Eric Hoglund
GRI, RMP, SRES
Providing our expertise
to meet YOUR needs!
Street Address
935 First Street
Benicia, CA 94510
Phone: 707.745.0924
Check Your Insurance Events can happen - flood, extreme heat, earthquakes, fire, and more!
It is important to check your insurance to obtain the best coverage possible
and ensure that it is current.Review now with your insurance agent before
a disaster/emergency occurs.
If An Emergency Occurs: Please be patient and avoid tying up critical phone lines and our time.
Our first priority during any emergency is to handle the situation, taking
any necessary measures for the safety of your property and your tenants.
Then, we will contact you as soon as we are able.
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We Felt the Earth Move Under Our Feet...
Napa Earthquake was really in American Canyon but it was a fairly long one and made people sit up and take notice. Vallejo had damage but none to our units, Fairfield felt it but no damage to our units and Benicia felt it but no damage either. All our owners were very lucky including our Benicia staff, as they suffered no damage either. We did receive many calls and emails from owners. If the earthquake had caused any issues to our managed properties, the owners would receive a call plus an email. If the damage was extensive and numerous, you may have to wait as we will be responding to everyone.
Does Estey have a plan during a disaster? Yes, Eric Hoglund is on the BERT team which is Bay Area Rapid Response team. And in September, Tiffany Young, our office manager is taking the classes also. Our contractors did several inspections on units as our residents felt there may have been a problem, but nothing was found. Check with your insurance agent about Earthquake insurance if you feel it is an option you might want covered. Please make sure you have Estey Real Estate added as additional insured on your policy, it is in your management agreement.
With online accounting, your account information is safe even after a disaster. You can see your management agreement, accounting, scanned invoices and more. Plus we can access this information from anywhere. If the telephones, cellphones or email work, so can we.
As a member of NARPM®, when a call comes from another member needing help, we do what we can to come to their aid. After the Napa earthquake, we were alerted by NARPM® that our local members in Napa needed help with inspections by licensed contractors. Ours were ready to help. The same would be reversed if we needed help. This is one of the great benefits to our customers.
End of 2014:Year End Appreciation is coming! Every year as we get to the end of the year, we have our Tenant Appreciation gift card. It is a $25.00 gift card to Safeway grocery store. Your tenants not just pay rent but are entrusted with the care and upkeep of your property. This small appreciation comes to $2.08 per month, which we can do monthly or just $25.00 at one time. It doesn't matter the amount of rent paid by the tenant, the goodwill goes much further. Your account will have $25.00 deducted from the November rent proceeds to cover this gift. Estey provides the cards, stamps and man power to get this done. If you do not wish to participate, please let Tiffany know, Tiffany@EsteyRealEstate.com.
Yes, year-end is coming quickly. If you have any repairs or upgrades you would like to your property in 2014, let us know so that we can get bids and complete before the end of the 2014 tax year.
No investor wants to receive a call from a property manager that legal action could be or is necessary. As your property management company, we spend a lot of time and energy trying to avoid this kind of call. Our efforts include updating our education, preventative maintenance, placing qualified tenants in your property, and handling the many details involved with your property in a timely manner. However, avoiding litigation requires teamwork. Property owners and managers can follow these ABCs to avoid legal action.
Always follow the law
Many important laws and rulings affect rental property today, such as Fair Housing, habitability, retaliation, lead-based paint, mold, etc. Every year even more legislation occurs due to litigation. We continually update our knowledge by attending industry events and reading important publications. We also make a conscientious effort to keep you, the investor, informed, by sending important notifications and providing informational articles in our newsletter. If a legal situation arises, we will make you aware of what is happening, what action is necessary, and explain why.
Why is it important that you know legislation or rulings that affect your property? It is crucial you know the penalties and costs that could affect your bottom line. You cannot plead "ignorance" of the law and place blame elsewhere. The court's attitude is and always will be that you, the property owner, are responsible for knowing what governs your property. Knowledge empowers investors to make intelligent decisions.
Be Proactive
Taking a proactive approach will avoid the majority of legal issues. It is absolutely necessary for property owners and managers to follow Fair Housing laws and rules while marketing and renting property. Providing well-maintained properties to residents is another crucial area where the investor and property manager must work together to avoid future problems. It is always easier to think "preventative" and avoid difficult situations and possibly incur financial losses.
Consider all options in seeking resolution
The fact is that no matter how much property owners/managers work on education, good tenancy, and preventative maintenance, problems can still occur with the tenancy or the property. Even good tenants can have unusual problems. Unexpected maintenance and external forces, such as a natural disaster can cause other difficulties and legal threats. No matter what happens, property managers and investors should work together and consider all options to resolve issues with the tenants and/or the property.
There are times that legal action is the only choice. If this happens, it is important to move as quickly as possible to prevent even further losses. As your property management company, we will do our best to avoid having to call you regarding a legal matter. We ask you to work with us to avoid litigation whenever possible.
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