Carolina Panthers Quarterbacks & Landlords: Can You Make Good Decisions Under Pressure?

 

“Wisdom gives a man patience…”

Proverbs 19:11

 

I was watching the Carolina Panthers play the Buffalo Bills yesterday and it was not pretty for us Charlotte folk.  The football game turned into an old-fashioned whooping, 40-9. 

 

The Carolina Panthers quarterback, Andy Dalton, had a bad game.  He was intercepted once, fumbled twice, and took seven sacks.  One of the reasons for his poor play was that he held on to the ball for too long.  The Buffalo’s pass rush was coming furiously each down and he needed to make a quick decision on where he was going to pass the ball.  Instead, he was indecisive; he held on to it and his team suffered the consequences of all the lost yardage from the sacks he took.

 

However, the biggest detriment to the team were the turnovers he created.  When Dalton tried to be decisive and go for the big play, he had an interception and two fumbles.  Lost yardage from sacks is certainly bad, but turning the ball over to the other team is much more of a killer.  A general truth in football is that the team that turns the ball over more usually loses.  In fact, statistically, if a team turns it over 3 or more times, they win less than 10% of the time. 

 

This reminded me of general truths that I’ve learned as a Charlotte property manager.  They are “general truths” (and not “truths”) because they do not happen 100% of the time, but they definitely get my attention when I see them.  For example, in my experience, it is common to receive below-average rental applications from prospective tenants who are:

 

1. Overly-complimentary of a rental house
2. Really nicely dressed and/or wearing a suit when we meet
3. In a big rush to get approved and move-in

 

The focus of this blog is on #3. 

 

After BDF Realty gets a rental application, we communicate to the prospective tenants that we’ll try to have an answer on their approval in 2-3 business days.  The actual length of time usually depends on things outside our control like when past landlords return our calls, how well the rental application is filled out, when we receive proof of income, and how busy we are.  Most tenants understand that running rental applications takes a certain amount of time.

 

However, sometimes certain tenants begin a drip campaign of pressuring us for an early decision on Day 1.  We’ll get e-mails about how they need an answer right away in order to give proper notice to their current landlord, how their last (approved) rental house had fallen through which put them in a bind, they’re approved for another house and are going to go with that one if we can’t give an answer soon, and they need a signed lease to immediately submit to school/aid/jobs/etc..  These jabs begin on Day 1 of submitting the application and start to crescendo on Day 2.  Now we’re receiving phone calls and e-mails every hour or two wondering what the hold up is and when we can give them an answer.

 

At this point, we’re feeling like Andy Dalton.  The prospective tenant pass rush is mounting and we are feeling the heat.  The tenant is pushing us for a decision and our owner clients sure would like to have an approved tenant for their empty rental home.  The only party that is holding things up is the property manager, us.  Why are we taking so long?

 

Dalton drops back to pass and doesn’t see anyone open.  Does he force it to a covered receiver and hope he can come up with the contested ball?  Or wait a little longer to see if another receiver is able to run himself into enough open space so he can fire in a pass but risk taking the sack?  Or does he throw the ball away to avoid a sack, interception, or fumble?

 

It can be a tough call.  We all want to be the hero and make the big play!

 

I believe smart landlords need to hang tough.  To extend the analogy, sacks (losing tenants who demand a quick answer before getting all the data back) and throwing the ball away (losing tenants who do not provide all the required applicant information) can be good plays to avoid turnovers (bad tenants).  Turnovers lose games.  Bad tenants are really costly: missed rents, home damages, attorney fees, sleepless nights, stress, and wasted energy.  The cost of missing on a risky tenant in exchange for extra vacant days on the market pales in comparison.

 

Andy Dalton is successful if he can make quick decisions and avoid turnovers.  Smart landlords want to avoid turnovers (bad tenants) as well, but can afford to be less quick to come to a decision.  However, both need to make good decisions under pressure regardless!

 

Happy Landlording!

Rising Costs of Hershey Bars & Rental Homes: Is Your Lease Keeping Up?

I was in the Harris Teeter grocery store the other day and was waiting in line at the register.  As I perused some magazine covers (Prince Henry is doing what??), my eyes wandered over to the candy bars ($3.99 for a king-size Hershey bar??).  That price point stuck in my mind.  Weren’t these things $1.50 - $2.00 a few years ago??

