ON CaLL - First Realty Management Corp.

On Call
Fall/Winter 2014
INSIDE INFORMATION PUBLISHED ESPECIALLY FOR FIRST REALTY EMPLOYEES
2014 Year
in REVIEW
Canterbury Place in Roslindale was named NEAHMA’s
Community of Quality winner for 2014.
It’s been a winning year for the
First Realty Management property
portfolio, thanks to company-wide
teamwork and a continuing commitment to providing the highest
and most comprehensive level of
professional services. For the second year in a row, a First Realty
property earned the top award in
the NEAHMA Community of Quality competition. The top winnter
was Canterbury Place. Individual
employees also took home top
honors as RHA Property Manager
of the Year and NEAHMA Maintenance Professional of the Year, as
well. The company also was recognized with national awards from
SatisFacts and Apartment Ratings.com for how well our apartment residents rate
the on-site services they receive, many of them specifically citing excellent maintenance service as a reason for their positive reviews.
The company is now managing its first commercial condominium at Mother Brook,
a master association of commercial and residential properties at One Westinghouse
Plaza in Boston’s Hyde Park industrial area. Turtle Crossing and the 36A Building
have signed on to the condominium management portfolio and Wells Court in
Brewster, Mass. is the newest rental property. Coming soon are new properties
currently being developed by First Realty’s non-profit Community Development
Corporation partners (CDCs) in Providence and Lawrence.
This issue of ON CALL is a general round-up of the awards, designations,
promotions and other achievements that support our collective efforts to
maintain our leadership position in the industry.
On Call
First Realty Management Corp.
An Accredited Management Organization®
151 Tremont Street
Boston, Massachusetts
617.423.7000
www.firstrealtymgt.com
President
William M. Kargman, NAHP-e®
Chief Operating Officer
Jan Brandin, CPM®
Vice President
Property Management
Frank Cevetello-NAHP-e®
Vice President
Gov’t Relations & Training
Nancy Hogan, CPM®
Vice President REAS
Real Estate Accounting Services
Maureen Haas, CPA
We Create
Quality
Communities
Together.
ON CALL FALL/WINTER 2014
2.
HATS OFF to the
Canterbury Place Staff
(L to R): Nancy Hogan, Brian Downes, Gabriel Marcial, Fabiola Decius, Elisa
Soltren, Cynthia Diggs, and NEAHMA past President Scott Ployer.
The on-site management team at Canterbury Place was
recognized for their consistent level of service and responsiveness to residents at the 238-unit residential
complex in Roslindale when they were awarded the affordable industry’s top award for Exemplary Family Community by the New England Affordable Housing Management Association (NEAHMA).The recognition was made
at NEAHMA’s recent fall conference. The 44-year-old
First Realty Management community was recognized for
its many positive attributes, including outstanding physical
condition, and the overall living environment and quality
of life residents enjoy. One key consideration was the
level of resident participation and involvement in after
school, adult and senior activities designed to enhance
the quality of life at Canterbury Place.
The Communities of Quality Awards honor the achievements of affordable housing providers who make an
unprecedented contribution to developing outstanding
properties for families of modest means. The program
recognizes outstanding property management companies that demonstrate the highest possible quality of safe,
affordable housing for lower income families at particular
sites. Congratulations to everyone who contributed to
this outstanding accomplishment.
Resident Poster
ARTISTS
Win Accolades
Competing with some 5,000 entries nationwide,
Jennifer Lauzon, a 14-year-old Bay Village
resident and Kia Taylor, a young resident of The
Fairways, both were among the 13 finalists in the
calendar poster contest sponsored by the National Affordable Housing Management Association
(NAHMA) and its New England affiliate. Jennifer
captured the grand prize for the 2015 calendar
cover with the theme Join the Dance of Life: Celebrate Music, Arts & Crafts. In addition to a trip to
Washington, D.C., Jennifer won a laptop computer
and a $2,500 scholarship.
Bay Village also distinguished itself in the poster
contest sponsored by the New England Resident
Service Coordinators, Inc. (NERSC). Dan Komanapalli, resident activities director, accepted the
prize, a LEGO group activity package valued at
$500, on behalf of the Bay Village community at the annual NERSC conference. Affordable
housing communities throughout the six New
England states submitted entries representing the
theme Reaching the Summit, expressing their vision
of how a community can set and reach shared goals
through planning, education and teamwork. Bay
Village topped the list of seven First Realty-managed communities that also won recognition in the
contest. Second place winners for Massachusetts
included Canterbury Place in Roslindale, Greenwoods in Brockton and The Fairways in Worcester.
Honorable mention was awarded to Brandywyne
Village in East Boston, Taunton Gardens in Taunton
and Davis Commons in Brockton.
