Saving money is an immediate goal of property managers everywhere, yet many are unknowingly throwing cash away due to inefficient waste systems. After all, who really wants to focus on the one thing most people are trying to get rid of? A closer look into the trash bin could yield thousands of dollars in savings within just a few months.

Qualifying prospective renters can seem especially challenging when you must establish their eligibility to rent based upon income. While it is necessary to determine if callers and visitors can qualify to rent at your community, coming right out and asking someone for their annual income can be perceived as an invasion of privacy. (Would you like a total stranger to ask: “How much money do YOU make?”) Recently I was asked the following question on this subject:

213 Meetings with Legislators from 32 States Focus on Mortgage Market Liquidity, Carried Interest and
Internet Sales Tax Fairness and Proposed Lease Accounting Changes

Some 265 members of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®) and the CCIM Institute recently visited Capitol Hill to raise awareness of key issues affecting the commercial real estate industry. IREM® and CCIM Members representing 32 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico held 213 meetings with their respective senators, representatives and their staffs to voice the industry’s concerns about:

If you can smell it, you can sell it,” say many of today’s marketing gurus. Our sense of smell is, by far, the most developed of all our senses. The human nose can detect over 10,000 different odors. Smell can signal danger, forecast the weather, and evoke forgotten memories.

1. Whats’ your story? What is your background and how did you get into the property management industry

Fifth consecutive quarter of uninterrupted growth; Market still lacks widespread capital

Optimism continues for the apartment industry, according to the latest results of the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) Quarterly Survey of Apartment Market Conditions. The findings reflect a gradual recovery for the multifamily sector that faced a 50-year low in apartment starts in 2009.

It is important for landlords to have their lease agreements signed by the proper individuals and to have all occupants in the rental unit listed. This article will cover some of the more important areas for you as landlords to be aware of in order to protect your rights and to enforce your lease if a violation should occur.

The head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development is urging HUD-assisted properties to take a closer look at ex-offenders when they decide whether or not to rent apartments.

Searching for a better way to protect workers from hazardous chemicals, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has revised its Hazard Communication Standard so it aligns more closely with the United Nations’ global chemical labeling system.
Once implemented fully in 2016, OSHA officials believe the new standard will prevent an estimated 43 deaths and result in an estimated $475.2 million in enhanced productivity for U.S. businesses each year.

Organizational productivity is reached when individuals, teams, and executives of an entity act in consistent and complementary ways to enable innovation. However, teams – groups of 2-100 people focused on critical specific operational efforts - are the single most important component that empowers corporate success. Therefore, refining and optimizing team execution is a critical aspect of any sustainable and profitable organization.

City of Phoenix moving forward with ad hoc recommendations
Councilman Tom Simplot (and AMA President/CEO) and Councilman Sal DiCiccio continue their efforts in creating new innovations and efficiencies within the city of Phoenix.

Some first-time investors have taken the risk of going the way of multi family investing. Multi family residential or multi-dwelling unit and multi family offices are example of multi family investments. Many grizzled veterans in the business of investing regard multi-family investments as way better than single-family properties.

How important are the senses to selling? Does a product have to have a great appeal -- taste, smell, look, sound, and feel great to be successful? There is important research on the impact of each of these senses that can be translated into exciting new selling strategies for multifamily housing - a poster, a carefully placed fresh flower, a photograph or a note on the refrigerator. Are you ready to add a Silent Sales Person to your leasing team?

Illinois landlord agrees to perform lead abatement work in 463 housing units

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a settlement with Wilmette Real Estate & Management Company, LLC; WR Property Management, LLC; 14 affiliated limited liability companies and Mr. Cameel Halim in Chicago and Evanston, Illinois.

The idea of living in your niche is a concept we developed in 1995 when we launched our business coaching service. As a result of using this strategy, we have worked with more than 600 property management executives and their companies in North America. In addition, we found this concept to be so successful for our coaching business that we began to teach our property management clients how to do the same for/with their own companies and organizations.
To understand the principles of living in your niche for your property management company you first need to answer these questions:

The importance of teamwork can not be overstated or emphasized enough. Yet sometimes boundaries are so clearly drawn regarding the role or “job description” of each staff member, those employees who desire to “go the extra mile” are powerless to act and are forced to watch prospects and residents “fall through the cracks.”
I was recently asked the following question which brings up the issue of maintenance and leasing staffs getting involved with each others’ responsibilities:

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers commended Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) for introducing the Lead Exposure Reduction Amendments Act of 2012 (S. 2148) to improve the lead paint rule for home owners and remodelers who must comply with the costly work practices and record keeping requirements of the rule. The bill was introduced with five original co-sponsors: Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), David Vitter (R-La.), Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).

Citing the work that they do and the people they work with as the main drivers of their happiness, property managers ranked No. 2 - tied with executive chefs and surpassed only by software quality assurance engineers - in a recent survey conducted by the online jobs site CareerBliss.com to determine the 20 happiest careers in America. Property managers have had the added distinction in recent years of appearing twice in CNN’s and Money magazine’s annual ranking of the 50 "Best Jobs in America."

Increased Balance Between Upside and Downside Risks Indicates Positive Trend

Improvements in Labor Market Key to Housing Sector Gains

Smokefree rentals are quickly becoming the industry standard. One of the best reasons to implement a no-smoking policy is the reduction in fire risk, especially in multi-unit properties. Rich Hoover of the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal says “Even though most Oregonians don’t smoke these days, smoking remains a leading cause of fire deaths.”