Property Management Pros Rogue Valley

10/14/2021

Vacancy Available
3 Bdrm, 1 and 1/2 bath Medford Townhome. For details and to apply visit:

This unit offers 1216 sq ft of living area, 3 BD/ 1.5 BA, indoor laundry with Washer/Dryer, and fenced backyard space. New wood lament floors, new water heater, freshly painted. Plenty of closets for storage. No Pets.

08/03/2021

Oregon Rental Assistance

We know the last year has been a challenging time for all and things are slowly getting back to normalcy. Property Management companies are not charging late fees starting in July 2021. They are also enforcing evictions for those who have past due rents and cannot provide application requests for rental assistance for the month of August.

If you are behind in rent and/or utilities, be sure to apply for assistance ASAP.

The Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP) is funded with $204 million and is designed for tenants to apply for the funds directly. Renter households that have incomes less than 80% of Area Median Income, meeting additional program conditions

https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/housing-assistance/Pages/emergency-rental-assistance.aspx

Housing and Community Services will distribute $204 million to qualified renters who have experienced financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic and are at risk of homelessness or housing instability. The allotted $204 million can be used for past due rent and utilities.

Who is eligible? The OERAP program can serve renter households that have incomes less than 80% of Area Median Income who meet the following conditions:· Individual(s) in the household has qualified for unemployment benefits or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or has experienced other financial hardship due directly or indirectly to the coronavirus outbreak; and· Individual(s) in the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability evidenced by a past due utility or rent notice.

If you have applied for assistance, please send proof of application immediately to your landlord.

07/14/2021

Oregon legislatures approve 60-day eviction delay for tenants who seek rental assistance

Oregon tenants still struggling to pay their rent due to the coronavirus pandemic are now temporarily protected from eviction once they apply for rent assistance.
The Oregon legislatures pass SB 278 which will protect residential renters from eviction for 60 days starting on 7/1/21 if they apply for rent assistance and notify their landlords.

The state has millions of dollars available for renters and landlords intended to stave off evictions, but the state and its partners are slogging through thousands of applications, with most still weeks from a final decision.
The state is in the process of distributing $204 million in federal rent assistance through the new Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Go to the website to see if you qualify.

If you have experienced hardship due to COVID 19 and need assistance to pay your rent or utility bills you MAY be eligible for the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

05/06/2021

TENANT RESOURCES FOR RENTAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Do not wait to get behind on rent before contacting and applying for rental assistance. Most organizations have a process and take time. Below are a list of local organizations and programs that can help with rental assistance.

What you need to know to apply for Public or Private nonprofit organizations that help tenants with one time or ongoing rental assistance:

Do you qualify?

To qualify for rent arrears assistance from charities, you must meet four criteria:

1. you must have a case in housing court or a rent demand from your landlord
2. explain how you fell behind
3. the ability to pay the current rent going forward, and
4. back rent that is not too high

You must explain why you fell behind. The reason might be that you lost your job, your hours at work were cut, you or a family member had a medical crisis or unusual expenses, you had a death in your family, or you had some other crisis. You might need to show proof of this reason.

When you call our hotline or a charity, you will be asked about your Housing Court case, how much rent you pay each month, how much total income you have, how much back rent you owe and the reason(s) you fell behind. Many charities and HRA require a “breakdown” from the landlord showing each month owed and how much. Some charities require a housing court stipulation.
You must show that you have enough income to pay the future rent. You might need to increase your income (find a job, get a third party, apply for public benefits), or to reduce your rent (get a roommate, apply for a rental subsidies).

Be prepared to call many places and put in many applications.
Many charities can only help with only one month of back rent. You may have to speak with more than one charity, as well as HRA, to come up with a package of grants and loans that will cover all of your back rent.

The following are resources for Rental and Financial Assistance in Jackson and Josephine Counties.

Emergency rent assistance is for Jackson County:

ACCESS
3630 Aviation Way
Medford, Oregon 97504
(541) 779-6691

The non-profit offers an emergency homeless prevention program. As part of this there may be funds for back rent. They also run the Support Services for Veterans and VA Families (SSVF) in Jackson County. Depending on government grants allocated, they may be help with security deposits, job search costs, legal issues, or rent.

