Tag Archives: real estate
9 Tax Deductions Every Real Estate Agent Should Know
Closing a real estate sale requires a big investment of your time and money. Whether expenses are business, personal, or something in between can be unclear — leading to missed deductions and overpayment of taxes.
This is key knowledge regardless of who’s doing your taxes. Understanding which expenses are allowed will help you deduct with confidence and avoid overpaying on your quarterly and year-end taxes, no matter where you are in your career.
1. Vehicle Mileage or Expense
You spend your days driving between properties and appointments. How do you determine whether to go with the standard mileage deduction or track all your auto-related expenses? If you drive 10,000 miles or more per year for your real estate business, you will most likely get the greatest tax benefit by taking the standard mileage deduction.
The IRS requires you to keep a detailed log in order to claim this deduction, which includes date, time, mileage and purpose of the trip. Mileage tracking apps can streamline this process, automatically capturing trip date, length, and time of day for easy categorization.
If you are a lower mileage driver, or have especially high car payments, the actual cost method may yield a higher deduction. The two methods can be compared in more detail in this article.
2. Marketing and Advertising
To be a success and scale their business in a predictable way, most real estate professionals invest heavily in marketing and advertising. Remember that you can deduct not only the direct cost of promotions such as business cards, flyers, signs, ads, and promos but also the production costs, such as writing and design fees, whether the materials are produced by an agency or part-time hire.
Digital and online advertising costs are quickly becoming the greatest area of spending. This includes website design and hosting fees, search engine marketing, pay per click advertising, video production, and any other IT-related costs. Be sure to track all these business expenses.
3. Home Office Deduction
Do you have a dedicated area of your home for work? If so, you’re eligible for a home office deduction even if you also have office space at your broker’s office — unless you’re deducting desk fees already (see more below). Like the vehicle deduction, the home office deduction offers an option: the regular method or a simplified method. Most self-employed people find that the simplified method maximizes their deduction. However, if you have a particularly large home office, or live in a very high-cost area, the regular method — in which you track actual expenses — may yield the highest deduction.
4. Desk Fees
Whether you are hanging your license under a national franchise or with an independent broker, your desk fees are deductible. Note, however, that if you are taking a deduction for brokerage desk fees, you will not be able to claim the home office deduction.
5. Office Supplies and Equipment
Regardless of which office deduction you take, you can claim other office-related expenses, such as stationery, photocopies, and any other consumables needed to run your business. Other large purchases that can be expensed in full – or depreciated over a number of years –include furniture, fax machines, copiers, computers, or you telephone and associated bill.
If you have a dedicated landline telephone for business, you can fully deduct this expense. Increasingly, agents are using a cell phone for both business and personal use. If you do, you are eligible to deduct only the business percentage of that expense.
6. Meals and Entertainment
There are two situations in which you can deduct meals as a business expense: when you are travelling on business and when you are dining with clients or with other professionals for the purpose of conducting business or generating referral business. In either case, you can deduct 50 percent of your total expense, which includes tax and tip for the meal. In the case of business entertainment, you are allowed to take the meal deduction only if business was discussed during the meal, or immediately before or after.
In the case of events that are provided to the general public, such as a well-advertised open house, you are able to deduct 100 percent of the cost of refreshments and food.
7. Fees, Licenses, Memberships and Insurance
Annual fees are a common costs of doing business and are deductible. In real estate, that means your state license renewal, professional memberships, and MLS dues. An important caveat with regard to professional memberships: The portion of your membership dues attributable to lobbying and political advocacy is not deductible. General business insurance and Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance are both fully deductible business expenses. Additionally, you can deduct real estate taxes necessary for your business, but not self-employment taxes.
8. Professional Development and Travel
Given rapid industry change, continuing education is a great way to stay competitive. It’s also a requirement in most states. Many real estate professionals pursue professional development through classes, trade shows, conferences, or coaching. If you need to travel to attend an event or meet with a coach you may be able to deduct those transportation and/or accommodation costs.
9. Software and Business Tools
Any software needed to run your business is fully deductible – including lead generation subscription services such as customer-relationship management (CRM) software. Products such as QuickBooks Self-Employed not only help you automatically track your expenses and mileage, but may be fully deducted as well.
