Property Management
Living Made Simple.

Absolutely. Section 8 and Housing Choice Voucher management is our core specialty. We handle all HQS inspections, HAP contracts, rent reasonableness documentation, and housing authority coordination so you can enjoy reliable, government-backed rental income with zero hassle.

We manage residential rental properties throughout Montgomery, Alabama and the surrounding River Region including Prattville, Millbrook, Wetumpka, Pike Road, Tallassee, and East Montgomery. We also have a Texas office serving the DFW metroplex.

We manage single-family homes, small multi-family properties (2–4 units), and are expanding into larger apartment community management. Whether you own one rental or an entire portfolio, our full-service approach covers leasing, maintenance, compliance, and financial reporting.

We use Tenant Turner for convenient self-showing technology. Visit our Available Homes page to browse current listings and schedule a showing at a time that works for you — including evenings and weekends.

Getting started is easy. Submit our property management application and a member of our team will contact you within 24 hours to discuss your property, goals, and how we can help maximize your investment returns.

Once we find the right property and your offer is accepted, we target a 30-day close. Inspections happen within the first 10 days, followed by repair negotiations if needed. We coordinate lender approval, appraisal, and a $1,000 earnest money deposit (which goes toward your down payment). We can close the property in your LLC virtually from anywhere. Then our management team takes over immediately for tenant placement and ongoing management.

Most of our Section 8 investment properties generate $350 to $500+ per month in cash flow, depending on the rent rate and your interest rate. On top of that, you benefit from annual appreciation, annual Section 8 rent increases, tenant-paid mortgage reduction, and the potential for refinancing when rates improve. We walk through all of these numbers during your free consultation.

Yes! Beyond property management, we assist investors with acquisition sourcing, deal evaluation, and coordinating property sales in the Montgomery market. We also connect investors to lenders for DSCR loans, fix-and-flip financing, BRRRR strategy support, refinances, and other investor-friendly products. Whether you're building a portfolio or looking to exit, we can help.

Not at all. While Section 8 is a core specialty, we manage the full spectrum of Montgomery rentals — from premium luxury homes and market-rate properties to HUD-supported housing. Every home receives the same white-glove service, professional marketing, and hands-on attention regardless of rental type.

We require verifiable income of at least 2x the monthly rent, no prior evictions, no bankruptcy, and no felony convictions. We are flexible on credit and review each application holistically. Section 8 voucher holders are welcome. Most applications are processed within 24 to 48 hours.

Pet policies are determined on a property-by-property basis. Many of our homes do allow pets with an approved pet deposit or monthly pet fee, while some properties may have breed or size restrictions. When you schedule a showing or apply for a specific property, our team will let you know the pet policy for that home. If you have a pet, just let us know upfront and we will help you find a pet-friendly option.

Absolutely. We handle PM transitions regularly and make the process as smooth as possible. We coordinate the transfer of tenant leases, ledgers, security deposits, keys, and all relevant documentation. Whether you have full records or need help gathering everything, our team guides you through every step. Many of our clients came to us after experiencing poor communication, lack of transparency, or maintenance neglect with a previous manager.

No — and this is a big differentiator. Many property management companies add a 10–20% markup on every vendor invoice, which means you are paying more than the actual cost of the work. At James-Hawkins, all maintenance and repair invoices are passed through to you at cost with zero markup. You pay exactly what the vendor charges. We believe transparent pricing builds trust, and our vetted vendor network already ensures you are getting quality work at fair rates.

Yes — we are expanding our services to include apartment community management. If you own or are developing a multi-family property in the Montgomery area, we'd love to discuss how our proven management systems can serve your community.

Under Alabama law, the eviction process follows a structured timeline. Rent is due on the 1st and considered late after the 5th. Before filing, we do everything possible to work with the tenant — including payment plans, payment deadlines, and direct communication. For Section 8 tenants, we also coordinate with their caseworker to explore whether a reexamination of income can help cover unpaid rent.

