Valley Rental Housing Journal Oct 2014

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2. The Caoch: For Your Residents, What Is Best Service?

3. Dear Maintenance Men

4. Multifamily NW Career Growth in Property Management

6. Shoptalk

...continued on page 8

The future of the rental property market is not distant. It is here, and it is unlike anything we’ve

ever seen. The Internet of Things (IoT), or the connectivity of smart de-vices that share data with the outside world, is paving this exciting future. From smart thermostats to smart door locks, these new inventions are gaining ground and excitement rap-idly. In this article, we will share a vi-sion of the future using smart devices within the rental property market.

As with any change there are those that will disagree with or fear the new direction in the property management process. Our goal is to prove that these new technologies should not be feared, but embraced for their potential of earning extra profit as well as simplifying the man-agement of properties. To show this, we will describe a day in the life of an IoT property including the prop-erty owner, leasing agents, tenants, and maintenance personnel.

The leasing process begins with the leasing agent showing the poten-tial tenants a unit for rent. The leas-ing agent, while showing the prop-erty, introduces the potential tenant to the devices making up the smart device package. The leasing agent describes how the smart thermostat, smoke alarm, door lock, air monitors and lights can be controlled from the tenants’ smart phone, tablet, or com-puter. The leasing agent then gives them a brief demonstration using their iPad by controlling the devices in the apartment. The leasing agent

How the Internet of Things will

Simplify & Increase Profits

in the Rental Housing Industry

continued on page 6

Everyone says they want inno-vation in their organization, but when an ambitious em-

ployee offers it to a CEO, for exam-ple, the idea is often shot down, says Dr. Neal Thornberry, faculty director for innovation initiatives at the Na-val Postgraduate School in Califor-nia.

“Senior leaders often miss the value-creating potential of a new concept because they either don’t take the time to really listen and delve into it, or the innovating employee presents it in the wrong way,” says Thornberry, who recently published “Innovation Judo,” (www.NealThornberry.com ), based on his years of experience teaching innova-tion at Babson College and advising an array of corporate clients, from

the Ford Co. and IBM to Cisco Systems.

“Innovation should be presented as opportunities, not ideas. Opportunities have gravitas while ideas do not!”

Thornberry outlines a template for innovation that work:

Intention: Once the “why” is answered, leaders have the begin-nings of a legitimate roadmap to innovation’s fruition. This is no small task and requires some soul search-ing.

“I once worked with an executive committee, and I got six different ideas for what ‘innovation’ meant,” he says. “One wanted new products, another focused on creative cost-cutting, and the president wanted a

more innovative culture. The group needed to agree on their intent before anything else.”

Infrastructure: This is where you designate who is responsible for what. It’s tough, because the average employee will not risk new responsi-bility and potential risk without incentive. Some companies create units specifically focused on innova-tion, while others try to change the company culture in order to foster innovation throughout. “Creating a culture takes too long,” Thornberry says. “Don’t wait for that.”

Investigation: What do you know about the problem? IDEO may be the world’s premier organization for

Cracking the Code to Innovation7 Steps That Guarantee Success


By Jo Becker, Education/Outreach Specialist, Fair Housing Council of Oregon

Depending on market condi-tions, housing providers can get quite creative in incen-

tives offered, certainly in the rental market but also in the sales environ-ment. Following is an article by Na-deen Green, an attorney that speaks to this issue from a fair housing perspective. Ms. Green has spoken on fair housing topics to residential rental audiences across the country since the Fair Housing Amendments Act’s inception in 1989.

If you have a question about your

rights or responsibilities under federal, state, and local fair housing laws,

please call our Hotline at 800-424-3247Hello Nadeen,Short-time reader of your Fair

Housing Blog on ForRent.com, and I must say I’ve learned a lot from you! The most important, I think, is “check with your local attorney/local laws.”

