My home schedule to close on Thursday will not close until Friday. Stuff happens that can slow things down. That said I wanted to share how I am marketing this next purchase and how it fits into a system.

The house is a 3 Bedroom 2 bath 1 car garage place on the edge of town where the high school is at. There used to be three small schools and they merged them all into one large building. This house is within walking distance of this merged school.

So what is my niche for that house? I see that school as a important hook for the next folks. I want the best folks applying. These folks have to be planners and if they have kids, they will want to be in place before school starts. Those who aren't thinking this way are not the cream of the crop or they have a timing issue of some kind - I need to look out for them well in advance. Credit, references and income are good tools but let the parents demonstrate if they have the family together.

Many folks moan and groan that landlord rights are being stripped away and they are. But by IDing the niche, this allows the applicants to screen themselves out without much effort on my behalf.

I have a second place that will be closing in another six weeks - I just put that place under contract last week. That place is located about eight miles away and it is a 4 BR 2 Bath 2 Car place. People want choices and if I am giving them multiple choices and multiple time lines, I am more inclined to get the folks who might not be quite ready to move just yet. The fliers on house two will be at house one. I paid an extra $250 for permission to put a lock box on the place and permission to show the place. The guy settling the estate just ask that I text him to let him know that I am going in before I go in.

So family wanting to hook up the kids will have a couple of places to choose from. Does that make you look like a typical mom and pop operator? Or someone with systems in places. I will not deny that there are less than qualified folks wanting to kick tires........it is your job to install systems that discourage them from wasting your time. If marketing of one unit - one that screams your kids will love this school, feeds the second unit then two birds with one stone.

So someone might be asking Ray, why did you spend any money just to show a place? What is the value of a quality resident that values good schools? High school is four years and there are plenty of bedrooms so there can be more than on student in that household. I see that as a cheap investment to get a place held before I even own it.

Rent starts at ..............

Thank you, Ray, for sharing this. I like your thoughts on that. I typically get younger folks applying because of being near a university.

Will you have to remodel this house or is it ready to rent?

Ray, that is a great plan of action for both places.

I have certain niche tenants for certain places but I have not nailed down exactly who I would prefer to look for.

Fortunately for me I only have one empty right now (went on market last night) but I have given people info on other places open or soon to be open if I thought it was either a better fit for them or an up sale for me.