Salvation Army (Medford Corps) - Family Services
922 N Central Avenue
Medford, OR 97501
(541) 772-8149

Programs include money for energy bills, rent, household goods such as furniture, and emergency shelter.

St Vincent De Paul
2424 N Pacific Highway
Medford, OR 97501
(541) 772-3828

Rent help or loans from the church are for tenants that are struggling to pay existing housing expenses.

St Vincent De Paul Society affiliated churches
132 SE H Street
Grants Pass, OR 97526
(541) 479-0926

Hearts with a Mission Youth Shelter (Jackson County)
517 Edwards St.
Medford, OR 97501
(541) 956-4190

Focused on teenagers and children 10 - 17. Shelter, Housing Search Assistance, counseling, referrals to rental assistance, and more is provided.

Rogue Retreat
529 Riverside Avenue
Medford, OR 97501
(541) 499-0880

Rent subsidies, based on income, are for the chronically homeless, seniors, and working poor tenants. The Housing Retreat program is also available.

Rogue Valley Veterans and Community Outreach
601 N Grape Street
Medford, Oregon 97501
(541) 779-8564

Housing, supportive services, and rental help may be offered by the VA Grant and Per Diem Program for veterans and their spouses.
Community Works
201 W Main Street Suite 3D
Medford, OR 97501
(541) 779-2393 ext. 213

The youth in Jackson County can use the transitional housing program. There is only help for people 21 years of age and younger.

Emergency rent assistance is for Josephine County:

River Valley Community Church
405 NE 6th Street
Grants Pass, OR 97526
(541) 476-7761 ext. 106

Lifeline Ministry can help with everything from rent to gasoline, medications, and more. A focus in on helping with housing or rental costs to stop an eviction, and there is also aid for mobile homes

United Community Action Network
201 NE 8th Street
Grants Pass, Oregon 97526
(541) 956-4073

Assistance is for the homeless or those at risk. Government grants are focused on rental and security deposit costs of veterans. There is also funds for utilities, job placement, and information on low income apartments.

Hearts with a Mission Youth Shelter (Josephine County)
1504 NE 9th St.
Grants Pass, OR 97526
(541) 956-4190

Focused on teenagers and children 10 - 17. Shelter, Housing Search Assistance, counseling, referrals to rental assistance, and more is provided.

08/01/2020

Property Management Pros Rogue Valley is here and wants to be YOUR go-to Rental Expert in our local Rogue Valley markets!

If you have:
An Investment buyer asking rental specifics.
A Seller wanting a Plan B option.
Need a referable company you & your Clients can both trust.
We are here for You!

We don’t buy and sell, that’s YOUR Job!
We are here to support You and bring more to what you can offer your Clients.

With no worry of competition, Let’s Work Together! Give us a Call Today!

www.PMProsRV.com
541-248-1866

01/19/2020

ANALIZING A MULTI-UNIT PROPERY INVESTMENT

If you’ve started shopping around for an investment property, it's best to make sure you get a good deal.
In order for you to achieve that you’re going to have to do some homework by analyzing the deal.
The deal analysis is not an optional step in the process; it's actually the most important part.
“Never fall in love with the property, only fall in love with the numbers’” may sound cliché, yet investors that don’t follow this principle will suffer the consequences.
Now it’s easy for me to tell you to just analyze the deal or run the numbers, but what does that really mean?

Here are the 5 most important metrics when
deal.

