Chicago Property Management Blog

Every year, more than two million tenants are evicted from rental properties. The eviction process can be costly and time-consuming for landlords and that's before considering potential rent arrears or the costs of renovating your property.Conducting tenant screenings is a great way to reduce the chance of renting to problem tenants. But many landlords aren't sure how to conduct a thorough tenant screening. Want to lea...

As investors ourselves in many markets and class types, our primary goal is to attract and retain the best tenant possible for our properties.A "Best Tenant" can have one or more of the following characteristics: a history of paying rent on time, desire to stay in a particular location for an extended time frame, and/or enthusiasm about living in a community that takes pride in its appearance. (We try to avoid high maintenance...

Mark Ainley, GC Realty and Development we are a Chicagoland property management company. One thing I want to bring up today in making sure that you are informed as a property owner that's either working with the property manager now or looking to work with the property manager in the future. MarketingMarketing, obviously when you put your property on the market to rent you want to get a qualified tenant as fast as possible...

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 closing es...

Thinking about selling your investment property in Chicago? Think again. While there are many reasons to sell off a rental property, there are better reasons to hold onto one.In this article we'll clear the air, giving you five excellent reasons why you should hold onto your investment property and how we can help make the process easier for you.1. You Have a Positive Cash FlowLet's start with the obvious. Rent prices continue t...

The BRRRR Method is an investment strategy that allows you to expand your real estate investment portfolio at a rapid pace. When executed correctly, it has the potential to deliver a tremendous return on your initial investment. Also known as the Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat Method, this strategy involves fixing up a distressed property and then refinancing it without closing costs (often through a cash-out refinance), in order t...

Property taxes: nobody likes thinking about them.Unlike other investments, you likely do not know exactly where your money is going when you pay property taxes in Illinois. While they can be frustrating, property taxes are used to fund most services that local governments provide. That includes schools, libraries, and municipal services.If you are looking for a primer on how property taxes work as a business owner or real estate investo...

How much of your money do you think you’re getting back from your real estate investment? You may say, I put in $100,000, so I'm making $100,000, right? Not necessarily. Your ROI, or return on investment, could be much different than that if your cash flow isn't optimized. That's where an ROI calculator comes in handy. Get Started Using Our ROI Calculator Today The concept behind ROI calculators for real estate is...

As co-host of Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast we are welcomed with open arms to visit local real estate networking events and share what we know and what we have learned from our 100s of guests on the podcast.  This past month we were fortunate enough to present at John Warren’s Chicago West Suburban Real Estate Investors group.  The group typically meets in person at a Forest Park or Berwyn location but this meet u...

Experiences Three-Year Growth of [63.2%]Roselle, Illinois, 03/25/22 – Today Inc. magazine listed GC Realty & Development, LLC, a full-service Chicago Property Management and Brokerage firm, as No. 139 on its annual Inc. Regionals Midwest 2022 list. “We’re pleased to be named to the Inc 2022 Midwest Regional’s List.” said Bryan Sonn, partner of GC Realty & Development, LLC . “Our continued...