 

The first inclination I typically have when I’m personally shocked at the expense of something for sale is to point the finger at myself.  “You’re getting old, my old boy.  Hard candy doesn’t cost a nickel anymore and the days of .99 gas (while getting it pumped by someone else in NJ!) are long gone.  Calm down, son…  In the modern world, things just cost more.  Relax.” 

 

Once I was able to get my emotions in check, I Googled the question and was met with an AI response: “Candy bars are more expensive due to a surge in cocoa prices, driven by supply shortages from poor harvests and diseases in West Africa. This has led major manufacturers like Hershey to raise prices or reduce package sizes to reflect the high cost of the primary ingredient.”

 

Hmmm…  Makes logical sense.  Recent cocoa price surges due to issues in West Africa is the answer to my candy bar conundrum.  This is why the Hershey king-size candy bars cost 50-75% more in Charlotte now than five years ago!  Maybe…  So if that logic holds, then things calming down in West Africa will make my Hershey’s bar go back to costing 2 bucks at some point?

  

I think the answers provided for some price increases are tough to comprehend or believe.  Whether we buy the reasons or not, the price increases themselves are very real nonetheless.  And experience shows that the prices rarely come down after the crises pass.  Businesses and consumers typically just need to adjust to paying more.

 

This factors into rental homes.

 

As a Charlotte property manager, I remember meeting with a new owner client a decade or so ago and the topic of what to charge for rent came up:

 

Me: It’s a nice- looking home!  I think we could get the top of the market price for it- probably around $1,350.00/month.  Would that work?

 

Client: Well, I’d prefer not to charge that much.  I own the house and my costs are relatively low.  I think with taxes, insurance, and the HOA fee my all-in costs are $500.00/month (oh, the good old days of low costs…).  And when repairs come up, I’d like to have some extra rent to cover them.  I’d prefer to keep the monthly rent under $1K to keep it affordable for the tenant.

 

Me: Wow- sure! 

 

I don’t hear anything like that much anymore.  It’s tougher to find margin between the actual costs of owning a rental home and the rent.  All the cost components of rental home ownership have shot up: mortgage (home values & interest rates), taxes, home insurance, HOA fees, & repairs.  “Things just cost more” is the simple real estate explanation for Hershey’s “runaway cocoa prices”.

 

With higher monthly costs, leases need to keep up with market-rate rent increases to avoid consistent losses.  This doesn’t even factor in inevitable, higher costs for a new HVAC or roof which (since COVID) usually cost upward of $8K for smaller homes.  Unfortunately, these cost increases are probably not going away.  This means that even leases with great, long-term tenants need to be scrutinized if they are kept at an artificially low rate.

 

Much like Hershey passing on their cost increases to consumers (to my chagrin!), landlords need to factor in their increased costs when setting their rental pricing.  Smart landlords will keep close tabs on market rental rates and make adjustments at periods of vacancy or lease renewal.

 

Happy Landlording!

The Bachelor & Long-Term First Leases: Too Much Too Fast?

 

"Those who are serious in ridiculous matters will be ridiculous in serious matters.”

(Cato the Elder (Roman statesman))

 

“Wisdom gives a man patience…”

(Proverbs 19:11)

 

The Bachelor became an instant TV hit in 2002 when it first came on the air.  What an interesting premise: a single man searching for the woman of his dreams to spend the rest of his life with- and having 25 attractive females to choose from in a captive audience!  He gets to essentially speed date all of these women who are all in pursuit of him.  And from these brief encounters, he is expected to make the decision to marry one of them.

 

This lifelong commitment is born out of 6 weeks of dating the supposed “Mrs. Right” while being filmed AND splitting time seeing 24 other women concurrently.  It starts on a level playing field; everyone is complete strangers at the beginning of the show and are having their first conversations there.  Common sense would dictate that it would be difficult for anyone to know anyone particularly well, let alone have enough to base a serious marriage proposal off of.  It’s completely ridiculous, but an engagement is the goal of each season.

 

So how would it ever work?  The Bachelor seems to be big on participants finding their long lost “soulmate”; if they found the right person, they would know they were meant for each other.  The rest would fall into place.

