Sperity Real Estate Ventures

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How to Maintain the Value of Your Commercial Property

Complex of Modern corporate business office building skyscrapers concept

With the increasing demand in commercial property, existing properties are more valuable than ever. However, properties are valued on their current state, and not so much on their potential. As a property owner, you can increase the equity you have in your property by maintaining the current property’s value.  Simple maintenance in your commercial property includes continued investment in your property, keeping the exterior well-maintained, and performing cost-saving energy efficient measures.

Keep Investing in Your Property

Potential customers are naturally more attracted to a property that is well-maintained. All structures decay overtime and to combat this, it is important to keep investing in your property. Perform the necessary maintenance to fix issues and prevent costly repairs later down the road. Performing upgrades, replacing flooring and major systems when necessary, will increase the life and value of your commercial property. Routinely check your roof to catch leaks and damage to the building or your merchandise. Regular, less expensive maintenance will be much more better than having to shell out larger sums later for major repairs.

Keep Your Exterior Maintained

The exterior of your building is your customer’s first impression. When your exterior is in disrepair you drive away potential customers and put the structure of your building at risk. Landscape your property and keep it clean from trash and debris. Consider sealcoating the parking and walkup surfaces to prevent cracks and unsightly parking lots. How much traffic your parking lot gets helps you understand what your sealcoating needs are. These are habits that are cheap and take little time but make a huge difference in how your building is presented.

Improve Efficiency

You can improve the efficiency of your commercial property in multiple ways. Adding extra insulation will help keep heat and cold temperatures in or out, depending on the season. Smart technology devices will assist you in lowering utility bills and are environmentally friendly. Energy efficient lighting can reduce your electricity bill, prolong the life of light bulbs, and simultaneously reduce maintenance costs. Better lighting also makes your property more attractive. When you improve the efficiency in your building you save yourself and your tenants money and resources that could be spent elsewhere.

Commercial property is an investment. The value of your property can increase or decrease according to the work you put into it. Maintain, or better yet, increase the value of your property by investing in it, keeping the exterior well maintained, and improving energy efficiency.

Read this next: Is Now the Right Time to Sell Your Commercial Real Estate?

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The Challenges of Owning Multiple Commercial Properties

Real estate investing can be very lucrative and help you reach certain financial goals. To do this, you’ll need to grow your investment portfolio and invest in multiple properties. Of course, with multiple properties comes several challenges.

Reducing Vacancies

Vacancies are a common problem with rental properties. If you have multiple properties with vacancies it can become even more of a problem. To avoid vacancies, you need to properly market your properties. As most business is done online, you should start by creating a website for your properties. This way people can easily find them and view their availability. You also need to make sure your properties are appealing to potential tenants. Keep them clean and well-maintained. Perform repairs promptly and consider adding updates to your properties. While it will be more expensive if you have multiple properties, you should put plenty of time and effort into them to attract and maintain tenants. Of course, keeping your current tenants is another way to reduce vacancies on your properties.

Managing the Properties

Real estate investing is not passive. To reap the benefits of these investments, you need to put in a fair amount of work to manage your properties. You’ll be responsible for making repairs on all your properties. You’re also in charge of managing your tenants including collecting rent. It can be overwhelming to manage multiple properties at once, so make sure you are prepared. It is also important to consider your reputation. Managing your reputation is crucial to reducing bad reviews. Try to stay on good terms with your tenants and conduct yourself in a way that will encourage future business at your properties.

Hiring Help

The reality of owning multiple properties is that you can’t do it all alone. There is simply too much to be done and you won’t have enough time to do it all. You’ll need to form a team to help you manage all your properties and increase the benefits they can give you. The team you’ll need will vary depending on your intentions. If you continue to invest, you should look into hiring a real estate agent, a mortgage broker, an accountant, etc. to help you throughout the process. As far as managing your properties, you’ll want to have a maintenance crew, staff to run the properties, a pest control company, and more. 

When you invest in real estate, you open yourself up to many opportunities. The more properties you have, the more opportunities you can see. Just make sure you are prepared for the challenges associated with owning multiple properties.

Check out our available commercial properties here!

