Have you ever wondered what our homes will look like in 50 years, 60 years, 100 years? Back in the 1920’s, people who wanted to build their own homes didn’t have to call a local contractor – they could order a self-build kit for a few thousand dollars from Sears & Roebuck.

The typical kits included a full set of building plans, lumber, shingles, windows and doors, hard wood flooring material, molding and even the paint or varnish necessary to raise a ready-to-occupy family home.

Those compact four to six room homes had more in common with today’s new construction homes than you might imagine. You may even find a few still in use, although they’ve probably been through some upgrades and renovations over the years.

Exterior Construction Material

Although many things may change over the course of the next century, many of the homes in your neighborhood will probably still be standing and new homes will most likely look very similar. Builders are still using the same base construction materials – brick and wood – that past generations used. Until scientists develop more eco-friendly, sustainable construction materials that are cost effective and attractive, builders will use materials that have a proven track record.

While exterior appearance and construction techniques haven’t changed much over the past century, interiors and features hidden from the street-view have.

Here are five examples.

Windows and Doors

Today’s windows are more energy-efficient. Home windows do more today than just provide a way to catch of view of the outdoors. Glass is lighter and stronger than it was near the turn of the last century. Specialty tinting and manufacturing technology allow homeowners to control the level of light that comes into a room, manage heat transfer more effectively and reduce UV light transfer that can damage artwork and drapery.

Storage

Most homes built in the early 20^th century had limited storage space – small closets in particular. Some early American homes didn’t even have closets since most people didn’t have an abundance of extra apparel and shoes to store. The Sears & Roebuck catalogue offered a piece of furniture that served as a combination hanging clothes storage space and chest of drawers for a while – beginning around 1908.

Over the past century, closets have expanded and assumed a multi-function role in the household. Today, you’ll find walk-in closets that have dressing tables and seats in many luxury homes. Other closets have been converted to sewing “rooms” and highly organized storage for sports gears or hobby supplies. It common to find more than one closet in bedrooms than previous generations enjoyed.

Technology

One of the most significant changes in the evolution of home design is the incorporation of technology. While it wasn’t uncommon to find many homes without running water or electricity during the early decades of the 20^th century, today the vast majority of homes have both. And, you’ll find computer enabled dishwashers, refrigerators, and other smart-home technology in most new homes built today.

Solar Power

More people have at least some solar applications in their homes today. In 2006, roughly 30,000 homes in the United States used roof-top solar panels. Two studies, one from the Department of Energy (2014) and the other from SunSpot Vision (2012) estimate the number of homes with solar panels installed on rooftops could skyrocket to somewhere between 900,000 and 3.8 million by 2020.

Traffic Patterns and Convenience

One of the most significant changes in recent years has been a shift toward efficiency – not energy efficiency, but rather usability and convenience. Homeowners today look for smaller spaces that do more. Think large open spaces that provide opportunities for socializing, cooking and working from home. Pantries often house computer workstations nestles between the can good storage and linens.

Twenty-first century homes may look similar to twentieth century predecessors on the outside, but the inside is a whole different story.

Appfolio | Company Website | LinkedIn Connect | AppFolio, Inc. develops Property Management Software that helps businesses improve their workflow so they save time and make more money.  Appfolio submits articles & blogs including topics of Resident Retention, Improved Owner Communication, Time Management, and more.

Staying connected is vital today. Utilizing your property management software tools saves time, money and frustration for your owners, and facilitates effective communication between tenants and maintenance staff. Streamlining your operation reduces overhead expense and duplication.

But, there are some negative side effects of implementing technology-rich solutions. Namely, the challenges associated with an always-connected, always on-call burden for employees.

First, let’s look at the benefits technology brings to your property.

• Residents have access to a 24-hour portal to submit routine and urgent repair requests
• Owners can watch the process from initial call through resolution
• Fewer man-hours are spent on the telephone communicating when electronic messaging is appropriate
• Less room for miscommunication and duplication
• Potential for higher profit margins with reduced expenses

Now the downside . . .

• Being on twenty-four hour call reduces alertness
• Fatigue may create safety issues
• Lack of sleep inhibits sound decision-making skills and cognitive reasoning
• Large call volume can increase physical fatigue, especially when employees must work a regular shift after responding to night-time calls

Conclusion: Extended work hours may significantly reduce performance, safety and efficiency.

What Can You Do to Balance Employee Needs and Company Goals?

A 2012 Snap Survey reveals that employee burnout is a major contributor to low employee morale. Some signs that an employee is unhappy with his or her job mimic symptoms frequently seen when employees work after hours taking emergency calls. These include:

• Poor communication
• Complaints and poor attitude
• Increased conflict with peers
• Poor performance and work quality
• Increased customer complaints

Let’s say you’ve gifted your on-call team with personal iPad’s. First, you’re a very considerate boss, and we applaud your generosity! Now, back to the topic at hand.

