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. But, 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 Lake_Ridge, 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 real estate investor. When 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.
Property 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.
Lake_Ridge Property Management Resources
Basics
Fundamental information regarding management services in Lake_Ridge.
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 Lake_Ridge fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for landlords?
Cost
A list of fees associated with rental management in Lake_Ridge
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of renters for landlords.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage rentals?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Do you need know more about this area?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a free tool for everyone who wants to learn more about Lake_Ridge and neighboring areas. The Guide to Real Estate has facts about what has sold and what is for sale, and a couple of shocking facts that you might not know. Also, our Guide has many of the fundamentals of life in Lake_Ridge. Definitely, all of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but real estate investors and tenants will probably also find this data to be somewhat enlightening.
Landlord Reference
a handy source for property owners in Lake_Ridge
- Before you rent out your investment in Lake_Ridge
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During tenancy
- End of lease term and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the property owner get paid?
- How your rental manager handles the association and your community
- How your management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management finds tenants
- Insurance matters for property owners using our property management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Lake_Ridge property owner responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your property in Lake_Ridge
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your rental property
- When owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting renters in Lake_Ridge