the official monthly news magazine of the national

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RESIDENTIALResource
THE OFFICIAL MONTHLY NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MANAGERS
The Coasts of Chesapeake
Leadership Symposium location 2007
February 2007
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This issue features...
How to Attract Quality Tenants
Defining Wear and Tear
Property Management Mind Mapping
Identity Theft and the Property Manager
Tax Reduction Ideas
Proper Unit Preparation
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SUPPORTING THE PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL PRACTICES OF RENTAL HOME MANAGEMENT THROUGH NETWORKING, EDUCATION, AND CERTIFICATION
February
2007
Residential Resource | 1
NARPM: 184 BUSINESS PARK DRIVE, SUITE 200-P, VIRGINIA
BEACH, VA
23462
2 | February 2007 Residential Resource
In This Issue
February 2007
Feature Articles
7
8
National Affiliate Dave Watts discusses a few great
investment strategies and advises on how to not
become a fraud victim.
Do you know what really is considered “normal wear
and tear?” Robert Cain tells us what to look out for.
10 Property Management Mind Mapping
Learn a great new way to create clear, well-organized
approaches to resolving your most challenging
problems or developing your most inspiring dreams.
12 NARPM’s 2007 Strategic Plan
15 Identity Theft and the Property Manager
Bob Patterson, with his experience as a private investigator, gives us a view from the fraud frontlines, and
several steps to put an effective company security
program in place.
Monthly Columns
5
President’s Message
6
From the Desk of the Executive Director
11 You Make the Ethics Call
18 The RVP Bulletin
16 Tax Reduction Ideas
It is that time of year again! We could all use a few
tips on how to save money on our company taxes.
Lance Wallach is here to steer us in the right direction.
20 Proper Unit Preparation
A coat of fresh pain and a polished sink can go a long
way when trying to rent a vacancy. Find out how you
can prepare your property for the market and have it
rent quicker.
21 Legislative Scoop
22 Maintenance 101
23 Welcome New Members
25 Affiliate Members
26 Ambassador Program
22 NARPM Antitrust Policy
NARPM HEADQUARTERS
Executive Director: Gail Phillips
184 Business Park Drive, Suite 200-P
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Editor: Brenda Gerdes, MPM®
Tel: 800-782-3452 toll free
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.narpm.org
The Residential Resource is a publication designed and created for the members of the National Association of Residential Property Managers by Organization Management Group, Inc., 184 Business
Park Drive, Suite 200-P, Virginia Beach, VA 23462; 800-782-3452. Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is allowed only upon permission from the publisher. Opinions
of the authors are not necessarily those of NARPM. Any legal matters or advice mentioned herein should be discussed with an attorney, accountant, or other professional before use in a particular
state or situation. NARPM and its staff assume no responsibility for ads or statements in the publication. NARPM does not endorse any advertising in this publication. All readers are responsible for
their own investigation and use of any products advertised in the Residential Resource. NARPM members receive the Residential Resource as part of their membership, included in their annual dues.
Articles can be submitted by sending a Word attachment to [email protected]. Items mailed in for publication cannot be returned. Address changes may be forwarded to NARPM
Headquarters at the address listed above. The publisher and editor reserve the right to edit or refuse all publications for content and selection.
February 2007 Residential Resource | 3
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at the 2007 Leadership Symposium
February 8th & 9th, Holiday Inn, Chesapeake, VA
Come strengthen your leadership skills with specialized NARPM training focusing on creating and maintaining strong chapters. The schedule includes Board
and Committee meetings on the 8th and Leadership Training on the 9th.
Holiday Inn, 725 Woodlake Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23320
Front Desk: (757) 523-1500 | Fax: (757) 523-0638
Special NARPM room rate is only $89 per night. Don’t wait to make
your reservations, call the hotel or check it out online at http://www.
ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/orfch?_requestid=703216.
NARPM Leadership Training
with the Northwest Regional Conference
March 23rd, Doubletree Guest Suites
Doubletree Guest Suites Seattle Airport/Southcenter
16500 Southcenter Parkway, Seattle, WA 98188-3388
Front Desk: (206) 575-8220 | Fax: (206) 575-4743
Special NARPM room rate is only $109 per night. To make your
reservation call the hotel or log on to their website at http://www.
doubletree.com/en/dt/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=SEASPDT.
Grant Available! Did you know that NARPM provides a $95 grant to help send chapter leaders
to this event? For more information visit www.narpm.org/chapter-services/support-services.html.
OFFICERS
From the President
Recently, I took time to contemplate what makes up the character of a professional. How would I describe a professional
property manager? I used the word itself as a basis to start the
creative juices flowing.
Each letter can be used to emphasize one character trait
that our clients expect us to possess. How do you measure
up? Choose one of these traits to improve this year and use
NARPM education and networking to assist you.
P
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- Proactive
- Reliable
- Organized
- Focused
- Educated
- Sincere
- Selfless
- Integrity
- Overcomes
The first letter stands for proactive. A good example is our new
Regional Vice Presidents. They have sent letters to the chapter
members in each of their regions introducing themselves and
offering to help where needed. A few have been involved in
getting a new chapter started or re-energizing a stagnant chapter. Since this is a new position, there was not a step-by-step
procedure or history to define the actions to be taken. Instead
of waiting on someone or something, they took action.
Another example would be the new committee chairs. Even
before the end of 2006, they were planning and forming their
committees and sub-committees. Many of you have already
been involved in conference calls and/or e-mails that resulted in
defining the action steps needed to meet our 2007 goals.
The December Residential Resource included articles that gave
ideas on how to become a more profitable business. These
are not just ideas—they are proven profit centers. Choose just
one and be proactive in putting that idea on paper, planning
the steps, and then implementing. Remember that you can
call or e-mail the authors of the articles to find out more about
how they were successful in making the idea become a reality.
NARPM members share with one another to make our businesses and our professional lives grow.
- Nimble
Finally, those of you who attended the Leadership Symposium
in Virginia, and those yet to attend Leadership Training in Washington, are showing the initiative to improve your chapter and
yourselves. You are to be congratulated!
- Acts
Remember to Focus on Professionalism,
- Loyalty
Sylvia L. Hill, MPM®
President
[email protected]
408-997-7100 x104
Betty Fletcher, MPM®
President-Elect
[email protected]
501-907-7091 x101
Fred Thompson, MPM®
Treasurer
[email protected]
407-571-3650
Rose G. Thomas, MPM®
Past President
Nominating Committee
[email protected]
301-694-6900
DIRECTORS
Susan Albern, MPM®
Region 3
[email protected]
970-669-0842
Tony A. Drost, RMP®
Region 4
[email protected]
208-321-1900
Vickie Gaskill, MPM®
Region 1
[email protected]
253-852-8195
Harold E. Kalles, MPM®
Region 5
[email protected]
253-848-9393
Elizabeth Morgan, MPM®
Region 2
[email protected]
727-569-2312
James Emory Tungsvik, MPM®
Region 6
[email protected]
253-852-3000
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Jerry Bangerter
Governmental Affairs Committee
[email protected]
808-237-5310
Brenda F. Gerdes, MPM®
Communications Committee
[email protected]
772-380-9011
Christopher Hermanski, MPM®
Long Range Planning Committee
[email protected]
503-343-0141
Darryl Kazen, MPM®
Professional Development Committee
[email protected]
817-281-1300
Chuck Warren, RMP®
Member Services Committee
[email protected]
757-333-8495
Sylvia L. Hill, MPM®
2007 NARPM President
HEADQUARTERS
Gail Phillips, CAE
Executive Director
[email protected]
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Cher Leadbeater
Administrative Assistant
[email protected]
Monique Owens
Member Support Specialist
Carla Earnest
Conferences/Conventions Coordinator
[email protected]
Kristi Lombardo
Communications/Graphics Designer
[email protected]
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February and March will
bring together the leadership
of NARPM local chapters
to share ideas on how to
make their year successful.