You can avoid employee burnout by implementing a company policy that serves your tenants, owners and maintenance team by developing a strategy for your team that will give tenants the exceptional service they expect and support your staff by using your tech tools without overloading your team. Here’s how.

1. Train your team. This means they understand how to respond to work orders and identify which requests require immediate attention, as well as those that will wait until normal work hours.
2. Provide adequate compensation – either extra pay or time off – for extra duty.
3. Educate residents and owners about response times for both emergency and routine requests.
4. Provide ample opportunities for shift adjustment when necessary. This might include coming in a few hours late for a shift or alternating day-time and after-hours shifts.
5. Whenever possible, give employees two consecutive days off each week rather than splitting days off. This allows employees to rejuvenate and rest more thoroughly following after-hours duty.
6. Establish non-connected periods. Giving your employees permission to turn off devices allows them to get away from work on a regular basis to enjoy time with family and friends or just to enjoy private time not listening for the alert.
7. Review your vacation policy. Small companies may benefit from splitting the annual vacation into two separate periods. Twelve months is a long time between holidays, if your employee is working a full-time shift and assuming emergency coverage duties, too.
8. Communicate regularly with employees. Monthly or quarterly meetings to check your employees’ health and morale status will help you spot negative side effects early. Make it a habit to ask how your team is feeling. Solicit feedback about your policies and make sure your team knows they can tell you if they are experiencing any health challenges or safety issues related to after-hours response activities.

Your property management software and tech tools provide so many valuable resources to support your maintenance team. Make sure you use them wisely and your staff and customers will reap the rewards. Need help developing a property plan? Give your AppFolio rep a call today.

Appfolio | Company Website | LinkedIn Connect | AppFolio, Inc. develops Property Management Software that helps businesses improve their workflow so they save time and make more money. Appfolio submits articles & blogs including topics of Resident Retention, Improved Owner Communication, Time Management, and more.

The percentage of vacant apartments stayed incredibly low in the first quarter, as cold weather delayed a confrontation between growing supply and growing demand. As a result, says Victor Calanog, chief economist and senior vice president for Reis Inc., “The most die-hard multifamily optimists will have their beliefs tested in the next six months.”

Vacancies will have to rise eventually, even though demand for apartments is anticipated to remain very strong for years to come. That’s because the supply of new apartments is growing too. For years, developers have been starting construction on new multifamily communities; meanwhile, demographers have said reassuring things about the demand for apartments, encouraging developers to start construction on even more new multifamily communities. Eventually, if developers keep adding new units, the number of new projects underway has to catch up with the even stronger demand for apartments.

“This year, we expect national vacancies to jump by 70 or 80 basis points because of the spike in new deliveries,” says Calanog. That would still leave the vacancy at 5 percent or less. He says Reis expects rents to continue to grow faster than inflation at a rate of more than 3 percent.

Developers will open approximately 240,000 institutional-quality new apartments in 2015. That’s 43 percent more than 2014, and is well over the 132,000 units a year that developers completed on average between 1999 and 2008, before construction ground to a halt in the Great Recession. There were 100,000 units developers delivered on average over the last 10 years, according to Reis, but of course, the last 10 years includes the downturn and its long aftermath.

Some research organizations, such as the economists at Freddie Mac, expect demand to overtake supply by a third over the next several years. Taking into account the broader count of all multifamily housing units included in the U.S. Census, Freddie Mac expects demand as high as 400,000 units a year compared to a supply of new apartments of 300,000 units a year.

Construction and leasing delayed by the long winter

Cold weather restrained both the number of the new apartments that opened in the first months of 2015 and the number of potential renters who went shopping for a new place to live. Only 29,000 new apartment units joined the rental markets in the first quarter, roughly comparable to the number of new units that online in the first quarter of 2014, which was also usually cold. New renters absorbed roughly the same net number of apartments, leaving the vacancy rate at 4.2 percent, the same as in the fourth quarter, according to Reis.

“Vacancies have not moved much since the end of 2013,” says Calanog. The average U.S. vacancy rate has not slipped lower than 4.2 percent or swelled higher than 4.3 percent. “This will likely change very soon.”

Despite all the construction cranes on the horizon, apartment owners and managers feel that the national apartment market is getting tighter, with even more demand from renters, as they have for the last year, according to April’s “Quarterly Survey of Apartment Conditions” from the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC). The organization’s Market Tightness Index came in at 58, above the 50 breaking point between tightening and weakening.

