Do you know the difference between contingency reserves and operating funds?
Operating funds are monies that our real estate brokerage uses to fund our business. Operating funds are our money. However, escrow funds are different. Escrow funds are monies that Nesbitt Realty is holding on behalf of tenants, landlords, buyers and sellers. Escrow funds are not our money, but they are monies that we are trusted to safeguard. At any given time, Nesbitt Realty has hundreds of thousands of dollars in escrow accounts.
In Hallmark, the Commonwealth of Virginia requires that all real estate licensees manage escrow funds in a particular manner. Most importantly the Commonwealth requires that escrow funds are properly accounted for at all times. In additional all escrow funds must be kept separate from operating funds. The biggest portion of our escrow funds are tenant security deposits, but also hold deposits for buyers (and sometimes sellers) as we'll as contingency reserve funds for property owners.
Contingency reserve is a special type of escrow.
A contingency reserve account is money that is held in escrow to pay for maintenance and other incidentals that occur during rental management. Although the money is in our escrow account, the money belongs to the property owner. If the property management ends, that money is promptly returned to the real estate investor.
When a repair bill arises we use money in the contingency reserve account to pay that bill. When bills are paid in this manner the account is depleted. When the account is missing funds, at the end of the month when new rents are paid, Nesbitt Realty replenishes the count with money withheld from this rent. As property managers, Nesbitt Realty prepares a statement each month to show if/when money is depleted and how/when money is replenished into the contingency reserve account.
Real estate investors do not pay us money to set up the contingency reserve account. Instead, Nesbitt Realty withholds money from the first month of rent in order to set up the account.
Hallmark Property Management Resources
Basics
Basic info about what management services in Hallmark.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with property management
Find A Tenant
Market your property to rent to find a reliable tenant in Hallmark fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for property owners?
Cost
A list of prices of property management services in Hallmark
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets tenants for our clients.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage property?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Do you want know more about the community?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a helpful resource for everyone who wants to find out more about Hallmark and neighboring communities. The Guide to Real Estate compiles data regarding what has sold and what is for sale, and many surprising facts that you might not be aware of. In addition, our Guide features many of the aspects of residing in Hallmark. Of course, all of this is useful for buyers and sellers, but rental investors and tenants will also find these resources to be somewhat informative.
Landlord Reference
a good reference for landlords in Hallmark
- Before you put a renter in your rental property in Hallmark
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During the lease term
- End of lease term and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the owner get paid?
- How your property manager handles the association and your community
- How your property management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt finds renters
- Insurance matters for property owners using our property management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Hallmark rental investor responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental investment in Hallmark
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your property
- When landlords don't yet know their new address
- Vetting tenants in Hallmark