The Leadership Symposium
workgroup has planned a great
event for everyone and if you
miss the session in Chesapeake,
Virginia, then make a point
to attend the one-day session in
Seattle, Washington. In 2007,
NARPM is trying a new format to
bring these classes closer to the
chapters by holding sessions on
each coast. Please do not miss out
and make a point to be at one of
these sessions.
The new NARPM Board of Directors has taken the reins and are
moving forward with the Strategic
Action Plan for 2007. You will
find the plan printed in this issue
of the Residential Resource and
on the NARPM website. As you
will note from this plan, NARPM
is emphasizing the members
and bringing services to the local
chapters.
The Regional Vice Presidents
have been busy working within
their respective regions. We have
received inquiries from chapters
needing assistance and from areas
that want their own local chapters.
If you need assistance in your
area, please e-mail me at [email protected] and I will
have your Regional Vice President
contact you.
The NARPM webmaster is designing local websites for those chapters who need one or just want a
new look. Check out the information on www.narpm.org about
these websites. This is an exiting
opportunity NARPM is bringing to
local chapters at no cost to them.
If you would like more information on this service please e-mail
[email protected]. To see a sample
website under construction check
out http://www.narpm.org/chapters/S002/.
I am anxious to hear from the
members about services and
products they would like NARPM
to investigate in 2007. This year’s
Annual Convention and Trade
Show in Scottsdale, AZ in late
September should be fantastic.
We are using the same format as
Vermont and the venue is amazing. Rooms are limited so make
your reservations early. We will
have back-up hotels within walking distance but you will want to
stay at the resort. Check out the
Caleo Resort location at www.
caleoresort.com.
I hope your new year is going well
and know that NARPM is committed to supporting professional and
ethical practices of rental home
management through networking,
education, and certification. I
look forward to seeing each of you
at an upcoming NARPM event.
Sincerely,
Gail S. Phillips, CAE
Executive Director
The Residential Resource
has been announced as
a Gold Winner of the
MarCom Creative Awards.
Gold Awards are presented
to publications that exceed
the high standards of the
industry norm.
THE COMMUNICATOR AWARDS
and avoid fraud in the process
by Dave Watts
A
s an investor, you already know what kind of investing strategy you want to take. However, what you may
not know is how to find and attract quality, longer-term
tenants. I will give you a hint on the best way to do this and
it is probably not in the first place you thought of—your local
newspaper’s want ads.
While the Internet is a great way for potential landlords and
tenants to connect, there is still the possibility of people pulling
scams and frauds. One way to avoid any funny business is to
deal locally with potential landlords or tenants you can meet in
person. This way there is no misunderstanding or funds that can
get “skimmed” off.
The newspaper is still a good place to find tenants for lowerpriced properties. That is because some folks in the lower-middle to middle-class range use the Internet very little or not at all.
That may sound hard to believe, but it is true.
Another tip to avoid fraud is never to wire funds via Western
Union, Moneygram, or any other wire service that scammers
love to use. You also want to be on the lookout for fake cashier’s
checks or money orders. If you cash these fake documents at
your bank, the law says you are responsible for the funds, and
they will come out of your account. It is preferable that you
verify that any funds sent to you as a security deposit or rent are
good funds.
However, the Internet can be a great tool to find those tenants
that are computer savvy. More people are doing research and
business online than ever before. The November 5th Denver
Post mentioned that at least one car is sold a minute online. As
a direct result of the Internet, subscriptions to almost all major
print newspapers in America are on the decline, according to an
October 31st article in USA Today.
Print newspapers have to charge higher advertising rates to cover
their production costs. A single Sunday want ad alone can cost
$45 to hundreds of dollars—more if a photo is included. The
ad is only good if the reader keeps that day’s paper, and actually
finds your ad out of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of competing ads.
More and more people are also using the Internet to find specific
information. That is why search engines such as Yahoo! and
Google are so popular. Print and online newspapers give general
information—another reason why they are not as effective as
websites that address a specific niche. Internet usage is a technological and cultural shift that will only accelerate in the future.
Most online newspapers and newsletters have classified ads.
However, they are usually an add-on after you purchase a print
ad. These ads will only be kept online for a limited amount of
time. As a property owner, you never know how long it will take
for your property to rent. You are playing a guessing game for
how much advertising to purchase. That problem is eliminated
when you advertise for free on a website that is targeted to your
niche.
Also, you should also never give out any financial information
such as a bank account, Social Security number, eBay or PayPal
username and/or passwords. Scammers love getting their hands
on this information to steal money and identities so that they can
use the credit for personal gain.
Here are some key phrases and methods that scammers most
commonly use:
An inquiry from a country far away, such as Iran or South
Africa.
An offer of an “escrow service” or “guarantee.”
An offer written in very poor or broken English.
These tips should be common sense, but they are always good to
reference to make sure you are protected. By using this advice,
you will make the marketing and renting of your homes more
enjoyable and profitable.
______________________________________________________
Dave Watts is a real estate investor with over 30
years experience, building an empire through rental
homes. He now helps other investors find quality tenants through his website. Visit www.ForRentByOwner.
com to check out this excellent free resource.
by Robert L. Cain
a
A
hole in a plaster wall, a broken
window, crayon marks on the ceiling,
cabinet doors torn off their hinges—those are obviously above and beyond
normal wear and tear. How about a worn
place in the carpet, or tiles on the kitchen
floor that are cracked or missing? That is
where the tenant can claim that he does
not owe a dime of the security deposit because that was just “normal wear and tear”
and you cannot charge him for that. Less
than stellar tenants are experts in “normal
wear and tear” because they have caused
so much of it. So what really is considered
“normal wear and tear?”
A rule of thumb to follow, whenever there
is a question about who should pay for
damage, the landlord should pay. In this
tip, however, I will remove some of the
question and possibly enable you to get
a better idea of when you should deduct
money from the security or cleaning deposits.
The first step in determining wear and tear
is good record keeping. You need records,
as complete as possible, of when you
purchased items and/or when you installed
them. If you do not have a starting point,
you certainly will not have an accurate
way of knowing how long they should be
expected to last.
If the fixtures or appliances were in place
when you bought the property, try to find
out their history from the seller. Many
times the previous owner will have all the
warranty and product information, including manuals.
The other vitally important thing to have is
the tenant move-in checklist, signed by the
tenant. Without it, the tenant can claim
that the damage was there when he or she
moved in.
In addition to that, some damage is the
fault of the landlord for not checking the
property regularly. As you well know, you
cannot expect a tenant to take care of a
property the way the owner does. Tenants
just do not notice things that can do major
damage to a building.