“The song remains the same: the apartment markets are not only strong, but getting stronger,” said Mark Obrinsky, NMHC’s senior vice president of research and chief economist. “Despite occasional predictions to the contrary, markets keep getting tighter. As new construction increases, so do absorptions, indicating the demand for apartments is not yet close to being sated.”

Blog provided by National Real Estate Investor

Did you know that renting your units as a typical landlord is the least profitable way to operate a landlording business?

Yes, you can make money each month but you can net up to eight and ten times more using an advanced corporate housing operating plan.

You can net 8-10x more money each month with corporate housing

What is Corporate Housing?

Corporate housing is an established concept where you rent a furnished apartment or home to a business. Typically all utilities and services are included; it’s like an all-inclusive hotel without daily housekeeping.

Traveling employees can make a strong case for corporate housing if they’re away on a business assignment that’s 20 days or longer.

You can customize your corporative housing offering to appeal to:

• Clients that want a luxury environment
• Typical white and blue-collar employees that prefer a home environment
• Insurance companies that need to house displaced families for extended periods

All three of these options can be very profitable depending on how you operate and what the competition has to offer. You competition is now hotels and other corporate housing units in your town – not other landlords.

Why is Corporate Housing So Profitable?

The benchmark is a hotel room for 20 or more days not a rental for 20 days. The benefits of corporate housing manifest themselves when longer term temporary housing is an issue.

Your goal in the corporate housing arena is to create an offering that is 40% to 50% less expensive than the benchmark hotel for a month stay.

If a hotel room is $100 per night per person, then price your offering at $50 per night per person. If you’re offering a decked out 3 bedroom, 2 bath house, then you might price your offering at $150 per night or $4,500 per month.

Compare that to the $1,500 monthly rent a typical landlord might collect and you’ll see why I said typical landlording is the least profitable way to operate.

Breaking Down Corporate Housing

Let’s drop this idea into the breakdown table.

Quick Start Tips

Write an introductory and information letter to the HR manager of largest company in your proximity. Linkedin is great for networking into HR departments.

• Construction Teams Follow the progress of a large construction project that goes out to bid. This information is kept on your City or County’s website. Contact the winning contractor and pitch your housing option to them.
• Fleet Drivers See who has a fleet of trucks at the hotel nearest to you. Send a letter to the company and leave an invitation on the trucks.
• Online Listings List your offering on corporate housing websites like: Expedia.com, CorporateHousingByOwner.com, CorporateHousing.com

POWER TIP: Having one consolidated bill is a huge benefit to companies, and corporate housing has that edge over hotels. Be sure to figure out how to make your target company’s accounting department happy.

Don’t Overlook Blue Collar Type Clients

Construction workers and project managers take long-term assignments away from their homes. Crews working on public works type projects are typically paid per diem based on the US Government Services Administration. Check the gsa.gov website to find the current per diem rates for your area.

This group has a difference set of priorities than the high-end corporate clients.

• At this level, many workers are willing to share a bathroom. A company may be able to place three or more people in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house.
• Have laundry on site.
• Offer weekly housekeeping.
• Consider making your rental into a man-cave.

Executive Clients Want Premier Housing

Take a look at Executive Lifestyles Furnished (ELF) Homes and Hotels. They have been providing corporate housing in the Bay Area since 2007.

Their Bay Area operation focuses on providing housing for companies like Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple. You can see pictures of their high-end homes intended to delight their clients on ELF Global’s website.

ELF Homes uses their website, word of mouth, Airbnb, Expedia and other travel agencies to book their Bay Area residential homes. Most of their clientele are out-of-town visitors.

Groups of executives rent out ELF’s houses for retreats, meetings or other business related activities. Their homes can house four or five executives at rates less than the equivalent number of hotel rooms, plus meeting space.

ELF Homes is also able to benchmark their offering off of high-end hotels and adjust their prices accordingly. Yes, this means big money.

The Downside

1. VIP Treatment Luxury rental clientele are very demanding. Executives expect to receive the VIP treatment they are paying for. It’s critical that there are no mechanical break downs or inconvenience during their bookings. This business model is lucrative but it is not passive.
2. Higher Cleaning Costs Blue collar types work in non-office environments, therefore they bring in more dirt. Your housing offering needs to be able to withstand dirtier clothing and foot traffic.
3. Increased Marketing Expenses You will need to maintain a decent website to operate in corporate housing and to be considered a serious player. Do what you can not to appear as a Ma and Pa type operator.

Cost / Projected Revenue

In the Silicon Valley, housing prices and rents are astronomical, and the rates a corporate housing provider can charge are sky-high as well.

Rent for a corporate home will vary seasonally and spike up to three times as much during festivals and times of high demand.

