Chicago Property Management Blog

The statistics about how Americans save for retirement are startling. According to one study, the average American of retirement age has an annual income of $38,000.If you want to live on more than that when you retire, you’ll have to either save more of your income or start generating a steady source of secondary income. Many ...

In and around Chicago, village restrictions play a larger role in the investor’s life cycle when it comes to owning real estate. Below are just a few items you should be aware of as a landlord:Point Of Sale Inspection - A Point Of Sale Inspection (POS) is an inspection the village requires before a seller of a property finalize...

As soon as you hear the word real estate, your mind will likely jump to residential real estate or commercial real estate—and that’s what this article will cover!When considering your next career step, you may find yourself asking the question: should I become a residential real estate agent or commercial real estate broker? T...

Although Mark Ainley now runs one of the most successful Property Management companies in Chicago, at first he had no interest in that side of the real estate business....continue reading Click Here to download.GC Realty & Development currently has two offices, one serving the Western Suburbs of Chicago and the other serving Chicago&#...

As of September 2022, the average rental vacancy rate in the United States is 5.6%. This number reflects the percentage of rental properties that currently do not have a tenant.If you’re investing in a rental property, your goal should be to avoid vacancies whenever possible. The best way to do that is to convince tenants to sign re...

Here are four questions that will help you find a good property management company.Number 1:What is their tenant screening process? How do they screen them? Take me through what their process looks like. What's included? Is it a full criminal, credit, eviction, background check? Do they require proof of on time rent payments? Pay...

As a business owner, I have learned over the years that I need to rely on data to make decisions. I learned early on that my gut instincts couldn’t tell me all the information I needed if I wanted to grow my company.In January of 2020, I wrote a blog that was posted to Bigger Pockets. The post contained information that I had a...

84% of landlords say that their biggest worry when it comes to renting properties is payment issues. There are many reasons why a tenant may have issues paying their rent - but wouldn't it be great if you could find out that this might be an issue before renting to them? That's where credit checks come in. By looking int...

While hiring a professional may seem expensive, there are several things to consider beforehand that may point you toward this choice. Risk ManagementWhen you manage your own property, you are taking on 100 percent of the risk. If you work with a professional property manager, you are passing on a large part of that risk. If som...

You're trying to decide whether you should manage your own property or hire a professional property manager. I've seen a lot of people who aren't that good at managing their own properties. They list their home on Craig's List and Facebook, but they're not getting quality leads. Their tenants are constantly paying late...