Credit to QuickBooks Self-Employed
QuickBooks Self-Employed helps real estate professionals like you keep more of what you earn. Categorize business expenses with a single swipe and let our mobile app track your mileage while you drive. When it’s time to file your taxes, QuickBooks Self-Employed integrates seamlessly with TurboTax and your accountant. With your business income and expenses in one place, you’ll always know where your business stands.
Why the Word ‘Green’ Doesn’t Really Matter
Just as real estate professionals are struggling to understand what defines advances in efficiency and smart-home technology, appraisers are also working to help define and quantify what this trend means for home sales now and in the near future.
Today, more and more homes are being built or retrofitted as “green” or “high-performance” properties. But what exactly qualifies a home as truly green, and how are these new features recognized in the marketplace? Real estate professionals, appraisers, and even some home owners are asking these questions, and The Appraisal Foundation is attempting to answer them as part of a five-year partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy.
What Exactly Is a Green Home?
Simply put, a green or high-performance home is one designed to use less energy or water or improve indoor air quality. However, just because a home has new windows or low-flow water features doesn’t make it automatically “green” or “high-performance.” Such descriptors are usually reserved for properties that have a combination of a wide variety of features.
The spectrum of energy-efficient characteristics a home may possess can make the appraisal process complicated. A number of rating and certification systems have emerged in recent years that can help identify these types of properties. However, ratings can’t catch everything; most residential properties currently have green or high-performance elements that haven’t been documented by such programs and therefore may be difficult to identify. This makes a real estate professional’s communication with an appraiser even more vital in such transactions.
For homes with green or high-performance features, appraisers need to answer more than just the simplistic question of whether they are green or high-performance homes. They want to understand the features that make it green or efficient. They also need to know how green the property is relative to what buyers in this particular marketplace are expecting.
This is why the actual terms “green” and “high performance” are not the most important concern. Instead, the appraiser’s job is to note the features a property has, understand how the market values those features, and determine whether those features have any particular relevance to their appraisal assignment.
How Do Appraisers Recognize These Features?
Appraisers might identify the high-performance features of a property through a wide variety of sources: the review of building plans and specifications, permits, MLS information, and interviews with property owners and occupants, among others. Appraisers may also observe green features first-hand when inspecting a property. They might also look at third-party sources, including ratings and certifications from Energy Star (administered by EPA), LEED (from the U.S. Green Building Council), and HERS (conveyed by Residential Energy Services Network professionals).
One major challenge for appraisers in this situation is the lack of verifiable data about energy efficiency. Although the fundamental appraisal process is no different for a green home, many MLSs and other data sources were designed a long time ago, before there was a way to convey accurate or complete information regarding a home’s energy-efficient features. However, because green homes have become more prominent in recent years, many MLSs are updating their systems to ensure this type of information is being captured and accurately reported. Appraisers all around the country are working with agents and brokers in an attempt to identify the type and extent of data that will help facilitate smooth transactions.
In the interim, this challenge for the appraiser may offer an excellent opportunity for the real estate professional. Providing crucial information about a property that might otherwise be unavailable to the appraiser may not only assist in facilitating the immediate transaction, but could also pay future dividends by helping to create more informed and knowledgeable appraisers and a more complete MLS database.
Does Green Mean Dollars?
While a home with photovoltaic solar electricity might be at the top of some buyers’ wish lists, others may not be quite as enamored. In some markets green homes are all the rage, while others may be quite tepid about such upgrades.
But that’s the way it is with many other home features, and it’s important that appraisers can recognize and account for them properly in order to develop credible opinions about value. At the end of the day, it’s the buyers and sellers who determine how much any particular feature contributes to a home’s value. For a successful transaction, it’s important that the appraiser and real estate professional are on the same page with consumers.
Credit to David S. Bunton
President of The Appraisal Foundation
Mr. Bunton has served as the senior staff member of The Appraisal Foundation since May of 1990. As President, he is the chief executive officer of the Foundation. Prior to joining The Appraisal Foundation, he served as the Vice President of Government Affairs and Communications for the Federal Asset Disposition Association. He also previously served as a legislative assistant in the U.S. Senate for eight years and was a Congressional Chief of Staff in the House of Representatives for four years. Mr. Bunton holds a BA degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland.
Buy or Sell Your Home Today!