A good rule of thumb is to expect an all-inclusive furnished corporate unit to rent for two times the unfurnished market rent.

Although you never want vacancy, when dealing with luxury corporate housing, the number of days of lost rent is not as meaningful a factor as it is in the traditional landlord world. Catching the times of highest demand may more than exceed a year’s worth of market rate rents.

Final Thoughts

There are at least five different ways to be a buy and hold landlord. And you don’t have to ask permission to change your style.

There is a financial benefit for solving every problem. The bigger the problem, the bigger the reward. Consider positioning your rental to be a housing solution for a group within your network or a hotel alternative for a business within your proximity.

First posted by Landlordology.com. Find the original post here: http://www.landlordology.com/make-extra-money-with-corporate-housing/

If you’re planning a live event for your property – an open house, a limited time incentive program to encourage tenant referrals or a grand opening to showcase your new on-site gym facilities – engaging a professional social media correspondent may help you generate more buzz.

Not sure what a social media correspondent does or how hiring one will help you attract community attention? Here’s the scoop.

What is a Social Media Correspondent?

Social media correspondents use myriad platforms to report important community issues and events. Correspondents report dynamic stories accessible to diverse audiences using mobile phones, tablets, desktop computers and other devices.

Since your team attends the event, it is like having a live broadcast, similar to remote radio broadcasting with an edge. The edge comes in the form of video, audio, photos and tweets to entice viewers to personally attend your event.

For example, it’s much more appealing to get an invite to a community bar-b-cue if you can see the food and hear comments about how delicious it is than to just receive an email announcing the date and time.

Benefits of Live Events

Live events are excellent marketing tools. They create interest, increase sales opportunities and build loyalty and engagement with current tenants, vendors and key referral agents.

And, live events are especially appealing to Gen Z. We just got tuned into the millennial generation, but the cohort to watch now is Z’ers – those born between 1994 and 2000. Why? They make up almost a quarter of the US population. With roughly 44 million people in this age group, it’s understandable why they’re already shaping the marketing landscape.

This demographic grew up during the economic downturn and have become disenchanted with the world. They tend to distrust brands and companies because watching their parents lose jobs and homes made them more skeptical and changed their perspective of traditional status symbols.

Live events feed the need for self-discovery and social engagement that Generation Z thrives on.

Tips and Cautions

Appealing to the Gen Z audience is tricky. While experts like Susan Kwasniak, senior strategists for FreemanXP, agree that live events present exceptional marketing opportunities, they caution hyperbole and jargon will get you nowhere fast. A professional correspondent has exceptional skills for identifying which live shots and comments will resonate with this generation. The key to heightened engagement is content that emanates credibility and authenticity, while encouraging self exploration.

Finding an Expert

Let’s face it, not every happening on your property is an opportunity for a live event. Use the following tips to determine if you need a professional correspondent and what to look for when hiring one.

Number One: The unique correspondent required skill set includes:

• Experience with diverse equipment – cameras, tablets, audio recorders
• Familiarity with multiple media channels – YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, FaceBook, SnapChat
• Communication skills – face-to-face, written and verbal
• Familiarity with your brand, your target audience and your community
• Alignment with your brand and your offerings

Number Two: Establish ground rules, then get out of the way.

If you have specific corporate guidelines, it’s imperative you share those with your correspondent before the event launch. Make sure he or she knows what they can and cannot offer. For example, you must consider fair housing mandates and price constraints. Once you’ve covered the basics, let the correspondent do what they do best. Don’t try to script the process.

Number Three: Clearly define your goals.

Remember that you’ll need to continue the conversation after the event closes. Defining what your goal for content created is crucial. Are you looking to increase customer interactions? Do you want to garner more positive online reviews? Maybe, you want to grow your brand awareness.

Think hiring a professional social media correspondent is an opportunity to expand your marketing opportunities? Contact AppFolio.com to learn how your property management software and live events work together to take your next event to another level.

Appfolio | Company Website | LinkedIn Connect | AppFolio, Inc. develops Property Management Software that helps businesses improve their workflow so they save time and make more money. Appfolio submits articles & blogs including topics of Resident Retention, Improved Owner Communication, Time Management, and more.

It’s called curb appeal and it is one of the most important things you can do to keep your property on the short-list of those tenants who are searching for their next place to put down roots. Maintaining your property to a certain level has two major benefits: it allows you to attract those tenants that you desire most to rent from you and it helps make your property more appealing to that particular segment of the population.

Maintenance: Money Well Spent

Let’s face it: your maintenance budget is probably one of the largest line items in your property’s budget. It can seem like a good area to tighten the belt if you are looking to save a few pennies here and there. While it is likely that you will be able to find a few places where you can trim your maintenance budget, be wary of slashing too much from that area.

