F.A.Q.

When does the merger between Charlesgate & dotprop take effect?

The merger will be legally complete on November 15th. We've been working behind the scenes for several months to plan the logistics of the merger in order to make the transition seamless for clients.

Will my management fees change?

No, Charlesgate will continue to honor your current management fees.

What is changing?

Very little, if anything, will change for you. We are maintaining the current dotprop office at 2534 Mass Ave. and the contact information for the dotprop team will remain the same. You can still expect a personal approach to management, with one point of contact you can contact with questions and/or concerns.

The most significant change is you'll now have access to Charlesgate's full suite of services including in-unit work, construction management, landscaping, janitorial, snow removal, home improvements & renovations, leasing, and sales brokerages services, among others. You are welcome to use as many, or as few, of these services as you like! If you'd like to learn more about any of our services, please contact us here.

I pay condo fees (or rent) with a check, where should I send my condo fees?

Charlesgate is maintaining the existing dotprop Cambridge office. Checks can continue to be mailed to the existing dotprop office at:

2534 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140

Note: If paying by mail, we strongly encourage you to plan ahead. Given the recent challenges and slow down in USPS mail delivery services, it is much faster, safer, and cheaper to pay through our secure online portal. If you need help setting up your online payment, please contact Casey at cpatterson@charlesgatepm.com

I pay condo fees (or rent) on the dotprop online portal. Will anything change?

Access to dotprop's online portal (Appfolio) will remain unchanged. If you pay online, nothing will change for you. 

Online payment is the fastest and most secure way to pay. dotprop and Charlesgate do not have access to any of your personal banking information. If you have not yet set up online payment, please contact Casey at cpatterson@charlesgatepm.com

Who should I make my condo fee payment check out to?

If you pay by check, please continue to make your check payable to the name of your condo association and continue to send to the current mailing address for dotprop at 2534 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA 02140.

Who should I make my rent payment check out to?

If you pay by check, please continue to make your rent check payable to the name of your Landlord as usual and continue to send payment to the current mailing address for dotprop at 2534 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA 02140.

What number do I call in an after hours emergency?

Please call our main number 617-720-3880.

Soon, we will be transitioning the emergency hotline to an alternate system for faster, more comprehensive responses.  An announcement will be made when that change occurs.

Will my online access to Appfolio change?

No, your AppFolio account and access will remain fully active. Reporting and financials will not change. If you are not yet set up on Appfolio or have questions about use, please contact Casey at cpatterson@charlesgatepm.com

Will my association or property bank accounts change?

No, your bank accounts will remain open, as is. 

Is my property manager changing?

No! Casey Patterson will continue to be your property manager. We are excited to have her as a new integral part of the Charlesgate Property Management team! All of the historical knowledge and records related to your property will be fully retained. The primary change you will experience is a range of additional Charlesgate services for you take advantage of, should you choose to, and the great depth of internal support and resources for Casey and the dotprop team to utilize to serve you better.

Will dotprop team contact information change?

There will be no changes. You will still be able to contact the dotprop team the same way. All of the existing contact info will remain the same. We will continue to maintain the current dotprop office at 2534 Massachusetts Ave in Cambridge. You will be able to use the same phone numbers and email addresses for seamless service.

We will have an improved phone system and call answering capability (including a better emergency hotline) available shortly as well. When that occurs we will issue an announcement.

Casey Patterson's contact information is:

Phone Number: 617-354-1011
Email Address: cpatterson@charlesgatepm.com

Is the dotprop team merging into Charlesgate?

Yes, we're excited that the entire dotprop team is joining the Charlesgate staff and maintaining their current duties to ensure consistency of service for you. The dotprop employees will become fully integrated members of the Charlesgate family and gain the support and resources that all of our employees receive to best serve clients.

Do you have all my contact information?

Yes, you do not need to update the Charlesgate team with any of your information. dotprop securely provided Charlesgate with all your contact information. We utilize robust, secure electronic transfer methods to provide you with full account security.

If your contact information has changed recently, and you have not yet informed dotprop, please let Casey know at cpatterson@charlesgatepm.com

Do you have all of my files?

Yes, dotprop provided Charlesgate with all relevant information relating to your property including (but not limited to) all accounting records (dating as far back as 2001), invoice scans, contracts, vendor preferences, insurance documents, correspondences, warranties, leases, inspection/condition reports, and monthly task lists. Please note: your property banking records and all other private information was securely shared. We utilize robust, secure electronic transfer methods to provide you with full account security.

