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 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 Highland Estates, 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 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. If 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.
Highland Estates Property Management Resources
Basics
Fundamental information about what property management in Highland Estates.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with property management
Find A Tenant
List your property to rent to find a dependable renter in Highland Estates fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for real estate investors?
Cost
An overview of prices of rental management in Highland Estates
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of tenants for property owners.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage rental investments?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Should you understand more about our community?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy tool for anyone who wants to review important real estate information about Highland Estates and neighboring communities. The Guide to Real Estate provides data regarding what has sold and what is currently listed, as well as some shocking facts that you might not be aware of. Not to mention, our Guide highlights many of the assets of life in Highland Estates. Of course, all of this is helpful for purchasers and sellers, but real estate investors and renters will probably also find these resources to be very enlightening.
Landlord Reference
a handy archive for property owners in Highland Estates
- Before you move a tenant into your rental in Highland Estates
- 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 landlord get paid?
- How your rental manager handles the association and your community
- How your property management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management finds tenants
- Insurance matters for landlords using our property management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Highland Estates owner responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your property in Highland Estates
- 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 Highland Estates