In addition to using this part of your budget to promptly address any tenant concerns when it comes to those mechanical items that are your responsibility – always a good idea as you want to be known as a property that takes your tenant’s issues very seriously – your maintenance budget is also where your property’s regular expenses will come from. From snow and ice removal to landscaping during the summer months, from paint to power washing, spending the money on maintenance now pays dividends now and long into the future.

Stop Downward Slides

It can be a challenge to keep your property looking fresh and new. This is especially true if it is located in an area that is still struggling economically. Finding the money to keep up with maintenance while you are still under capacity and having to invest in advertising to find suitable tenants can stretch meager budgets. Allowing your property to fall into disrepair is a self-fulfilling prophecy, though that can increase the likelihood of crime and make your property unattractive to those very tenants that you want to show interest.

Add Cheer Throughout Your Property

Planting fresh and blooming flowers each spring, clearing away the fallen leaves, removing accumulated snow. These are all ways to help your property look neat, welcoming and cheerful – exactly the attributes that many people are looking for when they are in the market for a new place to come home to. Festive touches like pumpkins and straw bales during the fall or lights and greenery during the winter keep your property looking fresh and updated without costing a great deal of money or taking a lot of time to set up.

Regular Updates are a Must

Ensuring that there is money built into your budget for regular updates – both visible and hidden – is important to the longevity and good health of your property. If your property is more than a decade old, consider updating its community areas or HVAC systems to better reflect the trends of today. Not only will these areas look more modern but they will be a mood-lifter for your current residents, operate more efficiently and will increase your property’s appeal for those looking for a new home.

Renovating individual units to ensure that they meet with updated codes is always a huge draw when tenants are searching for a new place to live. From fire safety to ADA compliance – and everything in between – there are often at least a few additions that can be made to increase the livability of your units and add to their appeal when it comes to attracting new tenants.

Your maintenance budget is something that works hard for you and your property. Using it to its maximum helps ensure that your property is situated well now and long into the future in terms of attracting – and keeping – the kinds of tenants you desire.

American Apartment Owners Association | Company Website | At the American Apartment Owners Association (AAOA), our mission is to serve the interests of landlords, real estate brokers, property managers, real estate owners and apartment building owners nationally. Visit www.AAOA.com for more information about membership details!

So you read the title and you’re like, “Whaaaat?!?!” Here’s the thing, my best friend and I are both in property management. We are also both in the dating scene as single mothers. Well, recently, me, more so than her, as she has a steady fella. Anyhow, we are both privy to the world of dating. And you’re currently thinking to yourself, “Ok Britt, just get to the point what this has to do with property management already.”

While talking today over lunch about internet leads and just the entire realm of ILS (Internet Listing Services) in property management and bad responses vs good responses, we both thought the exact same thing at the exact same moment. How do you respond to an internet lead well??? You treat it like online dating!

Here’s the thing, it’s the 21st century. Not only are people dating online before even getting to a “real” date, they’re also shopping for apartments online before coming out to your community!

You start internet dating by putting up your profile, writing some really great information about yourself, that while is very fluffy, is also genuinely true. Then you move on to the photos. You scroll through your phone’s camera roll, attempt to find the best selfies you’ve taken recently, try to find some photos of you that are not selfies (do those exist anymore??) and then voila’….you have just created your internet dating profile? Guess what? All of our ILS’ do this for our communities. Our reps come out to our communities to get to know it, to get to know the “vibe” of the community, so that they can create this online for us. They, or someone they hire, take photos for us. And they’re the best photos we have of our community! Your ILS’ do all of this for you because when scrolling through a bunch of “profiles” which one are you going to click on?!?!? (Exactly. My point exactly.)

Then comes the moment where you have received your first message! OMG! The cute man/woman I have been eyeballing on here, but didn’t have the guts to reach out to first, just messaged me! And he said, “Hi!” (Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit, but you get the picture). Here’s the thing, that same level of excitement should exist with EVERY SINGLE INTERNET LEAD THAT YOU GET! You never know, any one of those messages could potentially be “THE ONE”. The one that is going to get you a $300 commission check….not a ring on your finger (stay focused, please).

