Owner's Guide

Welcome to the Cal West-HMS owner's guide. We hope that you will find this page to be a useful tool for managing your investment decisions. We welcome your feedback and input. Please contact us if you have any suggestions that would improve the appearance or enhance the effectiveness of this site. For more information on what we can offer, please visit our Property Management page.

Rental Market Comparisons

Technology has made it easier to find comparable data for your rental but understanding how to position your property to compete takes experience and knowledge not typically found on Zillow. There may be twenty homes for rent in your market but do you really know if the property is still available and if not, did it rent at the price shown on the website. It's important to understand the market trends when determining your rent amount. The market changes throughout the year and can be impacted by factors such as election cycles and pandemics. Our property managers study the market trends quarterly to get a better sense of where the market is going. That kind of valuable information can help rent the property out more quickly and help owners avoid chasing a soft market.

Landlords should know that the greatest expense in owning a property is usually the expense created by vacancy. Rent loss, along with turnover costs, can swallow up any gains you may have experienced prior to your tenant leaving the property.

Cal West utilizes all the latest tools and technology to reduce the length of vacancy. We will advertise your property on as many as thirty different rental sites including Zillow, Trulia, and more. As new tools become available we are quick to add them to the arsenal of resources to help get the most out of your investment.

Landlord and Tenant Laws

Owning an investment property can be exciting and frustrating. It can also leave your personal assets exposed. It is important to know your rights and the rights of your tenant when dealing with issues pertaining to your investment property. If you have questions about your rights as a landlord it’s important to talk with a professional who can help you navigate the maze of current laws and regulations. Our experienced team is informed on current laws but we can also provide insight into new laws and regulations which can help limit your exposure in the future.

Curb Appeal and More

Many owners have a budget to consider with regards to maintaining and upgrading their investment. It is important to understand that the way your home shows to a prospective tenant is crucial to getting it rented quickly. Updating appliances, flooring, painting, and, in some cases, remodeling areas of the home can improve your chances of finding a quality tenant. Call it karma if you like. It is the condition of the property that often determines the type of tenant you'll find. A property kept poorly, may attract a tenant that is comfortable in that environment and don't expect them to have a sudden change of heart when they move in.

Owners often think that upgrading their properties will prolong the vacancy and may be expensive. We have good news. Our contractors get special pricing for the materials they purchase regularly and most provide us with discounted pricing for their labor. By working with our vendors we can generally speed the turnover process and reduce vacancy periods. As always, basic health and safety issues should be addressed quickly to avoid liability. Older doesn’t always equal remodel.

If it is not feasible to remodel your home during a vacancy we can help develop a strategy to keep the home updated during tenancy, in many cases. Is this the right time to invest capital back into your investment? By answering a few simple questions, we can help you determine if now is the right time. We look forward to a conversation to help plan for your future of investment property.

Real Estate Sales

Here at Cal West-HMS we specialize in property management. We want to be the very best property management company that we can be. We have a highly qualified experienced agent in our office that can list your property, when the time comes for you to sell. If you were referred to us by another real estate agent, it is customary for us to refer you back to them when the time comes.
kathryn@cw-hms.com

Owners Portal

We want to make your life easier so we have some exciting news. You can now access your owners statements from your computer. Read the instructions below and you can access your statement any day of the month. We hope this simplifies your life but don't worry, we'll still be available if you have questions.

  • In your Internet Browser, enter the URL address https://calwestam.appfolio.com/users/sign_in
  • On the AppFolio Property Manager Login page, click the link called Access Owners Portal
    • This will open a new browser window and will load the Access Owners Portal page.
  • Enter your email and click the Send Access Email
    • Be sure you are using the same email address that you have on file with Cal West Asset Management.
    • This will send the email with the special one-time-use link to access your Owners Portal.
  • Go to your email program and open the email from your Cal West Asset Management. Click for the Reports.
    • This will open a new browser window and your Owners Portal will load.
  • On the Owners Portal page, click the link for the Owners Packet (in PDF format) that you wish to view.
    • The PDF document of the Owners Packet will launch and open in a new window.