Do you know the difference between contingency reserves and operating funds?
Operating funds are funds 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 Westbriar, 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 savings 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 real estate investor. 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.
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.
Westbriar Rental Management Resources
Basics
Fundamental information about what management services in Westbriar.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with property management
Find A Tenant
Market your property to rent to find a reliable renter in Westbriar fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for landlords?
Cost
A breakdown of fees associated with rental management services in Westbriar
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets renters for our clients.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage rental investments?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Do you want know more about the local real estate market?
Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a free resource for anyone who needs to find out more about Westbriar and nearby communities. The Guide to Real Estate compiles information regarding what has sold and what is on the market, as well as a few surprising facts that you might not be aware of. Furthermore, our Guide has some aspects of residing in Westbriar. As a matter of course, most of this is interesting for purchasers and sellers, but real estate investors and renters should also find this data to be very eye-opening.
Landlord Reference
a handy source for landlords in Westbriar
- Before you lease out your property in Westbriar
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During the lease term
- End of tenancy and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the landlord get paid?
- How your property management company handles the association and your community
- How your property manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for property owners using our property management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Westbriar owner responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental property in Westbriar
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your property
- When owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting tenants in Westbriar