 

But if that “soulmate” even exists, is she even there?  And can you have two “soulmates” who are both there?  The reality is that this arrangement of strangers trying to make this dating scenario a serious, constructive process leads to plenty of awkwardness.  Below are some of the common, absurd conversation snippets heard in most seasons of The Bachelor, courtesy of AI:

 

[THE BACHELOR] (Eyes glistening)
This has been such an amazing journey. I’m just feeling so many different emotions right now.
[CONTESTANT #1] (Sobbing in confessional)
I just don’t know if he’s here for the right reasons. Like, I’m literally opening up my heart and he’s so connected to the other girls. It’s hard to watch.
[CONTESTANT #2] (Approaching the Bachelor)
Can I steal you for a second? I just… I need some clarity on our connection.
[THE BACHELOR] (Sighs dramatically)
Sure. I feel like we have such a strong foundation. But I also feel like I’m in a really tough spot.
[CONTESTANT #2]
I just feel like you don’t see how much I’m falling for you.
[THE BACHELOR]
I just need to know that you are fully in this. I've never felt like this before in my life.
[CONTESTANT #1] (Steals the Bachelor back)
I'm just so crazy about you.
[THE BACHELOR]
Thank you for sharing that with me. That means so much.

In a way, it reminds me of long-term lease requests.  As a Charlotte property manager, we are sometimes approached by new rental tenants who want to sign 5+ year leases or longer upon rental application approval.

 

At first glance, this looks like a great thing!  The owner gets a long-term tenant.  The tenant gets housing stability.  A match made in Heaven!

 

But what if the tenant signs on and winds up hating the house?  Or the tenant loves it, but winds up being a neighborhood nuisance and doesn’t maintain the property?  That would be a problem for the owner.

 

Sometimes starting a long-term leasing relationship right away is too much, too fast.  Neither party knows what to expect from each other.  Both sides have not had time to assess the situation to see if it makes sense for both parties.  Starting out on a 1-year lease is a good first step for most rental situations.

 

For entertainment purposes, The Bachelor tries to fast forward casual dating into marriage.  In contrast, smart landlords are patient and not looking for high drama with their rental tenants.  They tend to wait for the second lease (after an initial 1-year lease courtship) to determine if they really found their rental soulmate.

 

Happy Landlording!

Blackjack & Making Lease Extension Offers: You Gotta Hit or Don’t Hit

 

Blackjack is a classic gambling game pitting card players versus a dealer.  The goal is to have the card players’ hands total 21 or as close to 21 as possible, while not going over 21.  As the game unfolds, if the card holders’ hands stay under 22, they will be compared to the dealer’s hand (if he stays under 22); whoever has the higher total wins the hand.  It can be both exhilarating and frustrating!

 

The main conundrum for the card players is whether to request an additional card (“hit”) to pad their point totals.  The upside is that the closer the players get to 21, the stronger their card hands become and the more likely they are to win.  The downside is that if any of the players get over 21, they automatically “bust” (lose) and their bet for that card hand is immediately forfeited.

 

At casinos, it is not uncommon to hear players loudly talking about their decisions on hitting on their card hands:

 

“I knew I shouldn’t have hit.  I would have won!  Ugh!!”

“Yes!  I got the King I needed to hit 21.  Great hit!”

“No hit for me.  Dealer is going to bust!!!”

 

Both hitting and staying put (taking no cards) can be the right strategy depending on how the cards land.  But if a wrong decision is ultimately made, there is no way players can change their minds afterwards.  Once players take a card (or don’t and “stay”), their decision is cast and they need to wait to see what happens.  There are no “do-overs”.

 

As a Charlotte property manager, this reminded me of giving lease extension offers to existing tenants. 

 

From a landlord perspective, landlords want to charge the highest rent possible and have the tenant re-sign their lease at that rate.  From the tenant perspective, the tenant wants to stay and pay the least rent possible or move to another rental unit that serves their needs better (this could mean lower price, better or different location, different size unit, etc.).  Both sides have some disparate interests that need to be rectified before a new lease extension can be signed.

 

But an initial offer to extend the lease (tendered usually by the landlord) must be made.  And the question is what price should be asked for.  There are usually no “do-overs”.  The price offered is going to be what the tenant ultimately makes a decision off of.  Whatever it is, it needs to be strong and not wishy-washy.  Wishy-washy can create problems:

 

Landlord: Good morning, Mr. Tenant!  Your lease is up at the end of next month and I wanted to see if you were looking to sign for another year.

 

Tenant: I was thinking about it.  What are the terms?

 

Landlord: Well, I was going to raise the rent $200.  How does that sound?

 

Tenant: Not that good.  I thought I was overpaying now.

 

Landlord: How about no rent increase.  Will that work?

 

Tenant: I’m not sure.  I need to talk to my wife and think about it.  We’re going in the right direction, though!

 

Landlord: How about $200 less than you are paying now.  Would that work?

 

Tenant: Now you’re talking!  That’s more in line with what I think this dump is worth.  I’ll get back to you.

