“Speak softly and carry a big can of paint.” Banksy

This quote was written by a well known graffiti painter from London. In this quote I actually agree, except it is the property owner who needs the can of paint. Last May I did a newsletter about graffiti removal and it remains a perpetual problem.

24 HOUR DEADLINE. For me I have always insisted on a 24 hour deadline for graffiti removal. The whole purpose of putting graffiti on your building is to allow the perpetrator to see it for as long a period of time as possible. If it is removed with 24 hours, even if you have to remove it a few times, the writer will give up. If you leave it, you most likely will find even more graffiti until it becomes nearly impossible to keep your building looking as it should.

HELP IS AVAILABLE. There are agencies in most area that will perform graffiti removal, usually at no cost to you. Some of these are:

1) Los Angeles, City and Unincorporated Los Angeles County OCB (Office of Community beautification) 800- 675- HELP (4357)

2) Long Beach Graffiti Hotline 562 570-2773

3) Whittier Graffiti abatement hotline 562- 597- 9560

4) Torrance Graffiti removal 310-781-7149

I have listed a few local agencies. If your property location is not listed, call your local City Hall and they will almost certainly have a number for you.

DO IT YOURSELF. Keep in mind that most graffiti removal services are tasked with removing the graffiti, not matching the color to your building. You may find very odd color combinations which you may then have to repaint. If you maintain some paint in the original color or colors of your building, maybe in a storage room, if you have one. Also keep other materials you may need such as paint brushes. You can fix the problem when you see it. It is always a good thing to stay in contact with your resident manager, if you have one or a neighbor so that they can let you know about any recent graffiti on your property.

WHY BOTHER. Besides the actual stain on your building, graffiti will encourage more graffiti and cause tenants to be wary of living in your building. This translates to you having to take less desirable tenants, more problems, and ultimately less cash flow. It may also make your property less desirable should you decide to sell. Maintain your property and it will be the one tenants choose over similar units and are willing to pay higher rents. They will feel safer and so will you.

“You control your own wins and losses.” —Maria Sharapova

What we at PRS PROPERTIES CAN DO. We are always available to chat. We can give you referrals for professionals, such as lenders, contractors, and engineers, so that you can decide who you feel best with. We can supply you with rent and sale comparables in the area of your properties, so that you know what rental values are in your area. It is important that you know the true value of your rental units, so that you can get them rented right away at market value, or at least as much as possible with rent control restrictions. We can look at potential purchases that you may be interested in to make the property more desirable, and maybe look at potential issues that an insurer might require you to repair.

If you should decide to sell your building, we can help you exchange into a larger or smaller properties. We can even help you move into something with less management responsibilities. We can also help with getting the paperwork together for a refinance if that is your desire. We can also recommend experienced licensed contractors who can perform any repairs or installations you may need prior to selling. We can also look at your building for other easy and inexpensive changes that might allow you to get a higher value. We can help you to get the maximum value for your property, should you decide to sell, or the maximum return if you are planning to keep your building.

We always have many investors who are looking for “as-is” properties and are willing to purchase with low rents, deferred maintenance or even with a problem tenant in place. We have put together numerous transactions over the years which involve properties that are not listed for sale. Many investors are currently in 1031 exchanges and need to identify a replacement property before their 45 day identification period runs out.

Should you decide to put your property on the market, we will put together an aggressive, targeted and professional campaign to get your property sold fast. We have been doing this for over 40 years, and we will use all the tools available to bring you the most dollars at closing. If you are thinking of selling or are just curious about the value of your property, don’t hesitate to give us a call.