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. 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 Lyon Park, 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 repairs and other incidentals that occur during property 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 landlord.
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.
Property owners 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.
Lyon Park Rental Management Resources
Basics
Fundamental information regarding rental managment in Lyon Park.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with rental property management
Find A Tenant
Market your property to rent to find a great tenant in Lyon Park fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for landlords?
Cost
An overview of fees associated with property management services in Lyon Park
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets renters for landlords.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage rentals?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Should you understand more about our local real estate market?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy tool for everyone who hopes to review important real estate information about Lyon Park and nearby communities. The Guide to Real Estate has data about what has sold and what is currently listed, as well as a couple of interesting facts that you may not be aware of. Not to mention, our Guide highlights many of the fundamentals of residing in Lyon Park. Yes, all of this is helpful for buyers and sellers, but landlords and renters might also find the facts to be very edifying.
Landlord Reference
a free reference for property owners in Lyon Park
- Before you put a renter in your rental in Lyon Park
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During the lease term
- End of tenancy and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the property owner get paid?
- How your management company handles the association and your community
- How your property manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt finds renters
- Insurance matters for rental investors using our property management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Lyon Park owner responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental investment in Lyon Park
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your property
- When property owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting renters in Lyon Park