on, it was almost laughably a scam. However, for some shoppers or a better scammer, these things may be harder to spot. Always deal locally with a real person (preferably on the phone and not texts or e-mails) when shopping for anything online that involves private parties. Know the warning signs. Learn more tips to avoid scams by taking a look at this article. Frontier West Properties is a fully-licensed and insured property management company serving the Flathead Valley. We are proud to support the commercial, residential, HOA, and property maintenance needs of our customers in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish, Somers, and Lakeside. For more information, call 406.249.3257 or visit our website at www.frontierwestmontana.com If you are of a younger generation or an older generation that observes younger people in the business world today, you are beginning to see the powerful impact of video. Video is becoming nearly all that matters in the digital marketing world. In fact, marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users. Take a look at this article that highlights the effects of video marketing and its staggering success statistics. Check out a recent promotional video we shot via drone to highlight a Frontier West Vacation Rental. In today's day and age, there are fewer methods more effective than video to showcase the pristine beauty of the Flathead Valley, draw in excited vacationers, and boost returns. Frontier West Properties is a fully-licensed and insured property management company serving the Flathead Valley. We are proud to support the commercial, residential, HOA, and property maintenance needs of our customers in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish, Somers, and Lakeside. For more information, call 406.249.3257 or see our website at www.frontierwestmontana.com  We all want the nicest looking rentals that we can provide. However, not all money spent on renovation yields higher rents. As we face Flathead Valley's construction boom, you can estimate your total cost for renovations if you carefully think through the appeal of new features, estimate the cost, and then add another 25%! As a property management company, Frontier West can help you identify what renovations or upgrades make the most financial sense and will give you the best return. Click here to learn how to avoid renovation mistakes on your rental properties. Frontier West Properties is a fully-licensed and insured property management company serving the Flathead Valley. We are proud to support the commercial, residential, HOA, and property maintenance needs of our customers in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish, Somers, and Lakeside. For more information, call 406.249.3257 or see our website at www.frontierwestmontana.com  "Apartments, compared with other asset property types, have a strong performance history and will likely continue to outperform in the foreseeable future." - Elizabeth Miller, Appfolio We have all had a front row seat to the construction craze this season. The Flathead Valley's construction statistics are second only to Bozeman with regard to growth in the state of Montana. However, this frenzy has created some pretty high construction costs. Developers have had some issues keeping project budgets within the acceptable limits once the General Contractors have turned in their bids, but the projects continue to get off of the ground. With general housing inventory down from prior years and a rapidly growing communities in places like Kalispell, Bigfork, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls, we have seen an explosion in multi-family construction. In addition to meeting a community demand, new research shows apartments are proving to be a real estate investment that outperforming other property types. Take a look at this article from AppFolio's Blog explaining the fuel behind the multi-family boom. Frontier West Properties is a fully-licensed and insured property management company serving the Flathead Valley. We are proud to support the commercial, residential, HOA, and property maintenance needs of our customers in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish, Somers, and Lakeside. For more information, call 406.249.3257 or visit our website at www.frontierwestmontana.com  I have owned Flathead Valley rental properties for years. I'll be the first to admit that never thought a property manager was totally necessary. And then I attended a week-long property management training and certification course and studied the Residential Landlord Tenant Act . It became very clear that there are multiple benefits to hiring a property manager - risk reduction is one of the most important. It's no shock that owning an investment property can be a sound financial move. Smart investors know that hiring a property manager is the next step toward protecting their asset. Forbes Real Estate Council shares 8 reasons why you shouldn't manage your own investment properties. If you own a commercial or residential rental property in the Flathead Valley, consider property management. To learn more about the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, click here. #IfIOnlyKnew Author Ryan Pokorny, Owner/Manager Frontier West Properties is a fully-licensed and insured property management company serving the Flathead Valley. We are proud to support the commercial, residential, HOA, and property maintenance needs of our customers in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish, Somers, and Lakeside. For more information, call 406.249.3257 or visit our website at www.frontierwestmontana.com |
ResourcesOwning a rental property involves a whole new skill set. Staying current on market issues and trends is even more challenging. Here are some resources that you might find handy. archives
February 2019
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