What's included
An REO make-ready follows one checklist from the first visit to the listing photos, so every property in your pipeline gets the same treatment and the same paperwork.
- Initial secure visit within 48 hours: rekey all exterior doors, install a lockbox, confirm the property is sealed, photograph every room and the exterior with date stamps
- Trash-out and haul-away: personal property, debris and appliances removed, loaded and hauled by us, with a photo of each load
- Yard: mow, edge, trim back overgrowth from walkways and the front elevation, remove yard debris
- Pressure wash the driveway, walkway and entry so the listing photos look clean
- Interior wipe-down after the trash-out: counters, cabinets, bathrooms, floors swept and mopped
- Repair list priced line by line: drywall patches, interior doors, locks and hardware, caulk, screens, blinds, fixtures, paint touch-up or full rooms
- Smoke detectors, bulbs and AC filter so the property shows and inspects without small surprises
- Before and after photo set and a one-page summary, emailed as one PDF per property
Monthly vacant property care
A bank-owned house that sits empty in South Florida does not stay in showing condition on its own. Grass gets tall in two weeks, mildew comes back on the walkway, a window gets found open, and the first thing the listing agent hears about it is a code enforcement letter or a buyer's agent complaint.
Our vacant property care plan keeps the listing ready while it sells. Two visits a month, each one documented, with the lawn cut on every visit. You get the photo report the same day, and anything we find gets priced before we touch it.
- $249 a month per property for two visits a month, lawn cut and edged on each visit
- $399 a month for weekly visits, for properties under a code enforcement notice or a nuisance complaint
- Each visit: walk the exterior and interior, check doors, windows, locks and lockbox, run water at each fixture, flush toilets, check for leaks, pests and squatters, confirm the AC or dehumidifier setting, clear flyers and mail
- Dated photo report emailed after every visit
- Occupancy and condition checks for your asset manager's weekly status report
- Storm prep before a named storm and a post-storm check after it, at the hourly rate
- Add-ons at published rates: pressure wash, pool deck and patio wash, window cleaning, interior repairs
- Month to month, cancel when the property closes
Common South Florida problems
Humidity is the big one. A house that sits with the power off grows mildew on caulk, grout, closet walls and the inside of cabinets within weeks. We note the AC and power status on the first visit and recommend a setting or a dehumidifier if the utilities are on.
Overgrowth draws code enforcement fast in Broward and Palm Beach municipalities. Most cities enforce a grass height limit on vacant lots and homes, and a lien can follow the notice. Keeping the lawn on a two-week cycle is cheaper than one fine.
Former occupants sometimes leave a full house behind, including a refrigerator with food in it. We bag, haul and photograph it, and we let you know right away if anything looks like it should be held under a personal property notice.
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. If a named storm is coming, we can bring in loose items, secure openings where shutters or panels exist on site, and photograph the property before and after.
How it works
Send the address, the lock situation, the deadline and anything the asset manager needs in the report. We confirm the first visit within one business day and secure the property within 48 hours.
After the first visit you get the photo set and a priced make-ready list. Anything under your not-to-exceed amount gets done on the next visit. Anything over it waits for your OK, with photos.
We work from the lockbox after the rekey, so nobody has to meet us. Dump fees and materials are billed at cost with receipts.
When the listing closes, send a text and the monthly plan ends with no notice period.
What affects the price
The make-ready price moves with how much was left behind and how long the property sat. We quote from the first-visit photos, so you see the number before any work starts.
- Standard make-ready from $899: rekey up to 3 doors, one trailer load hauled, lawn cut and edged, interior wipe-down, photo set
- Rekey only: $149 for the first lock, $35 for each additional lock, lockbox included if you supply one
- Trash-out: $349 per trailer load hauled, dump fees at cost; appliance removal $75 each
- Lawn cut and edge, standard lot: $65 per visit outside a monthly plan
- Driveway and walkway pressure wash $199, full exterior soft wash $349
- Repairs at the account rate: $149 visit minimum with the first hour, $85 an hour after, $79 an hour for accounts with 10 or more jobs a month
- Vacant property care $249 a month, weekly plan $399 a month
- Florida's handyman exemption caps a single job at $2,500, so larger repairs are referred to a licensed contractor
Account terms
We provide a W-9 and a certificate of insurance on request, and we sign your vendor agreement or use ours. The first property runs on a card so you can see the reports and the turnaround. After that, approved brokerages and asset management companies move to net-30 invoicing, one invoice per property with the photo report attached.
We invoice the brokerage, the asset management company or the investor, whichever your file requires, and we can split a make-ready from the monthly plan if the bank reimburses them separately.
What we don't do
No electrical, no plumbing lines or water heaters, no roofing, no pool chemistry, no mold remediation and nothing that needs a permit. We also do not do evictions or cash-for-keys negotiations; once the former occupant is out and the property is legally yours to enter, we take it from there. When we find one of those items, it goes in the photo report with a note so you can send the right contractor.
Questions we get about reo and bank-owned property services
How fast can you secure a new REO assignment?
Within 48 hours of the assignment in most of Broward and Palm Beach. The first visit covers the rekey, lockbox, a walk-through with date-stamped photos and a priced make-ready list.
Do you haul the trash-out yourselves?
Yes. Joe hauls each load, so there is no dumpster rental or waiting on a third party. Trash-outs are priced per trailer load and dump fees are billed at cost with the receipt.
What does the monthly vacant property plan include?
Two documented visits a month with the lawn cut and edged each time, a check of doors, windows, locks, plumbing and the AC setting, and a dated photo report after every visit. It is $249 a month, or $399 a month for weekly visits, and ends when the property closes.
Can you provide the reports my asset manager needs?
Yes. Every property gets a before and after photo set with dates and a one-page summary as a single PDF, and the monthly plan sends a report after each visit. Tell us what fields your asset manager's system wants and we match them.
Do you work for national property preservation companies?
Our accounts are REO listing agents, brokerages, local asset managers and investors who pay standard rates on net-30. We are not set up for national preservation vendor platforms with fixed price sheets.
What about personal property left behind?
We photograph everything before it is removed. If something looks like it should be held under a personal property notice, we tell you before it leaves the house and store it on site until you say otherwise.
Where we do this most
We do reo and bank-owned property services across Palm Beach and Broward. These are some of the cities where we get asked for it most.
- REO and bank-owned property services in Fort Lauderdale
- REO and bank-owned property services in Pompano Beach
- REO and bank-owned property services in Miramar
- REO and bank-owned property services in West Palm Beach
- REO and bank-owned property services in Lake Worth Beach
- REO and bank-owned property services in Boynton Beach
- All service areas