10 Tips To Get Your Property Ready For Summer
It’s time to get your apartment complexes and rental properties ready for summer.
The warm weather means your residents want to get outside and enjoy the community features you offer. Any pool areas, bbq pits, and picnic areas should be ready and inviting for summertime use and the social atmosphere that makes your property stand out.
Make sure you and rentals are ready for summer with these tips:
- Pool Safety – Get the pool cleaned and in prime condition for summertime splashes. If you do not have a lifeguard on duty, check to make sure your posted safety signs are visible and aren’t faded by winter weather or the sun. Check that locks and gates are in good condition to further protect young residents in your community.
- Fill the Propane – Nothing can kill a summer BBQ faster than a grill that runs out of fuel in-between burger flips. If you want your residents to use the community space you provide, make sure the propane tank is full and keep an extra on hand, in case your residents need to make a quick switch.
- Pull out the summer maintenance checklist– Each season calls for different routine maintenance. Your team should be prepared to add summer chores to their to do list like: servicing the pool, cleaning grills, organizing outdoor community areas, adjusting the irrigation system, and getting ready for A/C maintenance calls.
- Set Your Water – When the temperatures start to rise, servicing the irrigation system can result in big savings on water usage, prevent landscape damage, and reduce standing water. You should also program your sprinkles to optimal summer use settings, to keep your landscape looking fresh and reduce over watering.
- Fire Wise – Make sure your property is prepped for high heat and that fire dangers are removed. Outside bushes and trees should be trimmed backed and dead plants removed. Additionally, make sure any grills owned by the property or your tenants are properly ventilated and positioned away from buildings. Make sure to double check your local laws about fire extinguisher requirements for landlords.
- Service the Air Conditioners – Enlist the help of a professional to service the A/C unit at least once a year. They will be able to check the unit, clean coils, adjust dampers, and look for any other potential problems. It is also important to remove trees, debris, or trash that can obstruct proper operation. These measures can prolong the life of a heating and air system.
- Check chairs, umbrellas and tables – Multifamily renters are about to spend more time outdoors, that means any chairs, tables and umbrellas are going to get a lot of use. Your property will be more inviting and safer if those community fixtures work properly.
- Send a Friendly Rule Reminder to Residents – The warm weather and late sunset times brings people outside late into the night. Remind your residents of the complex’s quiet hours and any rules about using the pool, grills, and community amenities. Make sure to include information about your guest policies and parking.
- Check Your State and Local Requirements – Did you know that in Washington, D.C. the housing code requires landlords to put screens on windows and doors from March 15 through November 15 to protect tenants from insects and pests? Make sure you are following state and local laws for seasonal requirements like this for landlord compliance.
- Don’t Forget About Renewals – With all the fun your residents are having this summer, take advantage of asking for renewals while spirits are high. Try hosting a community event, like a BBQ or pool party, and offer renewal incentives. The more your remind your tenants about how much fun it is to live in your property, the more likely they will stay.
When it comes to summer at your rental properties, remember to prioritize safety by encouraging your tenants to socialize and enjoy themselves responsibly this season.
Credit to Kaycee
Kaycee manages marketing and media relations for Rentec Direct, bringing a unique perspective to the world of property management and proudly shares industry news, products, and trends within the community
Make Your Dream Come True!
Spring and Summer Energy-Saving Tips
by energy.gov
Here you’ll find strategies to help you save energy during the spring and summer when the weather is warm and you are trying to keep your home cool. Some of the tips below are free and can be used on a daily basis to increase your savings; others are simple and inexpensive actions you can take to ensure maximum savings through the spring and summer. For more ways to stay cool while saving energy, check out our Energy Saver 101 infographic, covering everything you need to know about home cooling.
If you haven’t already, conduct an energy audit to find out where you can save the most.
Also check out tips to save energy during the fall and winter.
Use Your Windows to Gain Cool Air and Keep Out Heat
- If you live in a climate where it cools off at night, turn off your cooling system and open your windows while sleeping. When you wake in the morning, shut the windows and blinds to capture the cool air.
- Learn more about natural ventilation.
- Install window coverings to prevent heat gain through your windows.
- Find out about window treatments and coverings that can improve energy efficiency.
Operate Your Thermostat Efficiently
- Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
- Keep your house warmer than normal when you are away, and lower the thermostat setting to 78°F (26°C) only when you are at home and need cooling. A programmable thermostat can make it easy to set back your temperature.
