Do you know the difference between contingency reserves and operating funds?
Operating funds are funds that our real estate brokerage uses to fund our business. Operating funds are our money. But, 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 The Courts, 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 purchasers (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 repairs and other incidentals that occur during rental management. Although the money is in our escrow account, the money belongs to the real estate investor. If the property management ends, that money is promptly returned to the property owner.
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.
The Courts Property Management Resources
Basics
Fundamental information regarding rental managment in The Courts.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with property management
Find A Tenant
Market your property to rent to find a reliable tenant in The Courts fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for real estate investors?
Cost
An overview of fees associated with rental management services in The Courts
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets tenants for our clients.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage rental property?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Do you want know more about our community?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy tool for anyone who wants to learn more about The Courts and nearby areas. The Guide to Real Estate compiles facts about what has sold and what is currently listed, as well as many compelling facts that you may not know. In addition, our Guide highlights quite a few of the elements of living in The Courts. Of course, most of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but property owners and tenants will likely also find this data to be very sobering.
Landlord Reference
a handy reference for rental investors in The Courts
- Before you put a renter in your property in The Courts
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During tenancy
- End of tenancy and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the rental investor get paid?
- How your property management company handles the association and your community
- How your property management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt finds renters
- Insurance matters for owners using our property management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- The Courts owner responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental investment in The Courts
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your rental property
- When owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting renters in The Courts