That being said, is advertising a Preferred Employer Program a potential violation of fair housing laws1? We market this program toward particular large employers in our area, like a cer-tain computer mega-corporation, or a well-known aerospace manufacturer, or even a little coffee chain you might have heard of popping up on every block. We also have military specials, honoring our

men and women in uniform (and their families).

Are we (or anyone else with a similar program) opening ourselves up for a venti-sized lawsuit by offering conces-sions to people who work for these employers?

Sincerely,Confused Leasing Agent in the

Emerald City

Dear Confused:“Certain large employers”?

Seems to me those would likely be “certain humongous employers”. But, I digress and actually in this context size does not matter. What matters is the reality or perception of

Preferred Employer Incentives, A Fair Housing Caution

October 2014


2 Rental Housing March Valley • October 2014

RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL VALLEY

“Best” service, especially in the property management industry, can be deceiving because the needs and expectations of your residents are changing and evolving rapidly. In addition, your residents are compar-ing your apartment communities to both your competition and to best service with every company, product or service they experience. By read-ing this article, you will learn the steps for developing a system so your residents can tell you exactly what best service means to them!

Developing resident surveys: Start by gathering the leasing teams at the properties you manage and discuss the current level of resident service being given. Also, ask for any feedback or suggestions they have heard or received from their residents. Next, prepare a resident survey that might include some of the following questions: Tell us about the best service you have ever received while living in any apart-ment community. Tell us about the best service you have ever received from any company or individual and why this was the best. Tell us how we can improve your living experi-ence with our apartment community.

Lastly, ask your leasing teams for suggestions on how these surveys might best be presented to their resi-dents. Many of our property man-agement clients ask their leasing teams to hand deliver these surveys to their residents on Saturday morn-ing for a personalized touch while others give out small prizes to the first 25 survey responses.

Tip From The Coach: Do you want to experience best service? Take a few hours and visit a high-end retail location like Nordstrom, a Ritz-Carlton hotel or Tiffany’s. When visiting these world-class locations, observe how they greet you, the words they select when assisting you, the types and variety of prod-ucts or services they provide, the colors and fabrics they use and the quality of their brochures and print-ed materials. As a side note, any employee of a Ritz-Carlton can fix a guest service problem instantly, for up to $2,000!

Implementing resident surveys: Once you and your leasing teams have received the responses to these resident surveys you can now set your service standards at or above the level of your resident’ expecta-

tions. As a next step, summarize the results from these resident surveys and look for any repeated sugges-tions or recommendations. Then, design an action-plan with your leas-ing teams based on the suggestions they are going to implement over the next 30-60 days. Lastly, have your leasing teams share with their resi-dents a written summary of exactly what they will be doing as a result of these resident surveys. Remember, surveys are a great way to get feed-back, but these residents will want to know what your leasing teams are going to do with their responses.

Tip From The Coach: Once this first resident survey has been com-pleted, ask your leasing teams to schedule additional surveys every 90 to 120 days for the next 36 months. These future surveys will allow you and your leasing teams to stay cur-rent with the ever-changing needs and requests of your residents. In addition, by having your leasing teams ask for this ongoing feedback their residents will know that service at their apartment communities will continue to evolve as a reflection of their expectations.

Learning from your residents: An

additional benefit to implementing surveys will be the great new ideas or services you and your leasing team will learn from your residents’ feedback. Many of the responses to these surveys will include requests to receive something faster, some-thing easier to use, something easier to read/understand or something that is causing a problem or frustra-tion. Take each of these requests and look for ways to easily and inexpen-sively implement all of them. In addition, look at each of these survey ideas and see if your property man-agement company can earn new income from any of these sugges-tions. A great example of this con-cept is the way many apartment communities are adding a fee-based business center where their work-at-home residents can access comput-ers, scanners, copy machines and web access.