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How to Protect Your Commercial Property During a Harsh Winter

Photo by Ramiz Dedaković on Unsplash

Snowflakes dance and twitter as they fall from the sky, but when they pile up on a roof, they can cause

long-lasting damage. Snow is heavy, and with the dancing snowflakes comes the bitter cold that seeps into the bones, and the interior workings of buildings and concrete. Cold and snow can be damaging to property, which is why you should know how to protect your commercial property to survive a harsh winter.

Winterize Your Roof

Your roof is an important factor to keeping your building safe and secure. If there are leaks, the winter storms can cause heavy damage to your roof come spring. It’s important to make sure that there are no places where the roof can leak, which requires an inspection. Most roof inspections are done in the fall, to assess how the winter will affect the roof and prevent damage, and in the spring to assess what to do to repair the winter damage. Winterizing your roof requires hiring a professional to look at and gauge what should be done to your roof to protect it for the long winter.

Keep Concrete and Asphalt Maintained

Another thing you can do is maintain the concrete and asphalt of your property. Cracked concrete can break apart further during the winter when water melts from the snow, seeps into the cracks, and then freezes, expanding the cracks. Ice can cause potholes to start to appear in your asphalt and concrete. Sealcoating your asphalt prevents the cold from expanding the surface and doing further damage. Maintaining your concrete and asphalt not only prevents damage, but it keeps your property looking professional throughout the winter.

Prepare the Grounds

Another way to prepare for a harsh winter is to prepare the grounds. If you have a lawn with trees and shrubbery, it’s important to give them the care they need so they can slumber the winter away. Trees should be pruned back, and the grounds should be fertilized and mulched to protect the plants during the long winter. If you have potted plants by the doors of your commercial property, take them inside for the winter so that they can have a warmer climate.

Your commercial property can survive the winter if you take the proper care of it. By winterizing your roof, maintaining concrete and asphalt and by preparing the grounds, you ensure your building will be ready for spring.

Do you want to buy a commercial property? We can help you find one! Contact us to get started.

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Just Closed A Restaurant? 3 Problems You May Need to Address Before You Lease Again

If you just closed your restaurant and are looking to lease it again, it is important to be aware of potential problems that you may need to address first. Indeed, in real estate, knowledge is power. You may encounter problems, such as pests, lingering odors, and safety or health issues. These problems need to be addressed sooner rather than later before you can even think about leasing your restaurant space again.

Pests

Unfortunately, it is common to encounter pests after closing a restaurant. It’s important to address these problems because they can introduce dirt and disease to your property. When addressing this problem, be sure to clean thoroughly with disinfecting chemicals. Close all openings around wiring, vents, and drain pipes to ensure that bugs cannot return and bother the new renters. In addition to bugs and rats, other vermin might seek out food from the now-closed restaurant space. You can set up snap and sticky traps for rats and mice. If bugs and vermin continue to be a problem, calling an exterminator is a good course of action.

Lingering Odors

In addition to pests, it’s not out of the ordinary to encounter lingering odors after closing a restaurant. These odors can be unpleasant and unappealing for new renters, so they must be fixed before the property can be rented out again. Grease and burnt food are typical culprits of lingering odors. Vinegar, baking soda, and odor-removing cleaning agents are a few ways you can remove these odors. There are multiple odor elimination methods to choose from, so consider your circumstances and needs when selecting which method is right for you.

Damage, Safety, or Health Issues

There can be any number of circumstances which would cause a previous restaurant space to present safety or health issues or have internal damage. Before leasing the space again, it is essential to repair any structural damage to the property. It’s also essential to verify that all carbon monoxide and smoke detectors work, and that there are at least two forms of exit from the unit. Make sure to check for mold and lead-based paint hazards presented by old buildings.

Taking the time to check your property for pests, lingering odors, damage, safety, and health issues will allow you to eliminate unpleasant surprises. Taking care of these issues will help your leasing process to happen more smoothly, and ensure happy future tenants.

Need commercial real estate advice? Contact us today and we’ll be happy to help!

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3 Commercial Real Estate Red Flags You Should Keep an Eye Out For

When a person decides to purchase or lease a new commercial property, it can be one of the most expensive investments they will make for their business. This is why it is so important to make sure that you are getting what you pay for. Unfortunately, one of the pitfalls of being a new buyer is not being able to see some of the most common red flags. The following list includes three commercial real estate red flags you should always keep an eye out for.

