Austin Property Management Blog

Allowing Pets Can Increase Your Rental Rate

System - Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Austin landlords and investment property owners may be overlooking a way to increase their profitability and bottom line by not allowing pets in their rental properties.

According to FIREPAW, a non-profit organization whom handles animal welfare services, property managers who allow animals in their rental properties are seeing an increase in their bottom line profits. Their nationwide study found that the #1 reason pet owners gave up their pets were housing issues. Even though pet owners are willing to pay more in rent to keep their animals, there is still a shortage of landlords willing to accept pets.

You’d be hard pressed to find a city more pet-friendly then Austin and as a property management company we advise all of our landlords to consider pets when they present no risk to their properties or tenants. In terms of profitability, a separate deposit for pets can bring a landlord an extra chunk of change with each lease. The study conducted by FIREPAW also revealed that, on average, landlords and owners that allows pets will rent for a 20-30% higher rate than properties that don't allow pets. Other benefits for landlords that allow pets include:

- Longer Tenancy – Tenants who have pets prefer to stay in one place for a longer amount of time.

- Lower vacancy rates

- More applications received per unit – Pet friendly living...

Finding Rental Properties to Invest In

System - Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Austin Property Management and How to Find Profitable Properties

The Austin rental market is booming right now! The demand for rentals is at an all-time high, the rents in the greater Austin area are way up, and the time to invest is now after Austin was named #1 place to live! If you can find an Austin rental property to invest in, you could be the owner of an investment that should have consistent income for years to come. However, choosing the right investment property can be tricky and if chosen poorly you could potentially lose money instead of earning!

The first course of action is to consider the type of property you would prefer to invest in. Single-family homes, condos and multi-family properties are all worthwhile investments. Before you start working with a broker, first decide what kind of property you’re willing to take on and what you can afford.

Consider who your ideal tenants are. Targeting areas of higher income such can lead to great, high-quality tenants though your initial investment will be greater. Also, consider whether you would be taking care of your rental property yourself or if you would need the services of an Austin property management company for your rental. Consider why you are investing in real estate and what you hope this investment will do for you. There are many books and o...

10 FAQ's We Hear at Stone Oak Property Management

System - Thursday, February 23, 2017

As a property management company in Austin, Stone Oak Property Management isn’t the only player in the game!

However, Stone Oak Property Management was built to fill the void for clients whom were disappointed with their current property manager. The founders of Stone Oak are all landlords themselves so they set out to build a company they themselves would be comfortable hiring as their property manager!

When searching for new property manager you should have a bundle of questions you come prepared to ask before deciding on the right company for your properties. Here at Stone Oak Property Management we talk to landlords and investors from all over the nation about their properties in Austin and San Antonio. Here are 10 frequently asked questions we hear from landlords!

Does the property management company have a dedicated, licensed property management personnel and how many staff will be looking after my property?

With Stone Oak, your properties receive unparalleled management from a team of certified property managers. From the maintenance crew to the founding manager your property receives the full attention to detail it deserves. When we take on new rental properties, we treat them as if they were our own. Stone Oak provides the greatest support team in the Austin market and you’ll always have direct line of communication with everyone in the company. You can rest assured your properties are in the hands of...

Stone Oak's Valued Partner

System - Sunday, February 19, 2017

While Stone Oak does staff a team of Brokers and real estate agents, our main priority is focusing on the landlords whom employ us and their properties!

Often we get those looking to purchase new homes and properties and while we do help these clients, we often refer them to our trusted real estate partners over at Central Metro Realty!

Central Metro Realty is an Austin based, locally-owned real estate Brokerage. While Stone Oak was built for landlords by landlords, Central Metro was built by agents for agents! With Central Metro you know you’re working with an agent who is Austin local with years of experience in the local market!

Central Metro is a diverse Brokerage with many nationalities represented throughout the firm. With Austin being such a diverse city experiencing an influx of people every single day, having Realtors from every corner of the world helps those transitioning to a new area such as Austin. If you’re an individual moving to Austin internationally, check out their roster of agents to connect with an agent of either a certain nationality or language!

Whether you’re looking to buy or sell a home, the family of Realtors at Central Metro will make the process as easy as possible for you! As a ...

Rent: The Benefits of a Property Management Company Provides

System - Sunday, February 12, 2017

If you’re a landlord or landlady, you understand the life of your business – rental income!

If a structure isn’t set in place and rent isn’t collected in full and on time every month your business will take a hit. When everything is running according to plan this is when your return on investment is great, as you already may know!

Setting Your Rental Rate

Knowledge of the local market and the ability to assess data on the MLS provides Stone Oak Property Management with a great understanding of what your income property should be earning every month. We provide a rental analysis free of charge to any property owner interested in learning what their property can bring them in residual income every month! While most investors like to see their rent usually equate to 1% of their property’s value this doesn’t always serve as the main factor in determining your properties rental rate. The only true way to determine what your rental property should be earning every month is doing price comparisons with other properties in the given area and adjust as needed to what the market offers. However, you can rest assured that any great property management company, like Stone Oak, will have you earning the highest rent your property allows! To receive your free rent analysis, you can contact a local market expert at

Increasing the Value of Your Rental Property

System - Thursday, February 9, 2017

Updating and Adding Amenities Can Improve Your Rental Property and Lead to Higher Rent!

