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. On the other hand, 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 Churchill, 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 landlord clients.
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 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.
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.
Churchill Property Management Resources
Basics
Basic info about what rental managment in Churchill.
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 Churchill fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for landlords?
Cost
A list of fees associated with rental management in Churchill
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets renters for our clients.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage property?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Do you need know more about this local real estate market?
Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a free tool for anyone who needs to learn more about Churchill and neighboring areas. The Guide to Real Estate compiles data regarding what has sold and what is currently listed, and some interesting facts that you may not know. Not to mention, our Guide highlights many of the assets of living in Churchill. Yes, most of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but owners and renters may also find this data to be quite eye-opening.
Landlord Reference
a good reference for landlords in Churchill
- Before you put a renter in your property in Churchill
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the renter
- During tenancy
- End of tenancy and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the property owner get paid?
- How your property management company handles the association and your community
- How your property management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt finds tenants
- Insurance matters for owners using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Churchill property owner responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental investment in Churchill
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your rental investment
- When owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting renters in Churchill