 

Landlord: How about $300 less?

 

This can create a slippery slide. 

 

Much like Blackjack, landlords need to look at their situation and decide how much risk they want to take on with potentially losing the tenant they already have in place.  Then they need to make the offer (hit) and wait to see what decision the tenant makes.  Sometimes, the offer doesn’t matter because the tenant was going to vacate regardless.  But often, the price is the motivating factor on whether the tenant decides to stay.

 

Smart landlords will think hard about how much they will raise the rent (hit) or whether they will offer it at the same rate (stay).  There is no middle ground- you gotta hit or don’t hit!  They know that once that card is played, there is little chance to do it over and take it back. 

 

Happy Landlording!

Savannah Bananas Redux & Tenants: Getting Stuck Until the Game is Over

 

Savannah Bananas Event Schedule:

• Early Merchandise Sales: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• Pre-Game Party & Player Appearances: 2:00 PM
• "Before the Peel" Show: 3:00 PM
• Gates Open: 4:30 PM
• Show Starts: 6:30 PM
• First Pitch: 7:00 PM (ET) 

 

As I had written a few months ago, my family had the “privilege” of buying tickets to the Savannah Bananas baseball game in Charlotte earlier this month.  We had never been and the Charlotte community was whipped into a frenzy for this event at Bank of America Stadium.  It was sold out for both nights in the 74,000-capacity stadium!  Local social media was ablaze:

 

Were you one of the lucky ones who were able to buy tickets in the lottery that started 6 months prior??? 

 

Oh, you’ve never been??  It’s such an amazing experience!  So funny!  Fun for the whole family!  Better get there early!  The Pre-Game Party is not to be missed!

 

Now that my family had the “golden tickets”, logistics had to be sorted out.  Real life things such as: how are we getting there (traffic will be a nightmare in Uptown), what time should we actually show up (2 PM is the start of the vaunted “Pre-Game Party”, but the game itself didn’t start until 7 PM), how long could the family with younger children last at this event (is 2 PM – 10 PM realistic?), and what and when were we eating? 

 

Complicating the situation was a small disclosure at the bottom of the hype material:

 

The Pre-Game Plaza is a ticketed space, fans must have tickets to the game to access the Plaza. Re-entry after exiting the venue is prohibited.

 

I thought we had a chance of success if we could float in and out of the 5-hour pre-game activities.  But reentry was apparently not an option.  The “Pre-Game Plaza” was held on the closed down roads and area directly outside of Bank of America Stadium.  We would have to go through security (bringing in no outside food and drink) and then stay on premises once admitted.  Once we were in, we were in, until we were out for good. 

 

After some serious thought, the executive decision was made that we would take the marketing at its word and get the fullest Savannah Bananas experience we could.  We were going to go early by light rail and take it all in!

 

We made it to the stadium around 3 PM.  Initially, there was much fanfare and excitement!  Yellow everywhere, buzzing children, ear-to-ear smiles all around! 

 

Then real life set in.  It was really hot, the Pre-Game Plaza was mostly in the sun (unless you packed in where the stadium’s shadow offered some shade), the pre-game show on the stage was not visible for shorter folk (re: my kids), and it was not overly interesting to us.  I looked at my watch showing 3:45 PM and wondered how we were going to make it until 6:30 PM.  At least we were being paid to be there (wait a sec…).

 

It turns out the way one kills three disinterested hours in the hot sun is deflecting complaints and taking down multiple $15.00 drinks and burgers.  With a captive audience (no pun intended), the only other choice was to leave and cut losses.  In hindsight, I wish I had shown a little more discipline and did some research deeper than soaking in Savannah Banana marketing e-mails.  Once we got there early and had our ticket scanned, we were stuck and needed to stick it out.

 

In a way (with my Charlotte property manager hat on), it reminded me of the importance of placing quality rental tenants. 

 

Landlords have these nice houses that they spend a good amount of money preparing for tenants.  Then the rental home goes on the market and prospective tenants fill out applications highlighting what good candidates they would be.  If one cares to listen, tenants will tell you how they will pay on time and meticulously care for the home.  And they proclaim they have the first month’s rent and security deposit in hand and are ready to move in ASAP once they get the go-ahead!  Their marketing pitches can be very convincing as landlords have rental properties that are costing them money each vacant day.

