Chicago Property Management Blog

Each year, GC Realty & Development LLC meets with well over 200 homeowners/investors in the Chicagoland area with respect to their investment property, or the need for professional property management services.  Because so many real estate owners know our thoughts and feelings (from this website) on all things “Property Management,” they often ask us about other local property managers (our competitors). As a c...

For the past five years, I have been doing all I can to share valuable information to both seasoned and newbie investors to protect them from common mistakes. I also take pride in educating local and out-of- state- investors about how things work here in Chicago and in the Chicago suburbs. I share the differences  between county laws, local ordinances, and the ins and outs of being a profitable landlord.  All of this informati...

As a local property manager here in the midwest, and more specifically the Chicagoland area, we have been part of (or witnessed) thousands of investors buying in our local Chicago market while residing out of state.  Investors from around the United States, and the world, find the midwest attractive because one can still purchase an investment property and exceed the 1% rule.These 7 pitfalls can be avoided or negotiated before clos...

Although he now runs one of the most successful Property Management companies in Chicago, initially, Mark Ainley had no interest in that side of the real estate business....continue reading Click Here to download.GC Realty & Development currently has two offices, one serving the Western Suburbs of Chicago and the other serving Chicago's South Side.Although he now runs one of the most successful Property Management companies in C...

As investors ourselves in many markets and class types, our primary goal is to attract and retain the best tenant possible for our properties.The “Best Tenant” can be defined by qualifications on their application, potential willingness to stay for a longer term, and/or ability to be a satisfied resident when we, as the landlord, successfully perform the duties as required by the lease agreement. (We try to avoid high mainte...

Why an Out of State Investor Should Hire an Attorney When Buying Investment Property in Chicago/IllinoisThe purchase or sale of real estate, whether it is a single family house, a multi-family apartment building, vacant land or a commercial building, is an intricate process that begins with the signing of a contract and ends when the keys and the title to the property are transferred to the purchaser. Although Illinois law does not...

Check out our newest podcast where I was a guest on Real Estate Money School hosted by Chris Naugle investor and host of HGTV's Risky Builders.Property management is becoming its own sector, and with technology and different efficiencies, it’s becoming scalable. – Mark AinleyView full podcast

Our Best Ever guest wears many hats, rehabbing and property management are two of them. He has completed a full rehab on over 250 properties and counting! He instructs us not to “wing it” and have a plan. You HAVE to hear his 27% Cap Rate purchase that will leave you fired up to find a beast of a deal! Listen now!Best Ever Tweet: PLAN PLAN PLAN…do not “wing it”.TWEET THIS Mark Ainley’s Real Estate Ba...

Our Property Management Team recently completed training on the topic of service and assistance animal laws according to Federally regulated Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Guidelines.  We wanted to share the outline of information we learned with you so followers, or landlords searching for property management in Chicago or anywhere else, can learn about these important rules and have the opportunity to ask us an...

GC Realty & Development LLC’s continuous growth year after year has earned the company placement, for the very first time, on the Inc. Magazine’s Influential 5000 list of fastest growing companies in America.  On August 14, 2019, we were delighted to learn that we were awarded the 3,153 spot of the top 5,000 fastest growing companies.  At first I thought that was a mediocre ranking, however, when I found out th...