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Business of the Month - Welcome Home Rents Homes |
by Amy Fisher |
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With buzzwords like “defaults,” “foreclosures,” and “residential downsizing,” becoming all-too-familiar terms in our real estate lexicons, it’s not surprising that there is now a strong demand for innovative property management services. And, according to Welcome Home Rents Homes, right now some of the fastest growing real estate opportunities in the country are single-family property rentals and residential property management services.
Welcome Home Rents Homes is a fullservice residential property management and home rental company that’s headquartered in the foothills of Genesee. Wayne Smeal, CEO, and Valerie Waltz, president, joined forces in 2008, combining over 25 years experience in property management and real estate services (Valerie), and franchising (Wayne). Their aim was to create turn-key solutions for those involved in home rentals: local homeowners looking for prospective tenants while their homes are for sale; renters in search of their dream home; or real estate investors with property to manage.
So why rent your home? “It’s a great way to protect your investment while the market is down,” explained Valerie. “Everyone is scared to rent their home [right now], but really, it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. We can find tenants to rent your home while it’s on the market, you receive income during this time, and Welcome Home takes care of property management.”
With their 45-day plan, Welcome Home ensures qualified tenants rent your home, and when it sells, they’ll relocate the tenants to another property so you can close on time. They specialize in upscale homes mostly in the mountain communities, but can also provide their services to homes in the Denver metro area. “One in four homes in the U.S. is in foreclosure or default [at this time],” Wayne said.
“We want to help homeowners prior to that happening to them.” He also added, “We love real estate agents and will not compete with them.”
An exciting new opportunity has been in the works for Welcome Home and has now been launched in Colorado with the intention of going nationwide by January 2011—the Welcome Home Rents Homes franchises. “For less than the price of most luxury cars, you can own your own property management company based on the Welcome Home Rents Homes business model,” said Wayne. They currently have 22 Colorado territories available for purchase. Once the Colorado territories are sold, they’ll offer other territories in surrounding states.
Here’s how it works: Those interested in owning their own franchise must be a licensed real estate agent and also have a physical location for an office. For a start-up cost of $49,900 (for one territory), Welcome Home will provide everything the franchisee needs to set up their business—a personalized Web page, business cards, manuals, forms, property management software, etc. All that is required of the franchisee is to rent 300 to 500 homes within their territory. Welcome Home covers all aspects of the property management.
According to Wayne and Valerie, owning your own franchise is a great way to establish your own business based on a proven, successful model. “You’re building yourself a business,” Wayne explained. “Plus, it’s a constant paycheck,” added Valerie. “You’ll have residual rental money coming in every month.”
For more information, see their Web site (homesirent.com) or call (303-670-8505).
Those in search of their dream home can also contact Welcome Home at the number above. Welcome Home offers prospective tenants a range of homes and prices for rent. The application process is simple, and an electronic
system is in place to handle all rental payments.
Located at 603 Park Point Drive, Suite 224, Golden. (303-670-8505) homesirent.com
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