- Find out how to operate your thermostat for maximum energy savings.
- Also see the ENERGY STAR® June 5, 2008, podcast for video instructions on operating your programmable thermostat
- Or see ENERGY STAR’s guidelines for programmable thermostats.
- Avoid setting your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and unnecessary expense.
Use Fans and Ventilation Strategies to Cool Your Home
- If you use air conditioning, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with no reduction in comfort.
- Learn more about using a ceiling fan to increase cooling efficiency.
- Find ENERGY STAR ceiling fans.
- Turn off ceiling fans when you leave the room. Remember that fans cool people, not rooms, by creating a wind chill effect.
- When you shower or take a bath, use the bathroom fan to remove the heat and humidity from your home. Your laundry room might also benefit from spot ventilation. Make sure bathroom and kitchen fans are vented to the outside (not just to the attic).
- Find ENERGY STAR ventilating fans.
Keep Your Cooling System Running Efficiently
- Schedule regular maintenance for your cooling equipment.
- Learn about operating and maintaining your air conditioner, evaporative cooler, or heat pump.
- Avoid placing lamps or TV sets near your room air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
- Learn additional tips for operating a room air conditioner efficiently.
- Vacuum registers regularly to remove any dust buildup. Ensure that furniture and other objects are not blocking the airflow through your registers.
Don’t Heat Your Home with Appliances and Lighting
- On hot days, avoid using the oven; cook on the stove, use a microwave oven, or grill outside.
- Install efficient lighting that runs cooler. Only about 10% to 15% of the electricity that incandescent lights consume results in light—the rest is turned into heat.
- Learn more about your options for efficient lighting.
- Find out when to turn off your lights.
- Purchase ENERGY STAR lighting products.
- Take advantage of daylight instead of artificial lighting, but avoid direct sunlight.
- Learn more about strategies for efficient daylighting.
- Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. Consider air drying both dishes and clothing.
- Learn more about efficient dishwashing and laundry.
- Take short showers instead of baths.
- Learn more ways to reduce your hot water use.
- Minimize activities that generate a lot of heat, such as running a computer, burning open flames, running a dishwasher, and using hot devices such as curling irons or hair dryers. Even stereos and televisions will add some heat to your home.
- Learn more about avoiding heat buildup in your home.
Keep Hot Air from Leaking Into Your Home
- Seal cracks and openings to prevent warm air from leaking into your home.
- Learn more about air sealing new and existing homes.
- Add caulk or weatherstripping to seal air leaks around leaky doors and windows.
- Find how to select and apply the appropriate caulk.
- Learn how to select and apply weatherstripping.
- Find out other ways to improve the energy efficiency of your windows.
Lower Your Water Heating Costs
Water heating accounts for about 18% of the energy consumed in your home.
- Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120°F). You’ll not only save energy, you’ll avoid scalding your hands.
Turning Dreams into Reality
SEO Tips for Your Property Management Website
As you begin to build your professional property management website a key component of your new online marketing strategy is making your website easy to find on the Internet. To do this, you need to effectively position your brand in search engine results like Google; this strategy is referred to as SEO, Search Engine Optimization, and is as important as creating your website.
Imagine all the effort you spent inputting content to make your website look beautiful and attract the right renters, only to have it all go to waste because people can’t easily find you online. The good news is, there are simple and effective ways to boost your visibility online in search results, while simultaneously improving related marketing efforts with social media and rental advertising.
This article provides guidelines as a starting point to begin your SEO for your property management website. SEO requires constant monitoring to ensure your website stays visible in search results, as long as you take simple steps regularly you should not have a problem maintaining your position online. It takes a little more work up front and will continue paying off into the future of your business.
To fully understand the point of your SEO needs, effort and results, let’s set up a relatable scenario.
Imagine you own a rental business in Portland, OR. You want renters in Portland to find your website when they enter this search term into Google “available rentals in Portland, Or” or “property managers in Portland”.
When an online searcher attaches a specific city or location to a search query the page that pops up on the search engine ranking page is called the Local Search Results.
Goal: Get listed for Portland, OR local search engine results.
Optimize Information on Your Business’ Website
Your website’s content contains the most important information for letting Google know your relevancy to the search query.