For example, few tenants would think
anything about earth-to-wood contact.
They will shove dirt up against the side
of a house and not even notice when the
wood on the side of the house starts to rot.
That is considered the fault of the landlord.
You cannot collect damages from a tenant
for dry rot due to earth-to-wood contact;
you should have seen it. Once you have
noticed that a tenant is piling dirt against a
building, though, it is up to you to tell him
not to do it anymore. Once you do, and
you have left a paper trail proving that you
have, then the tenant would have some responsibility. Even so, it is up to the landlord
to take care of his investments.
When a tenant moves in, make it clear to
him or her that you want to be notified of
damage as soon as it occurs. What follows
is a list of common things you will find
around the house that a tenant may use
regularly and a range of life expectancy.
For vinyl and wall-to-wall carpets you
should have a pretty good idea of the life
expectancy when you buy it, but for other
items you may not.
Dishwashers
Tenants will often use the dial to run the
dishwasher through its cycle. This will strip
the timing mechanism. Dishwashers should
be allowed to run through their cycles fully,
not set to rinse or dry again. A dishwasher
should last between five and twelve years,
so if the control knob breaks before that, it
is above and beyond normal wear and tear.
Water Heaters
Do not wrap them in an insulating blanket,
no matter what the environmentalists claim.
Doing so voids their warranties and the
Underwriter’s Laboratory certification. The
insulating blanket makes them too hot and
can overheat the wiring. If a tenant wraps
a water heater, thinking they are saving energy, and the water heater goes out, that is
beyond ordinary wear and tear. Tenants will
sometimes drain an electric water heater
without turning the electricity off. That will
burn out the elements.
Water heaters last from eight to twelve
years. Burnt out wiring or elements are
beyond ordinary wear and tear.
Ranges
Gas ranges will last indefinitely. About the
only thing a tenant can do to damage one is
break a knob, and it happens. But accidents
happen, and it is probably ordinary wear
and tear.
Electric ranges, on the other hand, do not
last as long, about 15-20 years. Tenants will
remove elements to clean and not put them
back in properly, shorting out either the element or the entire wiring on the stove.
Furnaces
It is important to change the furnace filter
once a month. Leave a dirty filter in and
risk ruining the fan motor. If necessary, get
the tenant a supply of filters with the instruction to change it the first of every month,
whether he thinks it needs it or not.
Storm Doors
Tenants remove the wind spring and the door
flies open, breaking the glass, springing the
hinges, or whatever. With no mistreatment,
storm doors will last until they are too ugly to
leave up. If a tenant breaks one, it is above
and beyond ordinary wear and tear.
Driveways
Concrete is damaged by something known as
“point loading.” That happens when a heavy
vehicle is parked on the same spot for a long
period of time or over and over. Eventually
that weakens the concrete in that spot and it
cracks. The cracks radiate out from the spot
of the point load. If your tenant has a heavy
vehicle, ask that he park it in different places
on the driveway. Point load damage could be
considered above and beyond ordinary wear
and tear.
Cabinets
Most tenants will not pick up a screwdriver
and tighten a screw that is coming loose.
Many don’t know what a screwdriver is.
Then, when the door comes loose from one
hinge, they will let it hang from the other
one. Cabinets should last for 20 to 30 years.
If they are damaged from tenant neglect such
as that, it is above and beyond ordinary wear
and tear. It doesn’t cost a tenant anything to
tighten a screw. At the same time, though,
a periodic inspection would probably have
discovered a loose cabinet door.
Floors
You know what the life expectancy is when
you buy the flooring, and it varies by quality.
If you buy cheap vinyl, and a tenant’s high
heel pokes a hole in it, you got what you
paid for. But if a tenant drags something
sharp across the floor and scratches or cuts
the flooring, that is above and beyond ordinary wear and tear.
Doors (hinged)
Tenants have been compared to teenagers: if
something doesn’t work the first time, force
it. Things get caught in doors, such as broom
handles on the hinge side of the door, and
then the door gets sprung. Screw holes are
stripped and hinges get bent. Doors last indefinitely, if used properly. Damage to them
is above and beyond ordinary wear and tear.
Doors (sliding)
These come off their tracks, and despite the
fact that it is easy and costs nothing, tenants
don’t put them back on their tracks. Then
they come loose and get banged around,
damaging the tracks so they have to be
replaced. Take the cost of damage out of the
security deposit.
You can’t be there all the time to watch to
see that a tenant doesn’t do anything stupid
or destructive. Previous landlords can often
give you some insight on how well a tenant
took care of a property. Some tenants are
simply unconscious: they don’t mean to do
any harm, they just have no way to connect
what they have done with the damage. One
of the mysteries of life.
Deciding whether damage is beyond ordinary wear and tear often boils down to a
landlord basic, deciding if something was
used in a way it wasn’t designed for. If it
wasn’t, it is damage which should be paid by
the tenant.
Thanks to Don Crawford of Crawford Home
Inspection Service for much of the information contained in this tip.
______________________________________
Robert L. Cain is a nationallyrecognized speaker and writer on
property management and real estate issues. For a free sample copy
of the Rental Property Reporter or Northwest
Landlord call 800-654-5456 or visit the website at www.rentalprop.com.
“Tenants will remove
elements [on electric ranges]
to clean and not put them
back in properly, shorting
out either the element or the
entire wiring on the stove.”
Property Management
Mind Mapping
by Ernest F. Oriente, The Coach
T
he property management profession
continues to be more complex and
rapid every day. Planning seems to
be a daily requirement. When faced with
a large project, pressured to reach tall
goals, or even when you are trying to fix
a reoccurring problem, Mind Mapping is
the perfect tool. In this article, you will
learn the three steps for creating a clear
and well-organized front-end approach to
resolving your most challenging problems,
or developing your most inspiring dreams.
Mind Mapping will also allow you to
discover new patterns, see untapped
potential, and link unforeseen ideas—an
important concept I share in my book,
SmartMatch Alliances.
GETTING STARTED
Begin by scheduling 15-30 minutes of uninterrupted time—no ringing telephones,
loud noises, or knocks at your office door.
Start with a blank sheet of paper and
draw a large circle in the center of the
page. Next, place the name of your project, goal, dream, or problem in the center
of this circle. Now draw 10 or 15 lines
around the circle, like the spokes of a
bicycle wheel. Lastly, on each spoke, list
one idea or concept relating to the words
inside the circle. Do not edit or judge
the words you are placing on each spoke
while you are brainstorming because you
want to generate as many ideas as possible. Each spoke on your Mind Map will
address who, what, where, when, why,
and/or how.
Tip From The Coach: If you are an auditory learner rather than a visual learner
you may want to use a tape recorder to
build your Mind Map, then transfer your
words to paper as the second step. If you
find your ideas are not flowing, then take
a break to refresh your mind or share your
progress with your manager, a peer, or a
close friend. Sometimes having another
person’s perspective is just enough to get
your creative juices flowing.
DEVELOPING ACTION WORDS
With your initial Mind Map now complete, take a second sheet of paper and
list the first “spoke” topic in the center
of a new large circle and draw another
five to seven lines around this circle.