Problematic Areas

Most of the time, red flags within a commercial property will be in the details. These problematic areas can seem okay at a glance but can actually be at the brink of disrepair. An issue that will come up a lot is amateur repairs or additions to the property. Some businesses do not want to pay thousands of dollars in repairs and thus will attempt to cheaply repair certain areas. Although some jobs might be satisfactory, you should always ask for work permits and city inspection documents to have concrete evidence that everything is up and running correctly.

Major Damage

Although you should focus on the details, there are major areas that cannot be ignored. One of the most important ones of these includes the roof. Roof damage can do considerable damage to your business if you are planning to store products within your commercial property. An additional red flag you might run into is the seller attempting to fix the roof in order to close the deal. While roof repair can help, it can’t fix everything. Once water penetrates the building, a broken roof might be the least of your problems. Water can run down walls and destroy pipes and create dangerous mold.

Maintenance Agreement

Before you sign on the dotted line, you should always make sure to ask about who is liable for regular maintenance. If the contract places you as the responsible party to repair issues within areas such as the HVAC systems or plumbing, you might want to renegotiate your contract. This attempt to place this workload and cost on you can be seen as a red flag.

Purchasing a commercial real estate property can be quite an expensive endeavor, and thus it’s important to protect your investment. Apply the information above to help you look out for common red flags.

Looking for great business properties? Browse opportunities here!

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What Can I Do to Increase My Pool of Prospective Tenants?

 

Owning rental properties can be a great source of income for many people. However, it can be challenging to attract quality tenants. If you follow a few useful tips, you can increase the number of people who apply to rent from you. Here are some things you should do to make sure you attract the cream of the crop when it comes to tenants.

Regular Maintenance

Keeping up with various maintenance tasks around the properties can provide a few key benefits you might use to attract more tenants. For one, it will help you make sure you don’t get overwhelmed by time-consuming or costly repairs that turn into a big job. Staying on top of things can give you more time to improve your reputation as a landlord and find additional renters. Scheduling regular maintenance in occupied properties shows the current tenants that you care about the state of their home and their well-being. You might be able to do much of this yourself. However, you should call in some experts to avoid overspending or wasting time on things that are hard to fix.

Build Your Reputation

A solid reputation can work wonders in most industries, and this is something that is true for landlords as well. In a way, your main job as a landlord is to provide not only four walls and a roof for tenants. You also need to give them some peace of mind and the certainty that you are there to help them with some of the major issues that might crop up in or around the property. People don’t just look for information about the state of the home or apartment they are hoping to rent from you. Consider that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations when deciding who they want for a landlord. Building a good reputation leads to positive word of mouth from people in the area. This kind of reputation management is something that can increase the number of tenants you get to the house.

Handle Security Deposits

Handling security deposits is part of the job of being a landlord. Since returning them is one of the last things you might do for a tenant, establishing a proper way of handling them can improve overall satisfaction among your tenants and lead to more rentals based on their recommendations. It’s important to avoid typical mistakes when it comes to handling these financial matters.

Getting more tenants in properties you own means more responsibility, but it also means more revenue in your pocket. If you’re able to keep both empty and occupied properties free of any maintenance woes and present yourself as a landlord to be trusted, you can become the ideal choice for new renters looking for a place to call home.

If you’re looking for a new property to rent out, see what properties we have for sale here!

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What’s going on with all of the restaurant closings lately?!

There has been a lot of attention given to the recent closings of restaurants in the Richmond area. There have been a lot lately, no doubt — here is a list of closings this year from Richmond.com that they are keeping up-to-date as things change. Some of these have been big surprises to the community at large, but it is important to keep in mind a  few things.