Tip From The Coach: Remember, make it easy to listen and learn from the residents of the properties you manage because their suggestions and recommendations will uncover great new ideas and a variety of ways to set your apartment commu-

by Ernest F. Oriente, The Coach {Article #222…since 1995}


For Your Residents, What Is Best Service?©

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Dear Maintenance Men:I understand moving in a new resi-

dent from the management’s point of view. What do you recommend as a move-in procedure from a maintenance background? I always worry about handing over a set of keys to a new resi-dent who will now have control of a very expensive rental unit. What should I be thinking about maintenance wise for this new move-in?

Tom

Dear Tom:Interesting question! It’s true we

sometimes think the move-in proce-dure is complete once the resident passes all the background checks, pays their money, signs all the paper-work and is given the keys to the unit. We believe that the move-in procedure is far from complete if the new resident is not “Checked-out” on the operation of the rental unit. A major source of maintenance issues and costs come from a new resident not knowing how to safely operate the moving parts of their unit. A short list of items that a resident may or may not know how to operate are as follows:

1. Garbage disposal unit.

2. Vertical and horizontal blinds.

3. Dishwashing machine.

4. HVAC system or heating and cooling systems.

5. And anything else that could break or be a safety issue.Many of you might be saying to

yourselves; “Who does not know how to operate any of those items.” You would be surprised! Top of the list of most abused items are garbage disposal units and blinds.

Dear Maintenance Men:I have heard the terms “Proactive and

Reactive” in connection with property maintenance. Can you explain the differ-ence as it relates to apartment mainte-nance?

Richard

Dear Richard:We’ll start with the definitions

first and then how they relate to property maintenance.

Proactive: Acting in anticipation of future problems, needs or chang-es.

Reactive: Done in response to a problem or situation: reacting to problems when they occur instead of doing something to prevent them.

How you deal with property maintenance can make a big differ-ence to the bottom line.

A proactive approach allows you to make all the decisions ahead of time. In a proactive situation you will have time to shop for the best price and dictate the schedule of the work. As an example: 1: Snaking or hydro-jetting the main sewer line before the Thanksgiving holiday removing any buildup or roots in the pipes. 2: trimming trees and over-hanging branches before a wet win-

ter storm.A reactive approach removes all

control of the situation. You will have little influence over the cost of the work or when it will take place. As an example: 1: Calling out the plumber ... any plumber on Thursday, Thanksgiving evening to snake out the main line blockage because of sudden overuse by the residents . 2: Emergency roof repair during a wet winter storm due to heavy tree branches breaking or a tree falling.

Residents, who live in a commu-nity that practices proactive mainte-nance stay longer, pay higher rent and take better care of their units and grounds. With a proactive mainte-nance policy in place, residents are more likely to report problems before they become emergencies.

A Proactive maintenance policy will save you money both in the short term and more importantly in the long term. It is a good invest-ment.

Dear Maintenance Men:I would like to find out if I have an

“A”, “B”, “C”, or “D” building. I’m not sure what constitutes an A or D prop-erty. Can you shed light on the designa-tions?

Cornell

Dear Cornell:This is really a real estate purchas-

ing question, however we think it will work for maintenance as well. As in most things; “A” is the best and “D” can be seen as the worst. An “A” property will require the most

proactive maintenance to retain an “A” rating while a “D” property may very rarely see a maintenance tech without direction from code enforce-ment or the city attorney. Below is a simple example of the A, B, C or D ratings and what they represent.

• New or extremely well taken care of property with top notch amenities in the best areas.

• Newer property that may be slightly dated, but well taken care of in a good area.

• Older property, clean, middle of the road building with limited amenities in a fair area.

• Older property, no or few amenities, basic design, could be run down and often in a bad area.

Please call: Buffalo Maintenance, Inc for maintenance work or consultation.

JLE Property Management, Inc for management service or consultation

Frankie Alvarez at 714 956-8371 Jerry L’Ecuyer at 714 778-0480

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Certified Renovation Company Websites: www.BuffaloMaintenance.

