Apr 11
15

Working with Property Managers and a Taste of Irony

10 Comments

Happy Friday!! I’m sitting in a Starbucks in Burnaby – near my home which we’re putting on the market next week. The painter is there right now getting it looking fresh and clean again. Next week we’re going to be staging the home. We’ll share some pics and stories from that as it’s the first time we’ve actually hired a stager.

We’ve decided to become Vancouver Island residents on a permanent basis. We’ve been mostly living on Salt Spring Island and Vancouver Island for the past two years anyway. And after spending almost $5,000 on BC Ferry costs last year going back and forth, wasting hundreds of hours in transit, and cursing Vancouver traffic for five years, we’re moving to a simpler life (we hope!).

Getting to simplicity isn’t easy though – and I will have some stories for you someday about how complicated it is to try and live a simpler life.

For today, I think you’ll get a little giggle out of my video – especially when I explain the context!

We filmed this in Toronto, a couple of days after the Investor Forum where I had stood in front of nearly 300 people sharing the 5 secrets to fewer problems and more profits with property managers. Check it out:

Isn’t it ironic? Funny how less than 3 days earlier I was sharing my own personal secrets to success with property managers and then our property manager does this to us. My coffee quickly became ice cold as we stood outside waiting. Well, that’s life.

And no, the property manager never did show up that day. We waited outside in the freezing cold for 20 minutes, and then left. 90 minutes later they called and said “we’re here, you can come now and we’ll show you around and show you the floor samples to get the work done.”

Ha! No thanks.

So it’s not always that easy to love your property manager but they are human and will occasionally leave you in the cold.

Oh … if you’re not a Rev N You with Real Estate Newsletter subscriber … you might want to sign up now! I’ve got a couple of really cool articles planned for the next couple of weeks. One is all about creating a 20 minute pitch for private lenders or joint venture partners. I think you’ll like that one. The other one is going to be about our tips for successful rent to own deals. Juicy stuff coming up for you!!

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This entry was posted on April 15, 2011 at 5:16 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted in Property Management Real Estate Investing Video Tips by Julie 10 Comments

10 Responses to "Working with Property Managers and a Taste of Irony"

  • TJ says:
    April 16, 2011 at 1:49 am

    What a great story! Glad it wasn’t me freezing outside waiting for the PM to show as I live in the south where it’s warm and get cold at the sight of snow.

    Also I read one of your posts about green real estate. Just wanted to add to that too. New homes are being built with solar panels and green technology to reduce energy costs now. My neighbor just had solar panels installed on her house for 10k and now her light bill is down to five bucks a month!

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    Julie Broad Reply:
    April 18th, 2011 at 5:22 pm

    Thanks TJ. There are days where I think we should move South so we don’t have to be stuck out in the cold like that!! :)

    Thanks for the heads about about the solar panels. I wonder if it works that much better in the south versus up where we are where the sun barely shines for half the year?
    Julie Broad´s last [type] ..Working with Property Managers and a Taste of Irony

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  • Linda says:
    April 16, 2011 at 3:19 pm

    Just another reason why I always come back – most people would never admit to this happening to them – especially after getting on stage at such a big event to teach how to avoid such things. You’re right that it is life and this kind of thing happens. It’s also so nice to see your side of investing as it is so much more real than what most of the real estate guys are sharing. Good story. You look so cold though nice that you were still smiling.

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    Julie Broad Reply:
    April 18th, 2011 at 5:26 pm

    Thanks Linda! Your comment means a lot to us. We love real estate but it isn’t a cake walk and we often wondered what we were doing wrong – until we met other investors and discovered that a lot of the things that happen are just part of doing business. All the systems and best intentions won’t prevent everything that can go wrong – so it’s better to do your best to minimize potential problems and prepare yourself to roll with the inevitable things that will come your way!!
    Julie Broad´s last [type] ..Working with Property Managers and a Taste of Irony

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  • santa cruz real estate says:
    April 18, 2011 at 2:53 pm

    Here in Santa Cruz County, California, we are blessed with warm sunshine,lovely beaches, and the Monterey Bay leading to the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, we have lots of vacation homes and vacation rentals.

    I appreciate your ability to laugh at your own misfortune, but how people can describe themselves as property managers – where they act as an interface between properties, landlords, and renters – and have so few people skills??

