Cold weather and your rentals

 The extreme cold weather has now passed through Eugene and Medford and we are starting to thaw out a bit. We would like to take this opportunity to pass on what we have learned over the past week.

1. Western Oregon is not prepared and not built for -8F weather!! No matter what you do to prepare, issues are going to come up. From frozen pipes, to travel issues, to loss of heat.

2. That being said, prep as much as you can!! Unhooking hoses and covering pipes can save you time and money in the long run. It won't stop all issues but it's a simple and inexpensive way to keep you long term cost down.

3. Have a good relationship with your plumber and electrician!! On multiple occasions we were able to call after hours and get someone out to properties late at night to prevent any further damage, and keep our tenants with running water and heat. This makes for happy people all around.

  In short, we live in a fairly mild climate and are not used to these type of weather conditions.  This tends to lead to complacency when it comes to preparing for the worst. After this last week I'm sure there are people all over Eugene, Medford and Western Oregon wishing they had spent a little more time on prepping for this winter.