Key Realty, through its owner-broker, Hugo Silva, provides hands-on property management services for your investment real estate. Whether your are a local owner or an out-of-area owner, its pays to give close attention to your income property. Many property managers simply present a lease agreement and hands keys to the tenant, virtually ignoring the property during the lease term except to collect their fees.

Key Realty is different - we go the extra mile for you, helping you find quality tenants, pre-qualifying them, and verifying their employment and income in order to make recommendation about potential tenants. This intensive attention reduces the likelihood of late payments, lease defaults and potentinal evictions. Our track record is 100% successful - Key Realty has never recommended a tenant for a rental property on which an owner suffered a loss as a result of tenant default.

We have particular experience in managing investment condominiums and co-ops and are familiar with the "house rules" of many of the area's finest buildings. We carefully explain the rules and bylaws to new tenants and keep in close touch with them during the lease term to ensure things are going smoothly. If minor repairs are needed during a lease, we can either perform these with in-house staff for very reasonable prices, or hire reputable contractors. Key Realty can even renovate properties from top to bottom.

We keep current on market prices for your investment property, and can recommend an appropriate time to sell, trade, refinance or even buy additional property. As real estate investors ourselves, we know how important it is to keep our fingers on the pulse of the market.

Ask us for references from our present and former investors and tenants. You will find that Key Realty has forged excellent relationships with both.

Rental property is a big investment and property management can be time-consuming and sometimes inconvenient. We can help maximize your returns while minimizing your headaches by taking on many of the necessary property management tasks. We prescreen tenants, provide leasing services, perform property repairs, and handle rents and property-related expenses. We advise you on appropriate rental increases, lease renewals and provide tenant liason services. Most of all, we do these things in person, in real time, not through third party agents and others unknown to us. When you hire Key Realty, you deal with the owner and licensed agents of the company, not strangers. Each property is managed as if it were own; and it shows!

Property Management Services include: review of property condition and recommendation to owner on appropriate rent and security deposit terms; minor fix-up to put property in rentable condition; advertising (in newspapers, websites and through community bulletin boards); open houses to show property; property showings by appointment; applicant interviews & pre-screening (including credit check, verification of employment, verification of prior rent/mortgage, verification of income); providing recommendations to property owners on tenant selection; preparation of lease and legal forms; tenant liason; walk-through at occupancyand at move-out; recommendations for lease renewal terms; collectionof rent and deposits; maintenance of escrow accounts for owners' funds; monthly reporting and distribution of rents to owners; and more!

Why Invest in Real Estate?
Financial investments help you save for the future and real estate has traditionally been one of the most stable vehicles for financial investment. Most household wealth in the United States is held in the equity of homeowners' own homes, yet many people never think to invest in real estate other than their own homes. Rental real estate can be a great opportunity for investment because real property frequently appreciates over time while you collect rent. A residential property rented to a tenant over the long term can result in the tenant's payment of much of the purchase price, as the rental income is used to pay down the acquisition loan.

In addition, investment real estate offers valuable tax advantages, such as depreciation and deduction of property-related expenses. When you consider the tax advantaged status of investment real estate, you may find the cost of ownership is less than you expected.

Particularly in the Washington, DC area and suburbs, where the population is increasing faster then the supply of residential properties, owning residential real estate for investment can be a very nice wise move.

Despite its inherent advantages, real estate investment is not without risk. Like the stock market, underlying property values can fall, there can be legal and regulatory complications involved, landlord-tenant disputes, and unexpected problems. To keep these types of problems at a minimum, some investors choose to hire professional managers. If you are interested in real estate investment, or have income-producing real estate, contact Key Realty and let us put our management skills to work for you.