Who Is FPPG? Our Services?
Where We Are? Why Choose Us?
What Do We Want?
Who We Are?
Since its inception in 1996, FPPG has become one of the most highly recommended property management companies serving the Orlando area in Polk and Osceola Counties. Moving to the U.S. from our native Scotland, UK in 2001 gave us hands-on control of operations, policies and standards and allowed us to shape and develop the company into its present form.
We are a small and friendly team, all with a role to play in the daily running of your second home, which we take very seriously. As home owners ourselves, we have experienced first hand the highs and lows of property management, making a firm commitment to constantly improve our own standards.
We are not in the business of concerning ourselves with what others may be doing as our focus is set solely on propelling FPPG forward in the correct direction and ensuring 100% customer satisfaction. As we have proven time and again, we are the team who are prepared to go the extra mile for our home owners and this kind of dedication is hard to beat when you are looking for total trust, reliability and customer care.
ALL of our home owners are Number 1 to us. Each deserving our best standard of service and that is what we strive for and in turn, we appreciate and respect their loyalty to FPPG year after year.
Our aim is to build lasting relationships; working in conjunction WITH you to manage, maintain and customize your home to your taste. We firmly believe in listening and communicating with you and respecting your needs as this is Your dream and YOUR investment.
FPPG works with you because YOUR home matters.
Our Services
- Pools are serviced once weekly, with a full chemical balance, removal of any bugs and debris caused by rains, scrubbing down of tiles, vacuum as required
On most pools we are now offering a twice weekly service at no extra charge during summer months as we feel this is required to ensure guest satisfaction.
Minor repairs and replacement of worn parts are dealt with as required. We contact our owners when a larger item like a pool heat pump requires to be installed. We recommend pressure washing the pool deck, cage, furniture and pathways on a regular basis to combat the mildew caused by heat and humidity. Our pool technicians complete a card each time they visit so that any guest, home owner or member of the management team can see when the pool was serviced and its condition. We do not charge to turn pool heaters on and off during the winter season.
- Lawns are cut once weekly during summer and less frequently in winter. As well as cutting, edging and blowing, our landscapers weed and fertilize and trim when required. Some yards may incur extra charges depending on size.
Our landscaping company are excited about the vast array of tropical plants and trees available in the Orlando area and are happy to assist you in making a tropical oasis of your very own. Ask us for details.
Quarterly pest control is mandatory unless your home's landscaping is taken care of by the Home Owners Association. This treatment helps to prevent diseases on your lawn and promotes the healthy growth of your grass.
- Cleaning is carried out after the departure of each guest and the home is checked for any missing or damaged items. At FPPG, we pride ourselves on the presentation of your home. That very first impression, after all, is what counts most. From decorative towels formed into swans and animals, to immaculately clean rooms and welcome basket, we aim for perfection every time. We send reports to our home owners on any noteworthy items. We recommend spring cleans at least twice a year and comforters dry cleaned every 4 months. A spring clean is a deeper clean that ensures hard to reach places are dealt with, those areas that cannot be covered during the time restraints of a regular clean.
Mid Stay cleans can be arranged for any guest who requires them.
- Pest Control is done quarterly. Both the exterior and interior perimeter of the home is sprayed and treated for pests. We leave calling cards for guests so that they are aware who was visiting the home and why. Should any live bugs be found inside the home, our pest company will come out immediately to take care of them.
- Maintenance is carried out on your home as required. We tend to address smaller issues as we go along, contacting you only for larger issues that may require your approval or involve getting you quotations for any pending work.
Our skilled team members can lend their hand to many trades from general repair work to tiling and even deck building. Tell us what you need and we will get it done for you.
- Guest Services are offered 24/7 in way of someone can always be contacted by a guest whether there is an emergency or they simply have an enquiry that we can assist with. Sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest impression and this is true of our Welcome Basket which every FPPG guest receives. After a long and tiring journey, guests are delighted to find our surprise basket crammed full of snacks, cereals, juice and goodies. They will also have drinks in the refrigerator which they were not expecting. Should a guest require a more substantial Food Pack it can easily be arranged. If a guest has a question or needs to report a maintenance item, we are on hand to help and will always try to resolve any issue in resort, to ensure guest vacation satisfaction. Things can and do go wrong - we want to assure you that we are committed to assisting all guests in a timely and helpful manner.
