Brave new, networked world
Apartment dwellers today expect a high level of technology services. Thanks to the growing demand for bandwidth and internet-enabled devices, managed Wi-Fi and internet connections have become valued commodities that help attract and retain...
How property managers can survive (and thrive) in the era of proptech
Rent collection: There’s an app for that. Scheduling repairs: There’s an app for that, too. Apartment showings can now be handled by a suite of software programs that allow for virtual viewings, and background...
Apartment cleaning service expands business model
Lapa Lopa is a cleaning service that leverages technology to deliver an improved experience for apartment residents. Headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., the company recently launched a new app for cleaners, targeting prospective employees, contractors...
Smart city backlash
A new phase of pause seems to have gripped the three-decades-old global movement of overstressed urban centers transitioning to so-called smart cities with innovative, technology-led promises. The latest phase is marked by scattered, local-level...
Putting sharing economy property rentals on the straight and narrow
The romanticized view of the sharing economy runs something like this. We all have assets that we can share with other people in return for small amounts of cash or payments in kind. Sharing...
Airbnb arbitrage
How professional hosts are filling the unicorn’s call for quality rentals.
As Airbnb prepares to become a publicly traded company in 2020, the home-sharing marketplace is signaling a huge appetite for high-quality supply. It’s a...
GSEs move toward privatization
FHFA says Fannie, Freddie must direct over one-third of multifamily loans towards affordable housing
The Federal Housing Finance Agency will increase caps on the amount of multifamily loans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase...
New wave in smart home market
A producer of smart home software that helps landlords cut operating costs such as shuttling keys to waiting maintenance workers or guiding tours for prospective tenants has raised $32 million from Bain Capital Ventures...
Assessing risk: A cautionary tale
A new client contacted our property management firm unexpectedly a few years ago, needing help with close to 70 single-family homes in Springfield, Ohio. They were from upstate New York and had purchased these...
EPA signals retreat from controversial ‘secret science’ rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is dropping plans to issue a final version this year of its divisive plan to limit the agency’s use of scientific studies in crafting major new regulations, Administrator...
California’s request for federal funding to combat homelessness rejected by Trump Administration
As the homelessness crisis in California escalates, state officials requested increased federal funding to combat the issue, only to be rejected by HUD Secretary Ben Carson, as reported by ABC News.
The request letter was...
How technical education helps students earn more (and builds trades the country needs)
Job prospects for young men who only have a high school diploma are particularly bleak. They are even worse for those who have less education. When young men experience joblessness, it not only threatens...
10 facts about homelessness in America
The homeless represent the most vulnerable portion of Americans living in poverty. The latest U.S. government report on homelessness shows that a culture of secularism and statism is depriving Americans of church philanthropy, curbing...
What California’s new gig work law gets wrong about gig work
In September, California legislators passed a bill that requires Lyft, Uber, and other similar service platforms to treat the workers that provide services through them as employees rather than independent contractors. Other states are...
The case for hiring older workers
There’s a lot of talk about gender bias, racial bias, and culture bias at work, and each is important for many reasons. But perhaps one of the biggest and most problematic types of bias...
