Basics of Property Management: Screening Potential Tenants
Using Filters on Real Estate Sites to Help Your Home Search
Jesse Obrien
When you're in the market for a new home, browsing through the real estate listings can be overwhelming. However, there is an easier way to sift through endless listings — use filters. Here are six filters to set up as you look through online real estate listings.
1. Price
For most people, the price is the most important search parameter. By setting the price filter, you can immediately weed out homes that are over your budget. Consider setting a minimum price as well. This can help eliminate starter homes, fixer-uppers, and homes that may be in less desirable neighborhoods.
2. Home Type
If you know you want a single-family home, there's no sense looking through multi-family units, condominiums, townhomes, apartments, mobile homes, and vacant lots. Set the filter so you only get results for the home type(s) you're actually interested in.
3. Lot Size
Some people want a home with a lot of land, while others prefer a small, low-maintenance yard. Setting the lot size filter can also help you narrow down your location and neighborhood. For example, if you set your desired lot size to a minimum of a half-acre, you're more likely to get suburban and rural listings rather than city listings, which tend to have much smaller lot sizes.
4. Bedrooms and Bathrooms
Next to price, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms in a home is probably the most important factor. If you have a large family, the typical two-bedroom, one-bathroom home probably isn't going to be right for you. Conversely, a retired couple isn't likely to need a four-bedroom home.
Set the filter to the minimum number of bedrooms and bathrooms you need. Some real estate websites allow you to set the maximum number as well, which will help you even more in your quest for the perfect home.
5. Year Built
Are you looking for a move-in ready, turnkey home with modern amenities, such as an open living concept? Perhaps you prefer an older home with character, like rich woodwork, and don't mind doing a bit of work to make it yours. Setting the year built filter will help eliminate certain home styles and conditions.
6. Other Amenities
The options in this filter vary by real estate websites, but they often include options such as a swimming pool, waterfront property, central air conditioning, or whether a home has a fireplace.
In a tight housing market, competition can be fierce. Setting up tailored search parameters will make finding your dream home easier. Most real estate websites also allow you to save your search parameters and receive an email every time a new listing that meets your needs is entered into the system. For more help finding your perfect home, reach out to a real estate agent near you.
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For the last several years, I've used a property management firm to help with my rental properties. One of the tasks that they handle for me is screening applicants who would like to move into one of my vacant units. Their expertise has helped me lower my tenant turnover and find people who want to stay with me for years. Part of the process is a tenant screening credit check. Before any further contact takes place, my manager orders credit reports from at least two agencies. That is enough to tell us if an applicant is a good financial risk. Assuming the references work out, I meet the candidate and make the final decision. If you own rental properties, let me tell you more about the benefits of having a property manager. I'm betting you'll find this type of arrangement will work for you too.