If we have not heard from the tenant by the 15th, an eviction notice is posted on the door. In some cases we may post the notice earlier depending on the severity of the balance or the tenant's history. This notice often prompts tenants to communicate if they have not already.

Once we file with the court, it typically takes about 5 business days for the court to process the paperwork. The tenant must then be personally served — the process server will make up to 3 attempts, and if unsuccessful, the notice is posted on the door. After service, the tenant has 7 business days to respond. In most cases, tenants will come in and pay during this window. We require either full payment or at minimum 50% of the balance with a solid payment plan.

From first missed rent to final resolution, the average timeline is approximately 30–45 days. Our goal is always to keep good tenants in the home — but when eviction is necessary, we move quickly and have partnered with one of Montgomery's top eviction attorneys to protect your interests at every step.

After an eviction is finalized, outstanding balances are turned over to Hunter Warfield — the industry leader in property management collections with over 35 years of experience and hundreds of millions recovered nationwide. This ensures you have every opportunity to recoup lost rent even after the tenant has vacated.

Most of our properties lease within 30 days or less when priced strategically. Every listing gets professional photography and is syndicated through Tenant Turner to the biggest rental platforms in the country — including Zillow, Trulia, HotPads, Apartments.com, Zumper, Redfin, Padmapper, Movoto, Rent.com, and Realtor.com. That means your property is visible to millions of active renters from a single listing.

For Section 8 properties, we go a step further and list on AffordableHousing.com (formerly GoSection8) — the largest affordable housing listing service in the nation. The platform works directly with public housing authorities and notifies voucher holders via email, text, and phone alerts whenever a matching property is listed. This dual-channel approach ensures your property reaches both market-rate renters and qualified voucher holders simultaneously, minimizing vacancy time regardless of tenant type.

We use a thorough 3-stage screening process that pulls credit reports from all three major bureaus — not just TransUnion like most property management companies. Tenants have become savvy about disputing items off a single bureau, but it is much harder to clean up records across all three. Beyond credit, we require at least two prior landlord references and directly contact those landlords to ask about payment history, property condition, and any issues during the tenancy. Combined with income verification, background checks, and eviction history review, our process is designed to place reliable, long-term tenants who pay on time and take care of your property.

The tenant is always responsible for having utilities in their name during the lease. We verify utility transfers as part of our move-in process. The only time we ask the property owner to keep utilities active is during vacancy, active repairs, or inspection periods. During vacancy, having utilities on is important — it deters break-ins and, during winter months, prevents frozen and burst pipes that can cause thousands of dollars in damage.

We take winter preparation seriously. For vacant properties, we cover all outdoor spigots and exterior water connections at no charge, open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air circulation, set the thermostat to 68°F, and drip pipes to prevent freezing. These simple steps can prevent burst pipes — one of the most common and expensive maintenance emergencies for rental properties in Alabama.

We also provide this same winterization guidance to our tenants and supply free spigot covers so occupied homes stay protected too. It is a small investment that saves owners from costly emergency repairs every winter season.

Every James-Hawkins resident has access to our Resident Benefits Program, which includes partnerships with industry-leading platforms. Obligo lets you move in without a traditional security deposit — choose from no-deposit, reduced deposit, or deposit-in-installments options. Livble allows you to split your rent into up to 4 payments throughout the month, synced to your payroll if you prefer. Gravy is a free app that helps renters get mortgage-ready, track their homebuying power, and earn rewards toward a future home purchase. And MSI provides affordable renters insurance in just a few clicks to protect your belongings from day one.

Not necessarily. Through our partnership with Obligo — a deposit alternative trusted in over one million homes — qualified tenants can choose from flexible options like no deposit, a reduced deposit, or breaking the deposit into installments. This lowers the financial barrier to move-in while still protecting the property owner. Obligo uses open-banking technology to verify funds, so owners maintain full coverage without the hassle of managing traditional deposit accounts.