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appfolio San Diego

Using Technology to Simplify Tenant’s Rental Experience

Technological advances are helpful in many industries, including property management. With Appfolio, you can keep all of your property owner and tenant information organized and readily available. Each property has its own page that contains details such as current tenants, owner, maintenance requests, and all relevant documents. Everything you need to know about a property, owner, or tenant is at your fingertips!

Tenant Portal

The tenant portal does more than allow tenants to easily pay rent online. They can set up autopay, view their payment history, and purchase renter’s insurance. Tenants can also use the portal to open trouble tickets for maintenance-related issues. These trouble tickets are immediately sent to both their maintenance coordinator and property manager for review, so a solution can be found quickly and efficiently. Finally, Appfolio gives tenants the option to pull their own rental records for creditors and future rental history verifications.

Owner Portal

The owner portal gives owners the opportunity to view online statements and any work orders for the property. Online statements show a detailed breakdown of all rent coming in and any costs going out. Work orders contain all details for any work being done, including the vendor’s contact information, scheduling, and photos of work progress. This allows owners to stay updated of any ongoing or previous work done at their properties, even if they can’t be there in person.

Marketing Tools

Another valuable aspect of Appfolio is its marketing tools. Its online marketing syndication function helps owners create professional ads and post them directly to top rental ad websites. Appfolio also offers a rent match comparison directly on their website, which compares your property’s rental rates with similar properties nearby. This helps you stay competitive with your rental rates and marketing budget.

Once a property is posted for rent, potential tenants can apply directly through Appfolio. This helps property managers compile all of the applicant’s information in one place and run their credit directly on the website. This technology helps simplify the application process for both the applicant and the property manager.

As important as technology is in other industries, it can be just as useful to run a San Diego property management company efficiently. Appfolio amplifies the rental experience for both property owners and tenants, thanks to easy access to important documents, simple setup for online rental payments, top-notch marketing tools, and more.

Check out Appfolio today to see everything we can do for your property management business!

Unique Challenges for Active Duty Families

As a veteran who served proudly in the U.S. Navy, I know firsthand the challenges active-duty families face. Logistics for military families can be overwhelming, from separation during deployment to challenging schedules when not forward-deployed. While stationed at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, I learned that families find many ways to adapt to military life.

Staying Put: Support for Spouses

One if the biggest hurdles facing spouses during deployment is what to do while their partner is away. Many deployments last 6 months to a year, which can leave spouses lonely, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Navy spouses can find useful tools to cope with long deployments at bases like 32nd Street Navy Station. The Navy Ombudsman Program also provides group events, member phone numbers and Facebook groups for fellow spouses to connect, share and feel supported.

Moving Back Home: A Win-Win Option

Some military spouses decide to move back home during deployment, which allows for support from family with everything from combatting loneliness to childcare. If the military family owns a home near the base, sometimes they rent their home out during this period, especially if the deployment lasts a year or more. For example, an active-duty marine from Camp Pendleton was forward deployed for two years, so his wife moved back home. It was a big help for his wife, and they were able to earn $3,000 a month renting their home. This helped them save over $70,000 on mortgage payments while he was earning full pay during his deployment. It was truly a win-win situation for this family.

Relocation: What to Do Now?

When active duty families relocate to a new duty station, they have to decide what to do with their current home. Luckily, you have great options!

Renting Out Your Home

Many rent out their home long-term as an investment property. If the property has a good amount of equity, it will continue to increase in value, especially in places like San Diego. This is a great option for building wealth.

Selling Your Home

On the other hand, some families sell their home when they are reassigned. They might need the equity for purchasing a new home, or they don’t want to hassle with managing a property from far away.

Whatever the case, you will have the support you need with Advent Property Management or Advent Real Estate. We can help you navigate the decision regardless of what you choose to do.

Thanks for your service, and we look forward to helping you wherever the military takes you!

things to do in san diego

Love Letter to San Diego

After 27 years, I have come to love so much about working and living in San Diego. From the mountains, deserts, and beaches, to the amazing food and people, what’s not to love about this amazing city?

