Tenant Screening Launched on RentLaw.com

March 31, 2009: RentLaw.com The National Landlord Tenant Guides announces new online Tenant Credit Verification services.

If you're a large or small landlord, you're challenged with finding the "right" tenant. You want one that pays on time and keeps the rented unit clean and causes no problem. Sounds like a simple request. You can ask for previous landlord's references and work references and hope for the best. What about a tenant's credit history, eviction data or bankruptcies? You can ask many questions on a credit application and hope they are answered truthfully. Many landlords and real estate agents aren't sure how to go about obtaining a credit report or obtaining it legally.

Here's a solution we like. The industry's first web-based rental screening solution Unlike traditional screening methods, RentLaw.mysmartmove is all online, for you and the tenant. Once you create an account, all you need to get started is your potential tenant's e-mail address.

TransUnion RentLaw.mysmartmove is designed specifically for independent rental owners and smaller property management groups. A comprehensive database of credit and criminal background information offers you the same technology used by the largest property management firms in an easy-to-use, cost-effective solution. This also provides renters with data privacy because they provide their identifying information directly to TransUnion in a secure, online environment.

Simple and transparent For the standard price of $20.00 the landlord receives:

• Credit-based Leasing Recommendation/Security Deposit Recommendation
• National criminal report (including 50 state sex offender and OFAC/Terrorist searches)Renter Fraud Warnings
• Automated Renter Identity Verification
• 
  
  
  For an additional $5.00, the landlord may also receive:
• Immediate access to a credit report (a complete report formatted for readability while still keeping the renter's personal data private)
• Viewable Credit Score
• Renter Fraud Warnings
• Detailed Rental Address History

For more details, please see RentLaw.com or

Create a RentLaw.com.mysmartmove.com Tenant Credit Verification:

Apartment Search on RentLaw.com

March 28, 2009 - RentLaw.com The National Landlord Tenant Guide introduces an Apartment Search tool at http://www.rentlaw.com/apartments/search.htm .

With the new tool, a user can simply type in the city or state they are searching for an apartment and the tool returns information on the corresponding Landlord Tenant Law , various listings and ads from Google and listings from RentLaw.com, including MyNewPlace.com , Apartments.com and local partners.

In introducing this feature, David Dorfman, Publisher of RentLaw.com, noted the goal is to further enhance and simplify a users experience by combining the apartment search results within RentLaw.com along with the corresponding Landlord Tenant Laws for that city and state.

RentLaw.com The National Landlord Tenant Guide was founded in 1998 and today is one of the largest Landlord Tenant Guides on the Internet.

Contact:

David Dorfman, Publisher
rentlaw@gmail.com

RentLaw.com Launches Tenant Screening Services

February 2, 2009 - RentLaw.com The National Landlord Tenant Guide announced today they have launched a Tenant Screening Service powered by Advantage Tenant.

Designed for landlords of all sizes, the service is available online 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. In addition, customer service hours are from 8 am to 6 pm to answer questions related to the tenant credit reporting services.

To obtain a tenant credit report, go to the partner site : http://www.advantagetenant.com/rentlaw-tenant-screening.html and begin.

For more information on using tenant credit reports, visit RentLaw.com Tenant Credit Reporting Center.

David Dorfman, publisher of RentLaw.com, said today "this marks another milestone in the continued growth of RentLaw.com as this service, powered by Advantage Tenant, provides another opportunity for landlords, large and small, access to an easy to use and affordable service for tenant verification".

About RentLaw.com The National Landlord Tenant Guides - Founded in 1998 by David Dorfman, RentLaw.com today has over 40,000 members including landlords, tenants, lawyers and more.

Abour AdvantageTenant.com - Founded in 1991, Advantage Tenant is a subsidary of Advantage Credit International, is one of the largest providers of credit reporting services in the country.

Contact:
David Dorfman
Publisher
RentLaw.com
dorfman.david@gmail.com
732-539-2914

Landlord and Santa Claus

Are you like me a landlord who when it comes Christmas time, start to believe you are Santa?

For me, it typically begins with the November rent.

Then by December when you go looking for rent "I'm sorry, but it's Christmas and I had to go shopping - can you wait til next week...".

Next week comes around and it's still not Christmas - the house or apartment is getting decorated and the presents get as big as the promises.

Read the complete "The Landlord as Santa" on RentLaw.com and become a better landlord today.

Tenants and Foreclosure

RentLaw.com October 28, 2008 - Tenants Evicted Due To Foreclosure

Tenants are getting evicted by the courts when a lender forecloses on a property. The unsuspecting tenant pays their rent, but the landlord never pays the lender.

Are tenants being notified by the lender? Tenants must pay attention to their mail.

Read more about tenant's rights in foreclosure proceedings.

Laws vary by state and some judges, lenders and who ever else is involved in the eviction and foreclosure processes are proceeding with caution. Read more on Foreclosure and the The Tenant on RentLaw.com The National Landlord Tenant Guides.

McCain's Mortgage Bailout Plan....

Before you read the summary of McCain's "American Homeownership Resurgence Plan" think of what others have gone through the past several years and maybe yourself if you had pruchased a home and struggled with high rates when you first pruchased some years ago - with 12% or 16% rates and had to refi a few times to get a "good" rate.

