We have always been pet friendly!

NEW FITNESS CENTER

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 13:34:51 GMT

We have a diversity of properties - single homes, town houses, apartments, lofts. We are blessed by having them all concentrated in 6 and a half blocks. Our office is located in the center of all the properties. Next to our office is a larger commercial building we own. We have long thought that some portion of this last building could be part of our package of amenities.

After doing a lot of research and reading a lot of articles on ‘ the current trends’ in rental housing, we created a series of questions for our tenants. Last spring we sent a series of surveys out to our tenants asking them what they wanted – a bike repair area, a dog washing station, a meeting center, a rec room, a fitness center.

Of course every one of these had attracted some interest. However, the one with the overwhelming number of votes was a fitness center. With that, we tried to bore down on just what a fitness center meant. We got several clear things that tenants did not want – no mirrors on the wall, no television sets and no large weights; we had a lot of comments about not wanting “grunters” in their fitness center.

With this detailed feedback we decided to focus on creating a tenant fitness center. It is restricted to tenants only who are over 18 years of age. It is focused on being a fitness center and not a weight room.

It will be open 24 hours a day seven days a week. While not staffed, it is secured and monitored with six video cameras. Based upon tenant survey responses it will have:

We are in the midst of building the fitness center out and hope to have it open by mid-January.

We are excited about providing a new amenity for our tenants and one that they selected.

Business Model

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 00:29:28 GMT

Owning residential spaces and offering them for rent, i.e. the profession of landlord, is obviously a business. However it is a business that comes in all shapes and sizes. This is at its most fundamental an investment in real estate for profit.

One difference is whether it is a smaller closely held business or a large corporate owned affair. This can determine what kind of relationship you have with “management”. Are you dealing with a lower level employee who is the ‘property manager’ or do you routinely deal with the owner? Depending on what is important to you this may or may not matter.

The second, and more important difference, is what business model has been adopted by the owner. In theory, over time, real estate increases in value. This is called appreciation. The difference between the cost of the real estate when built or purchased and the appreciation achieved when sold is a profit.

Some landlord models try to generate income and an annual profit for the owner. Other models are based on a longer view, waiting for when it is time to sell and the profit from the appreciation to be realized . The first pushes rents harder than the second. It can also mean a difference in the level of service and maintenance.

At RDI.properties we own all of the properties we manage. Even more importantly, we have built the business from the ground up. Over the years almost all of the properties we have actually physically worked on building or rehabbing. The product and the service we provide is important to us. We do not seek to make yearly profits from our properties. We take the longer view that real estate investment is for the appreciation to be achieved in the future. Thus we strive to annually set our rents at a breakeven price.

LUXURY APARTMENT!!

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 00:27:44 GMT

– Sometimes landlords can go overboard with their claims.

Luxury Apartment is one of that often wild, over-the-top, exaggerations. The definition of luxury is “the state of great comfort and extravagant living.” Most apartments do not meet the standard of “ extravagant living”.

Your first clue should be if there is a 24/7 doorman on the front door, entry door pulls that are oversized well-polished brass, inlaid marble in the floor of the entry foyer and a fresh bouquet of cut flowers in the front entry – If these are not there, living will not get more ‘ extravagant ’ when you get to the apartment.

There are NO LUXURY apartments in Champaign-Urbana. There are some good ones, some well-designed ones and even some very nice ones but there are no truly luxury apartments.

Be wary of landlords with exaggerated claims such as “luxury apartment”. You need to get beyond the hype to be happy over the long term.

Using such terms as Luxury is another way of saying expect to pay TOP OF THE MARKET rents.

A few suggestions:

Is there a location you want to be close to: work, amenities, shopping – how close? Walking or biking distance? Once it is driving distance location is less important.
Is being near bus routes important?
What is and what is not included in the rent? Utilities, high speed internet, gym, parking etc.? What does it all add up to? When totaled can you afford it.
Do the entry and common hallways look clean and well kept?
Are there any reviews – Goggle etc. on the building and/or landlord that will tell you something about maintenance, landlord relations, and noise?
Generally does it appear well cared for? As in do they care about the property or just getting the rents?

RDI Properties

Fri, 02 Nov 2018 19:22:38 GMT

We have always been pet friendly!

