Happy Thanksgiving!
From everyone here at BMG Austin we want to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!
Holiday Season Closings
With the holiday season on the horizon there will be closures each month for the rest of the year in an effort to give everyone here with their families and friends we will be closed on the following dates.
- Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 27th, 2025
- Christmas Day on Thursday, December 25th, 2025
- New Year’s Day on Thursday, January 1st, 2026
We will resume normal business hours on the next business day following the listed holidays.
Employee Spotlight: Maureen Benavides, Director of Operations at BMG Austin
Some of you have had the opportunity to work with Maureen in various ways, so we wanted to share a recent post about her!
Cold Weather Tips
In our recent blog post for tenants, we included info and reminders about how to prepare for the seasonal cold weather to protect the homes and themselves. Depending on where you are in the world it may be helpful for you to review the recent blog post so you’re prepared as well.
As the colder weather approaches, BMG remains committed to protecting your investment. Please be on the lookout for an upcoming message outlining three winterization options you can select from to prepare your property for freezing temperatures.
Scam Awareness
Extortion scams have been around for a long time, and are getting more difficult to detect and avoid because of the large digital footprint many of us have in this day and age. There is no exception to who can be targeted or fall for these scams, and the best defense is to be aware and constantly vigilant. This month we’re sharing some info about AI scams and encourage you to share the info with your friends and loved ones to help keep them safe during the holidays and beyond.
Property and Flood Insurance
In our previous blog post, we talked about insurance and the changing landscape while costs continue to go up for policyholders. One thing we didn’t discuss, and feel is worth mentioning, is flood insurance. Most people don’t know if their property is in an area that has potential for flooding in long term scenarios such as 100 year or longer flood plains. Development can also alter floodplains significantly and cause flooding that standard policies don’t cover. We have seen it happen to our clients and recommend reviewing your property’s location and potential for flooding when considering whether you should have a flood policy. They are relatively low cost for the benefit of recovery if it happens and are definitely worth looking into.
We are not experts but work closely with Andor Insurance Agency. The principals of Stone Oak partnered with an insurance industry veteran to set up Andor Insurance Agency for the purpose of providing exceptional service and options to our clients after seeing some bad insurance related mishaps. Some common issues are having the wrong policy, inadequate or lack of coverage among other things. Ryan, the rock star agent and great human that answers the phones and emails at Andor, has spent a good deal of time putting together a strong portfolio of options that cater to real estate investors and homeowners. He’s happy to review your policies, answer questions, shop policies and make recommendations whether you become a client or not. He always enjoys the opportunity to research options for home, landlord, auto, business, and many other types of insurance and has no issue recommending that someone buy a policy that he did not quote if it is the best option for the circumstances. If you’d like to connect with him the contact info is available here.
Thank you for your trust in us! We always welcome your feedback and questions. Please don't hesitate to contact us if should you need anything at this time.
Reminders:
Funding Make-Readies & Maintenance for Your Property
Please note that it is Bay Property Management Group Austin 's policy that the owner has reserve funding on hand with Bay Property Management Group Austin to help us commence work faster when it comes to make-readies and maintenance on your property. Bay Property Management Group Austin cannot perform maintenance without first receiving authorization and funding, which can slow down the turn-around times of our vendors and their availability in this market. This can also potentially create a negative experience that tenants will remember when it comes time to renew, and we always want to avoid turning over the tenants. Any time we request authorization for work on your property, the best practice is to immediately fund your account when you provide written authorization to move forward. This is as simple as going into your owner portal and using ACH for a free transfer, or if you prefer a credit card the processor charges a fee as part of the transaction.
Keep in mind that tenant charges on your account are not considered an offset to this amount as we keep a strict accounting system for both our and our client's benefits. Any tenant chargeable items will be posted to their account, and once they are paid it is immediately credited to your account. If you have any questions about this reserve amount held with Bay Property Management Group Austin, please contact your property manager.