 

But once the lease is signed and the tenants move in, there is “no reentry” until their tenancy is complete; once they are in, they are in.  The landlord is stuck with them until lease expiration or they are forced out by eviction.  The house could be taking heavy wear, misuse, and late/missing payments.  For an investment in which the landlord should be making money, it can turn into one that is costs them even more.  A rushed decision based on emotion and fear can turn out to be financially and mentally draining.

 

Much like prospective tenants, the Savannah Bananas proclaim they are the greatest show on Earth and will be one you never want to forget!  But things do not always turn out as well as advertised.  Smart landlords will make sure to do the requisite research and ensure it is a game with tenants they want to be stuck with!

 

Happy Landlording!

Pete Rose’s Reinstatement & Evictions: Worth Reaching for a Win-Win?

 

“It depends upon what the meaning of ‘is’ is.  If the- if he- if ‘is’ means is and never has been, that is not- that is one thing.”

President Bill Clinton pleading his case during the Monica Lewinski grand jury trial

 

Growing up, I remember having some of Pete Rose’s baseball cards in my collection; they were good ones!  Not only was he the all-time hit leader in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, he was the consummate ballplayer.  He was gritty, ran out every groundball, and earned the nickname “Charlie Hustle”; he was consistently lauded for “playing the game the right way”. During his 24-year career, he won three World Series and more regular season games (1,972) than any other professional player in any sport.  He loved baseball and was considered a surefire Hall-of-Famer.

 

But off the field when his playing career was over, he did not always conduct himself the right way and broke a major, unforgiveable rule- gambling on baseball.  With the integrity of the competitiveness of the sport at stake, gambling had always been banned by MLB.  Outcomes of games would not be tainted by it.  It was a simple, Draconian regulation: if you gambled on baseball while involved, you were banished. 

 

Rose was accused of betting on his own baseball games while he was manager of Cincinnatti Reds.  He denied the accusations.  When concrete evidence was discovered showing his guilt, he continued to lie about it.  The commissioner of baseball permanently banned Rose from the game of baseball (including the ability to be voted into the Hall of Fame) in 1989.  Afterwards, he still showed no remorse for his actions, even after finally admitting to gambling on baseball in a book he wrote years later.  A storied career ended in infamy.

 

Pete Rose died last year.

 

But last week, the newest commissioner of MLB, Rob Manfred, reinstated Pete Rose.  This lifted his ban and made him posthumously eligible for Hall of Fame induction.

 

But he broke the unforgivable rule!  How is reinstatement possible?  Doesn’t this send a bad message to other MLB personnel?  Or have times changed now that gambling is more mainstream?  Baseball fans seem to have split feelings.  But, regardless, Pete Rose not being in the Hall of Fame is a regrettable lose-lose for Rose and MLB.

 

The same line of questioning can be used in property management on eviction guidelines.  Most residential leases have rent due on the 1^st of each month and allows for evictions to be promptly filed on the 2^nd if rent has not been received.  But that doesn’t happen often.  In fact, most evictions aren’t filed until the 16th at the earliest.  Why?

 

It’s because it is in everyone’s best interest (tenant, owner, and property manager) for the tenant to pay.  And giving the tenant additional time to the 16^th of the month usually allows a second paycheck to come in so the tenant square the balance.  Once eviction is filed, attorney fees and court costs begin to accrue to the tenant which can make a perilous financial situation worse.  If this happens, the tenant will probably never get caught up before the eviction is recorded, leading to the owner never receiving the rent, and leading to the tenant being forced out of the house.  It creates a true lose-lose situation.

 

What about if the tenant gave a compelling case that full payment could be made if he was granted an extension past the 16^th of the month?  This is where it gets sticky.  All the letters sent and communications continually reinforce that the 16^th is it.  There is no tomorrow.  Full payment needs to be made by then or, unfortunately, eviction must be filed.  Rarely can most tenants in a non-payment situation get caught up after being a full month behind anyway. 

 

But does it need to be a hard and fast rule?  Shouldn’t every effort to avoid lose-lose situations be exhausted?  Is there a case to be made that sometimes the 16^th isn’t it? 

 

I believe there is.  Pushing the deadline is always by a case-by-case basis, and candidly, most situations don’t warrant it.  But some do.  Property managers should be always aiming to avoid lose-lose situations.

 

Doesn’t everyone believe that the all-time hit leader in MLB history should be enshrined in baseball’s Hall-of-Fame?  Of course!  Hits are one of the most important baseball metrics and he had 4,256 of them.

 

Yes, it might be sticky if he ever gets voted in and enshrined.  Fans may revolt in anger.  Players may look at this as a precedent that gambling is a forgivable sin now.  No one knows if there will be future negative ramifications. 

