Flag Football Scouting & Rental Home Inspections: Worth it?

 

I was at one of my son’s flag football games and noticed that his coach was calling out the opposing team’s plays in advance based on how they lined up at the line of scrimmage.  The players on his team would then shift their defensive formation and consistently stop the other team from gaining yards.  I was impressed!  This coach is much better than I am!

 

I asked my son about it after the game and he shrugged and said, “It was exactly what Coach Roberts said would happen after he scouted that team last week.”  What?  Coach Roberts was scouting 10-year old flag football games?  I had never heard of such a thing.

 

Apparently, Coach Roberts would go and scout the next team on their schedule weekly.  Most of the time that was easy; the games were either right before or after the game on the same or a neighboring field.  He would go and figure out what offenses and defenses the other team utilized and who their best players were.  Wielding his clipboard, pen, and binoculars, he would studiously examine this youth game where he knew no one involved. 

 

When I was doing my no-scouting coaching, it typically took the best player on the other team to have a few long runs before I changed the defense to double-team him.  Coach had them in that defense from the start!  I couldn’t deny the advantage it created for him when he knew before the next practice that their opponent had only one superstar player or that they always threw it to the tight end on their goal line play. 

 

Knowledge is power.  Applied knowledge is even better!

 

In Charlotte property management, there is a version of “scouting” called on-site home inspections.

 

Now there are naysayers (and I used to be one of them…) who might think it is a waste of time to check in on tenants and visit the homes during the lease.  The argument would be that the home is going to look the same regardless when the tenant moves out.  A 10-minute walk-through is not going to change a tenant’s lifestyle dramatically.  But my thinking has evolved on this issue.

 

Knowing things early has its advantages:

 

1. If air filters are not being changed, any HVAC unit service visits could potentially be charged back to the tenant.  Plus, it’s a good time to emphasize their importance and ask for pictures of the filter change.
2. If something crazy is going on, it’s good to know.
3. Are there unauthorized pets?  It’s good to nip that in the bud early.
4. Do the smoke and CO detectors still work?  It could save lives.
5. Is there any evidence of smoking?  The longer it goes on, the more ingrained the smell will be in the house.
6. Do the keys still work?  It’s good to be able to get in when needed.
7. Are any recent repairs up to snuff?  Pictures and tenant feedback aren’t always overly revealing and, if not, vendors can be sent back out to complete the work properly.

 

When tenants know the landlord is paying attention to what is going on in the house, we’ve found that homes tend to be treated and maintained better.

 

Kudos to scouting and Coach Roberts!  Smart coaches and landlords can gain a competitive advantage applying knowledge that most people wouldn’t take the effort to get.

 

Happy Landlording!