These lines are now the action words for
completing your project, fixing a problem,
or realizing your dreams. When building these action words, do not make any
quick assumptions but remain open to
unusual ideas or solutions. Try to look at
this project or task from a different level
by asking yourself, “How will this impact
my residents, my property owner, the
properties I manage or my leasing team?”
Tip From The Coach: Some of the best
Mind Mapping is done when we look
to other industries, other professions, or
other successful individuals and see how
they have addressed a similar problem
or opportunity. Many great ideas are just
inches from where you are standing this
very minute but you have to look closely
and have your antenna up to see and
hear them. As a small step, try reading
trade or business magazines unrelated to
the property management industry and
you will find that re-inventing the wheel
is seldom necessary. Plus, exposure to
new ideas in other industries will help you
become a “futurist” on your own behalf.
TAKING WORDS TO ACTION
Now comes the fun part. Take each of
your Mind Maps and put them in outline
form. Next to each action word, place
an action step and specify the exact date
for completing each task or step. Also, if
you are going to delegate portions of this
project, include the name of each person
who will be responsible for a specific step
and be certain they receive a copy of your
Mind Map so they can be clear on the
purpose of your request. Lastly, take the
action steps you are going to personally
complete and place them directly in your
appointment book. By scheduling time
for each step on your Mind Map, you
are bringing this project, dream, goal, or
problem to life.
Tip From The Coach: Once you have
completed your first Mind Map, pause
and reflect joyfully on what you have
accomplished. This technique is specifically designed to support your thinking
process and will get easier and easier with
practice. Remember, Mind Mapping is
meant to be fun and can be done in large
groups, at your next big meeting, or any
time you need to visualize ideas quickly.
___________________________________
Ernest F. Oriente, The Coach,
is the founder of PowerHour®,
a professional business coaching/recruiting service and
the author of SmartMatch
Alliances™. Since 1988, he has spent
over 19,100 hours delivering customized training by telephone, in leadership,
Internet marketing and sales for property
management companies, apartment locator/corporate housing services, and multihousing sales/service companies worldwide. Earnest can be reached by phone
at 435-615-8486 or by e-mail at ernest@
powerhour.com.
YOU Make
the Ethics Call
by Rick Ebert, MPM®
Case Nine
Prospect A, who has dark hair and is of Hispanic
descent, inquires of Property Manager B, the
manager of a 30 unit apartment complex, about
upcoming availability of a rental unit. Property
Manager B tells her that they have no vacancies
and that none are expected in the near future.
?
Prospect A leaves her name and telephone number with Property
Manager B who agrees to call her if a unit should become available. Not hearing from Property Manager B after a long period of
time, Prospect A again visits the apartment complex. Even though
it is the summer season, when vacancies are normally expected to
occur, Property Manager B states that they do not have any vacancies and none are expected.
Sensing that something was amiss, Prospect A enlists the aid
of a fair complexioned Hispanic with blonde hair, Prospect C.
Prospect C visits the apartment complex and inquires
of Property Manager B about the availability of a
vacancy. Property Manager B states that they have
had a few vacancies in the past few months and
gives Prospect C an application form to complete
for an existing vacancy. Prospect A returns to the
apartment complex a few hours after Prospect C only
to be told by Property Manager B that there are still
no vacancies.
?
Prospect A files an ethics complaint charging discrimination.
Property Manager B denies that there was an available unit to rent
and claims that the application for rental was given to Prospect C
in error.
Ask Yourself
How do these kinds of comments and actions reflect upon our
industry? What would you do differently, if anything? Would the
property manager’s actions and comments be an ethics violation?
You Made the Call
Article 2 states, “The Property Manager shall not discriminate in
the rental, lease, or negotiation for real property based upon race,
color, religion, sex, national origin, familiar status, or handicap,
and shall comply with all federal, state, and local laws concerning
discrimination.”
______________________________________________________
Rick Ebert, MPM® is owner-manager of Austin Landmark Property Services, Inc. CRMC® in Austin, Texas.
Rick is a founding member of NARPM.
2007
n
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VISION
To be integral in the
governance, advocacy,
and recognition of
residential property
management and
indispensable to the
residential property
manager.
designations are highly desired by residential property managers
and recognized by the general public as symbols of success.
»
»
»
»
»
IMPROVING COMMUNICATION
NARPM has created an effective national referral service to
benefit both members and the public.
»
»
»
»
»
»
Design a mechanism to communicate with Regional Vice
Presidents and chapter leaders when a new member joins.
Design a means to communicate with chapters on
prospective NARPM members.
Enhance communication vehicles from NARPM leadership
to the members and vice versa.
Design a needs assessment vehicle to determine what
members need from NARPM.
Open a dialog with Affiliates to look at creating a National
Property Rental Information Service.
Determine a method to increase “links” to www.narpm.org
and search engine placement.
»
»
»
»
PUBLIC PERCEPTION
The public recognizes NARPM as the standard setter for
residential property management. NARPM is the spokesperson
for the home rental industry.
»
»
BUILDING STRONGER CHAPTERS
NARPM has membership benefits, services, and procedures that
are effectively conveyed to members. NARPM has created an
effective national referral service to benefit both members and
the public.
»
»
»
»
»
»
Create a package that would include resources on how to
function as a chapter (Chapter in a Box).
Create/enhance member recruitment and retention
program.
Coordinate Regional Vice Presidents and Member Services
volunteers to enhance chapters and to assist weak chapters.
Create a process for determining where new chapters
should be started.
Define needs and functions of state and/or regional
chapters.
Determine a plan to distribute congratulations to chapters
and members about the members accomplishments and
involvement.
»
»
Design a national program to increase recognition of
NARPM members as the industry experts on a national
level.
Design a local program to increase recognition of NARPM
members as the industry experts on a local level.
Study feasibility of hiring a marketing consultant.
Determine if all members should take the Ethics course and
how often.
LEGISLATIVE INVOLVEMENT
NARPM is essential in the governance of the industry/profession
and publicly recognized by peer organizations as essential to the
real estate industry.
»
»
»
»
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Continuing education for maintaining designations has been
accepted, embraced, and supported by the members. NARPM
is the premier source for learning and advancement of the
professional residential property manager. NARPM’s professional
Analyze educations products for presentation image, value,
and content.
Complete the distance learning production.
Research the need for mandatory continuing education for
retention of designations.
Study content of the Speakers Bureau packet to include
information on states where course if approved for
continuing education.
Recommend looking at new educational products to be
offered in the educational arena.
Review current designation requirements to look at
accepting other courses other than NARPM designation
courses.
Determine if NARPM should offer other designations.
Develop classes for CRMC® applicants.
Develop training program for NARPM instructors.
»
»
Create a package that is information about NARPM to give
to local legislators about the expertise and information
available through NARPM.
Design an education package for local chapters to help with
grass roots lobbying efforts and how to get involved. Include
this program in the functions of a chapter information
(Chapter in a Box).
Encourage legislators to come to NARPM for information on
residential property management issues.
Develop a central list through the website of all legislatures
and links to legislation/legislators.
Create a “call to action” program that can be distribute to
the NARPM membership.
Develop approved position statements at the national level
on major issues.
