What’s more to love than a cuddly bundle of joy who greets you every day after work? On the other end of the spectrum, what is worse than finding out one month after settling into the perfect apartment that your allergies don’t agree with the previous tenant’s pet?

After a seven-quarter run, expansion moderated for apartment markets according to the National Multi Housing Council’s (NMHC) January Quarterly Survey of Apartment Market Conditions. For the first time since 2010, two of the four indexes – Market Tightness (45) and Sales Volume (49) – dipped below 50, though just barely. The two financing indexes show continued improvement for the 8th consecutive quarter, as the Equity Financing (56) and Debt Financing (57) Indexes remained above the breakeven level of 50.

Seattle - Apartment Insights 4th quarter results show the Thurston County market rebounding a bit after a period of decline, according to Tom Cain of Apartment Insights. The data are from his Seattle firm’s statistics and trends on 50+ unit properties in Pierce, Kitsap and Thurston counties.

Pierce, Kitsap, Thurston 4Q12
VACANCY: 6.6%
The market vacancy for conventional, stabilized 50+ unit properties in all three counties is 6.6%, down slightly from 6.74% last quarter. The vacancy rate was 7.02% a year ago. The vacancy rate for all properties, including those in lease-up is 7.68%.

the news reporters keep reminding us, Congress returns to session in January and will be considering a long list of legislative priorities, including deficits, tax reform, and the reauthorization of the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). For those who missed the notice, VAWA died last September and is on the agenda for a proposed resurrection this spring.

What is VAWA?

Generation Y, or Millennials, are those born in the mid-80s, and after. They have grown up in the digital age, love technology, and environmental awareness. There are about 70 million Generation Y renters that come with very specific wants and needs that you must know about if you want to start attracting them as tenants. Use these helpful tips to begin attracting Gen Y renters to your community today:

Get Connected

The market vacancy rate in the Puget Sound region is 3.8%. That's the lowest it has been since 2007. It doesn't get that low very often. In fact, it has been that low just three other times in the past 30 years. These are some of the findings of our just-completed survey of 20-unit and larger apartments in the Puget Sound region.

It’s just MOLD, clean it up…..  Maybe use bleach, that should be enough, right?  
Have you heard this, or heard this statement?  This is defiantly one of those “What were you thinking moments” 

News and information for landlords, apartment owners, property managers and real estate investors. The Landlord Times is the business journal for the multifamily and rental housing industry.

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Trends To Watch Brought to You By Dupre & Scott

Here are seven stories about apartment market and investment trends in the Puget Sound region. This is a summary of our presentation on Wednesday to the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound at their annual Spring Workshop. Fasten your seatbelts. That presentation was 70 minutes, but we'll whisk you through the key points in this 8 minute video.

The Landlord Times is the business journal for the multifamily & property management industry in the Puget Sound.

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Why are we landlords afraid to make tough decisions when it comes to screening prospective tenants? Have you noticed that some potential applicants become pushy or demand sympathy? Haven’t we all heard the same excuse from applicants, “the information you’re asking for is buried somewhere in a moving box”? At this point, do we choose not to require that they complete the corresponding field on the application? Have you found yourself approving applicants who don’t quite meet your screening criteria because you’re afraid to keep the property vacant or simply afraid to say no?

The Landlord Times recently caught up with apartment owner, broker and real estate entrepreneur Darrel Dickson about multifamily industry trends, the economy and real estate investment and management best practices.


The Landlord Times:  What about the industry has changed most since you started your career?

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Housing finance reform must include a federal guarantee for multifamily mortgages. This was the key message from Peter Donovan of CB Richard Ellis and immediate past chairman of the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC), speaking at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

Ordering coffee used to be simple. There were only five variables: black, milk, cream, sugar, sugar substitute. Then Howard Schultz came along and now we have to decide whether to order a “triple grande, whole milk, dry, extra caramel, caramel macchiato, with room” or a “grande, skinny mocha, caramel sauce bottom, whip top.” Apartments used to be almost as simple as coffee used to be. You only had a few choices: studios, one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms, and sometimes three-bedrooms. But that doesn’t work anymore. And it shouldn’t.

The Landlord Times Metro is the business journal for the multifamily, property management and rental housing industry in the greater Portland Metro area.

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Published in conjunction with Multifamily NW and Lane County ROA, The Landlord Times Valley edition provides news and information to thousands of apartment owners, investors, property managers, landlords and other real estate professionals throughout the lower Willamette Valley.

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Dupre & Scott talk about apartment marketing and branding in the weekly video report entitled "How to Build a Moat". Does your property management company company have a marketing materplan?

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Statement from the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) and National Apartment Association (NAA) Joint Legislative Program by Cindy Chetti, NMHC Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, in response to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) 2013 scorecard outlining its regulatory goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the current year.