Do you know the difference between contingency reserves and operating funds?
Operating funds are monies that our real estate brokerage uses to pay for 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 Japonica, 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 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 rental management. Although the money is in our escrow account, the money belongs to the landlord. 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.
Landlords 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.
Japonica Rental Management Resources
Basics
Fundamental information about what property management in Japonica.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with rental property management
Find A Tenant
List your property to rent to find a great renter in Japonica 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 in Japonica
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets tenants for property owners.
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 our community?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a helpful resource for anyone who wants to find out more about Japonica and neighboring communities. The Guide to Real Estate compiles facts regarding what has sold and what is for sale, and many shocking facts that you may not be aware of. And, our Guide has quite a few of the assets of residing in Japonica. Yes, most of this is interesting for buyers and sellers, but landlords and renters may also find these resources to be very enlightening.
Landlord Reference
a free source for landlords in Japonica
- Before you move a tenant into your rental in Japonica
- 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 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 rental management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Japonica landlord responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental property in Japonica
- 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 Japonica