Several of my Real Estate clients have been picking up investment homes here in the valley and either holding them for long term rentals or making them a Vacation Rental By Owner, better known as a VRBO. During the season you can do very well on weekly rents but the regular turn over of occupants can pose logistical problems at times.
Here’s a company that allows you to control the lights, thermostat, front door code and surveillance all from your smart phone. So between occupants you can easily change the front door code for the next set of tenants and text or email them the new code without having to visit the property. This is especially nice for those who manage property in another state or when you’re away. Same goes for changing the thermostat or lights that have been left on by your last visitors, wasting precious energy and racking up your bills. You can change codes between cleaning crews as well, eliminating the need for a contractor’s box on the property which means you have to make a manual code change each time.
I learned about this system from a friend who’s renting a VRBO now and has Vivint installed. Here’s the website in case this is a resource you might find handy:
http://www.buyvivint.com/
