Harold TebbettsLeasing Specialist and Property Manager

Jean and I have been managing and leasing properties since 2003. At that time, we took on 8 properties as a leasing agent for a broker friend that was moving to South Carolina, and 2 properties as property managers. We grew our property management to a dozen properties and stayed there, selling some for clients, adding more through word of mouth.

Taking on properties that had existing tenants was always an adventure. College kids, for example, who were party central most weekends. The neighbors were threatening to call the cops. I took the tenants around to meet the neighbors and had them give the neighbors there cell numbers so they could call them if the noise level was too high. I also gave everybody my card in case there was a problem. When the tenants graduated, we got a nice family in there and they've been good tenants for a decade.

We took over a house on a canyon that had been managed by the owners and was in bad shape. The front yard was a mess caused by a tree; its roots had taken over the front yard and the grass couldn't grow. We had the tree removed, the front yard roto-tilled to remove the roots, and had our gardener seed the front yard with grass, and put in a sprinkler system on timers, telling future tenants to leave the sprinklers alone. I had the owners absorb the cost of the gardener, so that the yard would always look nice, and they wouldn't have to pay a lot of money to redo the front yard again. We had the interior and exterior painted. The back yard had no fence, and there was a 75 foot drop to the houses below. We found an adult couple who really liked the place. They promised not to fall down the hill, and they lived there for 8 years.

Our approach to finding tenants, whether for leasing or property management, is to find tenants who fit the property. That makes it so much easier; turnover costs money; stable tenants equal constant cash flow that owners can count on.

For leasing, we often are asked to find tenants, if possible, who will sign a 2 or 3 year lease. We're happy to do that. We know the rules regarding Section 8 tenants and have leased numerous properties for owners who want Section 8 tenants because they live far away and the majority of the rent coming from the Housing Commission is a comfort.

There's no substitute for experience. You'll always be talking either to my wife or me when you call. We'll get you where you want to go.