Industry Trends
Top 3 Software We Use to Analyze Your Property
For a detailed comparative market analysis, here are three software we use to analyze your property so you can make informed decisions about your next investment. Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), what we call “rental comps” for short, allows real estate investors to determine the value of a property compared to similar properties in…
Two Types of Property Investors
If you want to make more money with your property, you need to know what kind of property investor you want to be. In today’s article, we talk about the two types of property investors so you can earn and save more money, buy more profitable properties, and attain financial freedom. Types of…
Legal Fees When Moving In
Landlords and property managers should abide by local landlord-tenant laws to ensure nothing is overcharged. Learn more as we explain the legal fees you can collect from tenants when they are moving in. State laws on move-in fees State laws on move-in fees vary. Some states have no limit on the amount…
Using Asana With Our B.I.G. Landlords
Reading Time: 3 minutes With ten or more units to manage, it might be impossible for landlords to keep up. That is why our Boston Investor Group (B.I.G.) landlords are also using Asana, our project management software, where they have round-the-clock access to updates on every work we do at their property. In…
Hiver for Gmail, Explained
Fast and open communication has always been our top commitment. We keep it that way within our company and, most importantly, towards our partners and clients. Today, our CEO Jarrett Lau shows you how we do that with Hiver, the world’s 1st Gmail-based Helpdesk. With it, our entire team is always only one click…
Minimize Vacancies with 3D Renderings
3D renderings allow contractors and prospective renters to look at the property without being onsite. But at Green Ocean Property Management, we take it to the next level: we use it for advertising the property. With more potential tenants who see it first, there’s less time for your property to remain vacant. Here’s how…
How Does Real Estate Depreciation Work?
Most people think that depreciation is a negative effect of owning a property but actually there is a good side of it that real estate investors should know. Find out what it is here. In today’s video, we are covering depreciation and how it works in real estate. What is Depreciation? Generally, depreciation…
Dripping Water in a Rental: What to Do About a Leak
If you find dripping water in a rental, report the location and severity promptly and keep away from electrical or structural hazards. A small visible drip can have several causes; a plumber or qualified maintenance professional should identify the source before repair. What to do when you find a water leak Check for danger from…
Leak Detection and Repair
Property managers should solve your property headaches for you and not add to them. In today’s article, we emphasize the importance of having property managers who are proactive and equipped with the right tools, so they can take care of one of the most common property problems: leak detection and repair. Let’s Talk…
How We Use Drone to Manage Properties
We are taking things to new heights! Today we are introducing the latest addition to our inventory – a drone that we use to manage properties and go beyond regular property management. What is a Drone? Drones are formally known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It is a flying machine that can…
How We Plan Out Renovations
Renovations entail a lot of planning, but you don’t have to do it alone. We plan out renovations in a way that no penny or day is wasted. In today’s article, we will explain how our staff will handle your renovation and get it done extremely quickly. There will be no missed days or…
How We Use CompanyCam
Reading Time: 2 minutes A huge part of what we do is act quickly on any issues with your property. So today, we are excited to share another technology that we use to ensure that landlords and building trustees have full oversight and transparency when it comes to your property. We are talking about…
Introducing Asana and the On-ramping Process
Asana is one of the project management tools we use to help us serve you well. In today’s article, we take you on a virtual tour of the Asana interface – starting with the on-ramping process – showing just how much we go above and beyond to invest in state-of-the-art tools that allow us…
Achieve Zero Vacancy Rate
Your investment property should be maintained, whether rented or not. Across hundreds of properties that we manage, we typically have zero vacancies. But that rate is not something that happens overnight or happens magically. Rather, it takes day-to-day processes of follow-ups and making sure that you are staying on top of everything. So in…
What Is Buildium? A Green Ocean Owner Portal Guide
Buildium is cloud-based property management software used for accounting, leasing, maintenance and communication. This guide explains Green Ocean’s rental-owner portal walkthrough. It is not a full setup manual for property managers. What is Buildium? Property managers use Buildium to organize property records and day-to-day work. Rental owners use a separate portal to review information their…
How to Navigate zInspector
Watch the zInspector navigation walkthrough on YouTube. We use zInspector to track inspections and repairs. Although it is user-friendly, there will always be clients who are new to it. So we made this tutorial for clients to know how to navigate zInspector. zInspector is home inspection software: findings are logged in real time on…
Managing Parking Lots with Drone
