Guest Blog

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…

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…

With space at a premium, imagine a kitchen without boundaries or barriers, an environment free from conventional thought and restrictions, a kitchen created to successfully achieving the delicate balance between form and function reflect the needs and lifestyle of the modern homeowner.  The new “kitchen matrix” allows for maximum usage of space with the focus on utilization and optimization of the interiors and exposed work areas, allowing the homeowner, apartment dweller or loft inhabitant to maximize the usage of the space at hand. Like the Roman God Janus, who could see the past and future at the same time, the…

At a recent design show in Los Angeles this past June, I had the opportunity to see firsthand, the highly touted sustainable all-glass kitchen from a very high profile Italian manufacturer. At first glance, it appeared to be the “holy grail” of environmental kitchen design. The doors, drawers, box, counter top and toe kick were all made of glass and it was this overuse of glass that got me thinking, “Just how green is glass?” When we think of glass, the first thought that comes to mind is its ability to be recycled and reused over and over again, but…

You may have heard about LED lighting in the news recently. There are several cities around the country converting their street lights to be LED street lights. No more metal halide or high power sodium bulbs. As you would imagine these types of streetlights need to be quite powerful to light up the blacktop 25 feet below the pole. Sure enough they are bright! So what about LED lights on your property in the common areas that you are paying the electricity on? Well such replacement bulbs exist and they make CFLs look bad. There are two types of LED…

Last week, In Part I, we took a look at the “SoCon” —these Socially Conscience Consumers understand that the purchases they make have a profound impact on the world around them, both economically as well as environmentally Darwin is often misquoted…it is not the survival of the fittest…but rather the survival through adaptation. How are we to adapt to the new economy? How must we change to survive the current market conditions?   1.    First we need to re-think our products and services in this new economy…our clients are looking for value, not just a deal, not cheaper materials, they…

The near collapse of the global economic system has had a major impact on the lifestyle of the American consumer, who is buying fewer services and goods that were once considered staples of the affluent life. � � American consumers have suffered a collective breakdown. They have begun to question their lives and their lifestyles…Do I need that big German car? Do I really need that second house at the beach? Do my kids need to go to that private school? Do I need a new phone or iPod or laptop because it now comes in a cooler color?  Out…

We are all familiar with the web and have heard all the stories about young entrepreneurs becoming fabulously rich by building amazing sites and selling products through them. Some examples include Amazon, Zappos, and today’s social media darling Facebook. Every property is a business and just like any other business you need to promote it. The best and most efficient source to advertise your business is through the Internet. Unlike traditional print advertising, your website need not cost a lot to advertise through. Essentially, your website is a tool to take and use as your advertising vehicle in various sources…

Individual homeowners are going green in record numbers, but they are not the ones who will be the leaders in the green movement because they are going green slowly. As much as they might want for circumstances to be otherwise, most are not in a position to run out and buy, for instance, a high efficiency clothes washer when the old one is still running just fine. It’s a big expense, and while they will ultimately recoup all of the money from the savings on their water bill, the immediate savings does not justify the price of such a big-ticket…

In this month’s issue of Multi-Housing News, Christy Freeland, CEO of Riverstone Residential said, “We know that people like to be social, so we’re offering things like movie and game nights, or bringing in guest speakers on topics like physical fitness. We’re not having to spend a lot of money on those things, but it’s the idea of providing a sense of community that will keep residents around longer.” (MHN, June 2009, pg. 13) I could not agree more with Freeland. Your residents are your customers, so it is wise that you treat them well. To me, this means going…