When you are accepting an application from a prospective renter, one of the most important things you should be doing is checking their picture ID. Why? Because all of the information from the Drivers License or Picture ID could help you make sure that you have the correct information on the correct person. We all know that applicants may “Fudge” just a bit when filling out the application, and this is the best way to catch any “mistakes” before the person becomes your resident.

Things you should get from the Drivers License -

Correct spelling of the name

There's a nice article on CNNMoney.com regrading season home maintenance. Certainly applies to rental housing. Enjoy!

Link to full article: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2010/01/01/1058...

A seasonal guide to home maintenance

By Kate Ashford

This doesn't have a lot to do with rental housing specifically, at least outside of Detroit. But, I think it's pretty interesting. Detroit was once a city of just over 2 million people. It's currently 900,000. Many experts predict Detroit will shrink to 700K before all is said and done. THis leaves Detroit leadership with many unique problems to tackle, not the least of which is what to do with all of the buildings and homes that sit empty and will never be filled again in our lifetime?

Here's one thought....

Can farming save Detroit?

"A St. Helens landlord must let tenants with mental disabilities keep assistance dogs to help them cope with their conditions, according to the terms of a settlement reached Friday in a federal civil rights lawsuit. "

Full story: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/st_helens_landlord_must...

I've been spending a little more time checking out other people's blogs lately and today I came across this, which I think could be be BIG news for some people.

check this out:

Good news for our economy, overall and certainly at least partially due to the 8K first time homebuyer credit.

Healthy Homes is a project aimed at correcting environmental health concerns for children in foster homes. A $900,000 grant from HUD will help fund several projects in Erie and Philadelphia.

This morning President Obama unveiled his plans to make what he calls "the most sweeping financial reforms since the Great Depression." These plans include an overhaul on our banking regulatory syste