Jessica Fiur is the editor-in-chief at Multi-Housing News and Commercial Property Executive and writes the award-winning blog What Renters Want.
Jessica has been with the company since 2011 and previously was with Weekly Reader and IQPC. Contact Jessica at jessica.fiur@cpe-mhn.com, on Twitter @jfiur or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicafiur/.
‘Gimme Shelter’ with Daniel Gehman: Big Green Deal
Naturally, when I saw an article in my local paper extolling the advent of the first LEED Platinum rated building in Orange County, Calif., I was pretty darn excited. It was a single- family residence, which was a bit unusual, but a notable benchmark nonetheless. There was to be an open house that very afternoon, and, with a bit of time at my disposal, I decided to head on over there. A steady stream of Priuses, old and new, braked successfully and deposited their optimistic occupants curbside. (I parked mine around the corner.) With a curious but somewhat critical eye,…
Guest Blog with Chris Thorman: Six Things Property Management Software Makes Easy
If you’re like most property managers, your work day is stuck in the 20th century. Rent checks are collected through a metal drop box. Brochures sit idly by outside of your office. Your web site consists of one page with a phone number, e-mail address and a few photos. Enough paperwork is collecting in your office to create a fire hazard. I want to point out six things that property managers can really master in the 21st century, thanks to the latest property management software systems. Managing Leads to New Tenants According to Apartment Internet Marketing, 46% of apartment prospects…
‘The Essential Kitchen’ with Kevin Henry: My Lunch with Arnold
I was invited to attend a luncheon last week with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Author of “The World is Hot, Crowded and Flat” Thomas Friedman. I have been involved with environmental issues for over 30 years, ever since my first Earth Day rally in 1974, but this event was on an entirely different plane than I have ever been associated with before. I realized that the revolution had moved to a new level…it wasn’t about fighting the machine…this was the machine. The event was attended by Governors of other states, UN delegates, international media, scientists…
‘Editor’s Notebook’ with Diana Mosher: If You’re Listening to Residents, Shout it Out
At the end of August I joined a new demographic when we dropped my oldest son at college for Freshman Orientation. It’s been a difficult transition for his parents and younger brother; but, it’s also an exciting one that we’re all enjoying vicariously, as he experiences his first taste of living away from home. He likes his roommate, his instructors are brilliant, and the campus is just what he was looking for. We all agree the food is awful, but at least student feedback is encouraged. There’s a bulletin board in the dining hall where students can tack a note…
Foong on Finance: Where to Look for Distressed CRE Opportunities
Many investors are seeking to take advantage of the downturn (now supposedly coming to an end) to pounce on distressed multifamily commercial real estate opportunities. Little wonder that the GreenPearl Events’s Distressed Real Estate Summit held in New York last week far exceeded the organizer’s expectations. The day-long event was attended by over 700 industry professionals. Word at the conference is that if you expect a fire sale of distressed properties, such as the opportunities created by the RTC in the early-1990s, this is not the time. Banks are not letting go of their distressed assets at bottom-feeder prices or…
‘Gimme Shelter’ with Daniel Gehman: “Land ho!”
Ah, if only. People around here are fond of saying “God stopped making land a long time ago.” If not precisely scientifically correct, at least those words capture the emotional tone of the current predicament—we’re running out of dirt. Allow me to qualify. It’s not so much that there isn’t bare land available anywhere, but powerful forces have conspired to make a great deal of it simply in the wrong place, even if for the right reasons. Of course, I’m talking about real estate suitable for the development of new multifamily communities. With the tiniest glimmers of light beginning to…
Buy L. A. Now
How many times in the past year have I found myself saying, “You know, when the next recession comes along, doggone it, I’m going to have a hundred grand laying around so I can take advantage of these dang fire sales that are constantly tempting me.” Wishful thinking only? Well, perhaps, but let me explain the latest observation to spark this ambition. Over the last few weeks, I’ve had a couple of occasions to enrich my in-depth appreciation of the City of Angels. First was a downtown walking tour, sponsored by the LA Conservancy, of the locations that were central…
‘The Green Picture’ with Erika Schnitzer: 1,000 Green Supers in One Year
Does it matter how green your buildings are if the people responsible for their daily operations don’t know how to properly maintain their sustainable lifestyle? In New York City, Urban Green (the city’s chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council) and 32BJ, a building service workers union, have launched a plan to train 1,000 green building superintendents this year. According to the program’s website, the group of managers currently undergoing training (within the first two courses) represent 55 buildings, or 4,600 apartments throughout the city, ranging in age from one to 120 years old. The program is designed to prioritize…
Guest Blog with Lili Dunn: Lights, Camera… Where’s the action?
After essentially shutting down since the fall of 2008, the real estate transaction market is starting to show some signs of life. According to Real Capital Analytics (RCA), a leading real estate data provider, July marked the first consecutive gain in transaction volume in seven quarters. Yet sales volume is barely 10 percent of the market peak in the first half of 2007. Why so slow? Considering the events of the past year and the front page media headlines, one would think there would be many distressed apartment asset sales–but surprisingly, that’s not the case. Banks have been recapitalized and…
‘Gimme Shelter’ with Daniel Gehman: Car-ied Away
So I was sitting in a ULI professional conference on “Developing Green” several months ago and made a small note to myself. “What a good idea it might be to consider the adaptive re-use of shuttered automobile dealerships.” Well, imagine my ironic delight as I read in Globe St. this morning about a new arm of a well-known brokerage firm that had been set up to deal in “work-outs” for closing car lots. Hmmm. Should have registered my idea somewhere, I guess. Anyway, I still find the notion quite compelling. Naturally, there are as many variants in the location of…