1. Cash Flow
Cash flow is the movement of money in and out of a business. Cash flow isn’t equal to the profit.
It’s a good indicator of how the money is being managed; whether or not the rent collected will cover the overall expenses of the property.
The Cash Flow Formula:
Cash Flow = Gross Revenue - Expenses + Debt Service + Reserves

2. Cash-on-Cash Return
Simply put, the cash-on-cash return is a measurement of the annual return an investor has made relative to the amount of money paid on the mortgage during the year.
By including the debt, this ratio will provide an accurate rate of return for an investor on the property.
The Cash-on-Cash Return Formula:
Cash-on-Cash Return = Annual Cash Flow / Total Cash Invested

3. Price Per Door
The price per door is HUGE in multi-family real estate.
It’s a basic calculation that breaks down the cost per unit of the property.
This metric tells you a ton about the overall cost of the property.
I recommend that as an investor you have a purchasing price per door expectation when shopping around.
In a nutshell, this helps you quickly eliminate doing extensive analysis and stops you from looking at properties and markets that are outside of your price range.
If you're a new investor and don’t have much capital, it makes a lot of sense to start out in a market with a lower price per door to get the most bang for your buck.
The Price per Door Formula:
Price per Door = Purchase Price of Property / Number of Units

4. Gross Operating Income (GOI)
The GOI Income is the actual income an investor can expect to receive from a property after taking into account vacancy rates.
The GOI serves as a performance indicator.
Investors often look for a GOI sufficient enough to cover costs so they don’t end up paying operating expenses with outside cash.

The Gross Operating Income Formula:
Rental Income + *Other Income = Total Revenue
Total Revenue - Vacancy Rate = GOI
*Coin Laundry Machines, Storage Units Rentals, etc.

5. Net Operating Income (NOI)
As an Investor, you want income-producing properties.
The NOI is the measurement of that.
There is no “Good” or “Bad” NOI.
The Net Operating Income is typically calculated annually and will indicate if expenses are too high or if the rent amounts need adjusting.
The Net Operating Income (NOI) Formula:
NOI = Gross Operating Income (GOI) - Operating Expenses

There are quite a few different formulas to help in your property search.
It’s important to look at all aspects in order to get a comprehensive property assessment before settling on the purchase.
These formulas should be reviewed regularly in order to maintain growth in your investment.

When you do find that ideal multi-unit investment and are ready to hire a Property Management Company that understands multi-unit management, contact:

Ken Martinez
Property Management Pros Rogue Valley
541-248-1866
[email protected]

12/11/2019

WHY HIRE A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY?

Owning a rental property can be a great source of additional income. However, it also comes with the added responsibilities of property upkeep, repairs and marketing. If you’re asking yourself “do I need a property manager?” — consider these eight benefits of hiring one. A property manager will:

1. Screen out problem tenants
One of the biggest benefits of property management is that the property manager will handle tenant screening. Experienced property managers see hundreds (or thousands) of applications, so their trained eyes are more likely to notice potential red flags when reviewing an applicant’s paperwork. They’re quickly able to spot good tenant qualities, such as paying rent on time, taking care of the property and more. Letting them manage the tenant screening process can improve your chances of landing a reliable renter.

2. Act as the point of contact for tenant concerns
If something breaks at your property, it’s not always convenient or possible to drive over to the unit to inspect it yourself (especially if it’s in another town or state). A property manager can address problems at all hours of the day and arrange for a service provider to repair or replace the item. Or, if you have a tenant who always seems to have a complaint — be it the noisy neighbors or the dog who relieves itself on the front lawn — you can breathe easy knowing that the property manager is the point of contact for those types of calls.

3. Market your rental
Property managers are skilled at rental marketing, including writing rental ads, taking high-quality photos and hosting open houses. They also have local real estate knowledge and will be able to help you set a competitive rent price. Hiring a property manager with marketing experience can help fill your property sooner and reduce the time it sits vacant. If you plan to market your property yourself, Zillow Rental Manager offers a hassle-free way to list your rental on multiple high-traffic websites. In fact, according to the Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report 2018, 73% of renters use online resources when shopping or searching for a home — so it’s a good idea to list your rental on the right sites to attract those potential tenants.

4. Decrease tenant turnover
Good property management companies know how to keep their renters happy. They are responsive and available, and they take care of problems when they arise. Happy renters are also less likely to look for another place to live and more willing to accept reasonable rent increases. Of tenants who choose to stay in their current lease, 50% think their home is a good value for the price and 40% say they love the place they rent.

