Steve Welty Issue# 40 March 2025 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! Heads up—if you’ve been curious about 1031 exchanges and how they might work for vacant properties, it’s time to tune in. A 1031 exchange is one of the best tax breaks available exclusively to housing providers and investors. It lets you sell an investment property and buy another without having to pay capital gains tax right away. What’s the Deal with Vacant Homes? You might be wondering: Can a house that’s been empty for years...
12 days ago • 2 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 39 March 2025 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! Heads up, if you’ve been putting off your tax planning and ignoring your rental property expenses, it’s time to tune in. With Tax Day looming on April 15, 2025, there’s no better moment to review every deductible expense that can help you reduce your year-end tax liability. This comprehensive guide, inspired by best practices in our industry, dives deep into the myriad of write-offs from mortgage interest to vacancy losses that...
19 days ago • 3 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 38 March 2025 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! Heads up, if you’ve been ignoring potential changes to eviction law, it’s time to tune in. Senate Bill 436 dubbed the “Last-Minute Rent Payment Bill” could allow tenants to avoid eviction by paying overdue rent right up until the moment of lockout. This proposal, inspired by similar “right to redeem” measures in other states, aims to prevent avoidable evictions by giving tenants a chance to catch up on rent even after a court...
25 days ago • 2 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 37 February 2025 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! Pests are an unavoidable aspect of property management, but they don’t have to be a nightmare. Whether it’s ants marching across your kitchen or a mouse finding its way in during a cool evening, keeping your property pest-free is key to a happy home. Today, we’re sharing some down-to-earth, practical tips to help you tackle pest issues head-on. Pest Control Best Practices Ants The Issue: Argentine ants love Southern...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 36 February 2025 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! Heads up, if you’ve been dragging your feet on balcony inspections, there’s some breathing room, but not much. Senate Bill 721, aka the “Balcony Inspection Bill,” had a looming deadline of January 1, 2025, but it’s now been extended by one year. The new deadline? January 1, 2026. This law, signed in 2018 after a tragic balcony collapse in Berkeley killed six people, requires regular inspections to keep balconies and other...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 35 January 2025 Happy Saturday Housing Heroes, We recently onboarded a new client, and getting landlord insurance for their property was a huge challenge. Most providers weren’t writing new policies in California, had sky-high deductibles, or refused to add their property management company as additionally insured. After a long search, we finally found coverage, but the process was frustrating and way harder than it should be. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a one-off issue....
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 34 January 2025 Happy Saturday Housing Heroes, I recently received a great question from one of our readers, Aaron: Should I pay off my investment property, and what are the implications if I do? This is a topic that many investors wrestle with, so let’s break it down. Financial Considerations If you have a low mortgage rate—say, around 3% to 4%—it may be more profitable to invest your money elsewhere. Historically, the stock market, particularly through ETFs, has averaged...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 33 January 2025 Happy Saturday Housing Heroes, AB 2347, is changing how housing providers handle evictions. This law gives tenants more time to respond to an eviction notice and introduces new rules for court hearings. It’s important to understand these changes so you can adjust your process. What’s Changing? More Time for Tenants to Respond Tenants now have 10 days (instead of 5) to answer an eviction notice. Weekends and court holidays do not count, so this adds a full...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 32 January 2025 Happy Saturday Housing Heroes, A new law, SB 1051, is bringing important changes to how landlords handle lock changes when a tenant faces domestic violence. It’s important to stay informed and ready to comply with these new rules. What’s Changing? If a tenant (or someone in their household) has been a victim of abuse or violence, landlords are now required to change the locks within 24 hours—at their own expense. If the landlord doesn’t change the locks in...
2 months ago • 1 min read