bushes that bloom often

I'm in need of some landscaping and would like to add color and size. I'm in Atlanta, 7b, piedmont.

Mostly that seems to come down to crape myrtle, but I was in Lowes and saw an azalea blooming. Unknown to me they have varieties that bloom spring through fall.

Any recommendations?

I'm doing some real estate investing and am buying a couple of starter houses (as rentals) on some very hilly terrain. These two have never been landscaped (built in the 60's) so it's an open slate. I think I may have some spots for hydrangeas and swamp hibiscus, mostly though, lots of sun. Should be fun... It's a buyers market, sellers are getting killed.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Thies
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I have a double and a single yellow. Also a single white. Easy to propagate.

Reply to
Bill who putters

You don't want to do landscaping for tenants... maybe one low maintenence shade tree, and strong fencing to keep vehicles on the paved area.

Reply to
brooklyn1

I disagree. A good long term tenant likes to have a little eye candy in the yard. Encourage him/her to add their own touches.

GO FOR IT

Reply to
Cheryl Isaak

roses, gardenias, tree mallows

Also consider perennials: daylilies, alstroemeria, Shasta daisies

Reply to
David E. Ross

Good, let them hang curtains, and clean the terlit... tenants are tenants for a reason, they are not responsible.

There's no way to know how long a tenant will stay (there's no way the tenant knows how long they will stay) and the vast majority are very transient, that's just the nature of the beast, no prospective tenant ever tells the truth about why they are moving, they often don't have the foggiest idea about why they are moving other than they couldn't pay rent at the last place. Other than non payment of rent the two most popular reasons why a tenant is moving is due to change of employment or a divorce/separation (two good reasons to be short of cash). And even those who stay a couple three years (the outside of long term) rarely will do any landscape maintenence, most won't remember to water their own potted plants. I've had rental properties for more than forty years, often as many as a dozen at a time, and at nearly 70 years old I still have a couple of rental properties. I never expect a tenant to tend to the outside, I'm happy to have the rent paid and that they don't destroy the place. There's money to be made with rental property but expecting tenants to do any maintenance is the last of priorities, tenants are far more likely to be abusive because it's not their property, folks don't treat rental cars very well either. Tenants resent paying rent, tenants don't like that they're tenants, they're tenants because if they want a roof they have no other choice... they are not going to spend any money or make any effort to improve the landlord's property. And in fact I don't like tenants to be long term, better they leave after a year, or two at the most. Tenants are typically on their best behaviour early on but at about a year they begin to act like they own the place and the landlord is the interloper. I don't let my tenants dig in the ground, they'd just make a mess... if they want to landscape they need to buy their own property... if they want to garden I tell them to buy a pot and keep it on a paved area. Now I do all the rental landscape maintenance but previously when I had more properties I hired a professional or the condo association did. I strongly suggest that anyone contemplating becoming a landlord that they make sure their head is screwed on correctly and divest themselves of any pie in the sky altruistic attitude... the reality is that you own the property and have all the responsibility, the tenant owns nothing and couldn't care less about what's not theirs... the first time they can't pay the rent (and it will happen) you'll believe me... all tenant's actually believe that they should be permitted to owe the rent the same as they owe on everything else that they put on plastic that eventually they never pay. Anyone who thinks a tenant is going to buy a lawnmower is nuts, even if you give them a lawnmower and the fuel they still won't mow, they'll probably sell the mower and say someone stole it... you really don't want a rental property that has a lawn anyway... the best rental properties are condos (no outside maintenance) or are a simple house on minimal land, just barely enough side yard for a walking path and with a postage stamp yard. Now my rental house is on the property where I live and I do whatever needs to be done outside... my other property has no residence, it's a 90 acre hay field that I rent to a farmer who raises beef on his land two properties down the road, he does the haying and pays my taxes... meanwhile in seven years that property has appreciated, very conservatively, threefold. Investing in rental property is a lot more involved than most people imagine, you had best have a great sense of humor and a cast iron temperment.

Reply to
brooklyn1

I lean towards trying to encourage gardening ideals. But it is a business still.

Reply to
Bill who putters

In my neighborhood, owners of rental houses generally require a lease of at least two years. Because of excellent schools and a well-designed community, monthly rents are $2,500-$3,000. A rental house rarely stays vacant more than a month.

In this housing environment, putting an effort into landscaping can easily be justified. The rental house right next door to me just went through extensive renovation and completely new landscaping.

Reply to
David E. Ross

Jeff is talking "starter houses"... do you even know what's a starter house.... obviously not when you disregard the question and launch right into boasting about the ritzyness of where you claim to reside. If you live in a neighborhood of houses that can rent for those kinda bucks and enough people are actually renting their homes that their business is common knowlege then you either live in a collapsing nabe full of foreclosures or are full of doodoo... I'd say the latter. There are houses that do rent for that kind of money, and a lot more, but owners and renters don't blab about it, for obvious reasons.

