Insurance

Both as a home owner, and as a tenant, you will want to make sure you are properly insured. As we see with the recent hurricanes sweeping our nation, you never know when you will need that insurance to kick in. 

Home Owners:
Some home owners think they are covered by their association/building's general overall policy. This is not always the case. If your property is a rental - you should always have your own policy. 

Usually, the main building policy will have a high deductible and will not always cover liability, etc. Check with your insurance provider and be sure that you are covered. 

As a professional Property Management company, we always require that our clients have their insurance providers add us as Additional Insured under their policy. This is standard business practice - if your current company is not requiring this, you may want to reconsider if they are a qualified, professional company. 

The reason we need to be added, is that as your representative, if anyone were to go after your insurance for a claim, they will not only go after you, but also the building, association, and us. Since we are representing you, we require this layer of protection. 

Tenants: 
For around $100 a year, you can get covered through renter's insurance. Renter's insurance can cover things such as your property if there is a break in; cost to replace food in your fridge if the refrigerator goes out; the cost of repairs to the unit if you are responsible for accidentally setting a house fire. Check with your current insurance agent whom you use for your car insurance, etc - they will usually give you a discount for adding on another policy. 

Amanda Frazier, R, RMP (RB-21435)

Cornerstone Properties

Property Manager and Chief Operating Officer 

The Top 14 Things Landlords Wish Tenants Knew

 (Taken from: http://time.com/money/3697636/landlord-tenant-renters-tips-advice/) 

In this business, it's a lot about people management more so than property management - communication is key, and knowledge is golden. 

An article from Money Magazine put it so well... 14 things Landlords wish their Tenants knew. Let's take a look at their insight:

"1. Pay your bills on time. Seems fairly obvious, I know, but many tenants believe they can pay every other bill before they pay the rent. Want to stay on our good side? Please pay your rent on time.

2. Always try to be polite. I will, too. Being polite and calm really does go a long way. You would not like it if I left you snarky or angry screaming messages on your voicemail. I know sometimes issues can seem to linger on and on, but we really are doing our best to get things resolved.

3. Listen to our instructions. We tell you things for a reason. If we show you how to trip a breaker or turn a gas valve off, listen. It may just save your butt. If we tell you there will be a hard freeze tonight and to please let your faucet drip, don’t call us the next day and complain that your pipes have frozen and you need to do laundry. I can’t control the weather, so you will just have to wait until it warms up.

4. Help us. We try to take care of our properties, but we can’t be everywhere all the time. Is there something we need to know about? Tell us. Is something broken? Let us know. Help us by being our eyes and ears.

5. Tell the truth. Did you or your kid flush something down the toilet and stop it up? Then tell us the truth so we can get the problem resolved as quickly as possible. After a dozen years in this business, we can almost always determine the culprit anyway.

6. Please just leave me a message. If we do not answer your call, do not hang up and call over and over again. There are times we simply cannot take your call. How do you think we are going to feel when we finally answer you after you have called five times in a row? It had better be a matter of life or death.

7. Understand that we have a lot going on. Sometimes other tenant’s issues may take priority. We know about your issue, and we will get to it just as soon as we can. We might for example need to make sure everyone has heat before taking care of your dripping bathroom sink.

8. If you get in a bind, talk to us. Communication is key! Tell us what is going on. Did you lose your job? Has your roommate gone off the deep end? We have been there before, and we know what it is like. But if you do not talk to us, there is no way we can help you. Please do not put your head in the sand and hope whatever problem you are having will go away. It will not, and things will only get worse.

9. Treat my property and the people who do work for me with respect. You would not believe how many people are just plain rude to the people we send over to try and fix their problems. Plus, how do you think we are going to react if we see that your place is a mess or that you are causing damage? Disrespecting our properties or our help is a sure way to create an adversarial relationship.

10. Work with me. We know you have a busy schedule. So do we, and trust us, we want your issue resolved as quickly as possible too because we have a dozen or so more to deal with. It all goes much easier if you work with us on times and arrangements. You might have to put up your dog for a day or allow us into your apartment on your day off. We hate to disturb you, but we will be done and out of your hair just as soon as we can.

11. Trust me. We are not going to steal your stuff or try and stiff you. Yes, we know some landlords might, but not us. If we say we need to get into your home, it is for a legitimate reason.

12. Follow the rules. They are there for a reason. They were explained to you when you moved in, and you agreed to follow them. It just makes life harder for all of us if you choose to ignore them. If you could not live with the rules, then you should not have moved in.

13. Respect your neighbors. Would you appreciate a loud party the night before you need to make a major presentation at work or before your final exams? No, you would not. Remember that you live in an apartment building, and you have neighbors — sometimes very close neighbors. Think about how your actions might affect them. I’m not saying do not have any fun; just try to be considerate.

14. Hide your weed. Just please do this. It is technically against your lease, and you really never know when there will be an emergency and who will need to access your place. [the only exception to this by State Law is Medical Marijuana which is still Federally illegal. If your lease states NO SMOKING, you CANNOT smoke marijuana even if it is under a Medical license.] 

A lot of the above is just common courtesy and common sense. But for those few — and you know who you are — please review and follow the above and let’s make your stay with us as pleasant as possible."

Fall Season has Arrived!

HAPPY FALL! 

We are now in the fall season which means we are still in the midst of hurricane season, the weather cools down, and those rain clouds can be seen more often. 

• Hurricane Preparedness: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/12590216/stock-up-checklist-for-your-hurricane-survival-kit

But besides the weather, you can have some fun for the season! 

• Fall Festivals: http://www.funtober.com/festivals/hawaii/ 
• New Mall in Kapolei: http://www.kamakanaalii.com/ 

Act 225 passed into law!

Last week on the 9th, new legislature known as Act 225 was signed into law by Governor David Ige. Act 225 pertains to property owners and seller financing, both introducing some new laws and restoring some old ones which were removed by past amendments. In this picture taken at the bill signing ceremony can you spot our very own Amanda Frazier, member of the Hawaii Association of Realtors and one of the helping hands behind the passing of this bill?

For more details on Act 225 and how it may affect you, please visit http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2…/bills/SB756_CD1_.pdf

Carl meets Yancy Medeiros

This weekend, only a few weeks following Cornerstone Properties' first official sponsorship of local MMA athlete Yancy "The Kid" Medeiros, Carl received an opportunity to meet him face to face!

Carl and "The Kid" in Las Vegas

We're proud of the different ways in which Carl and "The Kid" represent Hawaii.  Keep up the good work gentlemen!

Termites in Hawaii

In Hawaii, there are two main types of termites, ground termites and drywood termites. 

• Drywood Termites: Drywood termites are the ones you see flying around the house - they come in the hundreds, and usually like to eat your doors, cabinets, baseboards, things like that. Professionals can usually spot treat them with a spray or if there are several nests, tent the house. 
• Ground Termites: Ground termites, you don't see - they live in the ground, come in the millions, and can eat an entire house in just a short period of time. These you can treat by having professionals do a ground treatment that usually lasts for 5 years under warranty. You can do this to prevent the ground termites, whereas there is no real preventative measure for drywood termites.

Save Money with Ceiling Fans

In this hot summer season here in Hawaii, it's tempting to blast the AC, but using your ceiling fans can save you a lot of money on your electricity bill. 

Here's an exert from an article by American Home Shield:

"In 24 hours, a standard central air conditioning unit can burn through a great deal of electricity. In the same amount of time a ceiling fan’s electric expense is less than a dime. Running a ceiling fan at medium speed for three hours costs just a penny! In fact, most ceiling fans only use about as much power as a 100W light bulb."

Read more here!