I think it’s just normal now to sit longer and go through several hundred to get one. It’s been happening on almost every unit for at least 3-4 years now. To me, that defines normal. --24.152.xxx.xx

NE, you stand to gain a lot if you figure it out. You stand to lose a lot if you don’t figure it out. --149.76.xxx.x

I have figured it out. Price is what shortens vacancies. --24.152.xxx.xx

It wil be interesting to see what magic tricks Roy has up his sleeve to get tenants. --172.59.xx.xxx

Susan, I think that’s what’s also happened now. They’ve given funding on overpriced houses to every mirror fogger that comes along. The flip market is suffering as well. We cannot find anything to buy. And I mean anything. The one house that I have listed with the realtor, she said she has no other listings and this is the first time in almost 40 years that that has ever happened to her. Nobody can explain this market to anybody who’s being affected by it. Nobody’s been through it, nobody has the answer. Do whatever works for you to get the job done for the time being. --24.152.xxx.xx

I do have a few questions for you. Everything you currently know about being a landlord, how did you learn it? School of hard knocks? Online podcasts or You Tube videos maybe? Landlord forums maybe? --76.29.xxx.xx

I am calm. I’ve learned from any avenue that I can. Videos, real life, other landlords, books. How else are you supposed to learn? You are the one who said your methods are unorthodox and you weren’t willing to share them. I have to assume what I have to assume. --24.152.xxx.xx

Here’s another thing that I can add. I’ve tried so many new ideas, especially ones that I’ve heard on here that have completely freaking failed that I’m not really interested in trying any new ones. It always comes down to the same thing. Fix the house, put it up for rent and reduce the price until it’s rented. Each and every single time it is the same thing. There’s no other secret formulas. Basic economics. --24.152.xxx.xx

--184.4.xx.x

--76.29.xxx.xx

A few older women had a tub up there, but no one else did. --173.28.xx.xxx

I’ve read a few of his books as well, Roy. But enough with the horn tootin’ & get on with it. What do you do differently that hasn’t been discussed here before? --24.152.xxx.xx

Roy, give it up or admit you wont tell him anything already. NE- what is your process? at what point do you speak to prospects? I wonder if you are chasing away decent prospects,do you give them an attitude like you give people here sometimes? --104.131.xxx.xxx

Ken, I use the tenant turner software, which is an absolute blessing. I talk to them anytime during the process if they have a question. Other than that it’s pretty much self guided. I’m very professional with my interactions with prospects even if they’re complete bums. --24.152.xxx.xx

I don’t give prospective tenants attitudes like I do people here. Prospective tenants are a lot easier to deal with. --24.152.xxx.xx

NE- do you get to a certain point in the process and seem to loose good ones? maybe your program has a problem within it,have you tried pretending you are a tenant and gone through the process? If i was going to rent a place i would want to talk to the owner or manager,not just an automated system,that being said i realize i am not the target market --104.131.xxx.xxx

I text everything with them through the messaging system provided by tenant Turner. The only ones that demand to talk to me, have a sob story to tell me. At that point, I just tell them that we do everything through text for record-keeping purse. Everybody else just follows the process and goes along with it smoothly. I may lose some that aren’t interested in that, but not that it’s noticeable. I have been renting them out that way for probably I’m guessing 10 to 12 years? I don’t remember when I was first introduced to tenant Turner. --24.152.xxx.xx

I think I shared it with you before Ken. It handles all the scheduling for the lockboxes. Some basic preliminary questions. Automatically declined some of them for parameters that I have preset. Follow up questions and applications links set after showings. It is a tremendous time saver. If I had to go back to answering the phone when tenants call and physically going and showing properties, etc., I would just sell all the rentals and strictly flip. The headache would not be worth it. --24.152.xxx.xx

--76.29.xxx.xx

--76.29.xxx.xx

Yes, exactly as Sid posted and exactly as I’ve been saying. Good quality places priced less than my competition. What’s the big secret? PS, I stuffed envelopes about an hour ago and I’m working on other business stuff as well. --24.152.xxx.xx

All that I can think that this anticipation is leading up to is something along the lines of “Drink more Ovaltine!”. --24.152.xxx.xx

