You’re an attorney with Foulston, but you also have a real estate property management company. Tell us about Reliance Property Management.

Reliance Property Management is a full-service property management company that I founded in 2015. We have a strong team of around 20 employees and manage approximately 1,300 rental properties. Most are these properties are long-term rentals, but we also do short-term rentals (Airbnbs) and HOA management services for local homeowner associations.

During a recent member lunch, you shared that you have some rental properties (Airbnb's?) available this summer for anyone who may have friends or family coming to town to visit. What kind of rentals do you have - one bedroom, two? What do your potential customers need to know?

Yes, we own 8 fully furnished short-term rentals in Wichita. They vary in size. The smallest is a 1 bedroom, and the largest is a 4 bedroom. We primarily target guests who want to stay for seven days or more. This includes traveling professionals (e.g., nurses and construction workers), people visiting family, and groups needing temporary housing due to a life change (e.g., house was sold or damaged). We pay all utilities and provide wifi access for our guests. You can view all of our Wichita short-term rentals at ictshortstay.com

We also own 12 vacation rentals in South Padre Island, Texas (link) and one in Florida (link).

As a short-term rental property owner, what kind of feedback have you heard from your customers?

Customers of short-term rentals typically value updated furniture, fenced-in backyards (kids/pets), and garages (they want to keep their vehicles safe). Almost all of our properties offer these amenities. In addition, we have recently added amenities to some of our properties to accommodate pets or guests who want exercise equipment in the home.

What fueled your interest in rentals and property management? How much does your background in law help you as a property manager?

I loved certain aspects of my job as a lawyer. I got to work with incredible people and businesses. But I didn’t like the fact that I was trading my time for money. So early on I set a goal of starting some kind of investment/business that would allow me to retire from the law firm before age 40 so I could focus more on myself and my family. My first couple of endeavors (Blue Skies Bistro and theringshewants.com) didn’t pan out but taught me valuable lessons. I then bought my first rental property in 2012 and realized very quickly that this was my path to financial freedom. Real estate offers so many advantages other types of investments do not. I continued to grow my personal rental portfolio over the years, started Reliance Property Management and a few other businesses, and retired as a partner from the law firm in 2021.

My background in law is helpful as a real estate owner and property manager. I am better able to explain to real estate owners their responsibilities as landlords under the Kansas Landlord Tenant Act, and help work through issues that arise with their properties.
What other services does Reliance Property Management offer aside from rentals, offer?

As I noted above, Reliance Property Management offers full-service property management services for long-term rentals, short-term rentals, and HOA management services. Our niche is really Class A and Class B single-family houses. We don’t manage many multifamily units/apartment complexes. Feel free to reach out to me if you or anyone you know is interested in these services.

Here is a list of my other real estate businesses and the services we provide:

Helping Hands Homebuyers. This is our house-flipping company (similar to the shows you see on HGTV). We flip about around 35 houses per year in the Wichita, Kansas, and Tampa, Florida areas. If you know of anyone looking to sell a house that needs some work, please send them my way! We offer referral fees.

Reliance Home Services: We provide licensed HVAC and roofing services to homes in the Wichita metro area.

ICT Antioch/Private Lending Business: We provide short to medium-term lending to real estate investors who are looking to flip houses or buy real estate. Unlike banks, we focus more on the property and less on a person’s credit score or current income. We can also close a loan much faster than banks (typically 10 days or less) and with fewer fees.

You've been a member of the Groover Labs community for almost two years. We noticed your office went from Spartan to chic. What happened?

My office has always been pretty bare/spartan. I have very talented office neighbors at Midwest Fresh Homes, so I asked if I could hire them to decorate it with a beach theme. They hit it out of the park!