Scott
Ployer
with
Jennifer
Lauzon
displaying
her award.
ON CALL FALL/WINTER 2014
3.
Bob Morelli Earns Much Deserved
RECOGNITION
B
BOB MORELLI
ob Morelli’s industry-wide reputation took yet another leap forward
with his award as Maintenance Professional of the Year for the New
England Affordable Housing Management Association. During his 39year First Realty career, Bob has risen through the ranks, beginning as a
part-time porter, then going on to become a maintenance technician, superintendent, contracts specialist, and Licensed Construction Supervisor(LCS).
Now, Bob serves as Manager of the Contracts/Construction Specialist team
responsible for more than 70 properties in three states.
Along the way Bob has attended classes and earned certifications in an
amazing array of subjects, from asbestos awareness and remediation, to
commercial pest control, lead paint, financial literacy, asphalt protection and
engineering. He also holds a second class boiler fireman’s license, and has
successfully completed classes on 504 compliance, first aid and CPR, fair
housing, and countless online and NEAHMA trainings that dovetail with the
continuing education requirements for his state licensing as a construction
supervisor.
Bob has been successful in demonstrating what a critical role the maintenance staff can and should play in meeting the management goals for profitability, budgeting, curb appeal, customer service, and resident retention. He
became actively involved in the budgeting process early on, seeing a core
portfolio of affordable properties through two rounds of refinancing and
multi-million dollar renovations spanning 20+ years.
Now that the bulk of First Realty’s affordable transitions have taken place,
Bob has found time to become more involved in industry activities. After
volunteering for NEAHMA’s maintenance subcommittee two years ago, he
helped lead NEAHMA’s Maintenance & Marketing Mindset Workshop, and
later, this past May, he was one of the key presenters at NEAHMA’s Budgeting Basics Gillette Training Day. In both cases, and with customary humility,
Bob is quick to give credit to the others involved as presenters, including
Chad Alves, First Realty’s Maintenance Superintendent at Taunton Gardens.
The fact that Bob has “been there, done that” in every possible maintenance
situation earns him a level of credibility that few others can claim. Unlike the
proverbial Jack-of-all-trades, he has mastered both the art and science of
maintenance management with an energetic, roll-up-your-sleeves attitude.
He is an amazing, multi-talented individual who is highly valued as a trusted
mentor, advisor and colleague.
ON CALL FALL/WINTER 2014
ON CALL FALL 2012
4.
JANE CLARK is RHA
Property Manager of the Year
C
JANE CLARK
ongratulations to Brandywyne Village Property Manager
Jane Clark, who won recognition as Property Manager of
the Year for the Rental Housing Association (RHA) of the
Greater Boston Real Estate Board.
Jane won this industry award for many reasons, including successfully guiding her property through a very challenging transition
from a 221d3 affordable property to a Mark-Up-to-Market scenario, with continued project-based Section 8. Compliance issues
with existing residents were among the most difficult faced by
any of First Realty’s expiring use properties, as many of the oldest residents needed to accept transfers to smaller units due to
spouses and/or children passing on or moving out. Jane’s strong
relationship with members of the resident committee was instrumental in keeping the process going smoothly. She has taken a
leadership role in numerous ongoing capital improvement projects
including site wide landscaping, roofing, paving, and siding replacement. At the same time Jane pays close attention to curb appeal
and apartment readiness so that rents can continue to be pushed
to increase cash flow. Marketing and leasing reports are kept up to
date without reminders, weekend and holiday leasing coverage is
reliable, and vacancies are closely controlled.
In addition to the hands-on work of property management, Jane
has mastered the more intangible skills and requirements equally
well. She understands the inner workings of the First Realty accounting system, and the importance of the budget and variance
process. She has a firm grasp of the manager’s plan and closely
monitors its progress and execution. Brandywyne’s audit scores,
both internal and external, are excellent, as are her above average MOR and 98 point REAC scores, demonstrating Jane’s strong
knowledge of HUD regulations, First Realty’s operating policies
and procedures, Real Page software, and Section 8 and other government programs.
Jane has been First Realty’s Manager of the Year twice, each award
a decade apart and for different properties. She has become a
seasoned, veteran manager, providing her employees with opportunities to learn and grow, while excelling at meeting the owner’s
goals for her property.
ON CALL FALL/WINTER 2014
5.