5. Ensure rent is paid on time
Because property management companies deduct their fees from the monthly rent, they are motivated to keep those payments flowing in. Consistent rent collection is key to receiving rent payments on time, and a property management company will enforce lease policies if payments aren’t received. If tenants are consistently failing to pay their rent on time (or at all), the property manager will know how to deal with the situation, including issuing an eviction notice if necessary. Payment collection can be a common issue — the typical renter spends 29% of their income on rent, and a significant share of rental households are one large expense away from being unable to pay.

6. Avoid potential legal issues
Property managers understand landlord-tenant laws and fair housing laws, which can help you avoid potential lawsuits and save time, money and energy in the long run. They will also typically take care of any lawyer fees associated with evictions or property damage issues. If you’re not comfortable handling things like evictions, signing and terminating leases and handling rent and security deposits, you may need property management company expertise.

7. Save you money on maintenance and repair costs
Property managers may also have discounts for maintenance services because they work with a regular service provider — or they may even employ an in-house maintenance staff. They can perform regular inspections and find issues before they turn into bigger problems, which will reduce the number of emergency repair bills.

8. Reduce your rental headaches
If someone else is handling the daily management of your rental property and tenants, you’ll have fewer complications and commitments to worry about. If more time and less stress are key to your quality of life, a property management company can be a great asset.

These are the basic pros and cons of property management. Investing in real estate can contribute to your monthly cash flow and build long-term wealth — but day-to-day management isn’t for everyone. If you just want a rent check and don’t want to be responsible for the details of your real estate investment, consider all the property management benefits that you’ll receive for a percentage of your rental income.

10/12/2019

WHY THE COST OF LIVING IN MEDFORD, OREGON IS GREAT FOR LANDLORDS

Before moving to a particular place to start a lifestyle, it is essential to have clear information on how it will cost you to live there. Since the prices of goods and services vary from place to place, determining how much more or less you need to live in an area is vital. The estimates for renters, homeowners, and housing affordability mostly determine the cost of living in a place. Looking for a place that has a low cost of living is beneficial to both the landlords and their tenants.

Cost of living in Medford compared to other areas in Oregon

Compared to many other cities in Oregon, the cost of living in Medford is affordable, which is suitable for both homeowners and renters. According to neighborhood scouts, Oregon’s average home value is $340,027 as a state with more than two-thirds of the homes having a value of between $130,954 and $523,432. On a city basis Comparison, the home value in Medford goes at $283,699 while in Portland it goes at $464,496 which is a clear indication that the cost of living is low in Medford and the prices are affordable. Comparing Medford and Portland, the overall index cost of living in Medford is 34.6% less with a median home cost being 58% less expensive, transportation being 67.5% less expensive and other miscellaneous expenditures falling at 14.8% less expensive. This makes life more comfortable and less costly for the residents of Medford.

Why the affordable prices in Medford is a good thing for landlords and their tenants

The low cost of living in Medford Oregon and affordable prices is a good thing for both landlords and their tenants. Naturally, affordable housing costs mean cheaper rent for tenants. This allows the renters to get properties that suit their needs better, have an appropriate number of rooms, access to neighborhoods and proximity to stronger jobs. Additionally, tenants are able to pay their rents without draining all their income. Having affordable property prices also means renters can rely on their landlords for better maintenance, thus they are assured their premises will stay at a high quality. Affordable prices also allow tenants to remain in the property for a long time, thus minimizing the hassles associated with frequent relocation and high cost of agency fees.

For the landlords, affordable price is a compelling prospect for the generation of a decent return on their investments. Affordable prices will mean affordable properties, thus enabling the landlords to pay higher down payments, which ultimately reduces the time for loan repayment and therefore benefiting from low-interest rates. With less money going on interests, landlords can have hefty returns on their investments and enjoy more risk-free investments.

Generally, affordable prices for the tenants come with additional benefits for their landlords. Low rents allow landlords to secure tenants at fairer rates and enjoy reliably paying tenants, thus getting a more favorable return on investment.

