Q: What licenses, professional titles, organizational affiliations do you / your company hold? 

A: We hold a Michigan Real Estate Brokerage license.

Q: Do you have a lawyer readily available for council? 

A: Yes we have a lawyer on retainer: Jeffrey Maynard whom we have worked in partnership with for 15 years.

Q: How long have you been a property manager and summarize your experience? 

A: We have 15 years managing property including managing multi family properties, single-family homes, Section 8 and homeless placement, “snow-bird” management, insurance placement, and short-term leasing. 

Q: What is your staff size? Do they have individual expertise/duties? 

A: We are a property management team that consists of a core group of managers surrounded by a strong support staff consisting of cleaning, maintenance, realtors, and concierge services. 

Collectively, we work with property owners to bring properties up to code and oversee rehabs as well as place tenants, buy property, manage property, handle maintenance requests, and provide customized services that fit our clients' needs. 

Q: Do you have existing connections with investors?

A: Yes, we do. We have a network of local investors, out of town investors, and also work with investors from outside of the country. We work with first-time investors just as often as we work with seasoned buyers and sellers.

Q: What are the basics to your billing structure (timeframes, payment options, charges, fees and percentages):

A: We do not believe in a “one size fits all” management structure. We are a full-service management company with the ability to service all aspects needed for the property owner. Our billing structure is set to reflect the needs of our owners. For example, if our owners want us to collect the money and distribute payments, we can do that. If our owners want us to pay the bills for their company, we can do that too. Our cleaning services, landscaping and other areas of maintenance can be billed and paid through our company or through the owners if they prefer. We use AppFolio along with QuickBooks for our accounting and have a certified bookkeeper on staff. 

Q: What experience and affiliations do you have with housing programs?

A: We are affiliated with many of the housing programs in both Wayne and Oakland Counties. We have a great relationship with the VA and have many Vets who currently have tenancy in our properties. We also work with Section 8, MSHDA programs, the Lighthouse, and other local and state programs. We are familiar with the housing programs and their requirements to pass inspection and can manage the paperwork that is associated with placing aided tenants. It is important to us to give back and support the community. We favor utilizing these housing programs before opening our properties to the open market. Most of the time our first call to fill units is the Veterans Association. 

Q: How many properties do you manage? 

A: We have a good array of properties. We are currently managing 3 multi-unit properties, many duplex properties and are currently part of a few more that are waiting to be turned. We also have many single-family homes. We place Section 8 and the Vets whenever possible. We currently have Section 8 and the vets in our multi-family, our duplexes and some in our single-family homes.

Q: Do you buy and sell real estate?

A: Yes, we have a team of 2 real estate agents that buy and sell real estate through our Brokerage. We work in residential, and commercial real estate and buy and sell for the investors we work for.

Q: Do we have to purchase and sell through you and your company? 

A: No, however it would benefit both parties if we started our relationship at the purchase of a property. We have had many investors work with realtors they have found who do not conduct proper due diligence; we are called in after the fact to some very interesting situations. We find that many out of town investors are purchasing property that is either unmanageable from a security standpoint, or will not generate the rental income versus the renovation costs for our owners. We drive every property before we advise our clients of their purchases. If the whole deal doesn't work, we make sure our clients know. Our process is much different than most-we help buy so the whole picture of the investment is cared for.

Q: Do you have a fee for managing maintenance or construction? 

A: We do have a fee to project manage a job. Our fee is based on the job and when. We do not charge a fee for maintenance, the owner is billed for the maintenance run. 

Q: How are we notified of maintenance that needs to be performed? 

A: We have regular correspondence with our tenants. WE ACTUALLY HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR TENANTS which makes communicating with them much easier. We also have regular communication with our property owners. If a maintenance issue is to arise, we will follow the protocol that we have established with our owners and report the issues. We provide maintenance reports for each property through our online portal that tenants use to report.

Q: How are estimates handled between the owner and contractor? 

A: If agreed upon, the estimates will go from the contractor to management to owner. Management will be responsible for getting the estimates and presenting them to our owners. If ownership and management come to an agreement about an alternate way to handle estimates we will, of course, follow protocol. 

Q: Do you provide estimates, written in detail? 

A: Yes, if you need a detailed written estimate for a "turn” on the property, there is a charge for this service. Your estimate will be in detail and often will include pictures and video. 

Q: Do you perform a physical walk through to confirm work is completed before requesting final payment?

A: Yes, we do. We also can project manage a job from beginning to end- just ask us for more information on our project management agreement.

Q: If work is not completed or completed properly what do you do?

A: We pull out our “Detroit Charm” and make sure the job is completed in not only a timely manner, but that the work is done properly. As expected, we would communicate with our crew, correct the issues, and make sure the work is fixed/finished properly. ** Side note- Detroit construction and remodels are running very slow-many building products are hard to come by- we are aware of the remodel concerns and do our best to keep projects as timely as possible.

Q: What differentiates you, why should we work with and pay you to manage our properties? 

A: The biggest thing that differentiates our company from others is the fact that we actually know the people we work with. We create relationships not only with our owners but with our tenants as well. We understand that needs change based on the tenants that we service; that statement goes for our owners as well. We in no way, are a blanket property management company. Our service is specifically designed for the owners we serve and the tenants they house. 

We are offered many opportunities to manage property, however not every owner or company fits in our system. We are much more involved in our relationships with our owners and tenants than most companies.