We have always been pet friendly. At first we were a bit too friendly. We once had a telephone call from a tenant, "I can't find my 5 feet long python Boris. I just fed with and he must have drawled somewhere to hibernate. I know I am moving in two weeks but do not worry when he comes out just ask the new tenants to call and I will get him." We made it clear how that was unacceptable and Boris was found asleep in a closet.

Since then we have developed a written lease amendment and an annual pet fee system. We tend to shy away from exotics like snakes, ferrets, pigs and large birds. We also discourage aggressive or territorial dogs.

Pets are a plus for owners but we are also careful about extra cleaning as allergies are on the rise in the U.S. We try to balance between responsible pet owners and tenants with allergies. We require extra cleaning by departing pet owners for this reason.

We also provide and maintain dog waste stations on our properties. Our single family residences have fenced yards. Dog owners especially appreciate these yards.

One of the benefits of pet ownership is that it can lead to a more active lifestyle. According to TIME Health, daily runs or walks with a dog can help decrease blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease. Choosing building locations that promote walkability is a key strategy to get the most out of the active lifestyle pets can bring. In addition to keeping residents active, pets provide well-known psychological benefits.

Americans' beloved four-legged companions are increasingly taking on the role of service animal based on their ability to provide emotional support and improve their owners' mental health. We already have had tenants with support animals; both cats and dogs.

RDI Properties

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We are and always have been pet friendly. But because of occasional property damage and the increasing number of incoming tenants with allergies we have honed our pet policy.

Now to have a pet there is a form that must be filled out. The pet must be approved and there is an annual fee. We have tried to strike a balance. Tenants vary; some are pet lovers and some are not. We have a variety of pets in our rentals that range from dogs, cats, rabbits to sugar gliders. We require of departing tenants with pets, a higher leave of cleaning to lessen problems for new tenants with allergies. We have a special HEPA vacuum available for such occasions if needed.

We have installed a dog waste station along the public sidewalk for our Hickory and Quarters tenants to use. We have also installed two special containers in the neighborhood where our rental homes are for dog waste. Our written policies specifically address service and support animals. We have had tenants in the past with both. We have tried and believe we have, struck a good community balance between pet owning and non-pet owning tenants.

RDI Properties

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

RDI.properties offers apartments and single family homes both in and adjacent to Downtown Champaign. The dominant employer in our community is the University of Illinois. Thus we keep our leases set approximately to the University's year - (August - July).

Our tenants are a diverse group of professionals and educators. They often come from many foreign countries as well as the U.S. We work hard to create a good lifestyle environment for active professionals. A new tenant and new professor at the U of I recently sent us this note regarding one of our downtown properties: "I absolutely love the building and the sense of community here at The Quarters."

RDI Properties

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Building codes have changed rapidly over the last ten years. Relating to taller apartment buildings like The Quarters at 11 E Columbia Avenue Champaign there is a demarcation between "low rise" and "high rise" buildings. That is 75 feet. The Quarters is a "low rise" being 74' 11" tall. Structural requirements in current building codes limits wood construction to four floors. Fire ratings require parking area to have a 2 hour fire rating. Put these together and you often get a combination of steel on the first floor and wood construction above. This is how The Quarters was built when it went up in 2014.

RDI Properties

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We use our web site rdi.proporties to provide lots of information to our tenants. Over the years we have discovered that there are a number of things that renters do not know about the physical plant of the place they are renting. GFI's are one of those things. Thus on our web site we include the following: Kitchen or bathroom lights and power out? Likely the GFCI has tripped.

A GFCI outlet (GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt) is a special electrical outlet device that provides much greater protection from electrical shock than a standard electrical outlet does. A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral. If there is any imbalance, it trips the circuit. It is able to sense a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and it can react as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second.

It is now code that all electrical outlets within six feet of a water source must be GFCI. Think bathrooms and kitchens. To locate the outlet with the tripped GFI, look for the one with a small button popped out. Remember, when a GFI trips, it will trip any and all outlets connected to that GFI. Most kitchen and bathrooms in new homes have multiple (visible) GFI outlets, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find the GFI that’s tripped in one of these rooms. Once you have located the outlet with the tripped GFI, simply push the button back into place. You should hear a small click.

