any landlords or people with experience renting out homes (renter, house, liable)

[zebrashoes]

thinking about renting out our home in houston, tx. We want to build more equity before selling. We would have to hire a managment co, since we would be moving out of state. Does anyone have experience as a landlord, or using a managment co. How long does it usually take managment co to get your house rented out? And how do you find a reliable managment co?

[shellytc]

can't tell you how long it will take for your home to find a rentor... that is kind of a local thing and is something you will want to ask the prop. manag. company when you interview them. I would ask friends and co-workers, look at your local listings (like craigslist) and see who is doing a lot of advertising (then research them).... and interview 3 of them. They all should do a rental CMA for you and be able to explain their services.

Good Luck.

shelly

[chet everett]

The way to find a good management company is to get a referral from some one who is their client. It is a tough business. The people good at it often charge quite a bit, and you might find that places that attract a good renter kind of eliminate the need ...

Most real estate offices ought to at least be familiar with firms that offer property management, but you need to get real first person. arms length referrals. A place that comes "highly recommended" because it's the cousin of somebody is suspect...

Management companies do not really hasten the time a place is unrented -- that is a supply & demand function! You need to decide whether it makes sense to rent at X price and how long you are wlling to do so...

I thought news was the Houston was doing well for sales?