How using a property management company will be an affordable option in Medford

As a result of affordable prices in Medford, Oregon, outsourcing a property manager for your property is affordable. As a property owner, there are so many responsibilities associated with maintenance of a property ranging from dealing with the tenants and their issues, filling of taxes, checking the tenant’s deposits, signing the agreement and ensuring your property is renovated, repaired and repainted after contract agreements are over. All these activities take a significant amount of your time and can be overwhelming. However, with affordable prices in Medford, Oregon, hiring a property management company is affordable; thus, landlords can delegate all the duties of property maintenance to a property manager. This allows them to dedicate their time to other personal issues and still able to enjoy a decent return of investment. Additionally, they can pay the property manager and still retain reasonable profits.

Overall, the low cost of living in Medford, Oregon, is excellent not only to the tenants but also to the landlord. It gives people the ability to live comfortable lives, pays their rents without draining their income, and allows the landlords to enjoy a reliable tenant who pays on time for a good return on their investments.

Please contact us if you would like top find out more information on why Medford, Oregon may be the right place for you to move too.

Property Management Pros Rogue Valley 541-248-1866 or visit www.PMProsRV.com

08/27/2019

IMPORTANT HOME OWNERSHIP LAWS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE FINDING A TENANT IN MEDFORD, OREGON

Laws about rental housing are established to protect all the parties in the landlord-tenant relationship. As a property manager, you need to know the local, State, and Federal regulations and abide by them to avoid being on the wrong side of the law. This can cost you both business and your reputation, which can be hard to recover.
As soon as you understand that tenants want to live peacefully in a rental home and protect their rights, your relationship with tenants as a property manager will be smooth and fruitful. Here are some home ownership laws in Medford Oregon that you need to know for you to have a resourceful career and happy clients:
1. The Fair Housing Act
This is one of the primary Federal Landlord-tenant laws that applies to all States in America. The Fair Housing Act prohibits any discrimination due to race, color, religion, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. This law extends beyond leasing to the advertising of your house only to specific groups of people.
2. The Fair Credit Reporting Act
This is also a Federal Law that binds every homeowner within the United States. It dictates the ways a property manager may use a tenant’s credit history to deny or give them the property.
Under this law, the landlord must get permission to access any applicants credit details, provide information on the credit report agency used to draft the credit report and finally inform the client if his /her credit report was the basis of denying them a house.
3. Oregon Security Deposit Limit and Return
Oregon State laws do not limit the amount of money a landlord can charge for deposit to a tenant. However, it prohibits the landlord from raising the security deposit within the first year of the tenancy unless both the landlord and the tenant agree.
State law does not also limit the period within which the deposit should be returned. Most landlords put it at 31 days after the tenant moves out of the property. There are many more restrictions set on security deposit that you can check at with Oregon Security Deposit Limits and Deadlines page on the State website.
4. Small Claim Lawsuits
This is another Oregon State law that is critical. It allows tenants to sue landlords in a small claims court for the return of their deposit up to a total amount of 10,000 Dollars. As a landlord, you must be ready to tackle such a security deposit dispute when a tenant files a complaint.
5. Oregon late fees and other rent rules
You also need to know about Medford, Oregon, late fees law. It sets clear rules on when a tenant can pay overdue fees. It is usually a maximum of 3 days before a landlord can file for eviction or the tenant to move out if they fail to pay in time as agreed at the beginning of a tenancy.
6. Tenants’ rights to withhold rent
Homeownership Laws in Medford, Oregon may allow tenants to withhold rent during certain circumstances. For example, a tenant may withhold rent by exercising the right to repair and deduct whenever a landlord fails to take care of important repairs such as leaking pipe or floor. For more specifics, you can visit Oregon Tenant Rights to Withhold Rent or “Repair and Deduct” Laws on the State’s website.
7. Termination and Eviction Laws
The Oregon landlord-tenancy laws put clear the situation when a landlord may terminate a tenancy. For example, a landlord is allowed to give a tenant who has caused significant damage to his property as little as 24 hours to vacate his premises.
Moreover, if the landlord intends to upgrade the house, then he can give a notice of at least three months. This is to give the client enough time to look for a house to move into.
Oregon has many other landlord-tenant laws that are also important to know for successful property management. Federal laws such as the Fair Housing Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act are very crucial to understand if you intend to be a great property manager. If you get responsible tenants who understand the property laws, then you have an easy time as a landlord. If you want to learn more about homeownership laws in Oregon please visit us!
www.PMProsRV.com