Here are things to do optimize your website content:
- Domain name: Create a domain name that reflects your business type and location. Example: choicepropertymanagementportland.com
- For more information about domains and to register a free domain name go to this article from Rentec Direct : Free Domains and Website Hosting for Property Managers
- When you design your website, add keywords to each page that identify your business, its services and its location.
- Include your business’ name, address and phone number to each webpage, not just your homepage and contact page.
- Beyond highlighting your rental business, include information about your local area as well to your website copy. This will associate your business with the nearby vicinity and more importantly give your post entail renters valuable information about the community they may choose to live. For example, note what section of town you have rentals in and what parks, restaurants, and area attractions are nearby. Not only will this added info help improve your website copy for new renters, it will also boost your search visibility as a local business.
Improve Your Business Listings on Local Websites
One of the best ways to boost local SEO is to ensure the availability and consistency of your business’ listing information across third-party sources. Google and other search engines constantly scan these sites to develop a stronger understanding of your business and location.
If your business isn’t listed or the information is incomplete or inaccurate, you risk diminishing the value of how your business is ranked on search engine results.
Here are things to do to take control of your local business listings:
- Important local business listings include Yelp, Facebook, Google Business and Yellowbook. If your business is already listed and has a profile on these sites, make sure you “claim” the listing and that the business name, address, phone number are posted and accurate. Update all the information and delete any duplicate listings or pages. You may find you need to contact the site owner in order to take control of the listing.
- Improve your listing to include photos, hours, contact information, your website address and a business profile of the services you offer.
- Make sure your listing is attached to relevant categories so it can be properly optimized and correlated with your industry. For optimized property management listings, include categories and keywords like rentals, real estate, property management and the city or location you service.
Create a link strategy
Links that point towards your website or direct people away to other related content play an important role in your SEO strategy. Relevant links to and from your website establish authenticity and credibility to your website and show search engines how you relate to the location and industry you are trying to rank for. Make sure you only focus on links that are relevant to your industry as to not damage the credibility of your website.
Here are actions to take to ensure a good link strategy:
- Create a directory of community resources like great nearby restaurants, stores, and community attractions, that you can link out too. This establishes your website as truly local to the community you want to rank for and provides your renters with valuable local information.
- Talk to local business to see if they will give your tenants a discounts for services that they will promote online and link back to your website.
- Contact the local Chamber of Commerce and city to be linked to on their websites as a resource for new residents to find housing.
- Ensure all your vacancy advertisements that are syndicated to rental listing sites include a link back to your website.
- Find industry related blogs and offer to write a guest post with a link back to your website. (If anyone wants to write for the Rentec Direct Blog, contact Kaycee for the guidelines).
Encourage and Respond to Online Reviews
User reviews build your business’ reputation in the industry, influence buying decisions and also help with SEO. Engaging with your online reviews, whether positive or negative, provide SEO benefits by showing your activity and relevancy online
- Encourage your renters and owners to leave reviews about their experience with your rental business. The more positive authentic reviews about your business, the better your business will appear in search.
- If you notice negative reviews are being posted about your management or properties, make sure to respond to them and truly evaluate if you need to change your practices. If the reviews simply come from a negative, angry renter you should still acknowledge their concerns and try to mediate. If the reviews are justified you should consider doing something about the problem.
- Review sites include Yelp, Google+, Google My Business, Facebook and others. Let your renters and owners have the option to post on whatever platform they are most comfortable with. Don’t harass people for reviews, they should always come naturally to prove authenticity.
- Never post fake reviews. You will be discovered and you could lose your visibility in search and your credibility in the industry overall.
Include Social Media in your Online Marketing Plan
Social media is becoming a vital role in modern day marketing. Since social media is already an online platform, you need to attach your new website to your social media accounts. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram and Pinterest are a great way to be found online and engage with your potential renters and audience.
- Share property photos, renter tips, discounts, promotions, inspection updates, and community events on your rental business’ social media pages.
- Develop a social media strategy that involves regular posts and engagement. The more followers and engagement your receive, the higher your pages will appear in search.
As you will see, a lot of SEO requires a big effort up front to design a website with relevant copy and content related to your location and industry. After a website is created, in order to appear high in local search results you need to engage with your residents on review websites and seek available links to and from your website.