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Next year NARPM is going to
sunny Arizona. Start looking
forward to and planning for an excellent lineup of speakers, education classes,
and workshops. There will also be something for every NARPM member to
enjoy with all of the great things to do while visiting, from playing a round of
golf at one of the many nearby courses to relaxing at the local spa. Log onto
www.scottsdalecvb.com and www.caleoresort.com to catch a glimpse of the
breathtaking 2007 Convention location.
Don’t forget to check www.narpm.org for the latest updates!
IDentity
entity Theft
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, 15 USC,
Subchapter I, Sec. 6801-6809,
Disclosure of Nonpublic Personal
Information (GLB Act) defines any
personal information given by
an individual to obtain financial,
healthcare, or other product or service
on an application used in a financial
transaction. It further defines financial
institutions as “any entity that engages
in any kind of financial activity” and
requires these institutions to develop
information security programs. It
requires these institutions to: 1)
Give customers privacy notices;
2) Provide customers with the
opportunities to decline having their
information shared; 3) Avoid release
of information to unauthorized users;
4) Assure accuracy of information
prior to release; 5) Disclose to the
consumers the identity of recipients of
any information released; 6) Identify
corporate risks to security; 7) Develop
and implement security programs.
and the Property Manager
by Bob Patterson
A
s a private investigator, I have been
involved in several ID theft cases.
One involved a briefcase that was
taken from a local gym. The briefcase
contained personal checks and checks to
the individual drawn on his employer’s
business account. Within one day, fake
checks using his personal bank account (the
checks had his name and a falsified drivers
license number imprinted) were being used
in the local community. On the second
day, fake checks drawn on his employer’s
bank account were used in a state 2000
miles away. Later, his information was
used to obtain credit cards and cell phones
(several transactions were overseas). To
date there has been only one arrest—a
local man who had pizza delivered to his
home using a credit card.
ID thieves are set up as individual cells
around the world that are insulated by not
knowing the members of the other cells.
It is a network crime and usually only the
local or front person is caught. Several
authors on the subject of ID theft equate
the network to that of Al Qaeda. It is a very
complex organization.
The property manager and the property
management firm are double targets; that
of becoming an ID theft victim and that of
becoming a rich source of other people’s
information for ID thieves. The property
manager and the property management
firm have access to enough information
on an individual that it is only a matter of
time before they become a target. Under
the GLB Act, the property manager and the
property management firm must become
more vigilant at preventing them from
becoming a target and ending up in a civil
suit for failing to protect an individual’s
information. There must be an effective
security program in place. The following
steps will help to get you started:
Screen all employees and independent
contractors prior to hiring. Most ID
theft occurs in the business setting.
• Do not leave personal information
anywhere that prying eyes of
unauthorized persons can see it. How
many times have you been talking to
a client and an owner or tenant folder
has been open on your desk or you
management software was open on
the computer screen?
• Safeguard all corporate financial
instruments and those of your tenants
and owners. Have you ever left a rent
check sitting on your desk while you
went for coffee or to the restroom? Do
you leave blank checks in the printer?
• Place all printers, copiers, and fax
machines where only employees have
access to them.
• Position computer screens so that
only the user can see what is being
displayed.
• Never leave documents in printers,
copiers, or fax machines
(especially originals).
• Only use locking file
cabinets.
• Be aware of any
unauthorized
charges to your
corporate accounts
or phone records.
• Use the screen saver
and password on
your computer to
lock the screen.
• Shred any
document that is
to be discarded
that contains any
information of a
personal nature.
• Shred blank
•
•
•
checks on closed bank accounts.
Have a meeting with the office staff
(coffee and doughnuts mandatory) to
make ID theft prevention an office
responsibility. Brainstorm where
your risks are and how to secure
information. Make this a regular part
of your office meetings and part of
your Office Policies and Procedures
Manual.
Contract with a security firm or private
investigator that is well versed in
identity theft to survey your office
and work with you and your staff
to implement an effective ID theft
prevention program.
If ID theft does occur, immediately contact
the police and obtain a case file number.
Some police departments may not want
to give you one, but demand one. You
will not accomplish anything without this.
Then visit www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/
idtheft and follow the instructions. Another
good source is www.idtheftcenter.org.
Recovering from ID Theft is a complicated,
long, and frustrating road. Prevention is the
best protection.
___________________________________
Bob Patterson is a licensed Washington
state private investigator and president of
CWPI, Inc., a Washington-licensed private
investigation firm. He is a past vicepresident of the Pierce County Washington
Chapter of NARPM. Bob may be contacted
at (253) 531-2795, [email protected], or by
visiting his website at http://cwpiinc.com.
Tax Reduction Ideas
by Lance Wallach
T
here have been significant changes
in the way the IRS targets businesses
for audits and how it conducts them.
When business owners read statistics
about the percentage of returns audited,
they often feel justified in gambling that
their businesses will not be among those
selected for scrutiny. However, while
audits are up this year and will continue
to increase, the numbers remain very
misleading. The IRS is getting much
smarter about how it chooses returns to
audit and how its examiners conduct their
audits.
Over the past few years, the IRS has
dramatically stepped up efforts to study
specific industries. To this end, they
have been educating examiners about
specific business practices, terminology,
accounting methods, and common
industry practices. The IRS has also
identified areas of inquiry that produce
greater audit results (i.e., more money
being paid to the government as a result
of an audit).
Examiners are told specifically to look
for certain red flags to discover what
is really occurring in a business or
certain transaction. The result is that
examinations are more sharply focused
on specific areas that generate increased
taxes, penalties, and interest. Fortunately,
there is a positive side to all of this.
The IRS has made public a number of its
Industry Specialization Program papers
and Market Segment Specialization
Program manuals. These help us keep
abreast of the areas the IRS will be
targeting in its audits. These are easy and
free to obtain.
Substantial tax reduction, estate planning,
and asset protection—Welfare Benefit
Plan (WBP) anyone? Do you pay too
much income tax? Are you interested
in protecting your assets from creditors?
Would you like incredibly large tax
deductions every year? How about
providing financial security for your
family while minimizing taxes? Sound
interesting? If so, you should consider a
WBP. All contributions are tax deductible,
and the money withdrawn for certain
benefits is tax-free.
Profitable businesses looking to
substantially reduce their tax liabilities and
provide other benefits can utilize a WBP.
Although they have been in existence
for years, WBPs are not widely known or
well understood. They allow an employer
to receive a current tax deduction while
putting away funds not currently needed.
They also give an employer a great deal
of latitude in choosing both present and
future plan benefits.
Additional benefits of WBPs include
the protection of assets from creditors,
tremendous flexibility in establishing
contribution amounts, and highly
favorable monetary benefits for the
business owner. Also, a plan can allow
you to deduct life, health, disability, and
long-term care insurance premiums and
solve retained earnings problems. An
employer can have a retirement plan and
a WBP simultaneously. A WBP allows for
larger tax deductible contributions than
a 401(k) plan because it is not subject to
strict pension plan guidelines.
The problem with a retirement plan is
that, live or die, when the money
comes out, it is taxable. Who says
you will be in a lower tax bracket
when you retire? When you die,
not only will your retirement plan
money be subject to income
tax, but if you are successful,
the money will also be subject
to estate taxes. Money in a
WBP can be withdrawn both
income and estate tax-free.
It is never too early or too
late for successful business
owners to consider these
things.
