Ten fundamental principals of a good manager
1. When you have an issue, problem, failure, dysfunction or whatever - anywhere in the organization - look up the ladder for the cause and down the ladder for the solution. 2. Everything that happens...
Capitol gains
"The market there has been relatively steady, certainly relative to other markets in the U.S. that have seen a lot more volatility," said Alliance Residential CFO Jay Hiemenz in early May, a couple of...
Lock in leases
The new locking technology that debuted at the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) International Builders' Show (IBS) in January isn't based on the pin-and-tumbler mechanism that has been synonymous with locks since the...
Bad debt be gone
Vacancies remained flat at eight percent in Q4, the highest level since 1980 and in any fourth quarter since 2003, according to independent real estate research firm REIS. And while industry watchers were encouraged...
Residents keep their cash. You protect your asset.
When residents opt for a SureDeposit surety bond as an alternative to the traditional security deposit, they pay a non-refundable $87.50 premium. The surety bond protects the owner against financial losses because tenants' requirements...
The high cost of worse case
Without the protection of a mandatory, full participation, program, apartment owners are exposed to a number of risks that can negatively impact their bottom line. Fire and water The most common tenant-caused apartment accidents are fires...
The new normal
A recent survey by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling found 26 percent of American households reported that they do not pay all of their bills on time and eight percent did not make...
Mandating energy benchmarks for multifamily housing
Coming down the pike, on the federal, state and local levels in cities around the country, is legislation that will require multifamily owners to benchmark, rate and disclose their properties' utility usage. Some bills...
Smart measures
Peter Drucker, the man who has been called the inventor of modern management, is credited with saying, "You can't manage what you can't measure." That adage holds true in the multifamily space, where comps...
The new guy at Freddie Mac
First, Haldeman clarified what Freddie Mac's business is, and dispelled some common misconceptions. As a player in the secondary market, the company doesn't deal with families who are applying for mortgages; instead, it buys...
Phil Carlock set to be inducted into National Apartment Association’s Hall of Fame
Phil Carlock, CAPS, CPM, chairman of the executive committee and vice chairman of the Board of the Directors of ECI Group, Marietta, Ga., the 2001 NAA president (now recognized as chairman of the board),...
Turning the corner
"What a difference a year makes. And the way things are changing today, what a difference 90 days make," Equity Residential CEO David Neithercut, said, during the company's earnings call at the end of...
Want to create jobs? Think like job creators.
On the other hand, some 250,000 new jobs were created last month - albeit many are temporary government census takers. Republicans and Democrats now agree on which two big issues matter: in the short term...
NWP expands its national footprint with acquisition
The acquisition further positions NWP as the leading national provider, increasing its footprint to include 45 states, completing its west-to-east move and adding a host of CBSI customers to NWP's client list. "By the common...
Making public housing work
A report issued by HUD in May drove home how few housing choices our poorest families have. It found that in 2007, nearly 13 million low-income individuals paid more than half their monthly income...