Tell me about your rental properties (SFH, duplexes, apartments?) and where they are located. Are they located in a city close to where good paying jobs are or are they located out in the country where decent paying jobs are few and far between? Are you rentals in Class A, B, C, or D hoods? --76.29.xxx.xx

The units are a complete mix with mostly the same extended vacancy results. Single families, duplexes, apartments. Some in town, we don’t have cities around here. Some in the country. Some class A, B & down to one that’s a class D that will be remodeled to a class C. --24.152.xxx.xx

Although I am strict on requirements I have owned properties in the past that were only 30 minutes away that were completely different. My basic requirement was that they didn’t have a previous eviction and had a legitimate way to pay rent. Even then I ended up with long vacancies because so few people met both. --162.204.xxx.xxx

--184.4.xx.x

In 2020, I bought a fixer upper located out in the country (sticks) where there were no decent paying jobs within a 25 mile radius. All of the people who lived in that dirt poor neighborhood were the Class D & F mobile home dwellers who all received government checks. I ended up selling the house because I knew locating decent tenants in that neighborhood would be next to impossible. I would have had an extended vacancy trying to rent that freshly rehabbed Class C house located in a slum F neighborhood. --76.29.xxx.xx

The neighborhood where we flipped most of our properties has jumped from a $150,000 to $190-$200,000 in the last five years . That home value and mortgage payment is supported by what people in the area are able to pay . The jobs in this area Pretty much stay the same. There’s not really anything new happening around here and never really does. --24.152.xxx.xx

I've said many times here that I have a far easier time filling my rooming house than I do apartments and often the tenant pool is actually better. I've come to conclusion that price is the reason. Folks are just exhausted price wise and this has changed the demographics of roomers in my area. --23.28.xx.xx

Nope. I was right in the first place. We need to stick to small affordable cottages if we want to stay full. --173.28.xx.xxx

Sid, thank you for that description. --73.19.xxx.xx

6x6, I reduce every 3 weeks. Flip houses I’ll reduce once a month. --24.152.xxx.xx

By asking you these questions, I am trying to get a mental picture of your rental properties and why some of them have 3-4 month vacancies. One more question, do you allow pets, people who smoke/vape and do you accept Section 8 ? --76.29.xxx.xx

Ken, thanks for the added thoughts. --73.19.xxx.xx

NE, one thing I wonder about, is if people's thoughts have changed some on the automation process. Are they afraid they are getting scammed. Before, the automation seemed to work a lot better, but now nobody wants to follow the process and fill out a prescreen. I figure, either they are afraid of being scammed or there is just a lot more bad tenant. Perhaps both. --73.19.xxx.xx

Roy, yes, I do take pets. No I do not take section 8 tenants. There’s enough hoops to jump through already, I’m not adding more to my business. If you are taking a high percentage of Sec. 8 tenants, you and I are playing a different ball game. Of course you can rent something out in 1 to 2 weeks going the section 8 route. Two totally different scenarios. I also do not take smoking, because my place are in good shape and I like to keep them that way. --24.152.xxx.xx

Thank you, NE --73.19.xxx.xx

NE-you reduce flip houses prices monthly,I almost always sell with 7 days,best house in the price range and vacant which is a plus.our areas must be quite a bit different --104.131.xxx.xxx

Ken, it doesn’t always happen that way with flip houses. Sometimes they sell quick and sometimes they don’t. If they don’t sell quickly, then I reduce them until they are gone. I don’t sit around and hope. --24.152.xxx.xx

NE, by how much do you reduce your rent at a time? --73.19.xxx.xx

Ken, I haven’t bought a house to flip in probably two years because there aren’t any. I think you’re having similar trouble finding them up there. Unless I can find one that I can basically steal at pre-2020 prices, I’m not buying one to flip. I lost my rear end on one when the bottom fell out in 2009, I’m not willing to do that again. I will be patient in that regard. I sold a rental last April and I can’t remember if I reduce that one or not. It sold for way more than I thought it was worth’s I have two others for sale now. One I’ve reduced once and the other one I’ve reduced twice. --24.152.xxx.xx

6 x 6, it depends on the starting price. If a House starts out at $1200, I’ll do 50 bucks each time until it gets to 1000 and then I might slow down to 25 bucks each time. It’s not rented until it’s rented and whatever rent number is written on my lease at signing is what the market rate is. --24.152.xxx.xx