You do need to be careful,
however. Numerous plans
look like WBPs but do not
meet the well-established
and specific guidelines
of the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS). Treating
a look-alike plan as
though it were a true
WBP can get you into
serious trouble with
the IRS.
Interested in reducing your company’s
health care premium by 60 percent?
How about saving on income taxes while
investing money for the future to be used
tax-free? If so, then you will be interested
in a health reimbursement arrangement
plus (HRA-Plus).
A HRA-Plus can reimburse employees,
including owners, for a predetermined
amount of medical expenses. It
provides the best premium savings
when established in conjunction with
a high deductible health insurance
plan. Medical expenses reimbursed to
employees are tax deductible for the
business and tax-free for the employees.
There is no need to pre-fund the HRAPlus, and the employer can keep the
funds if an employee terminates.
If you are looking to make a large
retirement plan contribution without
having to change your 401(k), you may
want to consider a cash balance plan.
Unlike other defined benefit plans, a cash
balance plan can be designed to more
aggressively control the costs of the rankand-file employee benefits.
Instead of cashing in a cash value life
insurance policy and purchasing a new
one, a policy owner should consider the
process of an insurance swapoutsm for the
following reasons: avoid paying taxes on the
growth of an existing policy’s cash value,
substantially reducing premium payments,
more competitive terms and pricing of a
new policy, increasing the death benefit
while making the same premium payments,
changes in the insured’s financial situation,
and many more.
______________________________________
Lance Wallach speaks and
writes extensively about WBPs,
retirement plans, and tax
reduction strategies. He speaks
at more than 70 conventions
annually, writes for 50 publications, and was
the National Society of Accountants Speaker
of the Year. Contact Lance at (516) 938-5007
or visit www.vebaplan.com.
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while investing
money for the
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The RVP Bulletin
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT
T
he development of Regional Vice
Presidents on the NARPM Board of
Directors has given me a wonderful
opportunity to serve the members of
Florida. I have sent out an e-mail to all
Florida NARPM members to let them know
that I am their link to getting assistance
from NARPM and that I am looking forward
to visiting all of their chapters as a speaker
or guest.
I was invited to install the officers of the
Orlando Central Florida Chapter before
Christmas and to be the guest speaker at
the December meeting for the Sarasota
Bradenton Chapter on “The Importance
of Checklists.” I also attended the January
meeting for the Tampa Chapter when
Attorney Heist kicked off the year’s
program with his outstanding presentation
℡
℡
℡
℡
℡
℡
•
•
•
•
•
•
BY BETSY MORGAN, GRI, MPM®
on Florida Landlord Tenant Law. In
addition, I installed the officers of the
Treasure Coast Chapter Board of Directors.
I hope that I have many other invitations of
this sort during my two-year term as RVP
for Region 2.
Having the chance to be in contact, by email or personal calls, with Florida chapter
leaders and members is an honor and a
pleasure. It is my fervent hope that this
type of contact will provide very direct
benefits to Florida chapters in strengthening
their organization and programs. The work
done by our Florida chapters to educate,
support, and encourage certification goals
of the members is laudable, but they also
make tremendous contributions within
their communities to support charitable
organizations.
Region 1 – Vickie Gaskill, ARM®, CPM®, MPM®
1-800-755-5397, [email protected]
Region 2 – Elizabeth “Betsy” Morgan, MPM®
727-569-2312, [email protected]
Region 3 – Susan Albern, MPM®
Region 4 – Tony Drost, RMP®
Region 5 – Harold Kalles, MPM®
Region 6 – James Emory Tungsvik, MPM®
Region 1 – Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland,
Washington D. C., West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia
Region 2 – Florida
Region 3 – Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois,
Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas
Region 4 – Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico,
Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada
Region 5 – Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawaii
Region 6 – California
I am also grateful to my fellow Regional
Vice Presidents for sharing their experiences
and suggestions. I really believe the focus
on chapter support will result in a stronger
NARPM for the years ahead and I am
looking forward to meeting with many
of the Florida chapter leaders in Virginia
this month. Florida NARPM chapters are
making a difference in the lives they touch!
____________________________________
Betsy Morgan, MPM® has
been a property manager for
over 22 years in the Tampa
Bay area. She is the Director
of the Property Management
Division for Prudential Tropical Realty.
Betsy has served as president of the Tampa
Bay NARPM Chapter, and is currently the
NARPM Region 2 Vice President
NARPM Regional Map
Additional
Countries:
Australia – Region 5
Canada – Region 4
South America – Region 1
West Indies – Region 1
Can’t make it to the NARPM
Leadership Symposium
this month? Then join us for
Leadership Training on March 23,
2007 in Seattle, WA following the
Northwest Regional Conference.
Log on to www.narpm.org
for additional information on
how to register and make your
travel plans.
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Proper Unit
Preparation
by Rob Massey, Jr., CPM
W
hen meeting with a new
prospective client for the first
time, I have frequently run
into what I call the “homeowner mentality.” It is common to hear, “We painted
our house three years ago; why do we
need to paint again?” or “We have put
up with that dishwasher not working for
years; why would I fix it now just for a
renter?” Every time I hear that I ask myself, “And what was I thinking when I got
into this business?”
Unfortunately, many times we have to
educate our clients about the need to
allow us to make their rental properties
look great. The best renters, the ones that
will take care of our clients’ properties
and cause us the least amount of headaches, will always want the property to
look, smell, and feel as clean and freshly
painted as possible. Trust me, we don’t
want tenants who do not care about those
things and our clients shouldn’t either.
Our company has always used standard
off-white flat wall paint for most walls and
surfaces other than the kitchen, bathrooms, and woodwork, where we use
the same color but in a semi-gloss. The
main benefit to doing this, other than the
obvious neutral color desirability, is that
touching up the paint or painting only
rooms that need it becomes the norm
when turning the property. The result is
that it can look completely re-done every
time usually without re-painting every surface. In fact, that is always my instruction
to our painters. Make it look completely
re-done, as inexpensively as possible. Of
course, I have to give them guidance or I
might get a complete painting job every
time when it is not always necessary.
The other important component to making our vacancies desirable is to make
sure that the carpet is cleaned and that
the housecleaning is thorough. Attention
to detail is very important when it comes
to cleaning. Taking a few extra steps like
polishing stainless steel sinks goes a long
way towards making the kitchen, the most
important room in the house, look desirable. We regularly change out the toilet
seats and leave the plastic on the lids so
that the new renter knows that they are
new. They are inexpensive and the effect
is very powerful.
When the market is soft and vacancies
sit for longer than 30 days, do not forget
to have your units touch-up cleaned. It
usually does not require a lot of effort or
expense, but it does make a big difference
including masking the fact that it has been
vacant for a long period.
In our business, being creative and innovative is helpful, but just as important is
remembering the fundamentals. Making
certain that your vacant properties show
well each and every time is part of that
process. It is a principle that many new
clients need to better understand and we,
as property managers, sometimes need to
help them.
