<I>KEVIN HEIMBIGNER/Chinook Observer</I><BR>Ted Raaymakers is the maintenance man and Linda Raaymakers the lady who is the property manager for about 70 rentals on the Peninsula. "The Lord put us in the right place at the right time," she says of their ever-expanding business venture.

LONG BEACH – “The Lord just amazes me in how He put me in the right place at the right time,” property manager Linda Raaymakers relates after her business venture has gone from two rental properties to over 70 in just a few short years. “The financial market has made selling homes difficult and getting a few hundred dollars for renting the owner’s homes has saved foreclosures in some cases.”

Raaymakers says, “Many of the homes we have for rent are the owner’s second home and things have changed in their finances and they can’t afford to keep two homes. Because the houses aren’t selling, that opens up some really high quality housing for renters in our area who are looking for a temporary place to live and not wishing to buy.”

Raaymakers sees her job as a go-between by getting homeowners and renters together. “I work for the homeowner, but I love my tenants,” she says with her infectious smile. “I am grateful for Don Maxson, my mom (Mary Kay Ramage), and my other co-workers at Long Beach Realty for helping me with this opportunity. I also get many referrals from other realtors on the Peninsula and their help is always appreciated.”

The first thing Raaymakers does when a potential tenant seeks a long-term rental is to do a thorough screening on behalf of the homeowner. “I check criminal background, prior rental history, all three credit ratings, look into their employment background and drive by their existing house. That gives me a pretty good idea of how they will be as renters.”

Most of Raaymakers’ tenants are professional workers, are in the Coast Guard, or are fishermen. “The renters prefer unfurnished houses that are vacant year around. It used to be property management in this area consisted of trying to rent a few pretty rundown beach cabins. Now I have an exceptional inventory of houses available. There is one with a (Willapa) Bay view and another four-bedroom house on four acres,” she explains.

One of the sources of homes is from “a group of out-of-town builders and speculators.” Raaymakers states, “We had a building boom here just when the market had a downturn. I currently have 12 to 15 of those homes for rent and I have sold several of them to people who rented and decided to buy. Those sales have helped Long Beach Realty and we have been able to save about half of these houses from foreclosure, while providing people with a nice, new house to rent.”

Raaymakers has several short-term vacation rentals, but says, “They must be in an area zoned for short-term rental or go through a costly and strict procedure to receive a variance. If a property doesn’t meet the criteria for being a short-term vacation rental, I won’t represent the owner.”

Ted Raaymakers helps his wife as bookkeeper and maintenance man. “Ted is great with taking care of anything from frozen pipes to trees through roofs to keeping the books,” Linda Raaymakers says with pride. “I hope to continue to expand my business and his role will expand, as well.”

As a property manager Raaymakers has the right to make maintenance checks inside the homes she rents and in rare cases must take action to help remove tenants who do not abide by the rules or keep up on payments. “It is very expensive for the homeowner to evict someone and it often takes between 60 to 90 days. That is one reason why I am careful to do a thorough background check,” she explains.

Raaymakers says, “The real estate and property management business is relatively new to me. I taught biology in public and private schools for 25 years. We moved here five years ago and I did some substitute teaching and then decided to do this because my mom helped get me interested. She’s my friend and confidante and I draw on her 32 years of real estate experience all the time.”

Ted graduated from Ilwaco High School in 1977 and Linda the next year. They married in 1981 and have sons Adam and Theo and daughter Sarah. She concludes, “I care about my tenants, do the best I can to represent my homeowners, and they seem to stick with me. There is always stuff to get done in property management, but I love what I do.”

Raaymakers can be contacted by calling 360-783-2389 or 642-2428 and more information is also available online at (www.discoverycoastrentals.com). A listing of her houses for rent is available in the classified section of the Chinook Observer. Through December she is offering a special where the renter pays the first month’s rent and deposit only. “I want people to have a home for the holidays,” she says.