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BuffaloMaintenance


VALLEY

By Jerry L'Ecuyer & Frank AlvarezDear Maintenance Men:

investigating innovative solutions. Suffice to say that the organization doesn’t skimp on collecting and ana-lyzing data. At this point, data collec-tion is crucial, whereas brainstorm-ing often proves to be a waste of time if the participants come in with the same ideas, knowledge and opinions that they had last week with no new learning in their pockets.

Ideation: The fourth step is also the most fun and, unfortunately, is the part many companies leap to. This is dangerous because you may uncover many exciting and good ideas, but if the right context and focus aren’t provided up front, and team mem-bers cannot get on the same page, then a company is wasting its time. That is why intentmust be the first step for any company seeking to increase innovation. Innovation should be viewed as a set of tools or processes, and not a destination.

Identification: Here’s where the rubber meets the road on innovation. Whereas the previous step was cre-ative, now logic and subtraction must be applied to focus on a result. Again, ideas are great, but they must

be grounded in reality. An entrepre-neurial attitude is required here, one that enables the winnowing of ideas, leaving only those with real value-creating potential.

“Innovation without the entrepre-neurial mindset is fun but folly,” Thornberry notes.

Infection: Does anyone care about what you’ve come up with? Will excitement spread during this infec-tion phase? Now is the time to find out. Pilot testing, experimentation and speaking directly with potential customers begin to give you an idea of how innovative and valuable an idea is. This phase is part selling, part research and part science. If people can’t feel, touch or experience your new idea in part or whole, they prob-ably won’t get it. This is where the innovator has a chance to reshape their idea into an opportunity, miti-gate risk, assess resistance and build allies for their endeavor.

Implementation/Integration: While many talk about this final phase, they often fail to address the integration part. Implementation refers to tactics that are employed in

order to put an idea into practice. This is actually a perilous phase because, in order for implementation to be successful, the idea must first be successfully integrated with other activities in the business and aligned with strategy. An innovation, despite its support from the top, can still fail if a department cannot work with it.

About Neal Thornberry, Ph.D.Neal Thornberry, Ph.D., is the

founder and CEO of IMSTRAT, LLC a consulting firm that specializes in help-ing private and public sector organiza-tions develop innovation strategies that create economic value by increasing an

organization’s effectiveness and efficien-

cy. A respected thought leader in inno-vation, Thornberry is a highly sought-after international speaker and consul-

tant. He also serves as the faculty director for innovation initiatives at the

Center for Executive Education at the Naval Postgraduate School in

Monterey, Calif. Thornberry, author of “InnovationJudo:Disarming Roadblocks & Blockheads on the Path to Creativity”

(www.NealThornberry.com), holds a doctorate in organizational psychology

and specializes in innovation, corporate entrepreneurship, leadership and orga-

nizational transformation.


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Crackin the Code ...continued from front page



16083 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road, Suite 105, Tigard, OR 97224 503-213-1281, 503-213-1288 Fax www.multifamilynw.orgPam McKenna

Multifamily NW President

By Pam McKennaPresident Multifamily NW

Let’s face it: you will be hard pressed to find anyone in this business who went to college

with a goal to get into property man-agement. Most of us fell into this industry by chance and found out quickly this could actually become a professional career. One common question I get asked is “What is your advice for planning a career in this industry?” The reality is there are many different places you can start and paths you can follow to advance in your career.

Get started. Starting in an entry level position has advantages. You have a chance to learn the basic skills which are the key ingredients to suc-cess. Leasing and grounds keepers are the front line for our custom-ers. The first thing they experience is curb appeal and customer service which are foundational concepts.

Look for guidance. Ask for a men-

tor or if your company does not pro-vide mentors, seek one out on your own. Look for someone whose work you respect and ask them if you can spend some time with them to ob-serve their techniques. Even at an en-try level position you have the oppor-tunity to become the best at what you do and to stand out and be noticed. Learning all aspects of operations will help you in the future when you are leading a team. Understanding each role will provide insight when training or coaching a team member.