Now what do you do? The cute man/woman has just inboxed you and now it’s your turn. This is your time to shine. To ensure that you’re putting your best foot forward in the communication arena. You want to paint a picture of who you truly are, but also want to make sure that you keep the “psycho” to a minimum. (Ok ladies, you know exactly what I’m referring to, when you get overly excited about a boy and basically scare him away.) When you’re corresponding with your potential future mate, you’re lighthearted, you’re funny, hell, you’re the best thing since Jennifer Aniston. You’re going to do the EXACT same thing with your prospect who has just inboxed you for more information. You’re going to paint this really amazing picture of what your community has to offer, of what the amazing floor plans are, how incredible the salt water pool is, how convenient you are to specific locations, and then you’re going to gush about the customer service that is second to none. You’re going to paint your community the exact same way that you would paint yourself trying to get a date. You know what’s considered “psycho” in this scenario? Sending a price sheet. Oooooh, yea, send that during the first correspondence, and you may as well have just said, “Oh, yea, I want you to be my baby daddy.” during the first correspondence with your date. Epic fail.

Here’s the thing, as the communication between you and your potential future mate continues, there are questions that are being asked, there are scenarios being painted for a very specific reason. You and the other individual are very much dancing a dance called the “pre-screen” process. It’s a fairly common dance in the online dating arena. It’s an opportunity for you both not to waste the other’s time. “Are you employed?” “Do you have children?” “Do you have pets?” “How long have you been single?” “Have you had any luck on here or online dating in general?” and other variations of questions that you want answered.

You and your prospect are going to do the same thing. They are going to ask you a LOT of different questions because they do not want to waste their time. Much like the importance of choosing a future mate, they’re choosing their home. This is important! “Do you allow pets?” “Do you have garages?” “Are you a gated community?” “How can I pay my rent?” “Do you have a playground?” “What school district are you in?” “How close are you to the base?” “Does the bus pick up/drop off there?” and a plethora of other questions because despite having wants, they also have needs. (Very much like you WANT your date to be really hot, but let’s be honest, them being employed is going to move farther move up the list in priorities as a NEED)

So during this “pre-screen” dance that you have going on, you’re finding out whether the match is really made, or if it’s just a waste of one another’s time. There are obviously certain questions that can be answered from either party that are going to make it a no. However, for portrayal sake here, we are going to presume you’re really trying to get that date (with integrity and honesty) the same way that you would be fighting to get that internet lead to make an appointment.

You’re answering the questions, you’re painting the picture, you’re doing everything right. You’re even answering questions BEFORE they’re asked because you are just that good. (I mean, let’s be honest, I’ve been single going on three years, I think I have the questions memorized at this point). You’re going to do the same thing with your prospect. As I always say, knowledge is power and really showing the prospect how much knowledge that you have and the questions that you can answer that solidify their wants and needs, is going to land you an appointment. And please, make sure that you answer the prospect’s questions. If they have asked something specific in the initial contact or within any future correspondence, ANSWER IT! I point this out because it can be very easy to send a generic copy/paste sort of email that literally means nothing to the prospect that just asked if their pit bull is allowed to live at your property. I mean cool, you just sent me a ton of information, but you didn’t actually answer really the only question I am concerned with at this point.

DISCLAIMER: You’re not going to win all the dates. Don’t be that girl/guy. Make sure you pre-screen, just like they pre-screen. Ask the correct questions to ensure that the person on the other end of that correspondence meets your criteria (personally and professionally). For example, if the prospect says they have a pet, conversationally say, “Awww, what kind of pet?!?” (Then if they have a pit bull, you can explain why that won’t work per your breed restrictions, or if they have a cute new kitten, you can throw that into any future communication with them).

THE DATE! All questions have been answered in the pre-screen process, the date has been set, time has been set and the place, now you just need a new outfit (I mean, I realize that you’re setting somewhat of a false impression here, because it is a new outfit, but you ALWAYS want to put your best foot forward on the date) : THE APPOINTMENT! You’ve answered all their questions they have that they have been using to pre-screen your property, they feel like this could be IT and they make THE APPOINTMENT! And you’ve made sure the unit you’re going to show them is perfect, you’ve narrowed based on their needs and their wants what would be perfect for them based on availability and plan on letting them know the same AND that you can accommodate their move date as well!

Alright, so I am not going to give you advice on a real date, or advice on the appointment you’ve just managed to set. That is not what this blog post was about. Maybe I’ll save that for a later date (no pun intended). This was strictly for the correlation Brandy and I found between our online dating experience(s) and responding to internet leads. And hey, in some shape, form or fashion, I have not only given you advice on how to respond to your internet leads, but, also some tips & hints if you are single. You’re welcome. You can thank me by sending me a wedding invite….or half of your commission check. HA!

Happy Leasing (& Hunting)

Brittney Nelson | Company Website | LinkedIn Connect | With over 10 years of Property Management experience, Brittney has been afforded the opportunity to work at an on site level from Leasing Specialist to a corporate level as a Regional VP. Her passion is being on site serving her residents, empowering her team and finding her prospects their next home. Brittney has a broad range of experience from renovation properties, stabilized properties as well as lease up properties.