Not all businesses close (or are for sale) because of poor sales. There are a variety of reasons:

  • personal issues (divorce, wanting to spend more time with children, need to take care of an elderly parent, the owner has an illness)
  • the business strategy has changed (the owners no longer want to be in a particular area of town, the owners only want to operate where they own the building)
  • the owners are absentee and have other full-time jobs that are suffering because of the demands of owning a restaurant
  • the business is on track to make a profit but the owners have run out of operating capital
  • the owner is burned out, having spent the last XX number of years in the same location
  • the owners realize that the best time to sell is when business is booming — cash out while things are good and maximize the sales price
  • poor money management — sales might be great, but if you don’t manage your money well then you won’t stay open for long
  • the landlord isn’t willing to renew the lease — maybe they have a better offer from another prospective tenant
  • the owner isn’t changing, but they are changing the concept
I have seen all of these over the 8 years that I have been brokering restaurant deals and I am absolutely certain that I haven’t seen everything. There is always something new in this business, for good and bad.

There is also the counterbalancing effect of new restaurants opening up. Karri Peifer, Editor and Food Writer at Richmond.com, has been keeping track:

Almost one year ago, we posted a story about the transitioning of ownership of one Richmond restaurant legacy, Mulligan’s Sports Grille. The past month (Tuesday, October 9, 2012, to be exact) has unfortunately brought us the end to this story — covered here by CBS6 and here by Richmond.com. The restaurant’s official statement from their website is posted here (click the photo to enlarge) –>

Another restaurant that has gotten a lot of press coverage for its closing is Cafe Diem, at the corner of Patterson Ave and N Sheppard St in the Museum District — and right beside our office at 604 N Sheppard St. Since our company is involved in the ownership and management of their building, and most of the commercial property in the area, the media turned to us for some insight.

NBC12 coverage of Cafe Diem closing (with video and a guest appearance from yours truly)

Richmond.com coverage of Cafe Diem closing

Richmond Bizsense coverage of Cafe Diem closing

I think the press has done an excellent job with the coverage on this closing. It is often a touchy subject, not only for the restaurant owner(s) but the landlord, the restaurant employees, the loyal patrons, the restaurant vendors, and even the surrounding businesses.

In short, there are lots of reasons why restaurants close. Sure, times are tough all around and lots of people are cutting back on spending, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. If anything, if you enjoy a particular restaurant, be sure to visit it plenty and enjoy it while it’s here. It is fun to always look for the next big thing, but don’t forget about the old favorites either.  — By the way, there are LOTS of new restaurants coming soon. Keep an eye out here for announcements!

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Renting on the Rise in Richmond (and everywhere else)

Have you noticed a recent spike in your monthly rent? A lot of people have, and it’s a trend not only locally but in markets across the country.

According to http://news.investors.com, over the past several years homeowning has become more difficult and former homeowners are now becoming tenants in mulitifamily dwellings. Due in large part to the economic downturn, many homeowners today can no longer afford to pay a monthly mortgage and instead are resorting to the next alternative: renting apartments.

As with most news, this is a mixed bag — it’s not good for renters, but it does make for a strong market for multifamily properties, supporting higher sales prices and spurring new development and redevelopment of multifamily properties. (see last week’s post about local development for current examples of this happening right here in Richmond)

Across the nation, multifamily properties are leading in occupancy and rent growth when compared to commercial developments, like office space and retail properties.

In a recent housing study by commercial property brokerage firm Cassidy Turley, chief economist Kevin Thorpe said:

“I’m optimistic about the multifamily sector, certainly for the next two years…We’ve entered a period of sustained rent growth.”

This recent boom in multiple tenants occupying apartment units is due to the fact that the average renter a year ago could afford the rent for a single family home when now the cost is too high.

Richmond seems to be following that rising rent trend, too. In 2007, the cost of a single bedroom apartment averaged $754/mo. and now the average cost is approximately $814/mo.

Have you seen this happening when your lease has come up for renewal? What do you think the renting forecast will look like in RVA for the rest of 2012?

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What to do if your landlord doesn’t respond to repair requests?

So you’ve had a roof leak for a while, making the drywall from the ceiling cave in..and who knows, maybe there is mold in there?! You called the landlord or property manager about the problem when you first noticed it, which was 2 months ago, and maybe they sounded like they were going to take care of it (and maybe they didn’t) — but you haven’t heard from them since. What do you do?

This is important. Do not stop paying rent. There is no advantage to be gained legally by withholding rent, even if the place becomes untenable. The courts do not look kindly on a tenant taking that kind of decision into their own hands.