NE-I am doing a lot of letters and getting calls right now primarily unpaid taxes,I bought a place 2 weeks ago,nothing special $28000 turned it over to the young manager,he is dealing with the tenants, i put nothing in it,he listed it and we have a verbal deal at $60000.I think i have another one coming they owe $12800 back taxes, i think i can get $40000 without doing anything.less than i used to get but that will change. i love these low priced houses --104.131.xxx.xxx

Thank you, NE --73.19.xxx.xx

--76.29.xxx.xx

I basically have the same hoops for them to jump through in the prequalifying process. No open houses, they can view it whenever they want. I meet them once the application is approved at the in-home inspection. I don’t meet 5 to 10 of them each week during an open house. Works for you, waste of time for me. But what I will never do is get into a discussion about their disabilities. Especially what medication they are on. --24.152.xxx.xx

I don’t see any of those things that you’re doing as unorthodox. I think the questions about the disabilities might be illegal. But everything else seems fine with me. --24.152.xxx.xx

What do your places look like when you get them back? --73.19.xxx.xx

6x6, of course that’s illegal. It’s at least walking a very fine line. It’s none of a landlords business. Remember that Roy is the same landlord that wanted to check tenants vaccine status back during the Pancircus. --24.152.xxx.xx

Roy- why do you have them do a zillow app? if they will pay them $35 they would pay you the $35. If i were a tenant there is no way i would pay zillow or a landlord $35 for an app especially if i havent even seen the place yet but apparantly enough people will.Asking about medications etc is illegal i would think, i certaintly wouldnt discuss my problems or meds with a landlord. what do you think that accomplishes for you? --104.131.xxx.xxx

Impossible? Yes, it's pretty darn close to impossible. But one has to try. --173.28.xx.xxx

WMH, I think another part of being a landlord is developing the ability to identify which types of tenants could potentially pull you into having to deal with those laws unnecessarily. Especially the superfluous ones. And then finding ways to avoid those types of tenants. --24.152.xxx.xx

Think about this. Would any of you all rent to someone who was mentally unstable (paranoid) and they also own an AR-15 with multiple 30 round magazines? Or maybe you think that is just none of your business as their landlord. This topic would make a great roundtable discussion. --76.29.xxx.xx

My screening wouldn’t identify either of those. I don’t ask about mental health, that shows up in other things. I don’t ask about guns before they are tenants. Once they’re a tenant and I know they’re gun owners, then we can have a decent chat about what it means to be an American. I care about credit, references, income, criminal & eviction history, etc.. Mental stability may make the things I screen for become negatives. Ar-15’s may help those thing remain a positive. --24.152.xxx.xx

Roy in NY I couldn't ask someone to complete the zillow app since the max charge is $20. I don't think it asks enough detail anyway. Do you do a background check? --172.59.xxx.xx

A Zillow App pulls a background check (criminal, evictions) and a credit report with Fico score. I require the Zillow App because it is the first test (or Hoop) to see if the applicant is serious about renting from me. The applicant can use that same pre-paid Zillow app to approach any landlord who has an Ad on Zillow. Now, If I reject someone due a horrible credit score of 450, I can always tell the applicant that I did not pull your credit score, Zillow did ! --76.29.xxx.xx

--76.29.xxx.xx

ROY or Any one else - Do you use/require written references as an insight into character, financial stability, reliability? --75.182.xxx.xxx

Not at all. Court ruling is all I need. Especially in the world of all the fake allegations from vindictive ex’s and #metoo nonsense. I would work on the other stuff first before I ever got into personal questions about that. So many applicants fail during the normal screening process anyway that there’s no reason to stray from the facts and get into personal conversations. --174.249.xx.xxx

I’m curious Roy, besides getting yourself in a sticky situation, what do you expect to gain from the conversation? The court records say that there was not enough evidence to convict. That equals not guilty in the eyes of the law of the land. What are you going to do? Ask him details about it and then decide for yourself whether or not he’s guilty? And if you do decide in your own mind that he is guilty, how are you going to deny him? Especially if everything else checks out? --174.249.xx.xxx

Roy, I could care less if someone has an AR-15,to be honest it is a rather weak gun and none of my business and as someone said here before I would hate to ask someone if they have a gun and embarass them if the answer was no.What is your goal? --104.131.xxx.xxx

