Luxury is the name of the game in the student-housing industry nowadays. Communities feature all sorts of goodies—fitness centers, pools, tanning beds, screening rooms, fire pits, grills and more. Much more. Kids today, am I right, folks? When I was in college—which wasn’t too long ago, might I add (though I have found that when one feels the need to add that caveat, one officially is old enough to look like a narc if he or she tries to non-ironically wear any college-branded clothing)—my favorite amenity in the dorms was an RA who turned a blind eye to beer cans…

I totally don’t know why Katniss would be torn about her feelings for Peeta. I mean, he was always in love with her. And he put his own life in danger to protect her in the arena. But, I guess Gale is pretty attractive in that, “I’m an anti-establishment brooding rebel” kind of way. If you’re into that sort of thing. Which I’m not. Well, OK, maybe I can see how Katniss was conflicted. What do you think? What’s that? You don’t want to have a conversation about The Hunger Games with me right now because the book came out…

I wouldn’t even consider renting an apartment that didn’t have a microwave. It’s not that I can’t cook. (I can’t, but that’s neither here nor there.) It’s just that the inclusion of a microwave in an apartment kitchen seems so standard, so basic, that if an apartment didn’t include one it would feel like an apartment from the Stone Age. (I know there weren’t apartments in the Stone Age. It’s called hyperbole. Jeez.) A microwave is not an amenity. Recently I came across an infographic on the Lincoln Property Company blog lists the top 20 amenities, according to the NMHC. Included,…

I don’t know about you, but I love staying at hotels. You don’t have to make your bed, you get to look at generic paintings of sailboats or flowers, your key looks like a credit card, you get a free pen, you can make a fort in a king-sized bed…the list goes on and on. So it’s not surprising that some apartment communities are adding more and more features that mirror the hospitality industry. For example, a community in New Jersey recently added a resident-only store, where residents can grab a coffee or pick up other essentials. This is a…

“I used to be with it, but then they changed what it was. Now what I’m with isn’t it, and what’s it seems weird and scary to me. It’ll happen to you, too…” —Abraham Simpson, The Simpsons There are tons of articles about what Millennials are looking for in an apartment. You know the drill already. Come on, sing it with me: Wi-Fi, pet-friendly, areas to socialize, green. But everyone wants these things now, not just Gen Y. And, really, Gen Y is the same as Gen X were when they were younger, as were Baby Boomers. Just with better…

Residents’ prescriptions are none of their property managers’ business. And that’s probably for the best. When a resident comes down to the office to make a maintenance request, it’s better that the property manager doesn’t say, “Sure, I’ll fix that toilet [which you probably clogged up with your hemorrhoid ointment].” But what if that prescription is for marijuana? With marijuana being legalized in some states, this might be something property managers have to contend with, especially in smoke-free buildings. After all, you can make buildings smoke free, but no one has a prescription for cigarettes. Marijuana, legal or otherwise, could…

In college, I could eat an entire pint of Ben and Jerry’s Chubby Hubby in one sitting. (I took the Freshman 15 as a challenge, which I totally won.) It’s been years, but if I ran a few miles and skipped a few meals before, I bet I could still do it. But just because I could eat an entire pint of ice cream in one sitting, does that mean I should? Yes. Ice cream is delicious. Bad example. How about this: Just because I could sing all the words to Livin’ on a Prayer, does that mean I should? No,…