Instead, listen to the advice given in this recent article by Richmond.com, “Don’t Let The Walls (Or Ceiling) Cave In On You“:

  • Be current in your rent
  • Give your landlord written notice of the problem
  • Wait a reasonable amount of time

After a reasonable amount of time has passes, take a copy of the written notice, along with the next months rent, down to the John Marshall general district court at 400 N. Ninth Street. A clerk will help you file a legal assertion.

…

There is a small filing fee of $56 to file assertion. We’ve even tracked down the onlinie form, DC-429, available through Virginia courts here. 

If you stop paying rent, you may still be liable for late fees and other repercussions for being late (i.e., bad marks on your credit or even eviction). You are not alone or powerless against a landlord, but you have to play by the rules that have been set up to protect everyone involved.

Have you been through this process with the courts? I would be grateful if you share your experience below in the comments, so that everyone can learn from it!

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Don’t try to fool the insurance company

Understanding Landlord Insurance

By: Dona DeZube

Published: September 1, 2010

Turning your home into a rental or buying an investment property? Expect to pay up to 20% more for the right insurance policy to protect your property.

 

Rental properties require their own type of coverage–landlord insurance, which is different than the homeowners policy you buy when you live in a house yourself. Landlord insurance protects you against losses from fire, lighting, falling trees, wind and hail, water damage, and injury to your tenants and their guests.

But it doesn’t cover the renters’ household goods. So encourage tenants to buy a renters policy to cover their stuff. You can even include a clause in your lease saying they have to buy renters insurance, so everyone is clear about what’s insured and what’s not.

Landlord insurance is expensive

You’ll pay 15% to 20% more for a landlord insurance policy than you will for a homeowners policy on the same house–and even more if you offer short-term rentals. Start your policy shopping by calling the company that sold you your homeowners insurance, then check with an independent insurance agent selling commercial and business policies.

Ask how you can get discounts if you have fire prevention devices, burglar alarms, or multiple properties.

What a landlord insurance policy probably will cover:

  • Lightning, windstorm, hail, explosion, riot and civil commotion, smoke, falling objects, snow, ice, sleet, vandalism, sonic boom, sprinkler leakage, frozen pipes, water damage, burglary, volcanoes, and sinkholes.
  • Things that belong to you that stay at the property, like appliances, furniture, or lawn care equipment. Keep an inventory of what’s on site.
  • Outbuildings, like sheds or garages, although this coverage will have its own limit (probably 10% of the overall insurance policy amount).
  • Costs to defend yourself against lawsuits filed by tenants or guests, as well as the costs awarded if you lose the case. Some policies cover medical bills for injuries; some don’t.
  • Lost rental income if the property is damaged and you can’t rent it.

What a landlord insurance policy probably won’t cover:

  • The tenants’ belongings.
  • Your rental property if it’s vacant for more than 30 days. Seek an exemption in advance from your landlord insurance company as soon as you know the property is going to be vacant.
  • War and nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attacks.

Optional coverage you might want to buy:

  • Flood
  • Earthquake
  • Vandalism (if the policy you buy excludes it)
  • Pool and tennis court insurance
  • Liability for personal injury, wrongful eviction, wrongful entry, libel, and slander

Don’t forget liability coverage

To cover yourself in case you lose a big court case filed by an injured tenant, buy anumbrella insurance policy that gives you liability protection for $1 million to $5 million or more if you have a lot of assets to protect.

Don’t file a claim unless you absolutely have to

There’s a limit to how many claims you can file before insurance companies start charging you more or canceling your policies. Claims can quickly add up as you buy more rental properties.

One time you always want to file a claim is when someone says they’ve been injured on your property. One claim you’ll want to avoid filing: water damage for less than $10,000 because worries about mold growing in water-damaged properties will lead some insurers to immediately cancel your insurance policy.

More from HouseLogic

How to Correct Your Clue Insurance Report

Improve Your Insurance Score

Other web resources

Renters Insurance Brochure to Share with Your Tenants

Dona DeZube, HouseLogic’s News Editor, has been writing about real estate for over two decades. She lives in a suburban Baltimore 1970s rancher on a 3-acre lot shared with possums, raccoons, foxes, a herd of deer, and her blue-tick hound.

