Magazine Articles

When it comes to tax deductions, there are a few schools of thoughts. There are the people who want to write off everything, whether it’s legal or not, and figure the cost of an IRS audit won’t be that bad. Or else they think they can’t ever get caught. They are invisible, or so they…

IT CAN SAVE YOU MONEY!  The court system is difficult to wade into when you find yourself having to file an unlawful detainer against a tenant.  Between the time it takes to serve the 3 day notice, file the unlawful detainer, get a court date, possible delays, time in court and the final lock-out by…

According to a NMHC Apartment Cost of Risk Survey, 84% of property management firms have mandated renters insurance. Unfortunately, mandatory renters insurance doesn’t guarantee that residents will keep their policies active while living at your apartment community. In fact, 30% of third-party renters insurance policies are cancelled within lease term and an average community has…

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, here we go again. Once more, taxpayers are being told by our political elites that, if we want good roads, we have to have higher taxes. Not long ago, this column exposed the politicians’ plan to hike gas taxes along with vehicle license fees and registration. This plan, by San Jose…

Dear Resident, We Are Not a Bank One property manager was sharing with me that she has several past due residents, who were about to be evicted, were asking for more time to pay. They promised that a check (tax refund, payroll check, etc.) will be coming in the next week or so. The manager…

You have heard it all before.  Some of us have even said it ourselves – “Being a landlord can be a pain.”  Most people in this country will agree that it makes a lot of sense to buy property and invest in real estate.  We also know all the benefits of investing in real estate. …

Hello everybody.  For many years I have cautioned members of the Apartment Owners Association about the insidious automatic renewal and extension clauses which frequently appear in laundry company leases.  In my column this month I will review those and other problematic provisions and make specific recommendations to AOA members as to how to avoid them.

Q:  Are Condominiums Exempt from Rent Control? With the plethora of rent control rules and regulations in San Francisco, there is widespread confusion about how condominiums are treated by the Rent Ordinance.

Preface:  It’s interesting what can be done with just flour, water and a touch of salt. A cook can make tortillas, flatbreads, or pasta. A young mother can make finger paint or paper glue. Similarly, it’s fascinating how different business models turn the three elements of need (when, where, how much) into finished sales. This…