Dress for success. One of the things I recommend is dress for the posi-tion you want, not the position that you have. Every office team member should own a blazer to dress up any outfit. It may seem very basic but how you present yourself can have an impact on opportunities that open for you. Someone that looks orga-nized and put together demonstrates they are someone that has respect for their role. If you are someone who is required to wear a uniform, make sure the clothing is washed appropri-ately and pressed if needed. A wrin-kled, untucked uniform shirt looks

disheveled and can appear that you don’t care. There is a reason every military member you run across has a pressed and clean uniform. This is a standard required by all military members that represents discipline and attention to detail. The same standard applies to our industry. Invest in your wardrobe every year adding more professional items that can mix with your current collection.

Supplement your education. If your company offers free education, take it. Sign up for any classes that are offered and go above and beyond in your personal time taking additional classes. Don’t just take the required courses but look for additional offer-ings that may help you understand all aspects of the business. If you are in maintenance, sign up for a sales

and customer service class. If you are in management or leasing, sign up for a maintenance class so you can better understand what it involves. In your personal time pick up read-ing materials and publications relat-ed to property management. These materials can be found online or you can have newspapers and maga-zines delivered to your home or of-fice. Websites to check out include: multifamilyexecutive.com, multi-familyhousingpro.com, m.naahq.org (sign up for the online publication UNITS), multifamilynw.org, multi-familybiz.com, nmhc.org, and ccim.com. Additional reading materials recommended are books on leader-ship, sales, customer service, team building and conflict resolution.

Career Growth in Property Management

September 9, 2014 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM CAM: Fair Housing (Portland, OR)

September 12, 2014 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM It's the Law Lunch Time Series: Habitability Disputes: From Mold to Make Believe (Portland, OR )

September 18, 2014 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spectrum Educational Conference & Trade Show (Portland, OR)

September 25, 2014 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM LARRC-Law and Rule Required Course (Eugene, OR)

September 29, 2014 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM CAM: Marketing (Portland, OR)

September 29, 2014 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM 10 Common Fair Housing Mistakes to Avoid (Corvallis, OR)

September 30, 2014 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM 10 Common Fair Housing Mistakes to Avoid (Eugene, OR)

October 10, 2014 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM It's the Law Lunch Time Series: Changing Ownership - How To Handle Transitions Into or Out of Properties (Portland, OR)

October 15, 2014 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM Fall 2014 Apartment Report Breakfast (Portland, OR)

October 16, 2014 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM COC Laser Bowling Party (Bend, OR)

October 21, 2014 12:00 PM - 4:30 PM MWV Luncheon: OR Landlord/Tenant Law Part 1 - Move Ins and Start of Tenancy (Salem, OR)

October 23, 2014 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM SWV Apartment Report Breakfast (Eugene, OR)

Multifamily NW

Upcoming Educational Opportunities

Time: 1:00pm – 5:00pm Date(s): Part I – November 4, 2014

Part II – November 18, 2014 Location: Oregon State Bar, Columbia Rooms 16037 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road, Tigard, OR 97224

These courses create an interactive environment in which attendees can get specific questions answered on real-world situations that they encounter.

Part I begins where all tenancies begin—with the rental application. Then, by chronological succession, the class takes you through rental agreements, various addendums and special circumstances.

Part II covers every end-of-tenancy scenario with the corresponding termination notice to serve and explains refunding deposits and abandoned property rules.

SIGN UP TODAY Phone: 503-213-1281 Fax: 503-213-1288

Email: [email protected] Cost per session: $85.00 - Multifamily NW Members

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Earn up to 8 CEUS!

Multifamily NW • 16083 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road • Suite 105 • Tigard, OR 97224 • 503-213-1281 • Fax 503-213-1288 • [email protected] • www.multifamilynw.org




nities well ahead of the rest. Are you ready to raise service to a world-class level?