Many people were lead to make bad decisions. Partly because they were misled, some because they beleived that "the real estate market always goes up..." others simply did not understand the complexity of owning a home. Owning and running a household is a major business.

The brokers, lenders and other leaders are at fault for allowing easy credit terms to many buyers who really were not qualified - even if they "qualify for a mortgage". You might qualify for a mortgage, but NOT qualify to own a home and manage it.

When I went for a new loan, I experienced all kinds of craziness - and I'm experienced.

One of the biggest unexplained tactics was the "NO DOC" loan. That means more or less no documentation of your W2 or income verification REGARDLESS of the fact that I could document my self employed income, rental income and MY WIFE's income.

Also banks were using "credit scores" not to disqualify you, but to qualify you at a higher rate - for the "risk" you present based on your score.

You can sit bank and take a look at the entire appraisal process - a simple method of comparing like homes in a neighborhood that have been sold within the past year or less and a brief look at the inventory in the same area. How reliable an estimate is this and did banks fail to discount an aprraisal instead of "making the loan" or "making the numbers work" for the loan to grow through?

There are many flaws in the system.

Owning a home takes work. Lots of work.

Can you clean up people's credit card debts as well - just erase them?

Following is a summary of McCain's proposal.

John McCain unveiled a dramatic proposal Tuesday to bail out homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages.

In the second presidential debate, the Republican nominee -- who has railed against excessive government spending and once questioned whether federal money should be spent to help homeowners -- outlined a new $300-billion federal program.

McCain promised to buy failing mortgages directly from homeowners and mortgage providers and replace them with government-backed fixed-rate mortgages. "Is it expensive?" McCain asked. "Yes. But we all know, my friends, until we stabilize home values in America, we're never going to start turning around and creating jobs and fixing the economy.

"McCain's campaign issued a 1½-page fact sheet to explain his call for the massive federal intervention, which it called the American Homeownership Resurgence Plan. The campaign noted that the $700-billion financial rescue package approved by Congress last week gives the Treasury Department authority to directly buy mortgages, but added, "It may be necessary for Congress to raise the overall borrowing limit."

Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson has given no sign that he would spend any of the money to bail out individual lenders and borrowers. Rather, he has made it clear that he considers it the government's responsibility to assure the stability of the credit markets.

Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, said the idea was not a new one and noted that the Illinois senator had raised it. On Oct. 1, in a news release, Obama said he intended to "encourage Treasury to study the option of buying individual mortgages like we did successfully in the 1930s."

McCain has based his presidential bid in part on frequent calls for cuts in government spending and regulation. His housing bailout proposal was a surprise in a debate that could prove a crucial pivot as the race enters its final month.

When the mortgage crisis first ballooned, Obama offered a plan that included aggressive regulation of financial institutions, relief for homeowners and a $30-billion economic stimulus package. McCain criticized it as a "multibillion-dollar bailout for big banks and speculators" and said, "There is a tendency for liberals to seek big government programs that sock it to American taxpayers while failing to solve the very real problems we face."

fter he was criticized for downplaying the government's role in responding to the crisis, he changed course.

He proposed spending up to $10 billion for government-backed mortgages for "well-meaning, deserving homeowners" facing foreclosure.

According to the outline of McCain's newest proposal, the federal government would pay borrowers and lenders in full, regardless of how wise or fair the original transaction was. Lenders would be able to remove the bad mortgages from their balance sheets, and borrowers would be able to refinance into government-guaranteed loans.

Mortgage holders would have to prove they lived in the home and had good credit at the time of the original loan. This approach has been largely rejected by both Democrats and Republicans because it would be likely to reward the kind of bad lending and borrowing practices that caused the housing crisis while doing little to help stretched but conscientious homeowners.

By contrast, the housing bill passed by Congress over the summer, and which went into effect Oct. 1, required lenders to take a loss by writing down the principal on troubled mortgages to 85% of the house's current value. Borrowers with adequate incomes and credit records would then qualify for refinanced mortgages from new lenders.

Government funds were used only to help finance mortgage insurance for the new loans; cost estimate for taxpayers was roughly $20 billion.

Will Ferrell in THE LANDLORD

The Landlord is a short hilarious video clip (Running Time: 2 minutes 20 seconds ) starring Will Ferrell and Pearl, the daughter of his SNL pal and Adam McKay.

Will Ferrell appears as the tenant from hell who is accosted for his rent by a drunk, angry and crazy bad mouthed landlord – who happens to be 2 years old.

The clip has been viewed millions of times since being originally posted on Funnordie.com. It was the brainchild of Ferrell and his longtime collaborator Adam McKay, director and co-writer of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

It's funny if you either a landlord or tenant.

I guess I should say funny if you're not the landlord, as I am and publisher of RentLaw.com. I should know better and have been tougher with my tenants. I think I could use this kid to collect my rent.

The Landlord HAS to be tough and not nice like me. That's why I have two tenants that owe me over $10k each - about 6 months of rent. Landlords - remember - 90% of the time - tomorrow tomorrow.....

Take a lesson from this video. But be nice.

Send your tenants a letter and contact them when the rent is due.

To reinforce your position, charge late fees as permitted by your state law and begin eviction proceedings if needed - immediately.

See the clip from The Landlord on RentLaw.com.

Be a good landlord and a good tenant.