___________________________________
Rob Massey Jr., CPM, has served
as a local president for NARPM, the
Institute of Real Estate Management, and the Apartment Association in his hometown of Louisville,
KY. He has taught several property
management classes and managed nearly 1,000
apartments and houses before scaling back
his property management company to pursue
the national Internet listing service he founded
known as RentalHouses.com.
edition two
Legislative Scoop
by Jerry Bangerter, Governmental Affairs Committee Chair
Y
our NARPM Government Affairs Committee is working
overtime to implement an ambitious legislative agenda this
year. Coming from the perspective that “all politics are local,” the committee is focusing on establishing Government Affairs
Committees at each of our chapters. Some of these committees
may include only a few involved members, or perhaps in some
instances, the committee may consist of only one highly motivated
individual. We, therefore, have a strategy in such instances to work
with other like-minded associations on issues that are important to
us, and expect to establish relationships that will work for us well
into the future. In many cases, our various chapters have already
taken such an initiative, putting us ahead in those states.
corrected. The best available model for this is the existing real
estate broker and agent licensing system.
We will all stand a little taller when landlords looking for a reputable company to manage their rental investments everywhere will
find that, through our efforts, they will not haplessly be working
with an unqualified or unethical agent because all property managers will be licensed and, hopefully, NARPM members. This is a
goal that NARPM hopes to achieve as we “Focus on Professionalism.”
______________________________________________________
Jerry Bangerter, the 2007 Government Affairs Committee Chair, can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]
or by telephone at 808-237-5333; toll free, 877-2541586.
One of our highest priorities will be to work toward establishing
property manager licensing in those states wherein we have chapters, but where such licensing is currently not required. Our Idaho
chapter has told us that the state of Idaho has no licensing requirement and that they have had instances wherein property managers
close their doors and walk away with hundreds of thousands of
dollars of tenant and landlord money. This is terrible news!
While this does not happen with landlords and tenants who work
with NARPM member companies and agents, the situation as it is
unfairly burdens our property management industry with an image we do not want or need. Members of our Idaho chapter are
already involved, and were recently quoted in a local newspaper
article addressing this issue. Actions like this, by NARPM members,
set the stage for our further involvement on this issue this year, and
reflect significant credit on both NARPM and the NARPM members
being quoted in the article. This is great news! Our NARPM Idaho
members have established a beginning, but the job will not be
small nor will it be easy.
In general, property managers throughout the country are now
licensed under real estate broker and agent training and licensing
procedures. This provides a good start in protecting the interests
of landlords and tenants, but it may not be the easiest and most effective way of getting the best, brightest, and most ethical property
managers into the industry. The training and testing for real estate
broker and agent candidates properly tilts hard in favor of real
estate law, rules, and regulations. Landlord-tenant law generally
gets short-changed.
This results in a stretched-out lead-time for our candidate property
managers before they learn the ropes of the trade through the
“college of hard knocks.” In this real world environment, both
our property managers and our clients suffer from time to time as
mistakes are made and corrected. The important issue now is to
institutionalize a structure in every state where we have a NARPM
chapter that will provide proper and legitimate oversight and minimize the impact of these mistakes, and assure that they are indeed,
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Maintenance 101
KEEPING AN EYE
ON THE EXTERIOR
A quick walk around your property
could help you catch a number
of maintenance problems before
they have a chance to become
expensive repairs. Here are a
few things to keep an eye out for:
Take a look at your landscaping.
Prune back any dense plant growth
that could restrict air movement,
contributing to moisture or insects,
or that might thicken and scrape
siding. Also, check for hanging
tree branches that could damage
roofing or windows.
Next, inspect outdoor wooden
elements for decay. The most
vulnerable areas are surfaces
subject to frequent moisture, such
as wooden siding in contact with
the ground and horizontal surfaces
that can collect water.
Finally, check the outside of the
house for cracks. Use a caulking
gun to seal cracks or joints that
might let water infiltrate or warm
air escape. Start with the joint
between the foundation and the
house. Then inspect outer window
edges and door casings.
Remember, an outdoor home
inspection could save you money
down the road.
______________________________
The above tips were offered by
home inspection experts at
HouseMaster. For more tips, visit
www.housemaster.com.
NARPM ANTITRUST POLICY
Association Meetings - To minimize the possibility of
antitrust problems at association gatherings, the following
guidelines should be followed at all meetings of the Board
of Directors and committees, as well as all associationsponsored conventions, trade shows, training seminars,
conferences, and task force and working group sessions.
DO NOT discuss your prices or competitors’ prices with
a competitor (except when buying from or selling to that
competitor) or anything, which might affect prices such as
costs, discounts, terms of sale, or profit margins.
DO NOT agree with competitors to uniform terms of sale,
warranties, or contract provisions.
DO NOT agree with competitors to divide customers or
territories.
DO NOT act jointly with one or more competitors to put
another competitor at a disadvantage.
DO NOT try to prevent your supplier from selling to your
competitor.
DO NOT discuss your future pricing, marketing, or policy
plans with competitors.
DO NOT discuss your customers with your competitors.
DO NOT make statements about your future plans
regarding pricing, expansion, or other policies with
competitive overtones. Do not participate in discussions
where other members do.
DO NOT propose or agree to any standardization, which
will injure your competitor.
DO NOT attend or stay at any informal meeting where
there is no agenda, no minutes are taken, and no
association staff member is present.
DO NOT do anything before or after association meetings,
or at social events, which would be improper at a formal
association meeting.
DO alert association staff and legal counsel to anything
improper.
DO send copies to an association staff member of any
communications or documents sent, received, or developed
by you when acting for the association.
DO alert every employee in your company who deals with
the association to these guidelines.
DO be conservative. If you feel an activity might be
improper, ask for guidance from association staff or legal
counsel in advance.
Welcome New NARPM Members!
Members that joined NARPM from December 1 to December 31, 2006
NEW MEMBERS
Crystal Absmeier
Homes Around the Desert
72522 Rolling Knoll Drive
Palm Desert, CA 92260
760-858-2221
Jodi Corette
Grizzly Property Management, Inc.
PO Box 1443
Missoula, MT 59806
406-542-2060
Dwayne Gill
MTN Managers
10385 Red Mountain
Littleton, CO 80127
303-946-6570
Jason Myers
RE/MAX Town Centre
315 E Robinson Street, #450
Orlando, FL 32801
407-641-5049
John Bradford
Park Avenue Properties
2108 South Boulevard, #108
Charlotte, NC 28203
704-334-2626
Scott Daniels
Florida List For Less
9900 Stirling Road, #104
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
954-874-3660
Jeff Hockett
RE/MAX Achievers
12211 W Bell Road, #107
Surprise, AZ 85374
623-910-3048
Lawton Powers
ATCO Property Management, Inc.
101 H Street
Bakersfield, CA 93304
661-327-0800
Andrea Cadyma
Henderson Properties
919 Norland Road
Charlotte, NC 28205
704-535-1122
Daniel De La Portilla
Center City Properties
505 N Church Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
704-377-6035
Ben Kincel
919 Norland Road
Charlotte, NC 28205
704-535-1122
Brian Ridgway
Executive Housing Consultants, Inc.
7315 Wisconsin Avenue, #603E
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-951-4111
Scott Chandler
1601 S Avenue West
Missoula, MT 59801
406-542-2060
Yvonne Dunn
Premier Property Management
PO Box 7500
Brooklings, OR 97415
541-469-7400
Michelle Koutsoudis
Home Life Property Services
27247 Madison Avenue, #200
Temecula, CA 92590
951-676-6224
Cherie Ruchty
Barnett Associates
4531 94th Place NE
Marysville, WA 98270
425-238-7977
Susan Chapman
Chapman Properties, Inc.