Want to hear more about this important topic or ask some addi-tional questions about how to build powerful resident surveys? Send an E-mail to [email protected] and The Coach will E-mail you a free PowerHour invitation.

Ernest F. Oriente, a business coach/trainer since 1995 [32,520 hours], serv-ing property management industry pro-

fessional since 1988--the author of SmartMatch Alliances™, the founder of PowerHour® [ www.powerhour.com ],

the founder of PowerHour SEO [ www.powerhourseo.com ], the live weekly

PowerHour Leadership Academy [ www.powerhourleadershipacademy.

com/pm ] and Power Insurance & Risk Management Group [ www.pirmg.com ], has a passion for coaching his clients

on executive leadership, hiring and motivating property management

SuperStars, traditional and Internet SEO/SEM marketing, competitive sales

strategies, and high leverage alliances for property management teams and

their leaders. He provides private and group coaching for property manage-

ment companies around North America, executive recruiting, invest-

ment banking, national utility bill auditing, national real estate and apart-

ment building insurance, SEO/SEM

web strategies, national WiFi solutions [ www.powerhour.com/propertyman-

agement/nationalwifi.html ], powerful tools for hiring property management

SuperStars and building dynamic teams, employee policy manuals [ www.

powerhour.com/propertymanagement/employeepolicymanuals.html ] and

social media strategic solutions [ http://www.powerhour.com/propertymanage-

ment/socialmedialeadership.html ]. Ernest worked for Motorola, Primedia

and is certified in the Xerox sales meth-odologies. Recent interviews and arti-

cles have appeared more than 8000+ times in business and trade publications

and in a wide variety of leading maga-zines and newspapers, including Smart

Money, Inc., Business 2.0, The New York Times, Fast Company, The LA Times, Fortune, Business Week, Self

Employed America and The Financial Times. Since 1995, Ernest has written 225+ articles for the property manage-ment industry and created 400+ prop-erty management forms, business and marketing checklists, sales letters and

presentation tools. To subscribe to his free property management newsletter go to: www.powerhour.com. PowerHour®

is based in Olympic-town…Park City, Utah, at 435-615-8486, by E-mail

[email protected] or visit their website: www.powerhour.com


VALLEY

The Coach ...continued from page 2



Every apartment community has a “reputation” in the mar-ketplace. What your com-

munity is known for is based upon a variety of factors, some of which are beyond your control; like its lo-cation and layout of the apartments. Yet, there are certain factors in which you have some measure of control; your management style, for instance, and resident profile. However, some-times the longer a staff has been working at a community the harder it is to be objective. While long term employees can bring stability and consistency to a community, there

can be a subtle tendency for the on site staff to try and lease to only those people who they believe will “fit in,” so as not to upset the “status quo.” Here is a concern that illustrates this point:

Q: I have been the resident man-ager at the same community for over 10 years, and have worked very hard to establish a quality clientele. I am now in a situation where I have more vacancies than I have had in quite a while, but with fewer prospective renters who match the demograph-ics of my existing residents. I am

concerned that if I start renting to everyone who comes through the door, that this will upset my current residents and that I’ll have even more vacant apartments. What can I do?

A: First of all, I applaud you for

your longevity in the business, espe-cially as an on site manger! Your residents undoubtedly appreciate you and all your efforts to create a quality environment for them. However, why would you limit such an outstanding community to just a few people who you are “hand pick-ing” to live there? Not only is this practice obviously affecting your leasing ratio, it is a Fair Housing vio-lation! You do not have to rent to “everyone who comes through your door.” Yet, you do have to rent to everyone who “qualifies” based upon certain criteria established by your screening company. Your cur-rent method of leasing may be doing more harm than just jeopardizing the occupancy of your building: Should a complaint be lodged against your community, there is the possibility that you, your employer and also the building owner could be sued for

discrimination. By renting to all types of people

no matter their family or marital sta-tus, their race, religion, age, etc., you will be in complete compliance with the Fair Housing Act, AND you will create the type of diverse community where everyone feels welcome and wanted.

