No, not the 1976 song by the Steve Miller Band but the money after a loss on your apartment building. A couple of weeks ago, one of my customers referred his brother-in-law to me for a quote. The brother-in-law was purchasing his first income property, a single-family dwelling in a Cleveland suburb. I gathered the…

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Preparing for winter can save you from a large property loss. Winter and freezing temperatures are forecast to roar back into Northeast Ohio in the next 24 hours or so, but there is still time to get out and complete a few simple tasks to help protect your property. You may also discover additional items…

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Recently, I wrote about a prospect in Rocky River who was purchasing her first apartment building. The prospect owns several single-family rental units and the discussion revolved around properly insuring the garage. It was confirmed that the garages must be listed on the declarations page when insuring apartment buildings on a commercial form. This difference…

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 Learn three basic considerations for investment property owners of individual condominium units. Read a snapshot of insurance coverage recommendations for condominium unit investment property. Individual condominium unit ownership is a real thing in the realm of investment property. Some fall into it indirectly, such as via inheritance. Some directly decide to purchase a condominium unit…

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You are now ready to purchase your first investment property, but before you do, consult before you buy!  You have contacted your attorney to create the structure that is going to own the building, whether it is an S-Corporation, an LLC, or a partnership. You are working with your accountant to calculate cash flows and accounting…

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Proper planning prevents a potential property loss in the event of unwanted water damage. You have to have a plan. Game plan. Savings plan. Retirement plan. Plan B. Autopilot only works when a flight plan is engaged. Even well-considered plans need adjustments. Suffice it to say, “stuff happens.” If you are a homeowner, house flipper,…

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When is a bargain not a bargain? The real estate market is heating up across the country, but prices for multi-family dwellings in Northeast Ohio remain lower than the national average. With unemployment higher than the national average, many would-be homebuyers have had to remain renters longer than expected. The convergence of these two trends…

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I had the opportunity to sit down with a prospect who was getting ready to purchase his first apartment building, a nice six-unit building in Rocky River, OH. The prospect has owned several duplexes and single-family homes, but this was a big dive compared to those. The prospect insured his other rentals with another agent…

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According to the Insurance Information Institute, 30.2% of all church fires are started by lightning strikes. With that in mind, why don’t more churches have lightning rods? Lightning rods originally developed by Benjamin Franklin in the mid-1700s still offer an effective method to divert the energy of a lightning strike. Lightning rods do not attract…

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COVID-19 and Building Vacancy As I travel throughout Northeast Ohio, I see what COVID-19 has done to this once bustling area. Highways empty, office complexes with empty parking lots as employees work from home and shopping centers with more and more vacancies as small retailers continue to shut their doors. Once the scourge of Covid-19…

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