And that's another thing for noobie landlords, NO lease... month to month only. And no one gives a two year lease to a brand new tenant unless it's commercial property, and then it's drawn up by attorneys, so right there I know you're making it up... you're a tenant yourself... you're another egotist needs folks to think you're so well off that you can afford three names, you likely live in a hovel. Jeff asked for help but you and your ilk can't so yoose toss out red herrings, yoose can't help anyone because it's patently obvious that yoose don't know anything. Any minute that billy goat's gruff will be by to regurgitate his extensive library of useless verbosity and impotent witlessness.

Reply to
brooklyn1

And you are a waste of space.

Reply to
Billy

And just how long have you been a landlord? I have 20+ years of it. You do get bad tenants, but honestly, I've only needed the sheriff once. House rentals attract better potential renters and basic yard work is easy contracted out.

C
Reply to
Cheryl Isaak

Cheryl Isaak wrote:

I said for more than forty years.

I don't like to say "bad tenants". I've had many "problematic tenants". I've had to have tenants evicted three times, didn't need the sheriff (fortunately), when the judge gave them ten days to vacate and specified the consequence of the sheriff placing their belongings to the curb they vacated within the week. Of course I never did receive the back rent (or got paid for their damage) but was happy to be rid of them and move on. In the scheme of things losing a few month's rent is no biggie (often a house remains empty for a couple of months between tenants), and minor repairs go with the territory anyway. Large damage is what landlord's insurance is for... you need homeowners insurance anyway, a landlord's rider adds little to the premium. I always tell my tenants to obtain a renter's policy, my insurance covers my property but not theirs. A renters policy can be obtained where they buy auto insurance, adds under $20/month. Very few buy it, foolish... because even if not damaged by fire/water their property is covered for theft, and many renters associate with unsavory types having no integrity... their own famly members will when they visit clean them out right down to their toothpaste.

Not sure what you mean here by a "potential" renter. I've experienced the same caliber of renters with private stand alone residences and with condo units. Even though I've never invested myself I know people who own apartment buildings, they have exactly the same kind of tenant problems. I've stayed away because apartment building/complexes fall under much stricter municipal codes, and tax audits. I've steered clear of commercial property too, commercial tenants have more rights than the landlord. I have a friend who bought a small strip mall, wishes he could sell it. Did ya know that regrdless the type of property if the tenant doesn't tend to their trash zoning enforcement cites the property owner, not the tenant... and that's also for improperly parked/unregistered vehicles.

With condo units the association tends to the exteriors. With private stand alone residences I'd contract with a professional grounds maintenence company. In more then forty years I've had only two tenants that enjoyed gardening, one years ago liked to tell all their friends adn relatives that they bought a house, they also wanted the neighbors to think they owned it, but few tenants care how they're perceived. One just recently, a school teacher who rented my present rental for two years, she worked summers at a farm stand that also did flower baskets of all types so knew about gardening and had access to free plants and materials... she actually went a little overboard with invasive herbs, I'm still yanking mint from along the foundation, but she did keep her little area looking good... but I did all the mowing and she knew not to litter the grounds with her stuff, or it would likely get mowed. She was getting a divoce so after the first year her divorce was final and she began dating contantly adn over night vistors all the time. I had a name for her, "1-800-FLOWERS", she met a lot of guys at the farm stand who would send her flowers that came to my door. And since I live in a northern clime snow/ice removal present a whole nother set of problems. I have more tenant war stories than I have time to type. I can say that it's a tremendous responsibility and a lot of work but monetarilly being a landlord has been very good to me... and has vastly enriched my life in the human relations areas. Most tenants mean well but many just don't have the ability to live responsibly, most folks don't, over spending is an addictive disease just like any addiction, thast today is running rampant. The economy is in the cellar mainly because there are way too many insisting on living well beyond their means... and bailing out poor money managers is the very worst kind of bandage... that's like buying a bottle for an alchoholic. But this is actually the best kind of economy for real estate investment... mortgage rates are the lowest they've ever been, and the more people strapped for cash the more renters there are chasing fewer rentals, which drives up the rent. This is the best landlord's market I've ever seen. Even though home sales are slow real estate brokers are making more money than ever, all have always had rental properties, and since they get first dibs they are buying up more like crazy. Real estate brokers have always made most of their money owning rentals... if they had to live soley on sales commissions (that in most cases they share) they'd all starve... property management is where they make most of their money. Anyone still young can make a lot of money, most of the profits are in waiting the years it takes for property to appreciate while the tenants pay the mortgage, taxes, insurance, etc.

Reply to
brooklyn1

I disagree too. I depends on where the property is and what kind of tenants you are looking for. Low rent in bad area use iron plants that dont need care or even watering. High rent in good area needs watering system and even professional service and much nicer landscaping. I inherited a home in a high rent area. my mother was a master gardener, it was her life. I also bought a duplex across the alley from where we live and updated the inside first and then the outside landscaping. We doubled the rent and have no problem renting it out to people with excellent credit rating. It helps that our area has seen a renaissance and gentrification since we bought into the neighborhood. most homes are 100+ years old. most are owner occupied and there is a bit of garden competition. easy to tell the rentals as they have industrial cookie cutter landscape that gradually goes ratty and dies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago

Reply to
dr-solo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago

Reply to
dr-solo

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