Remember: a quality community + satisfied residents = higher occu-pancy

If you have a question or concern you would like to see addressed next

month or if you would like to inquire about leasing train-

ing, please ASK THE SECRET SHOPPER by making contact

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Fair Housing Caution ...continued from front page

Career Growth ...continued from page 4

Obtain certifications. This may require personal funds to complete, but it is an investment in your career and future growth. Multifamily NW offers certifications for all positions through the National Apartment Association. These include NALP (leasing), CAMT (maintenance), CAM (manager), and CAS (industry supplier). You can also obtain certi-fications through IREM that include ARM (manager), and CPM (region-al).

Attend industry events. Multifam-ily NW offers many events that will help you network with others in the

industry. This helps you to better understand industry best practices and offers opportunities to brain-storm and share ideas. You can also hear from industry experts to gain perspective on the local market con-ditions. NAA and other national in-dustry organizations offer annual events located in various locations across the U.S. and bring a broader perspective on the market and trends happening nationally. If given the opportunity, attending one of these events is strongly recommended.

Go above and beyond. Don’t ask for more money in order to take on

more responsibility or challenge. Raise your hand to take on new as-signments that will help you grow as a professional. When you are the “go to” for special projects or chal-lenges and you deliver solid results, it builds your good reputation and more opportunities will surface. Be the person that handles things and gets the job done. The less work you create for your supervisor the more confident they will become in your abilities and when they need some-one to fill a promotion they will be able to recommend you.

Set your standards high. Your

reputation, your ethics and profes-sionalism are so important in this business. It’s a small world in this industry so make sure the mark you leave behind is a positive one. These tips have helped me along my jour-ney as I’ve grown in my career. I am proud to be part of this industry and to see the endless opportunities for growth. You may not have set out to make property management your ca-reer but the potential for a rewarding career is there for you.


VALLEY

that company in the eyes of the pub-lic. For example, if the company is a restaurant chain in the news because they are being sued for not waiting on African Americans in their restau-rants, you would not advertise a special for their corporate employ-ees. My general rule (i.e. the rule of Fair Housing Lady) if a company, organization, entity, whatever, hires (as they should) notwithstanding a person’s race, color, religion, etc., then a special targeted to their employees should be fine.

The same concept of “what is really the message” can be applied to referring to “landmarks” in the area as well, such as particular schools, a golf club, etc. Don’t use “land-marks” that are affiliated with only

certain groups or with issues involv-ing their students, their members, etc. (If “everyone knows” that the golf club only accepts white mem-bers, “what is really the message” for choosing that reference in promoting an apartment community?)

Well, that was the long answer, and hopefully I have not confused you more, dear Confused. The short answer is that based on my astute analysis and deductions drawn from your non-identifying descriptions below, I believe offering specials to those employers would be fine.

This article brought to you by the Fair Housing Council; a nonprofit serv-

ing civil rights organization. “Fair Housing Focus” is written by Nadeen

Green, Senior Counsel with For Rent Media Solutions™. The information

contained in this article is not to be considered legal advice, and the author

and For Rent Media Solutions strongly suggest that you consult with your own counsel as to any fair housing questions

or problems you may have.To learn more… Learn more about fair housing and / or sign up for our

free, periodic newsletter at www.FHCO.org.

Qs about this article? ‘Interested in articles for your company or

trade association? Contact Jo Becker at [email protected] or 800/424-3247

Ext. 150Want to schedule an in-office

fair housing training program or speaker for corporate or association

functions? Visit www.FHCO.org/pdfs/classlist.pdf

Federally protected classes under the Fair Housing Act include: race, color, national origin, religion, sex,

familial status (children), and disabili-ty. Oregon law also protects marital

status, source of income, sexual orienta-tion, and domestic violence survivors. Additional protected classes have been added in particular geographic areas;

visit FHCO.org/mission.htm and read the section entitled “View Local Protected Classes” for more informa-

tion.