 

However, a tenant paying and Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame are ideal win-win scenarios.  But getting there requires discernment because there is always a chance of getting burned.  Smart landlords (and MLB commissioners) should tread carefully.

 

Happy Landlording!

Are Savannah Banana Tix & Great Rental Applicants Worth the Fuss?

 

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

(Matthew 13:44)

 

I was completely caught off-guard by the Savannah Bananas.  More accurately, I didn’t understand the frenzy around their tickets.

 

It all started around 6 months ago when my wife casually asked me to enter the “Savannah Bananas Ticket Lottery”.  I had no idea what she was talking about, but dutifully complied.  I clicked on the website link and inputted my contact information.  Done.

 

I ignored the marketing jargon at first:

“These aren’t your typical tickets”

“It’s the most fun you’ll ever have at a baseball game”

“You name it, we have it.  Just be mentally prepared.”

 

From what I could ascertain, the Savannah Bananas were like the Harlem Globetrotters, except for baseball.  Which is fine, but they didn’t look overly enticing to me.

 

However, the inputting of my information set off a 6-month e-mail marketing firework show about how wrong I was:

 

“You will only have one opportunity to buy tickets to the game of a lifetime- don’t miss out!”

“Confirm your contact information and double-check your log-in to make sure you can get into the website when ticket sales go live!!” (received 4 months prior to the actual lottery)

“Make sure your credit card information is preloaded so you don’t blow the chance of a lifetime!” (received 2 months before the lottery- I guess I need to make sure the card I put in there isn’t expired by then…)

 

Things got more intense as lottery day approached.  “Reconfirm your log-in info!”  “You’ll receive an e-mail 5 days from now that you will need to click on to keep in the lottery!”  It seemed like these e-mails kept showing up requiring me to do
(and re-do) more work for the right to buy these tickets.  Though annoying, on a certain level I was amazed at their potent marketing acumen that turned an apathetic ticket buyer into a pup willing to do whatever they asked.

 

The day approached and I was told I needed to be ready to buy them at exactly 12:30 PM on the day of my youngest son’s preschool picnic lunch.  Of course, I succumbed and checked the time frequently during the event; I’d be ready to click on their website link at exactly the right time.   When the time came, the link was slow to respond making me second-guess my log-in credentials (I know I should have reconfirmed them for the 5^th time like recommended- dumb!!).  But it finally went through and my credit card information was true as well.  Four Savannah Banana upper deck tickets were now mine!  The website congratulated me and culminated their storyline with the fact that I was now one of the luckiest 150,000 people in the Charlotte-Metro area.

 

Hooray?  Whew!

 

Besides the cathartic value of getting this experience off of my chest, it made me think of what else is worth the effort that it took to secure these Savannah Banana tickets. 

 

From a residential property management perspective, great rental tenants is the first thing that came to mind.  This is the #1 goal of being a successful landlord.  Great tenants pay on time, take care of the property, and make working with them a pleasure (I’m picturing a few of them right now!).  And they are a gift that keeps on giving.  Once they are secured, the benefits accrue for a year and usually much longer!

 

So when we see great rental applications come through (high credit scores, low debt, glowing landlord references, etc.), the next step is to make sure they don’t get away.  Calling them, texting them, e-mailing, following-up, having after-hour conversations if necessary.  We need them.  The biggest difference between a good and bad property manager is tenant quality.

 

We’ll find out if the Savannah Bananas experience was worth the fuss of securing these tickets when we attend the game on June 6^th.  But smart landlords know that securing great rental tenants is always worth it!

 

Happy Landlording!

 

And the postscript courtesy Axios Charlotte:

 

Savannah Bananas tickets sold out in Charlotte in roughly five hours when they went on sale last week, a team spokesperson tells Axios.

Why it matters: Tickets sold for up to $65 originally, but resale prices start at $113 on StubHub, at $171 on Vivid Seats and $156 on SeatGeek.

Catch up quick: Ticket access was based on the Banana Ball Ticket Lottery, which closed last fall. If you were selected, you were assigned a time to have a chance to purchase tickets.

• Before tickets went on sale, the Bananas added a second night to their World Tour stop at Bank of America Stadium to respond to "overwhelming demand," according to organizers.

My thought bubble: Even with the added night and assigned ticket purchase time, I still wasn't able to grab tickets. 😔

(Axios Charlotte By Laura Barrero · Apr 16, 2025)