When it comes to visualizing any space, a different angle can make an absolute difference. We share the wonders that a drone brings to managing your parking lots. In addition to managing apartments, we also manage quite a few parking lots. And parking lots can actually make quite a bit of…
Questions to Ask When Qualifying a Vendor
Property managers and landlords should know who to trust when it comes to property maintenance. Here are some questions to ask when qualifying a vendor. Who are vendors? Vendors are the people that go into your house and provide service. These can be plumbers, electricians, handymen, or appliance technicians. We need to make…
Maximize Rental Profits by Converting Living Rooms
Short answer: A living room does not become an approved bedroom just because someone sleeps in it or a barn door or divider is added. Before building, changing sleeping arrangements, or advertising an extra bedroom, confirm the property’s approved use and occupancy and any required approvals with the local building official (in Boston, Inspectional…
Using 3D Tours to Estimate Renovations
Renovations don’t come cheap, so every detail must be accounted for. But what do you do if you can’t make an inspection onsite? Today, we are sharing how technology – specifically using 3D tours – helps us estimate your renovation project for your property. It allows us to save time, the vendors’ time, and…
Quick and Efficient Property Maintenance Using Property Meld
Looking to log in? Green Ocean residents: use the Tenant Portal to submit and track maintenance requests. Property Meld itself doesn’t have a public login page — once you submit a request, you’ll get a link by email or text to follow its progress. Property Meld questions owners & tenants ask What is Property Meld?…
Managing Properties With iPads
As property managers, our work is usually on the field – onsite the properties under our care. But that doesn’t mean that we leave the office stuff behind and just come back to it later. In this article, we share how we use iPads to manage properties: making our field managers’ work more accessible,…
Prevent Bathroom Mold With Fans
One of the most common issues that we encounter in our investment properties is mold. Prevention is better than cure, and the secret to keeping mold away is by keeping areas dry, especially in the bathroom where it is almost always wet. But did you know that you can prevent bathroom mold by installing…
Avoid these Common Landlord Mistakes
Mistakes after mistakes after mistakes can be done. A property manager’s job is to help you minimize common landlord mistakes and more importantly, avoid them before they even happen. Here are three of those common mistakes and why you should prevent them. #1 Not recognizing the importance of planning First and foremost, prior…
What makes a Property Manager VALUABLE?
Hiring a property manager proves to be valuable to any landlord as it allows you to take care of your properties and tenants, especially if you have several properties. Property managers deal with the tenants and their concerns so landlords don’t have to.s been in the industry for over four decades. One of the…
Benefits of Having a Property Manager who is a General Contractor
Property managers and general contractors play different roles in real estate. But if you have a multi-serving property manager who is also a general contractor, like here in Green Ocean Property Management consider yourself lucky as you can experience these perks. Here are the benefits of having a general contractor as your property manager. …
5 Benefits of Hiring a LOCAL Property Manager
Reading Time: 3 minutes When choosing your property managers, there are some factors to consider. Hiring a property manager who is based within close proximity of your investment property proves to have more benefits than one who is 45-50 minutes away from you. Sure, their rates might be cheaper – because everything outside the city…
Alternative Ways To Save On Utilities
In today’s article, we present how we proactively save you money while doing good for the environment as well. Initially, we look through your property with Mass Save, which can do an energy audit of your home and help figure out where you can save on utility costs. But for now, we will focus on…
How to INCREASE RENTS During Lease Renewal
With the ongoing inflation, tax payments, and demand for repairs, an increase in rents is truly inevitable. As experienced property managers, we always get this question a lot: “How do you determine the increase during lease renewal? Do you also send out a notice to your tenants when it’s time to renew their lease?”…
Top Technologies Green Ocean use to Leverage Services
WATCH THE VIDEO TO SEE THE ACTUAL DEVICE WE USE In this week’s property management pulse, I will be going over some technologies and how we use them to leverage and to be able to improve our service. For you, our clients, as well as being able to perform better and have more supervision oversight…
Obligo and No-Security-Deposit Options: What to Confirm
A no-security-deposit option is not available automatically to every renter. Availability depends on the rental property, the owner’s participation, the applicant’s eligibility and the written terms offered. Ask GOPM’s leasing team to confirm the options for the specific listing before budgeting for move-in. No cash deposit does not mean no fees or no financial responsibility.…
Tenant Screening Questions to Avoid
Massachusetts tenant screening questions should focus on an applicant’s ability to meet lawful rental obligations. Use written, relevant criteria for every applicant, accept lawful income and rental assistance, and provide reasonable accommodations. Avoid questions or decisions based on protected characteristics. A consistent process still needs legally required adjustments. This guide explains questions to avoid and…
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