First Realty GOLD and SILVER All-Stars
The employee awards are always among the highlights at every Annual Business Meeting, the only time employees from every corner of the company gather in one place for a day-long agenda of knowledge and information
sharing, speakers, workshops and round table discussions. Congratulations to the Silver and Gold Key recipients
in each job category, based on nominations from their colleagues and supervisors:
Gold Key:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Property Manager of the Year:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Assistant Manager of the Year:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Leasing Professional of the Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resident Activities Director of the Year:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Apartment Superintendent of the Year:. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Condo Superintendent of the Year:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance Technician of the Year:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Porter of the Year:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Home Office Employee of the Year:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kerry Tribble, Davis Commons
Jane Clark, Brandywyne Village
Rebekah Bogert, Bay Village
Tim Carman, Burbank Apts
Fabiola Decius, Canterbury Place
Steve Davis, Stony Brook Commons
Michael Tucker, Crossroads on the Charles
Tony Massaroco, Bay Village
Paula Carenza, Brandywyne Village
Michael Acovio
SURVEY Says
The SatisFacts resident surveys for 2014 are currently underway. Going back decades, resident survey season
historically has been the source of some trepidation for on-site staff who worry about random and unpredictable comments, but this is rarely the case. In fact, last year First Realty earned an overall rating of Superior for
the first time eleven of our rental properties participated in an independent, on line survey program called SatisFacts. Of more than 200 participating management companies and over a million apartment homes that were
surveyed, First Realty was recognized with a “Top 5” National Award in the 2,000 to 4,999 unit category.
Of course, the real heroes here are the individuals who earned this award by striving to deliver world class
services to their residents every day. We all congratulate the managers and staffs at the following properties
who helped First Realty win this national recognition: Bay Village, Brandywyne Village, Burbank Apartments,
Camelot Court, Canterbury Place, Greenwoods, The Fairways, Parkside Place, President Village, Stony
Brook Commons, and Taunton Gardens.
Nine Properties Now Utilize YIELDSTAR
In today’s volatile marketplace, setting apartment rents at the proper levels has become an increasingly
complicated proposition, especially when First Realty’s client owners expect the best possible return
on their investments. Enter YieldStar, a company that gathers extensive market data on unit availability,
competitor pricing, local market trends and other key variables that property staff can use to determine
the most advantageous and competitive rental rate for each vacancy as it occurs.
Under the guidance of Director of Marketing Cheryl Piper the YieldStar revenue management system was first rolled out at four First Realty apartment communities several months ago, with five more
added as of November. Initial results are quite positive.
ON CALL FALL/WINTER 2014
ON CALL FALL 2012
6.
Moving on UP
SANDIE O’NEILL, promoted to Property Manager for the Wellesley Green Condominium, joined First Realty in 2003
as assistant manager for Parkside Place, and later, added two condominiums managed from that office, Fresh Pond
Place and The Prince on Newbury. Sandie received her Diploma in Real Estate Economics from the Dublin Institute of
Technology and went on to earn a B.S. degree in Real Estate Management from Oxford Brookes University, Oxford,
U.K. She managed a portfolio of some 70 residential properties in the city of Cork prior to moving to Boston. Most
recently, she served as acting property manager for The Carnegie Tower, an ultra-luxury waterfront condominium in
First Realty’s Rhode Island portfolio.
TONY SUSI is our newly-promoted Property Manager for Turtle Crossing, a 201-unit condominium in Braintree, Mass.
Tony came to the company in 2011 with an extensive background in real estate maintenance, construction and sales,
and since that time has worked as a floating marketing and leasing consultant at Parkside Place, President Village and
Camelot Court, before being promoted to Assistant Property Manager working with Bonnie Geissler at Camelot.
Tony earned his B.S. degree in Communications from Northeastern University, holds a Massachusetts Real Estate Sales
License, as well as ARM and Fair Housing certifications. He also took time on his own to obtain the Massachusetts
Construction Supervisor License (CSL).
Congratulations to FRANK CARROLL, former Senior Leasing Consultant for Stony Brook Commons, who has been
promoted to Assistant Property Manager for Camelot Court in Brighton, Mass.
KATHLEEN SANTOS-CHAMPION, who most recently served as Management Assistant at Bay Village, has been promoted to Assistant Property Manager at Taunton Gardens.
REINA ACARAPI, who for many years was the Resident Services Coordinator for Oxford Place and Oxford Gardens,
has now moved over to the management side as Assistant Property Manager for both Rhode Island apartment communities.
Sandie O’Neill
Tony Susi
Frank Carroll
Kathleen Santos-Champion
Reina Acarapi
Paying it FORWARD: Who is Our Mystery Employee?
We have left off the signature to preserve privacy, but here is a posting recently made on First Realty’s
corporate website:
“Let me tell you what kind of people you employ. Tonight I went to CVS on Route 44 in Raynham. I had meds
to pick up, but didn’t have enough money to get them. I was 80 cents short. There was a gentleman waiting
and he was wearing a jacket that said First Realty Management. I inquired whether it was just a souvenir—or
did he actually work for you? He said yes. When all was said and done, this angel of a man paid for all my prescriptions.
