Serving The Villages & Nearby Communities Since 1990
How We Do Things
Table of Contents
(Long Term Rentals)
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​In chronological order:​
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Sign Up
This section is for new owners and current owners who are adding a new property.
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Each property owner must complete a management agreement for every property they want us to manage.
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Only one owner needs to submit the Add Property form. This form provides basic property details and allows you to set policies, such as the pet policy.
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Use the links below to complete both steps:
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Appfolio Online Portal
Current Clients
Current clients adding another property will see all properties in the same portal. No action needed.
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New clients
AppFolio is the secure online portal we use to keep your property information organized and accessible. Through your Owner Portal, you can review financial statements, reports, documents, and important property updates.
When we create your account, you will receive an email invitation from AppFolio. Open the invitation, create a password, and follow the prompts to activate your account.
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You will also need to enter your direct deposit information in the portal so that owner distributions can be deposited directly into your bank account. If you prefer not to use direct deposit, your distributions will be issued by paper check and mailed through the USPS.
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Important: Use the same email address provided during the owner signup process. If you do not see the invitation, check your spam or junk folder.
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AppFolio​
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Make a Contribution
(Current clients skip this step)
A contribution is money you add to your property’s AppFolio account. Our trust account must follow federal law, so funds from one property cannot be used to cover expenses for another property.
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There are no upfront management fees, but your property may need funds for lockboxes, locks, maintenance, or utilities before it is ready to rent.
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You may skip the contribution if all of the following are true:
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Two lockboxes are already installed at the property.
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Every exterior door, including the door between the home and garage, has a Kwikset lock.
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You do not need our maintenance technicians to complete any work.
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You do not need us to manage the utilities.
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Lockboxes & Kwikset Locks
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Quality lockboxes cost about $50 each on Amazon, and there is no charge for installation.
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Kwikset locksets cost about $40 to $50 per exterior door. Replacing all the locks usually takes about one hour and is billed at $89 per hour.
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Utilities
Utility requirements vary by company. Some companies do not require a deposit for a commercial account, while others may charge a refundable deposit of about $400.
If utilities need to be turned on, please make a larger contribution so we have enough funds to cover the deposit and utility expenses in addition to the locks and lockboxes. You may also choose to keep the utilities in your name during this vacancy.
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Onsite Onboarding
Once you have made your contribution and the home is ready for showings, we will visit the property to complete the following:
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Install a fixed lockbox on the garage door frame, front porch column, or another secure location.
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Install a hanging lockbox for showings.
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Check the exterior door locks.
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If the home does not have Kwikset locks that can be rekeyed without a locksmith, we will purchase and install new locksets. Locksets cost about $40 to $50 per exterior door, including the door between the home and garage. These locks allow us to rekey the property at a much lower cost in the future.
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Take marketing photos for our website. If you would like us to use photos you already have, upload marketing pictures​​​​
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Record a walk-through video.
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Upload the photos and video to AppFolio.
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Post the vacancy on our website.
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The listing should appear on our website within one to three hours and on more than 50 other rental websites within one to three days.
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Rent Assessment
We complete the rent assessment after Onsite Onboarding because we need to see the inside of the home before recommending an accurate rental price.
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After the inspection, we will email you our recommended rent amount. The email will also include a link to the form below in case you would like to advertise the property at a different price.
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Marketing & Vacancy Update Emails​
Marketing
AppFolio will share your rental listing on more than 50 websites. We track the following activity:
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Inquiries: Calls and clicks from any rental advertisement.
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Showings: In-person and self-guided tours.
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Applications: All applications, including pending, approved, and withdrawn applications.
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Vacancy Update Emails
Once the home is ready for showings, we begin sending weekly vacancy update emails. ​
Each email includes the number of new inquiries, showings, and applications. This information helps you and our broker decide whether it is time to lower the rent. ​A well-priced home usually rents more quickly.
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You may also increase demand by expanding your pet policy. Allowing pets involves some risk, but tenants with pets may be a good fit for your property. We charge monthly pet rent to help offset the added risk.​ Unlike a deposit, pet rent is not refundable.
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Leasing
We handle the leasing process for you and keep you informed along the way. You will receive an email when a tenant signs the lease and pays the deposit. You will receive another email when the tenant pays the remaining balance.