RDI Properties

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The Champaign - Urbana market is dominated by the University of Illinois with its 46,000 students and 13,900 employees. For this reason our leases run with the U of I calendar August through July. Our typical tenant mix is made up of working professionals, professors, researchers, post docs and graduate students. As you can see, many of these are University affiliated. We are pleased, that once again, we are fully leased through July of 2019. We will be again advertising our properties available for the 2019-2020 rental season starting in January of 2019. At that time we will have a variety of single family homes, apartments, lofts and flats available in and adjacent to Downtown Champaign. The above is our The Hickory building anchored by Complete Care Pharmacy an the home of The Hickory Street Apartments.

RDI Properties

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We offer both downtown apartments and homes in the neighborhood directly adjacent to downtown. The difference is with the first downtown is just outside your front door. While it is a five minute stroll to downtown from the picket fences and tree lined streets where our homes are located. One is still left.

RDI Properties

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We have a wide range of offerings from expensive luxury lofts, condos and apartments and restored large Victorian homes to smaller 'worker cottages'. It is important to offer, what is called, "work force" housing. Most often this has to be well rehabbed older properties with good bones. We have a number of duplexes, flats and smaller single family homes that are more in reach of a hard earned income of an hourly worker. This is 801 N Randolph Champaign. it is a two flat one up and one down. Both units are under $800.

RDI Properties

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

When we first began RDI.properties in the early 1990's we did so with a purposeful commitment to Downtown Champaign and the older neighborhood just to its west, Champaign's oldest neighborhood. As Downtown has emerged from its original face as the community's retail and shopping center to its cultural and entertainment district we have been pleased to see it become again a walkable area more so than a car destination. With this we realized early on that, while keeping with the flavor of the neighborhoods surrounding there was a need to create more density. We have been doing infill projects as a result. One of our approaches has been to build, in keeping with the neighborhoods, new town homes. These have proven to be very well received and a success.

RDI Properties

Sun, 08 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

At RDI Properties we have a variety of options - apartments in downtown Champaign with all of ties offerings just outside your door and single families homes in the residential neighborhood adjacent to the west. For the single family homes we say "live in Mayberry with picket fences and tree lined streets but still be a five minute walk to the best martini in downtown".

RDI Properties

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The Quarters is a uniquely styled residential five-story on the north side of downtown Champaign. The Quarters is designed as a refection of Spanish Colonial Caribbean architecture. We still have one 2-bedroom and several one bedroom apartments still available for August. To schedule a private tour please contact us rdinetmichael@gmail.com

RDI Properties

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Having been in the business for nearly 30 years we have seen a lot of things. One of them has been the rise of “LUXURY” apartments. This descriptor makes us chuckle. LUXURY calls to mind inlaid marble floors, roof top private gardens, indoor water features, floor to ceiling glass walls, high tech smart appliances that link to your cell phone and concierge services to name a few features.

What most local landlords mean by LUXURY more likely is stainless steel appliances and hardwood floors.

We do not HYPE our properties with overblown superlatives that end up meaning little to nothing because they are so over used.

We have learned that the best practice is honesty. We tell you about each property without the hype and with descriptions that actually are honest and we include lots of photos so you can see for yourself. The photo is of one of our nice -but not "luxury" apartments.

RDI Properties

Mon, 11 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We are fast approaching the time when outgoing tenants are beginning to think as they look around their place, "where did all this stuff come from". Moving can be daunting. We have been in the landlord business for 27 years and have noticed what tenants often forget. On our web site RDI.properties we have a section that reviews moving with helpful suggestions. A few of those are -
1) Much of Champaign and Urbana moves at this time. It is wise to have either a moving company or, if you are moving yourself, a truck or van reserved by June first. In the past tenants put this off and there simply were none to be had by moving time.
2) The most common deduct from security deposits is for cleaning. When scheduling your moving vehicle leave yourself enough time for cleaning. See the separate guide for cleaning on this site.
3) Remember to change your address with the U.S. postal service. You can do this at the post office or on line at moversguide.usps.com.
4) If you routinely purchase items online and have them delivered you should check with the companies you use (such as AMAZON) to change your address. We often get packages delivered, months after a tenant moves, to the old address because the tenant forgot to make these online changes.
5) If you have a newspaper(s) or other such items delivered to your current address do not forget to cancel the subscription or have it changed.

