Austin Property Management Blog

Have you ever wanted or considered investing in Austin’s real estate market? With a booming population and the crazy growth Austin has been experiencing over the last decade it has become a hot destination for real estate investors to park their cash. 51.3% of Austin, Texas residents rent their homes meaning the majority of the population is filling rental properties owned by investors across the nation and even the world.  This has made Austin’s rental property investment market a competitive one where investors are competing for great deals on property. Now more than ever you need to make sure the deal makes financial sense and below we go over 3 numbers that need to be evaluated before you buy a rental property in Austin, Texas.  

Capitalization Rate

Capitalization Rate, or cap rate, is the rate of return that should be expected on your investment. The cap rate can be used to quickly compare to deals you may be looking at and can be calculated by subtracting annual expenses from the annual rent and dividing that number by the total cost of the property. You’d then multiply that number by 100 to receive a percentage. If you calculated the cap rate and found out your investment’s cap rate is about 20% you should expect to have your initial inv...

1601 E 5th Street #213, Austin, TX 78602

1,225 SF | 2 Bed | 1.5 Bath

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171 Salt Fork Drive for lease in Liberty Hill, Texas.

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1122 Sussex Place, Round Rock, TX 78665

Learn more or apply today for this Round Rock Rental Home!

Raising the rent on your Austin, Texas rental home can be a delicate art. If your rents rise too much you could force tenants out and could have trouble finding new occupants on the open market. If you don’t raise it enough you could be stuck with a property that doesn’t turn a profit for the duration of the lease. So how do know how much your rent should increase every year?

Rent increases are a part of life for both landlords and renters in Austin, TX. When expenses that owners have no control over raise so does the amount of rent they are charging. These types of unavoidable expenses include:

A rise in property taxes for your property

A rise in HOA fees in your neighborhood

Cost of utilities in your area rising

Austin property management fees

Costs for landlord insurance

If you aren’t raising the rents when your expenses go up you’re effectively giving yourself a pay cut. However, if the thought of raising the rent or asking for more money from your tenants makes you cautious your best bet is to run the numbers! You can receive a free rental market analysis for your Austin, TX rental property to learn how much your property should be re...

2427 McCook Drive available for lease from our Austin property management company!

You can learn more about this home and apply today by visiting our Austin homes for rent!

Do I need a cosigner to rent a home in Austin, Texas?

We've heard it here plenty of times from the tenants who inquire about our rental properties. So how do you determine if you will need a cosigner for your residential lease or not? There are several factors that can force an individual to obtain a cosigner to back their lease. Typically tenants are required to have a cosigner when they do not meet the landlord's requirements for the home by themselves. Some common reasons to have a cosigner are:

No Credit History / Poor Credit History

Tenants who have failed to establish a credit score or individuals who might have a poor credit score that doesn't meet the property's criteria can be required to have a cosigner if they wish to live in that property.  

Income 

Living in Austin, Texas is expensive depending on where you choose to live. A popular destination for renters is Downtown Austin or just South of the river. Sometimes the desire to live somewhere can outweigh the means to do so and tenants who might not produce enough income to live where they'd like can be required to have a cosigner back the term of their lease. 

Below is a video from our Austin property managers explaining the above!

1010 Taulbee Lane, Austin, TX 78757

View this and more available Austin homes for rent on our website!

In the business of rental homes, tenants are #1. Without them, your property is earning no monthly rent and is instead costing you money during its vacancy. This is why resident retention is an important strategy for any successful Austin property manager. 

Not all tenants are created equally and as a rental homeowner, you probably know this! Replacing a tenant after a lease is up can cost you up to four times the cost of renewing with the current tenant when you begin to factor in expenses such as advertising, cleaning, commissions to any agents, etc. A long-term resident that continues to renew their lease and pay their rent can offset the cost of purchasing the property!

Here are some quick tips to retain your great tenants and drive renewals for your Austin rental property!

Show Your Appreciation

Have a tenant that you really like renting your Austin property? Let them know you appreciate them and their continued business! It can be as simple as providing holiday cards or surprising them with a gift card to their favorite restaurant in South Austin. Offering an incentive to renew such as a break on rent can even be worth it to keep a Grade A tenant in the property! If you like your tenants don’t be afraid to show them and let them know they are always welcome in your home!

Be a Proactive Landlo...