 

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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Small rental property owners breathe a sigh of relief

There is always a lot of new legislation passed every year that sounds like a good idea at the time and generally goes unnoticed, and every once in a while the consequences of that legislation become horrifyingly apparent afterwards.

This past year, the legislation that was causing so much heartburn for small property owners was a new IRS requirement that anyone with rental property file a 1099 for any repairs that add up to $600+ over the course of the year. (see my post about it here, from December 2010)

Good news — the provision was repealed before it could take effect!! (here is the actual legislation that was passed to repeal the IRS provision, in case you would like to read it)

Hats off to the Realtor community for standing against this for the good of the mom-and-pop investors, who are the ones would be most affected by those proposed requirements — and for Realtor Magazine’s blog for bringing the repeal to my attention. From their description of how everything unfolded, it seems as though everyone understood that this was good to do:

When the provision was included in the small business bill, REALTORS® were among the first and firmest opponents of it, helping to ensure that Congress understood the provision was an example of over-reach that was never intended to burden mom and pop property owners. Members of Congress and President Obama got the message and, in a rare example of agreement between not only Republicans, Democrats, and independents, but also between House and Senate chambers and between the legislative and executive branches, lawmakers agreed the provision needed to come out.

Nice to know that we don’t have this provision coming up to haunt us over the next few years, isn’t it?

 

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Pet deposits on residential leases

The issue of a residential tenant deciding to get a pet in the middle of a current lease term doesn’t come up nearly as much as you would expect, but every so often it does. In most cases we do require a pet deposit to cover any damages that the pet may do to the property.

Legal technicalities aside, the landlord has a good practical argument for retaining the whole deposit [until the end of the lease]. The increased deposit was intended to provide coverage for any damage the dog might do. The landlord may not know about any such damage until you move out, even though the dog is long gone.

The above quote is from a post on Inman News in a Q&A column that I thought was worth sharing here (click the link to see the rest of the article).

Not only is the post a good primer on the ins-and-outs of security deposits, but also on the general nature of leases and how changes to an existing lease should be handled. This is important information to understand for both landlords and tenants. Basically, lease terms can’t just be changed at the whim of one party (duh!) — while that seems like it should be taken for granted, you would be surprised how often we have to explain that in the normal  course of business.

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Important! New IRS requirements for all landlords

PaperworkAnyone receiving rental payments from either residential or commercial properties will need to review the newly-enacted small business legislation called HR5297 with their accountant and how it expands 1099 reporting requirements.

Currently, only real estate professionals that engage in property management services have to use 1099 forms to report any service provider that they pay more than $600 in a given tax year.

The changes will be enacted over the next two years as follows (details from the NAR Issue Brief released recently — can be found online here or hosted on my site here):

2011 Rule: ALL persons who receive rental payments must provide Form 1099. This affects ALL owners (both individuals and businesses) of rental properties, both residential and commercial. Thus, “mom and pop” investors and those who invest in real estate for their personal portfolios are subject to the new reporting requirement. Only aggregate annual payments of $600 or more for services (but not goods) must be reported.
2012 Rule: All businesses, including real estate businesses, self-employed individuals and independent contractors will be required to make a 1099 report of any aggregate annual payment of $600 or more to any person from whom they acquired goods and services.

Please keep in mind that I am not an accountant, so before you act on any of this information (or panic. or dismiss.) please consult with your accounting/tax professional.  But when I saw this come across my desk, I thought it was important that you are aware of these new rules!

(*Warning! Sales pitch!*) And, by the way, here at Bandazian & Holden, we have dealt with these reporting requirements from when they were first enacted for real estate professionals in the property management field, and we are accustomed to handling the necessary paperwork for our clients.  If you don’t feel like dealing with it on your own, let me know and come on board with us. (*End of warning. Enjoy your day!*)

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Sexual orientation discrimination in housing? We won’t stand for it.

Residential Realtor logoWe have come a long way in the fight for civil rights in this country, and we have a lot to be proud of.  Unfortunately, in many states it is still absolutely legal to discriminate against someone for their sexual orientation when it comes to housing.  This needs to be addressed legally, but the Realtors aren’t going to allow any of our members to get away with such practices anymore.