City Life

I purchased my first home in North Park in the 1990’s before it was the hip neighborhood it is today. Nowadays, neighborhoods like North Park, Hillcrest, South Park, Golden Hill, and City Heights are thriving urban communities with some of the best eateries in San Diego. URBN of North Park is one of my favorites, and I highly recommend trying it while you’re here.

Hiking & Biking

A short drive from the city connects you to amazing hikes, including canyon trails and mountain peaks. Head just east of San Carlos and Tierrasanta to hike Mission Trails and Cowles Mountain. I love timing my hikes with the sunset to get a view of the sun draining into the distant ocean. I’ll never get tired of that view!

If you prefer biking, check out Pacific Beach! Starting in La Jolla, you can ride south through Mission Beach down to Ocean Beach. The bike paths take you past great watering holes, including my favorite – Water Bar in Pacific Beach. It has amazing sunset views, a delicious appetizer menu, and massive beer selection!

Beach Time

Surfing is my true passion, and San Diego offers surfing spots for all ages. I’m teaching my daughters to surf, so I take them to spots like Law Street in Pacific Beach or La Jolla Shores, both of which are great for beginners. I also find myself surfing at the many La Jolla reef breaks or taking a boat out to Point Loma for secluded waves.

Hitting the (Dirt) Road

Recently I’ve explored riding moto-cross in the desert and Baja, and there are extensive riding trails all over San Diego county. Borrego Springs and Plaster City have some of the most challenging trails and amazing views of mountains, oasis, canyons, and dunes. If motorcycles aren’t your thing, many of these spots have great hiking trails, too! What I love most about the desert is you can camp pretty much anywhere for free. Just bring supplies, and you can stay as long as you like!

I hope you find your slice of heaven in San Diego, where every day brings something exciting and new! Come and see all that this amazing city has to offer. See you out there!

Easy Home Maintenance Ideas That Will Save You Money

Winter is quickly approaching here in San Diego, so it’s time to tackle easy home maintenance projects that can save you a lot of money. I check many of these items around my own home to ensure it’s ready before the weather starts getting cold and rainy here in southern California.

Inspect Your Roof

A great place to start is the roof. Grab a ladder and walk around your roof to check for potential leaks. Focus on the flashing around chimneys and vent pipes. If you find gaps, apply a product like Henry Roof Patch. Henry offers several products in 1-gallon cans or caulking tubes, making it easy to buy only what’s needed. Consult a qualified roofing professional if you notice anything worse or can’t safely access your roof.

Check Your HVAC Filter

If you have a central HVAC system (also known as forced air or AC), open and inspect the furnace or main air handling unit. It’s typically located in a hallway or hallway ceiling in a central part of the house. If the air filter is dirty to any degree, replace it. A clean filter helps your central HVAC system operate with maximum efficiency, saving money and keeping the air clean.

Inspect Your Toilets

A leaking toilet flapper will quickly drive up your water bill. Luckily, they’re easy to replace and inexpensive for landlords to fix themselves. The replace a flapper, turn off the toilet water fill valve on the wall behind the toilet. Open the upper tank and flush to empty the tank, and remove the existing flapper. Take the flapper to your local hardware store and ask a clerk to recommend a replacement. Install the replacement, turn the water back on, and flush to ensure it’s working.

Check Your Washer/Dryer

If your washer supply hoses are old, I’d strongly recommend replacing them before they become brittle and cause catastrophic water damage. Checking your dryer exhaust vent is another easy task. Pull your dryer away from the wall and detach the vent duct from the dryer and the wall. Next, take a small brush and thoroughly clean inside the duct and any other lint build up you find. This ensures your dryer will operate efficiently, prevents fires, and saves money on your energy bill.

If you’re unsure how to perform these tasks or need help, feel free to contact our team for assistance. We can help ensure your home is in tip-top shape for the harshest winter conditions here in San Diego.