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Rent Payments
Rent is due on the first day of each month for all tenants, no matter when the lease begins, renews, or ends. If the lease begins on any day other than the first, the tenant’s first month of rent will be prorated. Tenants can pay through AppFolio by e-check, debit card, or credit card. They can also pay cash through PayNearMe at participating CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, and other retailers.
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Landscape & Utilities
The lease notification email will include the tenant’s move-in date. You can use this date to stop any landscaping and utility services that were active during the vacancy. Please make sure the lawn is freshly mowed before move-in so the new tenant does not need to mow during their first week in the home.
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Management Fees
Management fees begin after the first tenant signs the lease and makes the required payment.
The management fee is based on the plan you selected.
Move-In
Before the tenant moves in, our maintenance technician will visit the property to:
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Complete any final touch-ups.
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Record a video inspection to document the property’s condition in case the tenant causes damage.
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Rekey the Kwikset locks.
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Place the hanging lockbox on the front door so the tenant can move in at any time without an appointment.
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Distributions & Statements
Owner distributions are sent to all owners in a batch between the 10th and 20th of each month.
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We are unable to offer custom distribution dates because processing all owner payments together keeps the process efficient and consistent.
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Direct deposit is the fastest and most reliable payment option. If direct deposit is not set up, we will mail a paper check through the USPS. Because mailed checks can occasionally be lost, a $25 fee applies if we need to stop payment and issue a replacement check.
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Maintenance & Repair
We use AppFolio to manage maintenance requests and communicate efficiently with tenants. This process may reduce communication time and lower billable costs for your property.
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Dispatch
There is no charge for basic dispatch when we can assign a vendor or maintenance technician through AppFolio without extra calls, scheduling, planning, special trips, or project management.
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Labor and Coordination
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Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: $89 per hour
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After hours and holidays: $133.50 per hour
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Holidays We Observe
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New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
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Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
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Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Memorial Day
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Independence Day
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Labor Day
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Veterans Day
A markup is added to materials and contractor invoices. The markup ranges from 5% to 25%, depending on the receipt amount. This markup helps cover bookkeeping, software, receipt and invoice processing, refunds, and documentation on your owner statement.
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When needed, labor for measuring, ordering, picking up, delivering, or installing materials is billed separately.
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Lease Renewal
For each lease renewal, we will:
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Inspect the property to confirm that the tenant is taking proper care of the home.
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Look for visible repairs or maintenance needed to keep the property in good condition.
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Review the current rent and decide whether an increase is appropriate.
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Email you a summary showing the current rent and the proposed renewal rent.
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Include a link you can use to request a different rental amount.
You will have one week to respond to the renewal recommendation.
We will then send the renewal agreement to the tenant for electronic signature through AppFolio.
The deadline to sign is two months before the renewal date. A fee may apply if the tenant does not sign by the deadline.
This fee is intended to keep the renewal process moving, not to generate income. We rarely need to charge it.
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Move-Out & Turnover
Our goal is to return the property to rent-ready condition as quickly and efficiently as possible.
When a tenant moves out, we inspect the property and identify any cleaning, repairs, or maintenance that may be needed.
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Before moving out, tenants receive instructions explaining how the home should be returned.
We document any tenant-caused cleaning, damage, or missing items that may be charged against the security deposit. These charges are processed according to the lease and applicable requirements.
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Turnover Utilities
During a vacancy or turnover, utilities that were previously the tenant’s responsibility must be placed in either your name or ours.
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If you would like us to manage the utilities during the vacancy, the property account must have enough reserve funds to cover utility deposits and usage. This helps keep the property in compliance with applicable trust-account requirements.
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To prepare for these expenses, we can temporarily increase the property reserve during the current tenant’s final month.
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After a new tenant moves in and enough funds are available, the reserve can return to the standard amount.
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1099 & Annual Cash Flow Statement
Your 1099 reflects gross rental income collected during the calendar year, adjusted for items such as prepaid tenant rent. Gross income may be higher than the amount you received as owner payments because expenses are deducted before distributions are sent. Annual tax documents are provided for owner records and tax preparation.
Please consult your tax professional for tax advice.
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