71. Inhouse Maintenance + Buying the Company You Work for with Melissa Sharon of 1st Rate Property Management

In-house maintenance can transform a property management company — or create operational chaos. So how do you know when it makes sense?

In this episode, Marc Cunningham sits down with Melissa Sharon of FirstRate Property Management (1,200 doors in Boise, Idaho) to break down the real pros and cons of running in-house maintenance. Melissa shares how her team structured a separate maintenance division, why quality control and response time improved, and how it became a profitable arm of their business.

They also dive into strategic planning retreats, taking a leadership team to Mexico after hitting growth goals, buying a company from the previous owner through an SBA loan, and what it looks like to run a 28-person company with your spouse.

If you're debating bringing maintenance in-house, planning your next growth phase, or thinking about long-term ownership, this episode offers practical insight from someone who's done it.

1st Rate Property Management

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Property Manager Websites - the highest performing property management website in the industry Venderoo- An always-on AI teammate to handle all aspects of maintenance

Lead Simple - manage more doors with less stress using LeadSimple

Rentvine - the property management software you can trust

Lending One - real estate loans for investors

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PMbuild - Marc's education for property managers

Denver Property Management - Grace Property Management website

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