Guest Blog

By Matthew Heslin, Principal & CEO, Oak Coast Properties The apartment sector continues to perform. Despite high levels of activity and increased competition for acquisitions, opportunities still exist for savvy investors with appetite, insight and sound strategy. For players looking at both short- and long-term hold strategies, quality acquisitions may still be found in both suburban and urban markets across the country. Apartment buyers of existing product should focus on key variables when evaluating potential acquisitions, and these will apply across opportunities in both metropolitan and suburban locales. Properties located in sustainable growth-oriented markets will always offer investment benefits. A…

By Christopher Frye, Senior Manager, NEEA To get a sense of how residents in the Northwest use energy in their multifamily homes and how units are constructed across the region, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) recently studied residents’ habits based on a random and representative sample of 230 buildings and 552 units in the Northwest. The results of the study, “Residential Building Stock Assessment: Multifamily Characteristics and Energy Use,” will help guide the region’s utilities and energy efficiency organizations to identify opportunities for energy efficiency programs. The study will also help guide the development of efficiency resources to meet the…

By Eileen Fitzgerald, CEO, NeighborWorks America Developing affordable rental housing these days is a lot like putting together a puzzle—when the financing pieces are all in place, a thing of beauty results, but when there’s a piece missing for the puzzle—or in this case a piece missing from the finance package for rental housing—the project just doesn’t work. The result is fewer new affordable rental homes developed and more existing rental homes transitioning into market rate housing or being demolished. The bottom line: families who need affordable rental housing may have a lot harder time securing the homes that they…

By Morgan A. Stewart, partner, Manly, Stewart and Finaldi Since the construction of multifamily projects typically involves several parties, it is crucial to craft your contracts with the utmost care. Failure to do so could greatly increase your risk of contractual liability to third parties, particularly when those provisions known as flow down clauses are involved. It is common presumption that a multifamily developer who has signed an agreement with a general contractor is bound solely to the terms of the prime contract, unless expressly stated. And conversely, that subcontractors are only liable for the obligations set forth in the…

By Matt Slepin, Terra Search Partners At a recent industry networking event, I provided relationship-building tips to the diverse group of real estate professionals. For those who are interested in honing their networking skills, here’s a brief recap of the main points I discussed. A key theme runs through all of these concepts—take the long term view to creating habits, building relationships, and your career. Building a habit of networking Some may associate the word “networking” with shallowness, but it is actually a positive practice that is essential to any professional in business, especially in the real estate industry. Think…

By Shelley Davenport, Move For Free Incorporating economically and environmentally friendly practices into multifamily living is a great way to avoid unnecessary waste and improve the community. So when an apartment community actually provides a recycling option, why is it being ignored? Information and motivation are keys on the road to greener living. Here are a few great ways that management can encourage their residents to take advantage of these eco-friendly options. 1. Get the Word Out Some renters may not even realize recycling is an option at their apartment community. Management can reach out with information on recycling, pick-up…

There remain significant hurdles in finding forward thinking, impactful people to lead operations, particularly in our industry’s larger organizations. Why is this the case and what is the industry doing about it?

By Dale Blasingame, Move for Free I’ve lived in my current apartment for two years now. All of the things that should be hung up are still leaning up against the wall, neatly arranged in stacks of two. Ladies, welcome to the guy’s world of apartment decorating. I actually do take pride in a well-decorated apartment, believe it or not. I just never assumed I would be in my current apartment long enough to justify hanging everything up. (Two years later, I now realize I made a huge mistake.) Every time my girlfriend steps foot in my apartment, I can…