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How many units does GCR&D manage?
We currently manage over 1,050 units all around the Chicagoland area. Please see our
coverage area map.
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How quickly can I expect a response from my single point of contact Property Manager?
We have Trademarked the phrase “Chicago’s Responsive Property Manager™” and we take that term seriously. We track our teams’ email communications for initial response times. We also monitor the status through completion of any email requests received from both residents and clients (owners). Our owner's handbook, which we will share, states that we will be back to you the same day if you are in touch with us before noon CST, and by the next morning if after noon CST. However, more often than not, it is much quicker than that.
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How long have been in business?
GCR&D has been in business since 2003,and consists of 3 partners. Check out this
recent article that goes in depth of our company history and what our logo stands for. We incorporated our firm in 2003 as an S-Corp and restructured it in 2006 as an LLC. We started our Property Management division in 2005
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What types of property and types of investors does GCR&D manage for?
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Does GCR&D manage Condominium Associations (HOAs)?
Unfortunately, we no longer accept or manage any Condominium Associations but are happy to refer you with some quality Property Managers that do.
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Does the State of Illinois require a Property Manager to be licensed?
Yes, Property Managers perform tasks that are considered licensed activities. We have held our Managing Broker License since 2003. All licensed companies can be verified on the State of Illinois license lookup page
IDFPR.
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How can I retain references for your services from your current or past clients?
No matter who you are looking to hire, take the time to search for them on Google, Yelp, Bigger Pockets, and NARPM. You can quickly search myself and my company name and come across all that has been said online. It is impossible to hide true company culture and the quality of service that was provided to clients with whom we had dealings with. Doing a search like this will yield you a far better confidence in our services.
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Do you manage both short-term and long-term rentals?
At this time we only manage properties for owners who are seeking long term rentals. We do not manage any vacation rentals, AIRBNB, or furnished properties.
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How many people work for your company, and what are their roles?
At the time of this response, late 2020, we have 42 full time team members working inside of the daily Property Management operation. Our operation is a hybrid set up of departmental and portfolio style management. This allows our clients to have a single point of contact while still having much of our staff be specialists in a particular part of the business such as collections, rental licensing, Section 8, and/or leasing.
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Do you cover all areas of Northern Illinois?
Check our
coverage area map on this website to see if we cover your area. If your property falls outside this area, then please inquire as we may be able to accommodate your request or refer you to another quality Property Management company we work with.
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Is GCR&D properly insured?
GCR&D carries a business liability, workers compensation, umbrella, automobile, and professional liability (E&O) policies with minimum $1,000,000 limits.
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Does GCR&D sell real estate too?
Yes, we do. Our Property Management clients hire us because they know that when the time comes, we can assist them with Brokerage. Having an intimate knowledge of the property already assists in the Brokerage processing running smoothly. We also maintain a vast network of investors who are scouting for new opportunities and investment properties. You can read more on our
Residential and
Commercial Brokerage websites about what we do there.
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How long will it take to lease my property?
If we price the rental rate to be in tune with what is going on in the local market and the property shows well we can generally rent your home in 3-4 weeks.
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Should I allow pets?
We ask that you keep all options open. Many quality tenants do have pets. A person’s application will reflect how they will care for your property including how they will allow the keep of an animal in your home.
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How can I protect my rental from pets?
We will accept animals of well qualified applicants only. These applicants will show us pictures of their pet and provide us information such as breed, weight, & age. This helps rule out the 40 pound mix that turns out to be a 150 pound Pitbull. An approved tenant with a pet will pay either additional security deposit or a non-refundable pet fee. A home with hardwood, tile, or wood laminate is more pet friendly from a Landlord’s perspective than a home with carpet throughout.
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Does GCR&D hold the security deposit?
GCR&D will hold the rental security deposit in the owners separate rental deposit account. Any return or forfeiture of a security deposit will be approved by the owner prior to any final decisions. The balance of your account on the monthly ledgers will reflect the security deposit being held. In Chicago we do have a separate set up for security deposits to comply with the
CRLTO security deposit rules, however, in Chicago we mostly collect non refundable move in fees in place of security deposits.
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My house is vacant and I will need you to procure a tenant, how long is the lease term?
Our lease terms are typically one year. However, in the Fall, we may request 14-16 month leases that will end in Springtime two years later.
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Who keeps the security deposit if it is forfeited at the end of the lease term?
The owner keeps all security deposit funds forfeited by the tenant at the end of the lease.
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Will you advertise and show a property while it is occupied, or do you insist on properties being vacant before you will start advertising them for rent?
Prior to Covid19, we were beginning to market properties in advance of the current tenant moving out. This has currently been placed on hold for the remainder of 2020 out of an abundance of caution for our current tenants, potential tenants, and leasing team.
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Do you conduct credit and criminal background checks on prospective tenants?
We conduct credit, eviction, and background checks on every applicant while carefully complying with Fair Housing Laws and the new
Cook County Just Housing Amendment. If you are in Cook County you want to make sure you are following both.
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Do you place your rental listings on the MLS?
Yes, and be sure that anyone you hire does list them on the MLS as well. There are many Realtors that have tenant clients nowadays, so be sure that your Property Manager is casting the widest net to secure you your next tenant.
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Do you place your rental listings on Zillow?
Yes, be aware that as of February 1, 2020 Zillow, which includes Zillow, Trulia, and Hotpads, started charging Property Managers a daily fee per listing to market rentals on these sites. Many Property Managers opted out but we did not so make sure whoever you hire is paying to market on these sites. For GCR&D, this is not an extra charge to an owner.
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Is GCR&D experienced in Section 8 tenants and properties?
GCR&D has managed thousands of Section 8 tenants over the years and Section 8 tenants currently account for 15% of our rent roll. For more info on section 8 please visit our
Section 8 Resource Center.