When it comes to your rental property are you actively trying to upgrade or are you simply providing maintenance? It’s enough to keep everything in working order and maintain your property as livable, and there is nothing wrong with this. However, as the property owner/landlord you may be missing out on simple ways to increase the value of your rental property. It doesn’t take much, but a few well-placed additions and upgrades to your property can have the value and even rent going up. Upgrades to your rental property can increase your return on investment and attract high-quality tenants!

Adding value to your rental property can happen many ways and range from replacing a few small things here and there to a full remodel of your rental property. The time is always now to make these changes as the market is consistently on the rise and you may be looking to sell your property once it hits a certain point!

Aside from the usual rent-ready cleaning, consider the below suggestions to improve the quality of your property!

Rental property in need of a paint job? With time paint loses its color and begins to fade. If you’ve had tenants in for a while this is almost a guarantee. Adding a fresh coat of paint can have your place looking more vibrant and livable! A neutral color is also desired for most tenants so the dé...

Out of State Investors and Stone Oak Property Management

System - Monday, February 6, 2017

Investor or Investment Group with Rental Properties in Austin, Texas? Discover Stone Oak Property Management!

It’s no secret that the real estate market in Austin has been growing rapidly year after year. The greater Austin region has seen unrivaled growth, with Georgetown considered the fastest growing city in the nation with a population greater than 50,000 residents. According to Austin Relocation Guide, the greater Austin region experiences 157 net arrivals a day! This means people are looking for a place to live and they are looking all the time.

Maybe you’re a savvy real estate investor or a part of a larger investment firm wanting to invest in the greater Austin real estate market. Regardless of who you are, you’re going to need someone to look after your rental property and manage your investment day to day. Everyone likes a safe investment and everyone likes to keep their investment safe! The majority of Stone Oak’s employers (clients) are those who don’t have feet on the ground, but instead have chosen to invest their money here! All based on one thing – they trust us and the service we provide! Stone Oak Property Management, with our attentiveness and hand-on approach to all we do, provides out-of-state investors with the ease of mind that their investment property is left in...

Tenants and Their Preference to Rent Through a Property Manager

System - Sunday, February 5, 2017

Do Tenants Prefer to Rent Through a Property Manager?

Just as most landlords will have horror stories of tenants throughout the years, the same applies to tenants in dealing with landlords. Thankfully, a great property manager should have both parties feeling satisfied! We’ve talked to plenty of tenants who prefer renting through a property manager opposed to a landlord for numerous reasons! We’ve all had that one landlord who was to nosy and too much involved in what should be the tenant’s privacy. If you've experienced this than you can understand how this can make a tenant feel a bit off about the place and less likely to renew their lease. At Stone Oak Property Management, we take tenant’s rights and privacy very seriously and someone renting a home from us will find themselves feeling at ease having a property manager who is there when they need them, and not there when they don’t.

While we take what is basically a personal interest in our client’s properties, we do our best to make the tenant feel as though it is their home. We understand and are up to date on the laws that involve rental properties and their tenants. While we always act in the interest of the landlord, we take pride in fostering an atmosphere that makes tenants happy to be where they are. Stone Oak is there 24/7 for ten...

Property Management and the Role it Plays with Your Properties & Tenants

System - Monday, January 30, 2017

Austin Property Management and Your Properties and Tenants!

If you own a rental property or dozens of them, you are fully aware of the worthwhile experience it can be as it often generates a constant stream of income. This is only a guarantee though when you have great, quality tenants in your rental property who pay on time and don’t destroy your property. Everything is always great when you’ve got high quality tenants until those tenants turn out to be problems. This is where a property management company can really pay dividends!

It all starts with the marketing which should be included in your fees as it is with us! We syndicate your property for rent to numerous sources on the internet and physical locations in search for great, rent-paying tenants for your place. A professional property management company does the due diligence and provides all the screening for potential tenants for you. Most of the time landlords will run simple background checks and credit checks on tenants and while this may provide some detailed results on tenants for your rental property sometimes it isn’t very telling of the type of tenant they would be. Stone Oak Property Management provides thorough screening chec...

Investing in a Rental Property? Consider These Points and Why a Property Management Service May be i...

System - Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Investing in Real Estate and Maintaining Your Property/Rental. The Solution is Property Management!

Investing your money in rental property can have you earning a steady stream of income for life If done properly. However, do not expect the costs of such an investment to end at closing! When becoming a landlord there are two certainties – costs and death. Most real estate investments require prompt maintenance and remodeling to be suited for code and actually livable for a rent paying tenant.

Let’s say you now own a property ready to be rented and now the process of finding a tenant comes into play. Don’t forget this is only the first step to your income producing investment, and then comes the actual process of being a landlord. Some prefer to be hands on with their properties and deal with the constant headaches owning a rental property can cause and the time you must invest in it – time you may not have to spare. This is where professional property management services come in to play.

What Do Property Management Services Provide To You?

The value a property management service can add to your investment can be great and many experienced real estate professionals can tell you that a great property management service is worth it.

Finding Higher Quality Tenants For Your Property

Finding a tenant can be hard and expensive. If you go it alone you’l...

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