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Current Interest RatesMultifamily Mobile Home Parks Fixed rates start @ low 3%Office Retail/Industrial/MOD Fixed rates start @ mid 3%

ATTENTION COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERSNeed Financing for an Investment Property?

Al Williams, American Commercial [email protected]

800.265.3860

“I listened to Al Williams.”

WARNING! Working directly with Chase Bank, Umpqua Bank, Union Bank, Opus Bank, America West, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc. can be Dangerous To Your Financial Health!You Should Be Asking Yourself These Questions: Do You Really Think Any Commercial Lender Is Working In Your Best Interests? NO ONE within those institutions is working for you. Staff employed by these lenders are making decisions based on what is in the best interests of the lender – NOT YOU!Doesn’t It Cost More to Use a Mortgage Broker? NO – in almost ALL cases I save investors thousands of dollars and weeks of frustration.

What Lending Sources Do You Use? I have access to dozens of commercial lenders with dozens of different and innovative loan products. You have choices – and are not STUCK with just one lender and whatever they have for a loan program. How Do I Reach You? I will come to you! Doubtful you will get any other banker to come right to your home or office and sit down with you to discuss financing in detail. Free Framed Print When We Meet! If you are going to need a new commercial loan anytime in the next 12-24 months, you should seriously consider moving NOW. If you are ready to start the financing process, just email me or give me a call. When we meet, I will bring as a gift a beautifully framed print of the cartoon below with your name on it – a keepsake for your home or office.

will share with the potential tenant that they can have access to all these devices for a fixed monthly fee of $20.00 per month. If the tenant chooses not to sign up for the smart device package, the thermostat and the other devices will act like normal smoke alarms, thermostats etc. However, it is explained that by using the Nest Thermostat along with the other smart devices, their electricity bill can be reduced, there-fore paying for the package itself.

Once the leasing agent has signed up the tenant for the package, they will use their property management software to create the username for all the smart devices in the apart-ment. An email will be sent to the tenant that includes the username along with details on how to down-load and use the software. Links with online tutorials will also be provided in the email.

By using their provided username and password, the tenant downloads the software to their smart phone/tablet, watches the online tutorials, and starts utilizing their smart devic-es.

As smart devices are installed they provide a treasure trove of data that maintenance personnel along with property managers can monitor and analyze. As an example, in-house software is used to monitor the data collected from smoke alarms, humidity detection devices, thermostats, air monitoring and door monitoring devices. If any-thing is out of the ordinary, such as humidity being high in a unit, or a door being open for too long, the maintenance personnel is sent a text

describing which unit the issue is coming from. They are also alerted when it is time to replace the batter-ies in the smoke alarms.

As the owner of a rental property, these smart devices, or Internet of Things, provide an opportunity to increase revenue as well as detect issues early that might be happening within the apartment complex. It also increases the potential of attract-ing a high-end tenant looking to use these types of technologies.

As different types of smart devic-es are manufactured they can be integrated into the existing packages and software of the property. They can also be tailored to specific prob-lems that certain properties are expe-riencing.

Because of the Internet of Things, the future of the rental housing mar-ket, will be impressive, as exempli-fied in this article. We, at JDI, are excited to be a part of this future. As we progress in learning more about the Internet of Things as it pertains to properties, we will keep you updated on our findings. We’re excited, and we hope you are too.

By Michael Schreiber and Leila Ettachfini. Michael and Leila are part-

ners in JDI, a software development and consulting company specializing in

IoT devices for the rental housing industry. Michael can be reached at

(303-513-9995) and [email protected]. Leila can be reached at [email protected]. Visit http://www.JDIapps.

com for more information.

Internet of Things ...continued from front page

Valley Rental Housing Journal Oct 2014

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Transcript of Valley Rental Housing Journal Oct 2014