    I mean, “waiting in the cold”?? “Never showing up”??

    With the amount of money some of these guys charge, you would think the least they could do is keep an appointment.

    Anyway, sorry for the rant, but it irks me no end how oblivious some “professional people” can be!

    [Reply]

    Julie Broad Reply:
    April 18th, 2011 at 5:29 pm

    Santa Cruz is lovely. I have been there once before. It would be a lovely spot for sure!!

    It is a disappointment to be left out in the cold like that but I am always willing to give people a little leeway. The thing is – I have made mistakes and have missed appointments. I don’t do it very often but I know that if I did mess up I would want a second chance.

    It is difficult sometimes -especially when we are paying them VERY good money – but we are all humans. Now if they do that to me again in the future there will not be laughter. :)

    Cheers,
    Julie
    Julie Broad´s last [type] ..Working with Property Managers and a Taste of Irony

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  • mobilehomegurl says:
    April 18, 2011 at 10:53 pm

    Wow, nice video Julie!

    It must have been freezing cold out there!! I have a friend who’s a reporter – she started out doing weather in the mid-west. And, let me tell you – she had to deal with all types of weather conditions while talking and reporting at the same time. Now that she’s put in her time, she’s much happier being at the anchor desk. ;) Very brave of you to be out there in the cold!!

    Sorry to hear about that situation. I think you’re right, mistakes happen. We’ve all slipped up before. It’s these times and these types of situations where I ask myself, “What in the world was I thinking when going into this business?” Good times, good times… (lol!)

    It’s so cool to follow you and Dave on your real estate adventures. I really admire your ability to just put yourself out there, very cool!! If it were me, I may not have been able to maintain my composure as calmly as you – there probably would be hints of sarcasm coming from me if I were in that situation.

    Thanks for another cool (literally, eh?) video, Julie! :)

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  • Julie Broad says:
    April 19, 2011 at 3:52 pm

    Rachel – are you part Canadian or were you making fun of us:
    ” Thanks for another cool (literally, eh?) video, Julie! ”

    :D

    I have a feeling you would have maintained your composure as well. You are good natured and understand that things happen.

    As always, thanks for stopping by!
    Julie Broad´s last [type] ..Working with Property Managers and a Taste of Irony

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    Shae Reply:
    April 19th, 2011 at 8:20 pm

    Julie, this is a great video….the irony is pretty funny but you have the right attitude (as usual). I’m laughing at Rachel’s comment though because somehow I can’t imagine her ever losing her temper. LOL!
    Shae´s last [type] ..The REI Masterclass- How To Choose The Right Investing Strategy

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    mobilehomegurl Reply:
    April 20th, 2011 at 2:59 am

    Oh, Julie! If only I were, though I’m not sure if I could as I hear there are some political issues with the internet and streaming rates over there – I really have to have my Netflix!! :)

    Though, I will say – I’ve been mistaken for being Greek. Go figure!! In all honesty, I wasn’t – it was just a play on words being in the cold and your videos being so awesomely cool! ;)

    Oh, lol Shae! Sometimes I can. If you only saw me today, I had it out with a resident. Out of all the residents, this is my one and only issue.

    This resident called me up freaking out b/c she supposedly received a notice from the park – she told me they told her she needs a new deck. I was like, “Are you sure? Or, do you just need to make it look nice?” She was putting up a fit – I told her I will check with the park to see what needs to be done.

    So, I talked with the park manager – all she needed to do was clean up her deck, not get a new deck. The park manager was like, “What’s she smoking?” Seriously.

    So, I called her up again – she insisted she needed a new deck. (Oh, by the way – this is a person who was trying to get a brand new refrigerator and hot water heater from the very beginning!!)

    Anyways, I told her listen – you don’t need a new deck, you just need to clean it up. Then she went on as how she’s put so many upgrades into the home and why can’t I get her a new deck? Oh the drama! I told her in the future if she has any other issues with the park, she’ll have to bring it up with them as I don’t get involved with park/resident disputes.

    Here we go again, another notice I have to send in the mail. Every time there are issues, it’s always a notice – all this talking over the phone doesen’t really resolve much. Though, I guess some may have different styles of doing things. Totally stressed me out. Oh the drama!!

    p.s. I know you gals are cracking up over my drama, I can only imagine! :)

    [Reply]

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