Read through this article at Agent Genius to see what’s changed:  “Is sexual orientation discrimination in housing legal? Maybe.”  It’s great news!

According to the NAR, the Code of Ethics Article 10 has been amended:
Article 10: Equal Rights Amendment Passes:
The NAR Delegate Body approved an amendment to Article 10 of the Code of Ethics to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In a roll-call vote, more than 93 percent of the Delegate Body voted in favor of the amendment. The Delegate Body decision confirms a vote by the Board of Directors in May.

As a personal note, AG strongly supports and applauds the measure taken that Realtors’ ethics supersede federal law so that no matter if it is legal or not locally, discrimination based on sexual orientation will not be tolerated from Realtors, a measure taken by Realtors.

Huzzah for the Realtor community for standing up for what’s right and making an amendment to the Code of Ethics to declare sexual orientation discrimination officially unacceptable!

Today is a day when I’m even more proud than usual to call myself a Realtor.

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Breakin’ the law! Or not… (new real estate laws)

July 1st each year is when most of the new legislation that was passed by the State of Virginia takes effect. This year (as every year), there are a number of changes that will directly impact the real estate business.  — Side note: Thank you to the Virginia Association of Realtors, RPAC, and the local associations for all of their hard work in getting these laws proposed and lobbying to get them passed!

VARbuzz has a great summary, so be sure to go there for the full list.

Here, I want to highlight a few of the new laws/updates that I found particularly interesting and/or encouraging:

* Brokers who do the right thing won’t be punished (amnesty for honesty). A real estate broker who discovers, either through a self-audit or through a third party retained by the broker, that the firm or a member of the firm has violated a law or regulation will no longer be penalized if the broker satisfies certain requirements:The broker must notify VREB within 30 days of the discovery of any noncompliance, and he must submit a written plan explaining how the issue will be fixed. This may include entry into a voluntary compliance program. Any voluntary compliance or other remediation must be completed not more than 90 days after the date the plan is submitted to the VREB, and must be certified by the broker or a third party in order to create immunity from enforcement. *Note that bill does not protect the broker if the noncompliance was intentional or the result of gross negligence.*

* Landlord and tenant laws changed. A number of changes were made to landlord and tenant laws this year. Some key revisions:For leases governed by the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act:

* Landlords are now allowed to provide information about tenants to a commissioner of the revenue and, in the case of a military tenant, to his commanding officer.
* A landlord may withhold a reasonable portion of the security deposit to satisfy unpaid water and sewer bills.
* Interest rates on security deposits are updated for 2010.
* Utility charges are treated as rent.
* The definitions of “commencement date” and “effective date” of leases are added to the Act.
* Several other things were clarified as to landlord-tenant law generally:
o the bifurcated rent and possession practice in some courts
o what property managers and Realtors® can do in court without a lawyer
o that interest runs on all judgment amounts

* Vested rights are better protected. If a local government issues a permit (other than a building permit) for a property improvement, it can’t change its mind and later declare those improvements to be illegal (although it can find them to be nonconforming).The law also clarifies that a property owner may replace an on-site sewage system for an existing building in the same general location, even if a new sewage system would no longer be permitted in that location. However, if access to a sanitary sewer system is available the property owner must connect to it.

*If a rental property occupied by a tenant is foreclosed upon, the landlord must transfer any security deposit to the new owner of the property, and the new owner, on termination of the lease, must return any security deposit and any interest owed to the tenant in accordance with the provisions of the lease. Interpleader actions limited to disposition of an earnest money deposit may be brought in district court even in cases where the amount of the deposit exceeds the ordinary jurisdictional limits of district court cases.

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More info about The Devil’s Triangle!

This is an article that you don’t want to miss about The Devil’s Triangle by Alix Bryan

I said my bit in a post yesterday, after seeing Alix’s videos — but there is SO much more that can be said, and she has a quite a few of the stories I have heard over the years about the rough days here in the Triangle. Be sure to read all about it!