While it may not seem like much to some, it was like I hit the lottery! I didn’t get his name, but I’m sure there must be
some way for you to find out who it is. Please give this man the accolades he deserves. I’m sure Mayor Menino was
watching. Thank you for having such an angel in your employ. He is truly an asset to this world.”
ON CALL FALL/WINTER 2014
ON CALL FALL 2012
ON CALL FALL 2012
7.
Say HELLO to Our New and Not-So New Staff
Telian Diggs
Leasing Consultant
Parkside Place
Jude Gray
Property Manager
Bay Village
Durain Kellam
Porter Wellesley Green
Rick Reilly Maintenance Super Westfield Elmwood Properties Joelle Castaldi Property Manager Welcome Back to Westfield Properties
Fito Rivera
Maintenance Mech. Canterbury Place
Hugo Andrade
Maintenance Super Battle Road Farm Condominiums
William Mackey
Property Manager Carnegie Abbey Condominiums
Douglas Walker
Maintenance Super
Wells Court
Susan Ramos Asst. Property Mgr. Westfield Elmwood Properties
Jason Resendes
Maintenance Mechanic
President Village
Masayo Tsukawaki
Sr. Leasing Consultant
Stony Brook Commons
Lorraine Caton Hoffman Leasing Consultant
Parkside Place
Nicole Scuoteguazza
Resident Activities Director Brandywyne Village (welcome back!)
James Mendes
Maintenance Mechanic
Stony Brook Commons
Jeffrey Mogan
Maintenance Mechanic
Stony Brook Commons
Ryan Schueler
Assistant Property Manager
Parkside Place
Michael Martinez
Resident Activities Director
The Fairways
Tracy Nicholson
Property Manager
Melrose Towers Condominiums
Michael Carozza
Property Manager
Boston Condominiums Portfolio
Bill SchenckMaintenance MechanicCWRI Portfolio
Jane FreemanStaff AccountantREAS
Claire GonetProperty ManagerWells Court
Phong
PhamMaintenance MechanicParkside Place
Michael TowneMaintenance SuperWellesley Green Condominiums
Alexander GilinskyConciergePrince on Newbury Condominiums
Tacina
Davis-RosaConciergePrince on Newbury Condominiums
Benjamin DeFeliceMaintenance Asst.Carnegie Abbey Condominiums
Russell Mayolo Maintenance Tech, floater Stony Brook Commons
Rosa Tacina
Concierge
Prince on Newbury Condominiums
Louis Guyott
Maintenance Super
Boston Condominiums
John Scibelli Communications Manager Home Office
A Company is Known by the People It Keeps . .
We all join in congratulating those celebrating major service anniversaries in 2014.
Thank you for choosing a career with First Realty Management.
40 YEARS
Jan Brandin
30 YEARS
Tom Clark
15 YEARS
Paul Shannon
Rebecca Mendonca
10 YEARS
Cynthia Diggs
John Pires
Ena Zagami
Michael Acovio
Corrie Sprague
Reina Acarapi
Julie Fermin
5 YEARS
Stephenie Jones
Mike Gavin
Richard DeRosa
Fredo Rodriguez
Rebecca Cain
Tony Martino
ON CALL FALL 2012
8.
The Secret to Our SUCCESS: Well-Qualified Staff
The various industry designations often sound like alphabet soup to outsiders, but to those in the know, these letters represent knowledge, experience, and dedicated commitment to learning everything needed to succeed in one
or more areas of physical and financial asset management. Congratulations to all those who completed course
requirements and/or passed exams required to earn career designations so far this year:
Accredited Residential Manager®
Rebekah Bogert, ARM
Will Woodward, ARM
Rebecca Cain, ARM
Certified Pool Operator
Bob Hudson, C.P.O.
Christopher Power, C.P.O.
Certified Credit Compliance Professional
Susan Rees, C16P
Kerry Tribble, C6P
Certified Professional of Occupancy
Barbara Borowy, CPO
Licensed Construction Supervisor (renewed)
Alan Foley, LCS
Fair Housing Coordinator
Telian Diggs, FHC
Joelle Castaldi, FHC
National Affordable Housing Maintenance Supervisor
Bob Morelli, NAHMS
Thomas Ploss, NAHMS
John Torres, NAHMS
National Affordable Housing Management Technician
Gabriel Marcial, NAHMT
Tony Massaroco, NAHMT
Tom O’Brien, NAHMT
Dana Oppici, NAHMT
Carlos Rodriguez, NAHMT
Shawn Holleran, NAHMT
Notary Public
Telian Diggs
Specialist, Housing Credit Management
Sandra Lizarralde, SHCM
Joelle Castaldi, SHCM