January 2014 NEWSLETTER. In this Issue. On Tuesday, January 21st UPCOMING EVENTS. 1. QCRPA Monthly Board Meeting Minutes for January, 2014.

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1 January, 2014 Quad Cities Rental Property Association Page 1 of 8 NEWSLETTER January 2014 Quad Cities Rental Property Association, Inc. P. O. Box 517 Bettendorf, IA In this Issue 1. QCRPA Monthly Board Meeting Minutes for January, How to place ads in the Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus and QC Times newspaper. 3. Article: From the desk of LeRoy Petersen - How to Win in Court Remodeling Trends, Jan14 from Realtor.com., submitted by Janet Berger, 5. Information about IowHousingSearch.org, submitted by LeRoy Petersen. UPCOMING EVENTS On Tuesday, January 21st Heating contractor Roger Zimmerman from Roger's Heating on how he can help you save money operating and maintaining your furnace. Meeting starts at 6:45 PM. The location: Skellington Manor th Street Rock Island, IL (563)

2 January, 2014 Quad Cities Rental Property Association Page 2 of 8 1. The Quad Cities Rental Property Association, Inc. Board met on 7 January 2014 at Ruhl & Ruhl's Welcome Way office. Present were: Lona Kock, Janet Berger, Dave Skinner, Leroy Petersen, and Jim Mathias. Meeting was called to order at 1850 by Vice President Lona Kock. Minutes of the 10 December 2013 were approved. Treasurer: Report to be given orally at the Christmas party. Motion to give MIke Steen $50 gift certificate for use of his facility approved unanimously. Janet B. to purchase and send. Membership: Member recruiting discussed. Leroy P. challenges Board members to contact two non-member landlords and invite them to the upcoming member's meeting. IA Political, Housing: No report. Volunteers needed to fill these positions. IL Political, Housing: No report. Volunteers needed to fill these positions. Newsletter: Leroy reports iowahousingsearch.org contacted him regarding advertising vacant rental properties. A couple of documents were given, copies will be made for the newsletter and to hand out at the upcoming member's meeting. Website: Bill Kirby to be contacted regarding board member s at qcrpa.com Janet reports that NAS insurance services contacted her regarding tenant discrimination insurance. Issue to be forwarded to Jeremy for his input. Old Business: Janet B. talked to Bettendorf library, every third Tuesday avail except april n may, Lowe's Moline (Free), Phil & Larry's, Jersey Grille (Free), Western Illinois campus facility. Board meeting place discussed, resolved to be Skellington Manor from January. Motion to change venue for member's meeting to Jersey Grille beginning in March tabled pending personal visit and review. New Business: FACEBOOK account up for managing. Currently JIm M. and Penni Steen are managers; a Facebook-knowledgeable member needed to help develop our presence here. Programs: Christmas party post discussion.

3 January, 2014 Quad Cities Rental Property Association Page 3 of 8 Insurance as a topic brought up, Jeremy Richard with Mel Foster Insurance asked to speak. Survey to be done by Ron at next meeting. January: Heating contractor Roger Zimmerman from Roger's Heating on how he can help you save money operating and maintaining your furnace. February: Jeremy Richard on rental property insurance. March: Dave S. on Valuations--how to QUICKLY value a property based on cash flow, interests rates and other factors used to help you determine property value WHEN IT COMES TIME TO BUY OR SELL Mr. landlord contacted Janet B. and said he was interested in coming as a speaker. September 16th mentioned as a tentative date, committee formed to push this matter forward. Discussion on gathering another mailing list to reach out to non-member landlords especially for this meeting. Meeting adjourned at Jim Mathias, Secretary

4 January, 2014 Quad Cities Rental Property Association Page 4 of 8 PLACING ADS WITH THE MOLINE DISPATCH AND ROCK ISLAND ARGUS BOARD MEMBER ADS If an ad runs for 14 days or more the 30 day discounted rate will apply. The 30 day rate starts at $1.60 per line and is discounted more for larger ads. For example, if your ad is 11 lines you will pay only $1.24 per line. Also, if any QCRPA member runs a duplicate ad in another section that second ad will receive a 25% discount off the QCRPA rate. QCRPA members will still be able to place their ads with any of the classified reps for their convenience. Questions, please contact: Jamie Belha, Telesales Coordinator Moline Dispatch Publishing Company, L.L.C. jbelha@qconline.com Want to know who has been evicted and how often in both Scott and Rock Island counties over the past 15 years? Subscribe to the QCRPA's Forcible Entry and Detainer listing, over 25,000 entries in one convenient database. Annual subscription fees $30.00 call Secretary Jim Mathias, at , Or simply send us a check to: QCRPA P.O. Box 517 Bettendorf, IA and get this valuable screening tool today.

