Bottom line first: My wife and I recommend Jim Scanlon without hesitation or reservation. He has been exceptional in every way, and we feel very fortunate to have him managing our property.
Over the last thirty years, we have had marginally adequate property managers (PMs) and terrible PMs, and we eventually found it easier to manage the properties ourselves.
However, after a major renovation of our Carlsbad property, we decided to once again look for a PM because we didn't want to be tied down and because the laws and regulations regarding rental properties have become increasingly complex, increasing the chance of ending up in litigation by violating some arcane rule. Despite that, we would still be managing the property ourselves if not for Jim Scanlon.
Jim is a Carlsbad native who spent several decades in the corporate world in Northern California. While there, he continued to own some rental properties in Carlsbad. However, he was unable to find a PM he could rely on. When he decided to return to Carlsbad and take up property management, he vowed he would be the property manager he could never find, one who would treat the owner's property as though it was his own. Although that's his core principle, he has another: tenants must be treated fairly and with respect. In fact, Jim will refuse to manage a property that is not in good condition, or continue to represent an owner who gouges renters, refuses to authorize necessary repairs, or otherwise mistreats tenants. That's a principle we wholeheartedly concur with.
What perhaps makes me uniquely qualified to write a review of Jim Scanlon is the series of unfortunate events that resulted in far more interactions between us than most property owners and PMs would have throughout the entirety of their business relationships. And our conversations during those events is how I came to know so much about Jim--and why I know that Jim is exactly who he appears to be.
1. Not long after new tenants moved in, the brand new garbage disposal in the all-new kitchen began leaking through a broken seal. As soon as the tenant contacted him, Jim called a plumber out to replace the unit. The repair was done quickly and the cost was entirely reasonable. And we believe Jim is able to get such fast responses and fair prices because he does so much business with that company as a result of the many properties he manages. With the average homeowner, most plumbing problems are one-and-done, so there's limited incentive for a plumbing company (or any company) to give the owner a break on price or to provide exceptional service.
2. A few months later the water heater began leaking. Jim arrived on scene soon after he got the tenants' call, and he had plumbers out soon after. Jim notified us, and we showed up a few minutes later. While we were there, Jim noticed water on the garage ceiling, and (with our approval) he arranged to have the leaking drain pipe repaired the same day. As with the garbage disposal, the prices for the water heater replacement and the drain pipe repair were entirely reasonable.
3. Just a week or two later the tenants called Jim in a panic, saying water was running out of the downstairs half-bath toilet. Jim showed up right away and then called me. I met him there to survey the damage. By the time I arrived, Jim already had a plumber on site. The plumber quickly cleared the line, but the black water had already made its way into the entryway and living room, soaking into drywall and baseboard. While some property managers might have arranged to do a cursory cleaning and drying, Jim's approach is to take all steps necessary to (a) protect tenants, (b) protect property, and (c) respond proactively when it comes to potential legal actions. In the case of the latter, he wants to be able to later ask, "What else could we have done?" should there ever be litigation. To that end, he employed a professional damage mitigation company (one that he'd used in the past) to do extensive cleaning and repair, including the removal of ruined rugs, soaked baseboards, and the bottom six inches of damaged drywall. That company did an excellent job, and the cost was about a third of what we anticipated.
And while our tenants were obviously disappointed about the myriad problems they encountered, they were extremely happy with the way Jim responded. In fact, the husband told me they didn't think the problems could have been handled better.
As far as we're concerned, Jim has indeed looked after our property as though it was his own. He has done everything we would have done, but he's done it faster and for less cost than we--not having the business relationships he has--could have managed. And Jim did it all with unfailingly good cheer and a positive, upbeat attitude.
We couldn't be happier about having Jim Scanlon manage our rental, and we feel extremely fortunate to have found him. Knowing he's looking after our property gives us tremendous peace of mind. read more
