How many of you know a real estate agent can help you lease a home too? Not only can real estate agents help home buyers and sellers but real estate agents can also make the rental process easy as well. Not very many people know that they can use real estate agents as a great resource to help them find a great home to lease when they are not ready to buy.
Dallas -Fort Worth Metroplex rental market is an emerging market. Lots of people find themselves unable to buy a home right now for many reasons. So,investors know this and are snatching up homes for great rental potential which results in the options you see available in the rental market.
First off, figure out your credit scores. Knowing your scores up front will insure that you don’t have any unexpected blips come up when your lease application or rental application is being processed. Landlords are really tough these days on potential tenants. If your scores are under 500 expect to jump through hoops to for renting a home.
Know your budget. Landlords are requiring that you have a gross monthly income at least 3 times the monthly rental amount.
Find a real estate agent that actually specializes in renting a home for residential lease clients that knows todays rental market. There are not many real estate agents out there that will work with residential rental clients.
Darlene Johnson & Associates of Keller Williams Realty DFW Metro South is one of the very few. We are real estate agents that want everyone to have the home they are looking for, whether they are buying a home, selling a home, or renting home.
Once you have found a real estate agent, they should ask you in what area you are interested in renting a home, how many bedrooms you are looking for, your monthly rental budget,when you would like to move, and if you have any pets, have you any negative rental history. These are all crucial questions in your preliminary search for renting a home.
Once you begin your online search and narrow down the list of homes you would like to look at – your real estate agent should make sure that before you view any of them, that there are not any lease applications or rental applications currently pending on the homes you will be viewing. Otherwise you will be wasting your time looking.
You should not view homes until about 4 weeks before you would like to move. Landlords like a quick move in for tenants and are very hesitant to sign a lease agreement or rental agreement for a move in date further than 30 days out.
Once you have viewed your options and decide on a home you will need to move very quickly with your rental or lease application fee and rental application (your real estate agent should have the necessary forms).
Homes in Arlington, Mansfield, Fort Worth area rent out very quickly these days and sometimes it seems potential tenants miss out on renting a home they want by not moving fast enough.
After you have submitted your lease application or rental application, you should receive notice that you have been approved with in a couple of days. Once your lease application or rental application has been approved you can proceed with the lease agreement or rental agreement (and pet agreement if there is one). Once you have discussed the lease agreement or rental agreement with your real estate agent and signed the documents you will need to obtain the rental security deposit and pet deposit (in certified funds: cashiers check or money order) and give them to your real estate agent who will deliver them to the landlord or landlord’s real estate agent. Once your lease agreement or rental agreement has been signed by all parties and the landlord receives your security deposit, the home will be taken off the rental market.
Your next step is to gather your first months rent. This will also need to be in certified funds. Once the landlord has received your first months rent you are free and clear to move in on your stated move in date. Most landlords like to meet you at the home the day you move in to give you the keys, unless it is a property management company,other times your real estate agent will do that for you as well.
I advise that before you move anything into the home that you fill out an inventory and condition form and give it to your real estate agent to deliver to the landlord. This is a very important step.
I hope this has been helpful, happy leasing.