07/21/2019

4 BENEFITS WORKING WITH A MEDFORD PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Smart Medford investors know that there are a number of benefits to working with a professional property management company. Today, we’re sharing four of the best reasons to work with a property manager.

Property Management Medford: Time Savings

The number one reason that most of our customers begin working with us is that they value their time. Time is ultimately all we have, and dealing with after-hours phone calls, clogged toilets, and lots of questions from needy tenants can take a fair amount of time. This is especially true when your Portland rental home is vacant. A lot of time and effort will be required to meet with applicants, coordinate vendors, and respond to inquiries. This is where we really earn our fee – we give you back your time.

Property Management Medford: Cost Efficient

At Property Management Pros Rogue Valley, we are constantly working with vendors to establish excellent pricing for our Portland landlords. We have vendors who do outstanding work for less than full retail price. This is because we provide a large volume of business to vendors, and that helps us secure excellent pricing. Painting, carpet cleaning, and general repairs are cost efficient and much more affordable than if you were scheduling this work on your own.

Property Management Medford: Local Expertise

In Oregon, rental properties are highly regulated by city, state, and county regulations. Our job is to keep up with all those changes. We use updated forms and have access to all the tools and resources that protect your property. We can pull credit reports from the credit bureaus and access criminal records. We provide the most current information on the local rental market.

Property Management Medford: Professionalism

It can be difficult to deal with tenants. These are their lives and where they live. It can be hard to make business decisions, especially when you need to end a tenancy. Perhaps you have built relationships with people, and therefore it’s hard to make tough business decisions. Property Management Pros Rogue Valley always has a business hat on, and we can avoid making emotional decisions. We’re here to help you through the challenging parts of the rental process.

These are only a few of the benefits of using professional management, and there’s much more we can tell you. For any of your Medford property management needs, please contact us at Property Management Pros Rogue Valley 541-248-1866. www.PMProsRV.com

07/18/2019

HOW TO GET RID OF ANTS

Southern Oregon seems to be built on an ant hill and we consistently get questions about how to get rid of the little intruders. When it rains and when it's dry they seem to invade local kitchens and certainly those nights when you don't feel like doing the dishes before bed they take the opportunity to help you clean up.

We Googled "How to get rid of Ants" and found lots and lots of advice and ideas which we re-capped below. There are too many ideas for us to test but we mention in bold at the end of the idea if this is one we at Expert Properties have tested and found to be successful.

Adhesive Tape
Is an army of ants marching toward the cookie jar on your countertop or some sweet prize in your pantry? Create a "moat" around the object by surrounding it with adhesive tape placed sticky side up.

Boric Acid
If you've had it with sharing your living quarters with roaches or ants, give them the heave-ho by sprinkling boric acid along any cracks or crevices where you've spotted the intruder. Note: Keep in mind that boric acid can be toxic if ingested by young children or pets. This is one solution we have tried and it has worked.

Chalk
Keep ants at bay by drawing a line around home entry points. The ants will be repelled by the calcium carbonate in the chalk, which is actually made up of ground-up and compressed shells of marine animals. Scatter powdered chalk around garden plants to repel ants and slugs.

Clean Kitchen
If your kitchen is kept very clean you typically won't get ants beyond the scouts looking for food and sugar sources. If the scouts don't find any food they will typically move on. Dog and Cat food can also be a great find for ants so keep those areas clean as well.

Cloves and bay leaves
Find out where they're coming in and sprinkle ground cloves and/or crushed bay leaves in the area. Ants absolutely can't stand cloves and I hear they feel the same about bay leaves, they will run screaming (listen hard, they have tiny mouths).

