Ballard Realty Inc. Blog
- 01/22/2013
Ways to conserve energy
Green is the thing! As more properties begin to implement green technology, it may be time to take an inventory of your properties and see where you can implement energy saving measures. While green technology is being implemented in corporations throughout the U.S., many of us have yet to do so. Yet, today, even a [...]
- 10/08/2012
Seattle may require inspections of rental units
Two days after Florencia Ybarra filed a complaint with the city of Seattle over cockroaches and mold in her Rainier Valley apartment, her landlord filed an eviction notice against her. Although she won in court, she said it remains in public records, making other landlords wary of renting to her. Retaliation, and fear of retaliation, [...]
- 09/07/2012
Property in College Towns a Boon to Real Estate Investors, Parents
Property in College Towns a Boon to Real Estate Investors, Parents With colleges and universities getting in full swing the U.S.News & World Report states that, “According to Realtors in some of the nation’s hottest rental markets, more parents are opting to purchase property for students to live in during their four-year college stint instead [...]
- 07/31/2012
More information on Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Legislative Update by Jim Henderson, Landlord Solutions Effective April 1, 2012 landlords will be required to install carbon monoxide detectors (alarms) when pulling a permit or adding sleeping rooms. R315.1 Carbon Monoxide Alarms. For new construction, an approved carbon mon-oxide alarm shall be installed outside of each separate sleeping area in the immedi-ate vicinity of [...]
- 07/26/2012
Wesbite Features that are Convenient for Tenants
Ballard Realty, Inc. offers features on our website that can be very convenient and useful for tenants. We offer tenants the opportunity to pay their rent online. It is very simple to set up and to maintain. If you have not already done this, please go to the tenant section of our website and send us a request to set [...]
- 07/23/2012
Carbon Monoxide Detectors will be required in rental units
Carbon Monoxide detectors will be required in all rental units. What is carbon monoxide? Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that cannot be seen or smelled and can kill a person in minutes. Carbon monoxide is produced whenever any fuel such as gas , oil, kerosene, wood or charcoal is burned. Hundres of people die accidentally [...]
- 06/27/2012
Harvard releases detailed state of the housing market report
Harvard releases detailed state of the housing market report Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies released its annual report on the state of the nation’s housing. Here are a few of their facts: Declines in the national homeownership rate accelerated in 2011 as increasing numbers of households opted—or were forced by foreclosure—to rent. The recession [...]
- 06/15/2012
How to give proper notice to vacate for a month to month lease
Property Notice to Lease for Month-to-Month Agreements. When a tenanat wants to end a month to month rental agreement, written notice must be given to the landlord. The notice must be received at least 20 days before the end of the rental period (the day before rent is due). The day which the notice is [...]
- 06/08/2012
Are condos coming back?
41-story condo tower ready to start in downtown Seattle In what one real-estate analyst labeled “an extraordinarily bold move,” Bosa Development will break ground next week on the first phase of a project in Seattle’s Denny Triangle that was approved in 2007 but went into hibernation when the real-estate crisis hit. By Eric Pryne Seattle [...]
- 06/05/2012
Seattle Property Management-Tenant Screening
Tenant Screening – Legal & Legislative Trends Courtesy of Mono Inc. The Information Source There are several legal and legislative trends affecting the tenant screening process. First of all, there is a growing body of law regulating consumer reporting (including tenant background checks). There is, of course, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and [...]
