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. 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 Franklin Forest, 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 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.
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.
Franklin Forest Rental Management Resources
Basics
Fundamental info about what rental managment in Franklin Forest.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with rental property management
Find A Tenant
List your property to rent to find a reliable tenant in Franklin Forest fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for real estate investors?
Cost
A breakdown of fees associated with rental management services in Franklin Forest
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 understand more about the community?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a free resource for anyone who hopes to learn more about Franklin Forest and nearby communities. The Guide to Real Estate provides data about what has sold and what is currently listed, and some shocking facts that you might not know. In addition, our Guide features quite a few of the aspects of residing in Franklin Forest. Naturally, all of this is useful for buyers and sellers, but property owners and tenants will likely also find this information to be somewhat sobering.
Landlord Reference
a good archive for rental investors in Franklin Forest
- Before you put a renter in your property in Franklin Forest
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During tenancy
- End of lease term 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 manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Realty finds renters
- Insurance matters for landlords using our property management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Franklin Forest property owner responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental property in Franklin Forest
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your rental investment
- When property owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting renters in Franklin Forest