- Admin and Accounts
Statements are issued monthly, however, through our Owner Log In, you are
able to check your account at your convenience. You may also check active
work orders using this on-line service. We make the setting up and paying of
utility bills easy for you and take the worry away. Our Bulk Account with
Brighthouse Network means we provide a more cost effective cable service
for you. We also help establish and
arrange the setting up of Hotel and County Licences for your home, which are
a legal requirement.
- Bookings
At FPPG, we make it simple for your guests to book and pay for YOUR home via our website. Ask and one of our team will explain how this works to YOUR benefit and allows you MORE customers with less hassle.
There is no charge for owner bookings.
Although we do not guarantee rentals, we do run a Rental Program and for those interested in filler bookings, please make enquiries for full details. Your home will be featured on our website and be incorporated in our marketing program.
For more information on any of our services please call 1-866-322-0560 TOLL FREE (U.S. Only) or email us at info@florida-villas.com.
Our office location
Our office is located in Davenport, close to HWY 27 and CR 54 Ronald Reagan Parkway. This allows us to be within a 10 minute drive of all of our homes.
Why choose FPPG?
FPPG was established in1996 giving us over 10 years of experience in this business. We own homes ourselves, so we know the problems and pitfalls and can offer a professional, dependable and personal service tailored to your needs. We give you the confidence you need to run your home as you wish, with a solid management company who are always available for advice, suggestions and to solve the problems.
50 homes are ideal for us, a number which allows us to keep it real.
We provide quality services which are regularly checked and changed if standards are dropped.
Your home is inspected for maintenance issues and any damage caused by guests.
Our ability to offer an excellent service of communication with our home owners allows us to constantly be aware of changing requirements and fulfil wish lists instantly. We are dedicated to making the best of your home, understanding that a happy guest means a returning guest.
What Do We Want?
Owners who show us the same respect as we show them.
Communicative people who want to improve their home and make it as attractive as possible for their guests.
Owners who will keep their FPPG account in credit at all times.
Having realistic expectations is paramount to being a Florida home owner. We can guide you on what we think these are.
Owners who wish to exclusively handle their own bookings and owners who need some help-we cater to both.
Owners who recommend our services are always appreciated.
Managing Your Home (New Home Owners)
With over 700 management companies servicing the Walt Disney World area, it is no wonder it can be a difficult task in finding the correct one for your dream home. Each company will provide their own contract. Do be sure to read them thoroughly and ask questions if you are not sure how the system will operate. You must establish lines of communication, levels of expenditure before being asked for permission to spend your money and the level of Escrow funds required to be held by the management company. It is prudent to give a limited Power of Attorney to the management company but specify what the document allows them to do, do not give a general unlimited Power of Attorney as you still need to keep some control of your investment.
Some management companies want the home owner to pay all their own bills from a bank account, whereas others will be happy to offer this service for you. Whichever method is agreed there will be set bills required to be paid monthly and these include:
- Management Fee
- Pool Service
- Lawn Service
- Pest Control Service
- Cable Service
- Telephone Service
- Utility Bills
- Sales Taxes
- Cleaning Fees
- Homeowner Association Dues (where applicable)
There will be supplies and repairs that will also appear but you should ensure that there are sufficient funds lodged with your management company to cover the regular bills. Also agree what will happen to excess funds above the agreed Escrow limit, choose whether you want a check or a credit card to your bank account.
US citizens are allowed to make two maintenance visits per year to the home, but please check with your accountants as to what you can write off against your taxes. We do recommend that you put aside a little of your vacation to attend to small maintenance jobs that you manage yourselves - some touch up painting, replenishing towels and linens, stocking up on kitchen items. Always remember that first impressions make a difference so keeping your home in tip-top condition will keep you ahead in the game.
Another requirement for a contract will be a social security number, this is not a problem for US citizens as they automatically will have one from birth. However, foreign investors will have to apply for a Tax Identification Number, known as a TIN number for short. This application can take up to 6-8 weeks if mailed away, but if you are in Florida it would be advisable to take the application papers up to Maitland together with your passports and physically hand the application in at the State Department's office. This will speed up the processing and ensure that the application is correctly filled out with all relevant information. You will need to know your own tax identification number from your own country, for example in the UK this is known as a National Insurance number.
