How does Ricky, owner of Northstar Properties and co-owner of Cahoots Coffee Co., run his day-to-day? In a rustic barn near the tranquil waters of the Winooski River, of course.
When he’s not busy roasting and packaging coffee beans, you can usually find him deep in the trenches of his solely owned and operated property management firm—communicating with tenants, listing rentals, and working with property owners.
But it wasn’t too long ago that Ricky had hit a stagnant point with his rental business.
The Problem
“I held back starting my own property firm through fear of not being able to offer competitive services,” Ricky said. With all the tasks required of rental businesses today, he wasn’t sure he could fully meet the needs of his tenants and property owners much longer, at least not without paying a significant price.
The Solution
Ricky discovered TenantCloud in 2024 and was pleased that it offered the right price point. While he didn’t know what to expect at first, he quickly learned that TenantCloud’s premium features made it easy to save more money than ever.
“TenantCloud made a huge impact on my cost reduction, especially with the listing process. They really pull in great applicants.” He said. Ricky also appreciated the user-friendly design, adding, “I never hear of anyone having problems using the system.”
With that, Northstar Properties was born. As far as most impactful features, Ricky claims the communication and listing tools have been game-changers. “Being able to pull comparables has been invaluable.” He also relies on rent collection, maintenance, lease tracking, and even move-in inspections. Being able to go from one feature to the next all in one place made a significant impact in his workflow. He recommends TenantCloud to other property managers, and has even convinced five of his friends to try it out this year.
The Results
Northstar Properties is now a successful rental empire with a bright future. “TenantCloud made it possible for me to really start my company.” Ricky says.
Not only has he mastered the many traditional features of the software, but he also took it upon himself to learn the accounting side. What was once unfamiliar territory, he now champions in his every day workload.
“TenantCloud has helped me with tremendous growth in my accounting. It did take some time to learn—but now I am doing reports and comparables like any CFO.”
Looking Ahead: Fresh Beans and Big Dreams
While managing properties is Ricky’s bread and butter, coffee has played an equally important role in his life. He and business partner Jackson recently acquired Sawdog Coffee Roasters, an ethical and inclusive coffee company local to Vermont. They plan to officially rebrand to Cahoots Coffee Co. in just a few weeks.
What Ricky loves most about managing coffee and rentals? Being part of a community.
“The name Cahoots really sums up both sides of my work—collaboration, trust, and community. Coffee, at its best, brings people together, and property management isn’t all that different.”
As far as Northstar Properties? Ricky plans to put more heart and soul into his listing services and make that a strong part of his offerings.
Lease with Confidence
With TenantCloud supporting Northstar’s leasing, maintenance, accounting, and communication tasks, they’ve been able to launch their business and dive into their passions—one happy tenant at a time.