SEO is an important part of any business’ marketing strategy. We will continue to provide helpful articles and SEO tips specific for property managers and landlords so your business can stand out online and attract the best renters.
Credit to Kaycee
Kaycee manages marketing and media relations for Rentec Direct, bringing a unique perspective to the world of property management and proudly shares industry news, products, and trends within the community.
10 Ways to Keep Your Home Cool This Summer
If you don’t have an A/C unit, want to keep your electricity costs down, or simply don’t trust your property’s outdated cooling system to work efficiently, we’ve put together the top simple and affordable tips for keeping your house cool this summer.
- Switch your ceiling fans. Change your ceiling fan setting so the blades turn counter-clockwise in the summer. This seasonal fan adjustment will force air down into the room creating a windchill effect, that will make the room feel cooler (even if it isn’t). Check out this video for how to easily change your ceiling fan’s direction of rotation.
- Change Your Bulbs. Traditional incandescent bulbs turn about 90 percent of the electricity they use into heat, and only 5 to 10 percent into light. By switching to fluorescent, compact fluorescents or LED lightbulbs your lighting systems won’t be adding unwanted heat inside your home. Plus these types of bulbs last longer and use less energy so you’ll be saving money in the long run beyond your cooling bill. Not sure you want to commit to higher priced LED bulbs, Lloyd Alter provides a great explanation of the different types of LEDs and his experience converting his home to 100% LED lighting for treehugger.com.
- Turn off the lights. Even better than changing your lightbulbs, try to use as little artificial lighting as possible. The longer days means you can rely on natural sunlight to see throughout the day. So flip the switch when you leave a room and let daylight be your guide during your summer activities.
- Unplug electronics. Although seemingly minimal, your electronics still use electricity when they are plugged in and not turned on. Try unplugging your tv, chargers and computers when they aren’t in use, to avoid the passive heat generation.
- Don’t touch Your stove – It’s time to get creative with your summertime meal prep. Using your stove or oven in the summer can significantly increase the inside temperature of your house. After all the work you’ve spent trying to keep hot air from coming inside, why would you reverse it by making heat source from within.There is a reasons grilled foods are associated with summer, so it’s time to fire up the bbq. For stovetop cooking, try using an electric skillet setup outside for easy cooking options. You can essentially make anything that you would saute or pan fry in an electric skillet without ever needing to touch your stove. If you don’t have an outdoor patio to keep the heat outdoors, instead of cooking on skillet, you can try using your slow cooker at night, so the appliance is on during the coolest part of the day, resulting in minimal house heating.
- Install Blackout window curtains. Keeping your blinds or curtains closed during the summer essentially prevents your home from becoming a miniature greenhouse, especially if you have a south- or west- facing windows. Adding blackout curtains to your windows can provide additional protection for keeping the heat out during the summer. The Department of Energy claims that, “Studies demonstrate that medium-colored draperies with white-plastic backings can reduce heat gains by 33%. Check out more elaborate energy-efficient window treatments for keeping out summertime heat at Energy.gov.
- Consider Outdoor Window Treatments. Hang tightly woven screens or bamboo shades outside the window during the summer to stop 60 to 80 percent of the sun’s heat from getting to the windows. If you rent your property, make sure to check with your landlord or HOA about allowable outdoor window coverings.
- Open Up the Windows (at night). You can help get rid of unwanted heat through ventilation if the temperature is lower outside than it is inside. To facilitate ventilation, window fans should be located on the downwind side of the house facing out. A window should be open in each room. Interior doors must remain open to allow air flow.
- Try this fan hack. Fill a mixing bowl with ice (or something equally cold, like an ice pack or ice block) and position it at an angle in front of a large fan, so that the air whips off the ice at an extra-chilled, extra-misty temperature. Trust us: it’s magic.Put a block of ice (in a pan big enough to catch the melted volume of water) in front of the fan. Makeshift air conditioning!
- Tint your windows. If you don’t want to commit to new window treatments or hate the idea of keeping the outdoors out of view all summer long, try a temporary tinting solutions for your windows. Gila makes window film that clings to your window as a temporary heat reducing fix.
Credit to Kaycee
Kaycee manages marketing and media relations for Rentec Direct, bringing a unique perspective to the world of property management and proudly shares industry news, products, and trends within the community. More from this author.