5 January, 2014 Quad Cities Rental Property Association Page 5 of 8 PLACING ADS WITH THE QC TIMES Call your ad into the QC Times, phone (563) , and identify yourself as a QCRPA member. You can pay by credit card or check by phone. You can also mail a check or pay in person, but the ad would not start until payment is received. Our Member Rate is $2.28 per line per day plus $7.00 for an internet listing. This is a HUGE DISCOUNT. The QC Times present advertising rate for NON-MEMBERS goes from $3.50 per line per day up to $15.65 per line per day, depending on how many days the ad runs, and on whether it is a weekday or weekend. Free membership for the taking! All you have to do is recruit a new member into the QCRPA, and you will receive an additional 4 months extended onto your own membership. Recruit 3 members and one year's membership is free. Just have prospective new members mention your name on their membership application. So, at $2.28 per line, our members get discounts ranging from 35% (when compared to the $3.50 per line rate) to 85% (when compared to the $15.65 per line). THIS IS HUGE. A simple 3 line, 3 day ad can save you over $50, which will more than pay for your annual membership dues to the QCRPA. The QC Times does not offer this kind of discount to any other organization. This is ONLY for QCRPA MEMBERS. You will no longer be eligible for this program if your QCRPA membership expires. Any questions? Call Dave Skinner at

6 January, 2014 Quad Cities Rental Property Association Page 6 of 8 3. From the desk of LeRoy Petersen How to Win in Court Why are you going to court? I can only think of two reasons: (1) to get a deadbeat out of your property and (2) to get a judgment against him so you might have a chance of getting some of your money back at some point in the future. to get the rent tomorrow. Don t keep putting off the eviction because you think you re going Make sure everything you have done up to the time you file the eviction paperwork is legal and follows the tenant-landlord laws of your state. Have your paperwork pertaining to this case organized. Dress professionally. Chances are your tenant is going to show up in a T-shirt and baseball cap. Make the impression on the judge that you are a professional. Keep your answers short (and it goes without saying truthful) You can anticipate some of the judge s questions and prepare your answers ahead of time. Tenants being evicted don t have much imagination. You may take it personally when the tenant starts attacking you or your property, but how many times do you think that judge sitting up there has heard that story? He may have already heard it a few times that day. Do not address the tenant directly when in front of the judge, even if the tenant starts talking to you If the amount of rent owed is in dispute, the better your records look, the better off you will be.

7 January, 2014 Quad Cities Rental Property Association Page 7 of 8 If you have a receipt book with every rent payment recorded sequentially and there are several payments received on the date the tenant claims to have paid you, but his is not among them, the judge will give that considerable weight (in your favor). Generally, you don t need witnesses in an eviction case, but witnesses carry a lot of weight in court. If you reach a settlement before your case is heard, the judge will issue what s called a consent judgment Don t get emotional, even if the tenant attacks you or even if the judge rules against you. Win or lose, you will be better prepared for the next court date Thanks, LeRoy

8 January, 2014 Quad Cities Rental Property Association Page 8 of 8 OFFICERS AND BOARD President- Ron Gruenhagen Vice President- Lona Kock Treasurer- Ray Tiedeman Secretary- Jim Mathias Illinois Director at Large Leroy Petersen bpeter7460@yahoo.com Iowa Housing- Jeremy Richard Iowa Programs- Cynthia Ortiz Illinois Housing- Marcia Taylor Membership Coordinator- Dave Skinner Newsletter Coordinator- Leroy Petersen

9 2014 Remodeling Trends Home remodeling may have taken a backseat during the recession, but not anymore. According to a 2013 Hanley Wood survey, remodeling sales were up 10 percent compared to 2012, and 45 percent of remodelers surveyed expected another 10 percent growth in Home remodeling is back in again, and with the desire to improve our homesteads come a bunch of new and exciting trends we ll start seeing this year. Modern Kitchens: 61 percent of remodelers expect to complete kitchen remodels in 2014, more than any other room in the house. And, those remodels are expected to follow a new trend. Not so long ago, remodeled kitchens had a rustic feel with warm paint colors and cabinetry, and wrought iron hardware and lighting. Now, modern is in, with white or gray cabinetry, simple countertops, glossy finishes and minimalist designs. Appliances are more likely to be blended into the design or hidden away from view entirely to give the kitchen a sleeker appearance. Brass Accents: Brass made a comeback at home-design and remodeling conventions this year and the trend is expected to pick up in While brass is nothing new, it has gotten a facelift. Highly polished, bright brass hardware and lighting is gone; rustic, dull and hammered brass is in. The new looks will be incorporated into kitchen and bathroom hardware as well as lighting and door hardware throughout the house. Updated Bathrooms: Bathrooms came in second to the kitchen with 58 percent of remodelers planning to do bathroom remodels in As far as style, vintage bathrooms with wainscoting and claw-foot tubs won t be as popular as resort-style bathrooms that feature amenities such as large walk-in showers with multiple shower heads, heated floors or towel racks, and jetted bathtubs. For coloring and style, glass tiles will be a popular feature as well as neutral and cool colors like ash gray, light blue and off-white. Vibrant Colors: While the kitchen may be getting the modern single-shade treatment next year, designers have a different idea for other rooms. Bright accent colors such as turquoise, yellow and orange that were popular in 2013 have a new twist; in 2014, they ll be more of a focal point and even more vibrant with colors such as Green Flash, Lemon Zest, Nectarine and Rouge Red. Designers will start featuring vibrant accent walls, main paint colors and flooring throughout bedrooms and main living spaces. Sustainable Materials: Going Green is nothing new, but sustainability may get easier in 2014 remodels. Remodels will include more renewable materials such as bamboo, energy-efficient appliances and additional designs that incorporate the local climate. Source: realtor.com Information provided should not be considered as a commitment to lend. Offer subject to property and credit approval. Program and other restrictions may apply. Please contact your Loan Consultant for further details. Shelter Mortgage or any of its entities shall not be held liable for services and or facts suggested / provided. See your loan officer for more details Shelter Mortgage 4000 W. Brown Deer Rd., Brown Deer, WI NMLS #: For a list of offices, please go to Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee, Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee, Licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department, Licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities, Rhode Island Licensed Lender and Loan Broker. New Jersey: All advertisements are for first mortgage transactions. State license numbers can be found at:

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