The US Government will cross reference with your County of residence and complete a back ground check on you through your own Government before a TIN number will be issued, hence the lengthy application period. Once issued the TIN number will be your tax reference number in the US for life. We will also use this number in other situations later.
Federal, State, County and City Regulations
All aspects of the US Government regulate the use of your vacation home as a short term business venture, and you will need to apply to each department for various purposes. (A good management company will have all the necessary forms and will usually process all the applications for you, so no need to panic just yet.)
- Federal: TIN number to register you as a US tax payer for foreign investors and Social Security numbers for US citizens. Each year you will be required to submit a US tax return regarding the income generated from the home. For US citizens a form 1099 should be produced showing the income generated from the home to include with your federal tax return, and a form 1042S for foreign investors. It is recommended that you engage a US accountant to produce the tax return for your home.
- State: Sales Tax number required for payment of sales taxes to the state on the rental income received from operating as a short-term rental home. This amount is currently 7% and a one off $50.00 application fee is required.
A license issued by the State allowing the home to be operated as a short term rental business is necessary. Before this license is issued the house will be inspected by an officer of the Division of Hotels and Restaurants to ensure that it complies with the regulatory codes in force by the State of Florida. The initial license is $220.00 with an annual renewal of $170.00.
- County: A Tourist Development Tax number is required for payment of the county sales taxes from the rental income received from operating as a short-term rental home. Each county can differ on the percentage they require but for example in Osceola County the rate is currently 6% and in Polk County it is 5% with a one off $5.00 application fee.
A County License is also required for the operation of the home as business, and this application can only be made once you have received the State Licence and the State sales tax numbers. No additional inspection of the property will be made as the proof of a State License demonstrates the property has passed the regulatory standards required. An annual renewal of $30.00 is required each September.
- City: A City license is only required if the house you choose to purchase falls within City limits. This is a $50.00 per year license renewable each September.
Marketing and Advertising the Home
Most management companies will assist in providing rentals for the homes but they will obviously take a commission off the rental amounts, so the more rentals you can obtain yourselves the more revenue you will be able to retain and the more independent you will feel if at any time you need to change management companies.
There are many ways that you can market your home and some advertising is better than no advertising at all, so here are a few tips to get you started:
- Virtual Tour of the home is an inexpensive but fantastic advertising tool as it means that the potential client can walk through the home to
attain a better feel of the features. FPPG works with a highly
reputable virtual imaging company and can assist you with this.
- Photo Stills afford the opportunity to create flyers, an album for passing
around and also in being able to email them to clients. A
virtual tour and a set of professional stills will cost between
$175-$200.
- Web Sites the internet is the best way to reach a world wide market place
and today it is easy to find a professional company who can
design a website for you. Professional photographs are
essential to give the best impression of your home.
- Staff Magazines If you have access to a large company that runs a magazine,
This is a great way to advertise your home locally and not
Usually as expensive as newspaper advertising.
- Recommendations The best form of advertising is word of mouth and referrals
from satisfied customers. Offering discounts to returning
guests as a reward scheme can also add to success.
- Business Cards Use these to hand out wherever you go - you never know who
you may meet planning on a trip to Florida - give them to
family, friends, business contacts and convert them into fridge
magnets.
- Flyers Put them on notice boards in shops and restaurants and sent out
In mail with other business interests.
FPPG Owners Charter
We, at Florida Preferred Property Group firmly believe that the trust bestowed upon us, by owners, should be fully acknowledged, and respected, and as a sign of our commitment, we pledge the following:
1. To deal honestly and fairly at all times
2. To endeavor to treat your home, as we would our own
3. Attend to maintenance and repair tasks in a timely manner
4. To be responsible for turning pool heating on and off, at no charge
5. Advise of any necessary work required, to keep home in its best condition
6. Obtain at least two competitive estimates for any major work required
7. Check utility bills against established averages
8. Inspect home on a regular basis when it is unoccupied
9. Minimize overall expenditure
10. Require a security deposit from all guests
11. Pay owner bills in a timely manner (owner funds allowing)
12. Advise owner responsibility for Federal, State, and County taxes and licenses
13. Issue statements and pay-outs no later than the 15th of the month
14. Always advise owner of bookings and rate charged, prior to guest check-in
15. Maximize rental revenue whenever possible |