I don't get into much back and forth with tenants questioning them. They either qualify or they don't based on my application and checks. I don't accept anyone with a violent criminal record and those who are mentally ill always have something in their background that indicates something is amiss. I actually think a lot of folks with criminal records are mentally ill and/or victims of abuse who are just acting out in the bad way. I mainly "read" applicants based on their paperwork. Perhaps that contributes to the time it takes to fill a place, but it's been several years since I've had an eviction. --23.28.xx.xx

--76.29.xxx.xx

You’re not sharing what questions you’re asking though. If they are that unstable, most likely they’re going to have their weapons taken away. I’m still waiting for the golden nuggets of screening wisdom. So far all I’m getting is rent to smokers with section 8 vouchers and take their pack of dog. Is that the trick? --174.249.xx.xxx

Honestly Roy, you’re not in any position to diagnose a prospects mental health and their ability to own guns or not. If you do this type of stuff frequently, I think you’re playing with fire. --174.249.xx.xxx

NE, I think it's just another way of using the time-honored landlord's "gut instinct." --173.28.xx.xxx

That I understand, but the dialogue is risky. --24.152.xxx.xx

Just like WMH said,..my 'gut instinct' about some applicants bothers me. --76.29.xxx.xx

Roy, you’re way off course. Golden nuggets of screening wisdom is why you asked me to make this post. PS: that president and his regime just got booted last month. And no, not much concerns me anymore. I don’t have much hope for us. --24.152.xxx.xx

--76.29.xxx.xx

Ok. If it’s that nutty gritty, I don’t think I’d be that interested. Doesn’t seem legit. --24.152.xxx.xx

What forms the basis of my tenant screening system can be obtained by reading Leigh Robinson's book titled "Landlording" /10th edition. I would highly recommend reading the entire book, however, if you just want the basis of my screening system, just read Chapter 4, titled "Getting Good Tenants". --76.29.xxx.xx

Just ordered it on eBay Roy. I’ll read it, especially chapter 10. I see there are at least 12 editions. Much variation between them? --24.152.xxx.xx

Make sure it is the 10th Edition which was published in November 2006. Not chapter 10,...read chapter 4, pages 61-108 --76.29.xxx.xx

It’s the 10th. --24.152.xxx.xx

NE, it would be interesting to know what you find out. --73.19.xxx.xx

I will dissect chapter 4 and post it here 6x6, don’t worry. --24.152.xxx.xx

Thank you. --73.19.xxx.xx

I have the ninth edition. I will attempt to look at it tomorrow. --73.19.xxx.xx

Appears that chapter 4 in the ninth addition is covering the same subject. --73.19.xxx.xx

The 5 year growth you mention is much lower than many parts of the country, that's another indicator (I went back and looked and mine are more like 95% higher VS your 25% higher for the same period). While many of us have way less problems filling vacancies I can see where the stagnation and inflation are having a much larger effect on your business. So you are faced with two options if you want to stay in this business: move to an area that is more prosperous, growing, and affords opportunities for people to make a descent living or weather the storm where you are until the national economy picks up and inflation stabilizes. Not sure when that's going to happen, unlikely this year. In fact I while I think that the current administration is putting the government on a much healthier path, there's going to be lots of pain and probably higher inflation before it gets better. Can you weather another year or two of lowered rents and/or extended vacancies? If not, you need to consider your options. --209.205.xxx.xx

--73.19.xxx.xx

In my 10th Edition, on page 88, there is the paragraph sub-headed as "Evaluation of Applicants Qualifications". Read that section carefully. --76.29.xxx.xx

Thank you, Roy, I will do that. --73.19.xxx.xx

Roy, you have got to stop watching MSNBC. Elon is finding WASTE and ABUSE in govt agencies NOT canceling legitimate recipients. Don't belief the Leftists who have been revealed giving away social security funds and causing it to go broke by many nefarious ways. --172.56.x.xxx

I might add there's a world of difference operating in a militantly pro tenant BLUE region than there is in a Landlord friendly RED region. Bad tenant behavior, especially since the Scamdemic, has been wholeheartedly encouraged by leftists who do not have to personally deal with the aftermath. What works in good ol' Alabam does not work in Cali or the Peoples Republic of NY. --172.56.x.xxx