RDI Properties

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

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When we "created" the Hickory we wanted to do something different. We purchased the building in 2007. Originally built in 1914 to take advantage of that coming new thing the automobile - cars were sold on the first floor and (because roads and cars were so terrible at the time) autos were "put away" from about October to May of each year. Thus the second floor was designed for car storage complete with a car elevator. With the coming of the Great Depression the dealerships went bankrupt and some of the second floor went over to industrial use with the first floor becoming in 1936 the largest supermarket in the Midwest - a large A & P. In the 1950s the A & P left for the suburbs and the Laborer's Union purchased the building and created their hall on the second floor. By the time we purchased it it was a rabbit warren of rooms. We gutted it back to the framing and the brick walls. Using green principles we created 16 super insulated loft styled apartments with a nod towards designer touches.

RDI Properties

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

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The Hickory Street Apartments are on the quieter residential north side of downtown Champaign. There are one and two bedroom apartments with ceilings ten to fourteen feet high, exposed spiral ducts, hardwood floors, open floor plans and a tradition loft design.

RDI Properties

Tue, 29 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Our market is dominated by the University of Illinois. Thus our leases run with the U of I's general schedule, August - July of the following year. With just two months before turn over we are busy with the final leasing period and planning for the turning of several houses and apartments. The next two months will be busy ones for us. We still have several very nice apartments available for August. If you are in the market make certain you contact us for tours.

RDI Properties

Wed, 23 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We leased our first apartment in 1991; been in the business for 27 years. We have literally had thousands of tenants over those years. If you scout around you will see glowing 5 star reviews of us and on a rare occasion a bad one. There is always that one tenant who has that kind of personality - is always right, never does anything wrong and it is always someone else's fault. But even when we get one of these we try very hard to remain professional and provide quality service. We think that our average tenure of five years speaks volumes. We even change your light bulbs! We offer a number of apartments and single family homes in and adjacent to downtown Champaign.

RDI Properties

Wed, 16 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

First built in 1867 as a grand Victorian, when we purchased it there had been a fire an the home had been empty for several years. The 19th Century home of a Champaign mayor we restored the home in 2012. 111 W Vine is a single family home with three bedrooms bath and a half. it is a five minute walk to the heart of downtown.

RDI Properties

Mon, 14 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The Hickory Street Apartments are 16 well appointed open floor plan units done in a loft style. The original building, The Hickory was built in 1914. In 2008 we gutted the interior back to its structural elements and worked hard designing into each apartment high energy efficiencies as well as sound reducing elements. As a result we think it has some of the lowest power bills of any apartment in Champaign as well as likely being the quietest apartment building in Champaign. Traditionally the tenant mix has been U of I professors, administrators, coaches, post docs and grad students as well as various professionals. Since it opened in 2008 we have had several families with kids. Quiet, distinctive and all of downtown outside your door. This is a must see!!

RDI Properties

Tue, 08 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

All of our properties are in or adjacent to Downtown Champaign; all within six blocks of each other. For August leasing season we still have a few apartments still available. And a couple of them, in our building The Hickory, could be available earlier than August if you are looking for something early summer.

RDI Properties

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Our rental season runs, roughly, with the University of Illinois school year. Our leases run from August through the July of the following year. Thus we are in the midst of our rental season for our 2018-2019 season. We have had a number of new tenants signing with us this year. They run the gamut of an Episcopal priest and his family, several U of I professors, graduate students, a IT director, several games designers with Volition and a hair stylist. The Hickory Street Apartments is perhaps C-U's quietest apartment building. We are current showing four two bedroom apartments in this green building.

RDI Properties

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We are currently leasing at The Quarters downtown Champaign for August lease start date. We still have three apartment for lease - two one bedrooms and one two bedroom.

RDI Properties

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We offer in and adjacent to downtown Champaign two similar but distinct lifestyle choices. You can live in The Sesquicentennial Neighborhood, Champaign's oldest , in one of our many homes with tree lined streets and picket fences and be a five minute walk to downtown. Or, you can live with downtown just outside your door in either The Hickory Street Apartments or The Quarters.