Do you know the difference between contingency reserves and operating funds?
Operating funds are monies that our property management and real estate business uses to fund our business. Operating funds are our money. In contrast, 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 Astoria, 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 real estate investors.
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 property management. Although the money is in our escrow account, the money belongs to the property owner. When 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.
Astoria Property Management Resources
Basics
Basic information about what property management in Astoria.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with property management
Find A Tenant
Market your property to rent to find a reliable renter in Astoria fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for property owners?
Cost
An overview of fees associated with rental management services in Astoria
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets tenants for property owners.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage rentals?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Should you know more about this community?
Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a free resource for everyone who wants to learn more about Astoria and neighboring communities. The Guide to Real Estate includes facts regarding what has sold and what is for sale, and many surprising facts that you might not be aware of. Furthermore, our Guide has some assets of life in Astoria. As might be expected, all of this is useful for buyers and sellers, but landlords and tenants may also find this information to be very enlightening.
Landlord Reference
a free archive for property owners in Astoria
- Before you put a renter in your rental in Astoria
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During the lease term
- End of lease term and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the owner get paid?
- How your management company handles the association and your community
- How your rental manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt finds renters
- Insurance matters for landlords using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Astoria property owner responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your property in Astoria
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your rental investment
- When owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting tenants in Astoria