Freddie Mac Multifamily Research Group Forecasts Strong Multifamily Market Through 2015

The National Multihousing Council recently released its latest Quarterly Survey Of Apartment Market Conditions. In a nutshell, apartment markets have improved in all areas across the board for the seventh straight quarters. Demand continues to out pace new construction although development has increased. Financing for construction and acquisition remains tight with only the top property management companies and markets easily finding financing.

It's that time of year and there's been a whole slew of housing reports as of late. Below is a run down of a few.

Just Landlords, a UK based property management insurance company, recently issued a white paper on trust. First, they wanted to see how many landlords, out of 300 questioned, would generally trust their tenants enough to stay in their own homes while they were out of town. Secondly, they polled the same group of apartment owners and proprty managers about damage. The study shows that about 1/3 of landlords actually would trust their tenants to watch their personal homes.

Interest.com recently published a report on housing affordability The study is fairly straight forward, simply comparing median income with median home price and offering letter grades on affordability.

The Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (ARLTA) states that a resident is responsible for the conduct of his or her guests. This article will examine this provision and offer suggestions when dealing with resident’s guests.
A.R.S. § 33-1341 states: Tenant to maintain dwelling unit:

6. Not deliberately or negligently destroy, deface, damage impair or remove any part of the premises or knowingly permit any person to do so.

For those who weren’t paying attention, November marks the second year since Arizona voters authorized qualifying patients with “debilitating medical conditions” to legally consume marijuana in Arizona. Not only did the law decriminalize the use of marijuana, but it also made it unlawful for employers, housing providers and others to discriminate against persons who are registered medical marijuana users under certain circumstances.

Coverage Under the AMMA

By Dale Erquiaga

Pool safety and facility risk management are top-of-mind issues for all property managers, and a recent incident here in Arizona proved that an outstanding staff with appropriate training is the key to success.

By Axiometrics

The U.S. apartment market finished the third quarter with an annual effective rent growth rate of 3.64% in September, while the occupancy rate climbed to 94.55%, according to Axiometrics Inc., the leading provider of apartment data and apartment market research. Revenue growth, which combines the effective rent and occupancy growth into one number, measured 1.05% from the beginning to the end of the third quarter, as compared to 1.08% over the same period in 2011.

February, Apartment Careers Month, is quickly approaching, and there is no better time than now to begin preparing. Interested in participating? Try these strategies:

• Get your city or state to designate February 2013 as Apartment Careers Month. Visit www.naahq.org/education/naaei/campaigns/Pages/AptCareersMonth.aspx for guidance.
• Participate in a local high school, college or military career fair. Email julia@naahq.org to request free marketing materials from NAAEI.

By Dale Erquiaga

Alliance Residential Company has expanded its Focus Green initiative with the promotion of Kelly Vickers to the newly-created position of national director of sustainability. Vickers will oversee the Focus Green program and the company’s overall strategy for maximizing green initiatives across its more than 55,000 owned and managed units nationwide.

Dogs may be man’s best friends, but pets of all kinds increasingly find a home with American families, including those who rent. A recent survey conducted by Apartments.com found that 43 percent of respondents are current pet owners. More than 25 percent plan to bring a new pet home within the next year. Pet ownership is a major factor in how renters decide where to live.

By Jake Hinman & Courtney LeVinus, Capitol Consulting

Since early July a governor-appointed task force has been discussing potential changes to Arizona’s complex sales tax structure. The goal of the task force isn’t necessarily to reduce or eliminate certain taxes, but rather simplify the reporting process in order to reduce the regulatory burden placed on Arizona businesses. Some of issues being discussed will impact AMA members, especially those who develop new apartment buildings.

During election season I am reminded of the importance of the UAA Government Affairs program and raising money to support it. In 2011, we successfully raised $75,000 in our political action fund. These funds supports lobbyists who help us articulate our message, and the campaigns of candidates and elected officials who support property rights and reasonable regulation of our industry.

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Just like any home, the curb appeal of your apartment community can make a good or bad impression on potential renters. Ways to increase curb appeal can include adding exterior decorations, re-painting, or making improvements to the landscaping. There are a variety of simple, cost-effective improvements to elevate your curb appeal this fall.

A credible background check by a reputable company could be the most important decision a landlord can make during the entire applicant screening process. Consider the case of a Utah apartment owner who didn’t bother to conduct a criminal history on an applicant because he looked so nice and his credit was impeccable. Three months later, the new tenant was cited by the police for operating a meth lab —his third offense in as many years. The cost of clean up to the owner was over eight thousand dollars.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Donovan and Northwest HUD Regional Administrator Mary McBride recently announced that 11 privately-owned complexes in Washington state have been awarded a total of $2,009,082 grant to help senior citizens in to receive health care, meals and other critical supportive services and enable them to live independent lives.

Days always seem to start out interestingly when you go to Twitter first thing in the morning. You never know where it will lead you. I had a brief tweet with @30lines (http://30lines.com, and BTW, when you go to their site, be sure to read the article http://30lines.com/2009/01/are-you-approachable/ … its fun and thought provoking!)

he U.S. apartment market finished the third quarter with an annual effective rent growth rate of 3.64% in September, while the occupancy rate climbed to 94.55%, according to Axiometrics Inc., the leading provider of apartment data and apartment market research. Revenue growth, which combines the effective rent and occupancy growth into one number, measured 1.05% from the beginning to the end of the third quarter, as compared to 1.08% over the same period in 2011.