This year homeowners building a new home are concentrating on efficiency and simplicity. As a property manager, you can help single family home owners upgrade their property to include some of these new features and design elements.

Transitional renters are probably actively looking at trends in new home construction. To help your clients capture the highest rental income and improve their property value, encourage them to renovate for the future.

Here’s a few of the things industry experts are saying about 2015 building trends.

Smaller Spaces with Built-In Efficiency

More consumers are monitoring the financial more closely. Perhaps it is the memory of the economic downturn, or it could be the high levels of student loan debt, but the average size of the new, single-family home is shrinking. The National Associate of Home Builders (NAHB) reports the typical home built today is smaller than 2010 models at about 2,152 square feet of living space.

Smaller homes require less energy for heating and cooling and the baby-boomer generation is more content with more compact living quarters that don’t require as much care and maintenance.

What’s Disappearing in 2015?

Extra bathrooms – the third full bathroom and multiple washrooms on the same floor – are slowly being phased out of new construction designs. Formal dining rooms and mud rooms are also less desirable this year.

Separate cooking quarters and living rooms are being opened up to make one large room that serves as a central hub for socializing, eating and doing homework.

Bringing the Outdoors In

The great rooms – combination kitchen/living room areas – often include new energy-efficient windows and innovative appliance solutions. Think steam ovens that cook more efficiently and high-performance low-E replacement windows that expand viewing areas. Opening up the spaces with the right window choices provides a smooth transition from interior to exterior that creates an environment that includes the outside view as additional living space.

More Green In, Less Green Out

Renters are searching for ways to curb the carbon footprint and reduce expenses at the same time. Dual-flush water closets and low-flow faucets are gaining popularity. Going green can mean spending less green from your hard earned paycheck.

These new trends reflect a shift away from tankless water heaters, solar heating and anything now mandated by regional building codes.

In the Cook’s Corner

The NAHB survey highlights numerous trends in the kitchen including:

• Double sinks
• Ample room to gather and chat
• Breakfast bars for family dining

Warm, inviting décor is fast replacing contemporary styling. You find a more minimalistic approach in many homes. While time- and space-saving features are definitely a bonus, for many, less is more. In other words, out of sight is preferable.

Achieving this look and feel might include simple things, such as adding recessed lighting instead of dangling chandeliers, updating door and cabinet fronts to options that don’t require door pulls and visible hinges.

The Pantry Isn’t Just for Storage Today

Another significant change in new construction involves redefining the traditional pantry.

While some builders are seeing centralized computer stations, wine storage/coolers and hot water dispensers slowly losing their popularity, others are seeing an increase in requests for a multi-function pantry.

Consumers still want and need access to tech tools, but they don’t necessarily want them out in the open. Pantry designs today include features like mini-food prep stations, a small desk and computer connections and small appliance storage in addition to food inventory management. Efficiency and organization are top selling points.

Colors and Textures

Trending colors and textures change frequently. Rental property owners are better served by trying to take a neutral approach in these areas.

Learn more about the NAHB survey here, or reach out to an Appfolio.com representative for more tips to help your single-family homeowners save money and boost ROI from their investment properties.

Appfolio | Company Website | LinkedIn Connect | AppFolio, Inc. develops Property Management Software that helps businesses improve their workflow so they save time and make more money. Appfolio submits articles & blogs including topics of Resident Retention, Improved Owner Communication, Time Management, and more.

Even if you have a detailed application your prospective tenants have to fill out, there’s going to be a lot you don’t know about them. That’s why you also want to run a credit report. That can help you make a decision, but you still won’t have the whole picture. While credit reports are generally fairly accurate, the application may not be. People lie. It’s a sad fact of life, but you don’t want it to turn into a nightmare for you and your apartment complex.

Rather than just take applicants at their word, you’ll want to do some digging. Those references they put down? Call them. The places they said they work? Call those, as well. Make sure your applicants are giving you information you can verify as being accurate. That’s part of the reason to have a detailed rental application. You get enough information to start the digging process, and to see if the people who have applied to rent an apartment from you are being honest with the information they’re providing. If you find that they’re lying, you may not want to rent to them, even if they have good credit.

Another way to screen prospective tenants is to do a Google search on their names, or to look for them on social media sites. This is much easier to do if they have a less common name, but if you’ve seen them in person you may be able to match up a picture or other identifying information. That’s often a good way to see if they were being honest when they said they didn’t smoke, didn’t have pets, or wouldn’t be having too many people live there. Searching the internet can often also provide information about prior arrests, which can be important when making a decision about an applicant.