Colony - Find the Source
Once you see ants try and follow them to find out where they are entering your home. Once you have done that you can treat that area and try and follow them outside to their colony. If you find the colony you have it made and can kill the eggs and the queen. We followed a line of ants to a wood pile, lifted up some logs to find thousands of eggs and a mad shuffle as the worker ants tried to carry the eggs to safety, but were quickly stopped by a can of RAID.

Cucumber
You can use cucumber to get rid of ants as they don't like the taste of cucumber. Placing small piece of cucumber in ants affected area will force them to leave your home.
Flour
Sprinkle a line of flour along the backs of pantry shelves and wherever you see ants entering the house. Repelled by the flour, ants won't cross over the line.

Lemons
You don't need insecticides or ant traps to ant-proof your kitchen. Just give it the lemon treatment. First sq**rt some lemon juice on door thresholds and windowsills. Then squeeze lemon juice into any holes or cracks where the ants are getting in. Finally, scatter small slices of lemon peel around the outdoor entrance. The ants will get the message that they aren't welcome. Lemons are also effective against roaches and fleas: Simply mix the juice of 4 lemons (along with the rinds) with 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water and wash your floors with it; then watch the fleas and roaches flee. They hate the smell.

Mint
Apparently ants don't like mint and if you want another natural remedy, this one was mentioned may times. Pour dry mint or extract on their path, usually they won't cross the area where the extract is. Keep repeating and usually they will go away.

Oranges
Get rid of the ants in your garden, on your patio, and along the foundation of your home. In a blender, make a smooth puree of a few orange peels in 1 cup warm water. Slowly pour the solution over and into anthills to send the little pests packing.

Pepper
Two or three of your annual visitors have invaded your kitchen. Those ants are looking for sugar. Give them some pepper instead. Cayenne pepper sprinkled in spots where the ants are looking, such as along the backs of your countertops or on your baseboards, will tell them that no sugar is ahead.

Raid
You will have to do a little work by taking everything out from under your kitchen sink. Wash everything very well with some sort of good cleaning solution, including the items you put back under there in case food or something they like has been spilled on them. Then using "Raid" Ant killer in a spray container - spray around where the pipes come up out of the floor or wall. Then put everything back in the cabinet. Spray along the floor line all the way around this area, including near your refrigerator and around your window. We have used this at Expert Properties and it has worked well.

Salt
If ants are beating a path to your home, intercept them by sprinkling salt across the door frame or directly on their paths. Ants will be discouraged from crossing this barrier.

Soapy Water
Spray soap water on the entry points of ants as well as cabinets and other areas. This is another effective home remedy to get rid of ants permanently.

Talcum Powder
For an effective organic ant repellent, scatter talcum powder liberally around house foundations and known points of entry, such as doors and windows. Other effective organic repellents include cream of tartar, borax, powdered sulfur, and oil of cloves. You can also try planting mint around the house foundations.

Terro
This is a popular ant killer and it seems to work for us at Expert Properties. You simply set Terro traps our on your kitchen sink or where ever you have ants and in theory the ants not only get poisoned but take the poison back to the nest.
www.terro.com/ants

Vinegar
Serve the ants on your premises with an eviction notice. Pour equal parts water and white vinegar into a spray bottle. Then spray it on anthills and around areas where you see the insects. Ants hate the smell of vinegar. It won't take long for them to move on to better-smelling quarters. Also keep the spray bottle handy for outdoor trips or to keep ants away from picnic or children's play areas. If you have lots of anthills around your property, try pouring full-strength vinegar over them to hasten the bugs' departure.

Water Containers
Lastly, if you have a hummingbird feeder that gets invaded by ants each year we have a solution. Pierce a hole in a spray can plastic top, slip it upside down through the string that holds you hummingbird feeder, seal the hole with silicon and fill the cup with water. Ants will not walk through water so the lid will act as an ant moat.

In case you are not satisfied with the results of the above mentioned home remedies, then it is advisable to take professional help and hire an exterminator.