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 City of Falls Church, 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 savings 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.
City of Falls Church Rental Management Resources
Basics
Basic info about what property management in City of Falls Church.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with rental property management
Find A Tenant
Market your property to rent to find a reliable renter in City of Falls Church fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for real estate investors?
Cost
A list of fees associated with rental management in City of Falls Church
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of 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 understand more about the local real estate market?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a free resource for everyone who needs to find out more about City of Falls Church and neighboring areas. The Guide to Real Estate compiles information about what has sold and what is on the market, as well as some shocking facts that you may not be aware of. And, our Guide highlights quite a few of the benefits of residing in City of Falls Church. Certainly, most of this is helpful for purchasers and sellers, but rental investors and tenants should also find these resources to be very eye-opening.
Landlord Reference
a good source for property owners in City of Falls Church
- Before you move a tenant into your investment in City of Falls Church
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the renter
- During tenancy
- End of lease term and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the property owner get paid?
- How your property management company handles the association and your community
- How your management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt finds renters
- Insurance matters for property owners using our property management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- City of Falls Church rental investor responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental investment in City of Falls Church
- 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 tenants in City of Falls Church