It’s a shame in many ways that landlords have to resort to these kinds of searches, and that some prospective tenants can’t be trusted, but it’s much better to be safe rather than sorry. Just make sure you’re being fair to all tenants, in that they all have to fill out the same application, and they all undergo the same screening process. If you don’t handle every applicant the same, and the applicant can prove that, you could be in legal trouble for discriminating against an applicant.

To avoid that, and to be clear about how you make your decision on who to rent your apartments to, make sure each person who applies to rent from you gets information about what will be asked of them and what you will do with that information. The more up-front you are about your methods, the more you can automatically weed out people who know they can’t qualify. Many of these people won’t even apply, which means those who do will have a higher chance of being the kinds of tenants you want to rent to and would like to have in your apartments.

The American Apartment Owners Association provides thorough tenant screening services to members and non-members. To order a report, visit our tenant screening page. Our background checks start with basic credit and can include a credit score, criminal and eviction history, full address history, social security fraud check, bad check writing verification (Telecheck), and more.

American Apartment Owners Association | Company Website | At the American Apartment Owners Association (AAOA), our mission is to serve the interests of landlords, real estate brokers, property managers, real estate owners and apartment building owners nationally. Visit www.AAOA.com for more information about membership details!

The Mayo Clinic defines hoarding as “a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them.” Hoarders rarely see their hoarding as a problem, even when the situation becomes dire. There are 12 primary symptoms or signs that describes hoarding.

1. Unwilling to dispose of or give up items cluttering the home

Hoarders do not easily give up items that have accumulated for years, even decades. Hoarders refuse to let others throw away or even touch their clutter and garbage.

2. Uninhabitable living areas

Hoarders have clutter piled so high that main living areas are uninhabitable. There is only a small walkway to get from one room to another. Sometimes the hoarder has to climb over piles of “stuff” to get from one area of the same room to another. Hoarders use paper plates or fast food containers once all the dishes are dirty. Rotted food is likely amongst the clutter. The hoarder often cannot bathe because the bathtub and sinks are full of accumulated clutter. Clutter is moved just enough to have a place to sleep or watch television.

3. Unsanitary living conditions

Empty food containers, leftover food and piles of garbage become a feast for bugs and rodents. The piles of clutter are excellent nesting areas for mice and rats. The general filth produces strong odors that are even detected on the outside of the premises.

4. Believing hoarded items are needed

Hoarders refuse to part with their clutter, saying it is “needed.” Broken appliances and furniture, items with pieces missing, disposable food containers, old tires or broken tools are “needed.” Hoarders claim items are “valuable” even when there is clearly little to no value.

5. Large number of pets

Hoarders often have large numbers of pets inside and outside their home. Hoarders may have dozens, even hundreds of pets, suffering from malnutrition and illness, living in unsanitary conditions. Dead pets on the premises are not unusual.

6. No organization to anything

Hoarders have no organization to anything and not just to their accumulated clutter. Pieces of furniture are sometimes thrown atop piles of clutter as are new items as they are brought home.

7. Refusal to allow maintenance personnel to enter the home

Even in case of a serious maintenance issue, hoarders often refuse to permit maintenance or repair workers to enter their home so they can hide their hoarding.

8. Utilities disconnected

Hoarders may have no utilities due to non-payment of utility bills, adding to the unsanitary living conditions and stench.

9. Social Isolation

Hoarders not only avoid social situations but may refuse to allow their own family members to enter their home. This is not only due to embarrassment but fear that family members may insist the hoarder get rid of their clutter and garbage.

10. Refusing to see hoarding as a problem

Hoarders refuse to see their clutter and garbage as a problem. They are so accustomed to their lifestyle that others are seen as intruding into the hoarder’s life.

11. Becoming defensive or combative when confronted about hoarding

Hoarders protect their belongings to the point of combativeness if anyone, even family members or professionals, attempt to throw it away. Even with threats from housing inspectors to condemn the property or with threat of eviction, hoarders may still refuse to get rid of their decades of clutter and garbage.

12. Refusing to accept treatment

Hoarding is a mental health issue. There are several barriers to overcoming hoarding and receiving treatment. Since hoarders see nothing wrong, they often refuse treatment. Sometimes it is only by force that the garbage is disposed of and the hoarder receives treatment.

– See more at: http://www.american-apartment-owners-association.org/property-management/landlord-quick-tips/12-signs-tenant-hoarding-disorder/#sthash.WAsVom5s.dpuf

American Apartment Owners Association | Company Website |At the American Apartment Owners Association (AAOA), our mission is to serve the interests of landlords, real estate brokers, property managers, real estate owners and apartment building owners nationally. Visit www.AAOA.com for more information about membership details!