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Insight into The Devil’s Triangle

There is a little-discussed part of Richmond’s Upper Fan/Museum District that was once a pretty rough area — “The Devil’s Triangle”, or as it is sometimes called, “The Bermuda Triangle”.  Now it is an economic corridor with independent shops and restaurants that serve the residents of the Museum District, the Fan District, and anyone else that wants to wander through.

I lived in the area for several years back in the mid to late nineties, and I missed most of the rougher times but heard plenty about Felix’s, Cafe 21, and the Ritz — now Caliente, Cafe Diem, and Arianna’s.

We moved our offices over to 604 North Sheppard Street several years ago to be in the heart of the revitalization going on, and to show our commitment to the area.  Our founder and CEO, Bedros Bandazian owns all of the commercial along this part of Sheppard Street except for the 7-Eleven, as well as some nearby commercial buildings — so there was already a strong commitment within the company to revitalizing the area.  Our move made a further commitment, and  of course we all patronize the surrounding businesses faithfully.

The transformation has taken another step with the most recent additions of:

  • Sylvia’s Stitch & Suds (renovated coin laundrymat, now a seamstress and laundry),
  • Arianna’s Grill (Italian restaurant from the extended family who also own Mary Angela’s and several others around town — built out from almost from scratch shell)
  • The parking lot in the rear of the buildings at Park & Sheppard (repaved, landscaped, lighted, and available for any customers of the shops along Sheppard)

The Devil Doesn’t Live Here Anymore from Alix Bryan on Vimeo.
[vimeo vimeo.com/10851674]

The Devil’s Triangle is located in the Museum District, which is nestled within the Upper Fan, of Richmond, VA.

This area received its name from three rough local bars, which formed a triangle. The bars have changed ownership, and the area has undergone a major transformation.

However, the nickname has stuck, and has a quirky appeal to locals–locals who never went when it was actually the Devil’s Triangle.

It wasn’t unlikely for police to find wanted suspects in the bars, or for gun and fistfights to happen almost nightly.

Origin of a nickname from Alix Bryan on Vimeo.[vimeo vimeo.com/14935680]

Rich Holden, former owner of Felix, talks about how a two block area came to be known as The Devil’s Triangle. Located in Richmond, VA, this area was home to drug trafficking, prostitution, bar brawls and gunfights. The triangle consisted of three bars, The Felix, The Ritz, and Cafe 21.

Although Holden called it “The Bermuda Triangle,” that moniker is also commonly synonymous with “The Devil’s Triangle.”

[editor’s note: Richard Holden is now the Principal Broker and President here at Bandazian & Holden, Inc.]

I’m eagerly awaiting Alix’s article to go along with the videos, and if she’ll allow me I’ll share it with you in a later post — or at least I’ll link over to it! I greatly appreciate her allowing me to use the videos here, and encourage you to go to her Vimeo site to take a look at her other work!

If you haven’t visited the Devil’s Triangle in a while, you should!  Visit the Black Hand for some coffee that was roasted right there on site. Come sit on Caliente’s patio and enjoy the spring breeze while you have dinner. Come listen to some amazing music down at Cafe Diem. Or explore one of the other shops or restaurants.

[edit (4/13/10, 2:27pm): After a couple of off-blog responses, I’m curious to ask — If you are familiar with the Devil’s Triangle, please share some memories of your time there with us in the comment section below!]

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New chapter for a Church Hill institution

St Johns Realty AND Bandazian & HoldenSt. John’s Realty has been in the property management business almost as long as we have here at Bandazian & Holden.  While I haven’t seen a record of what year they started, I’ve been told that they have been doing residential property management for somewhere between 20-30 years. (FYI – B&H was founded in 1974.)

With the passing last year of the founder and principal broker owner, Danny Athans [edited 3/23/10, per information from Church Hill People’s News — link to announcement here], the future of St. John’s Realty was unsure.  I am proud to announce that we at Bandazian & Holden have stepped up to take over the accounts, and all of the years of hard work by St. John’s Realty will not go to waste.

There are a lot of other details that will be forthcoming, but there is a lot of work that we are doing right now to get in touch with the property owners and tenants to alert them to the change, and to get all of the files in order.

We are very excited for the opportunity to serve this new group of property owners and tenants, and to expand our presence in Church Hill!

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