Will the vendors servicing my property change?

We expect to maintain your entire set of outside vendors, suppliers, and contractors. Charlesgate already works with many of the same outside vendors working on your property so it should an easy transition (and entirely seamless for you). In the cases where we do not work with a vendor already, we will vet them to make sure they meet our standards of practice in order to reduce your liability exposure and risk. If you are unhappy with a specific vendor, or we feel we can bring in a better option for the same cost, then we will communicate with you to determine the best choice for a particular service. In some cases, Charlesgate may offer in-house services that will deliver a much higher standard of service and/or lower cost, in which case, we will offer those services to you as well. As always, your preferences will be respected and honored.

Is Charlesgate led by an experienced team?

Of course! We have been in business since 2003. Our Managing Partner, Michael DiMella, has over 20 years experience and is a nationally recognized leader in the real estate industry. Among other awards, he has been recognized as one of Boston’s Top “40 Under 40” professionals by The Boston Business Journal, and he was selected to serve as Chair of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. Josh Considine, our Director of Association Management, and Todd Mikelonis, our Director of Multifamily & Rental Management, both have over 15 years of experience. Kelly Robbins, our Director of Project Management, has an Unrestricted Construction Supervisor License and has over 15 years of experience. Overall our property management team averages over 14 years experience. Our team is our greatest asset to serve you. We hire carefully, train & coach well, and expect all of our team members to commit to our Cultural Values to deliver excellent service for clients.

Can you perform in-unit service & maintenance work?

Yes! Even if we don't directly manage your unit, we can still perform in-unit service work. We provide services for any individual unit within the condo associations we manage. Owners can choose to hire us for  any of our entire range of services including maintenance & repairs, janitorial & cleaning, and renovations, among other services.  Contact us here to request services for your individual unit.

Do you offer individual home & unit management services, or do you only manage full buildings?

Yes, we offer extensive individual home & unit management services! Whether you own an investment condo that you rent to tenants or you're seeking high end concierge level management for your personal residence or second home, we're here for you. Our services include rent collection, payment of mortgages and property expenses, monitoring utility bills for efficiency, seasonal recurring maintenance, property check-ins, regular review of expenses and financials, preparation of financial statements, monthly reporting and accounting, expert guidance on property management and investment issues, emergency services, maintenance, janitorial, landscaping and snow removal. Contact us here to request more information about individual home and condo management services .

Do you offer rental leasing services to help me find tenants?

Certainly! We have a full team of leasing professionals to rent the apartments we manage. We believe leasing is integral to effective management.  To deliver the best return on investment for your investment property, the revenue side of the equation is just as vital as managing the cost & maintenance side. We specialize in finding great tenants at full market rents and reducing vacancy risk. Having rented properties to over 30,000 tenants, we have extensive experience marketing apartments to drive applications, qualifying tenants to reduce risk of non-payment, and managing tenants with a hospitality based approach to retain great tenants. Contact us here to request more information about our leasing services.

Can you help me sell my condo unit or multifamily building?

Absolutely! And we can probably save you some money in the process. As a management client you are now eligible for our client discount package. Charlesgate is one of the premier brokerage firms in the Greater Boston market, leading with a commitment to innovative and compelling marketing that maximizes sale proceeds for clients. Our brokerage team is led directly by P.T. Vineburgh, ranked as one the the Top 250 Real Estate Agents in America by the Wall Street Journal Real Trends Report. Contact us to inquire about out sales brokerage services.

Do you offer home and condo renovation services?

Yes we do! Our sister company, Revive Renovations is a boutique style construction firm specializing in restoration, remodeling, and construction consulting. Our client-focused approach and extensive experience in both real estate and construction uncomplicates the construction process for clients to deliver quality projects on time and on budget. Have a renovation project in mind? Contact us here for a free estimate.

What if I'm not happy with my current level of management service?

We're sorry to hear this. Occasionally these things happen. The good news is this merger will give us an opportunity to fix that for you! With years of experience onboarding new clients, we have established a great system to rapidly improve management services for new clients. The Charlesgate team is happy to discuss specifics about your current management concerns and put a proactive management improvement plan in place to make sure you're happy. We are confident the depth of services offered at Charlesgate, our size and scale along with personalized services we can drive impactful change (if needed). We are able to add any service you may be lacking, or improve any service that may be suffering - all while maintaining the personal level of hospitality driven service that we are known for. Contact us here to schedule a time to discuss our management improvement plan.