4619 W Emerald, #101
Boise, ID 83706
208-336-5111
Carlos Francisco
Investors Choice Mgmt. Group
7003 Presidents Drive, #800
Orlando, FL 32809
407-447-8977
Michel Lautensack
MVL Property Managers, LLC
PO Box 2486
Southeastern, PA 19399
610-240-9885
Jonathan Schellhorn
919 Norland Road
Charlotte, NC 28205
703-535-1122
Danarae Clor
Clor Investments, LLC
280 N 8th Street
Boise, ID 83702
208-433-1522
Lita Friend
Lord and Cook Realty, Inc.
3195-A Austell Road
Marietta, GA 30008
678-523-0681
Janice Lerma-Lozano
Rental Property Professionals
1102 E Sonterra, #106
San Antoino, TX 78258
210-482-3231
Dave Shearer
Shearer Realty, LLC
PO Box 43079
Charlotte, NC 28215
704-567-8200
Cindy Loveless
919 Norland Road
Charlotte, NC 28205
704-535-1122
Kathleen Southern
1601 S Avenue West
Missoula, MT 59801
406-542-2060
Barbara Moulder
919 Norland Road
Charlotte, NC 28205
704-535-1122
Patricia Wade
TNT Property Managment, Inc.
402 White Spar Road
Prescott, AZ 86303
928-445-8000
Mandy Muller
Gatewest Management
PO Box 8599
Missoula, MT 59807
406-728-7333
Tami Bettendorf
MOCO, Inc.
219 E Garfield Street, #600
Seattle, WA 98102
206-505-5301
NEW SUPPORT STAFF
Katrina Jacobsen
Healdsburg Property Management
60 A Mill Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-433-8899
Cam Glover
Orkin, Inc.
2170 Piedmont Road
Atlanta, GA 30324
404-888-2000
Jennifer Mott
Prudential Tropical Realty
7916 Evolutions Way, #106
New Port Richey, FL 34655
727-847-6556
Max Ker
RR Roofing
1263 W 75 N
Centerville, UT 84014
801-298-3521
Frank Watson
Mayflower Transit
PO Box 36817
Charlotte, NC 28236
704-525-4660
J. Kevin Kiene
ezLandlordForms
5114 Valley Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124
877-367-6771
VE SH NO
R IPP W
SI I
O NG
N
7.
3
NEW AFFILIATES
Tenant Pro 7 is the most powerful and easy to use solution for today’s property
manager - and it’s affordable! Whether you manage 6 or 6,000 properties,
Tenant Pro’s fully integrated database and accounting system can help you do it all.
Free 30-Day Trial
• Complete accounting
• Numerous owner reports
TM
The deadline for the 2007 NARPM Directory is
fast-approaching! Do not wait until the last
minute to reserve a spot where your message
and your company can be seen all year long.
All advertising contracts and artwork must be
submitted by March 15, 2007 to be printed in
the 2007 Membership Directory, published in
May.
For additional information and to check on
the premium positions still available call
NARPM Headquarters at 800-782-3452 or
e-mail [email protected]
©2007 Property Automation Software Corporation
2006
Designation
Candidates
RMP® CANDIDACY
We see 2007
NARPM Dire
ctory
in your adve
rtising future
.
• Tracks information on properties, owners, units,
tenants & vendors
Michael Anderson
Susan Bielser
Tammy Billington
Patrick Chapman
Barney Christiansen
Pamela Crosslin
Michael Ebert
Pamela Foster
Ruby Gonzalez
Christine Goodin
Jayci Grana
Jay Hartley
Michael Hoff
Trudy Hoff
Marti Hutchison
Elizabeth Loop
Barbara Mayo
Brenda Needham
Kathleen Richards
Worth Ross
Matt Scheel
Thais Soler
Bart Sturzl
Doug Wansley
Chris Warren
MPM® CANDIDACY
James Bigham, RMP®
Patricia Callahan, RMP®
Tony Drost, RMP®
Chesley Karr, RMP®
Lambert Munz, RMP®
Mary Rinaldi, RMP®
CRMC® CANDIDACY
MacPherson’s Property Mgmt.
Tamara Welliver, MPM®
2006
New Designees
CONGRATULATIONS
Kathryn Pelling, MPM®
Bart Sturzl, RMP®
Affiliate Members
Listed by Service
BUSINESS PRODUCTS
AND SERVICES
ACH Direct, Inc.
Alliance Property Services
American Blinds & Draperies
Appliance Warehouse of America
Black Ink Insurance Services, Inc.
Careerlook, Inc.
Centex House Leveling
Coastal Residential Corp.
Company Gear
Eli Research
FARPM
First Horizon Home Loans
HRA Solutions
Ian H. Graham Insurance
Kiley J. Brenneman Agency
Newsletter Exchange, Inc.
Northstar Moving Corporation
Paychex, Inc.
PayClix.com
Paylease, Inc.
Peachtree Business Products
Professional Office Services of ID
Rekey.com Locksmith Services
RE Manuals/Landlord Source
Residency Guide
Roper Lock Box, LLC
Runzheimer International, Ltd.
Signet Mortgage Corporation
Southwest Recovery Services
Starker Services, Inc.
Sylvan Electronics, Inc.
The Real Estate Board
Two Men and a Truck
Unibind
INTERNET TOOLS
AND MARKETING
1SourceRents.com
All Property Management
AudioVu.com
ezLandlordForms
HomeRentalAds.com
HomeRentals.net
HotPads.com
Info on the Web
Innercircuit, Inc.
InteloQuence
Investor’s Choice Management
Move, the new RENTNET
My New Place
PointWide Solutions
Property Bridge, LLC
Red Door Christian Investments
Rent Marketer
Rent One Online
Rental Ventures
Rent.com
Rent2Buy America, LLC
RentBlurb.com
RentClicks
RentalHomesPlus
RentalHouses.com
RentalResource.com
RentalSource.com
Socrates Media, LLC
StudentRent
LEGAL SERVICES
Law Offices of Davis, Rothwell,
Mullin, Earle & Xóchihua, PC
Law Offices of Heist, Weisse &
Lucrezi
MAINTENANCE
All Animal and Bat Control
American Mold Institute
Blusky Restoration Contractors
Christian Nissen Landscaping
Citrusolution Carpet Cleaning
Clements & Clements Services
Crime Clean of Texas, Inc.
Handyman Matters
Humidex Atlantic
J-Phase Electric, LLC
KMH Technologies, Inc.
Mr. Electric of Tarrant and Park
Orkin, Inc.
Pacific Pest Management, Inc.
Paul Davis Restoration
Power Lift Foundation Repair
Rainbow International
RR Roofing
Servpro of Gilbert
Sherwin Williams Company
Water Damage Solutions
REAL ESTATE EDUCATION
Americas Best Real Estate Education
Auto Pilot Complete
SOFTWARE
Dick Jonilonis & Associates
DIY Real Estate Solutions
Escapia, Inc.
Intuit
PROMAS Landlord Software
Property Automation Software
Property Boss Solutions, LLC
Softalot, LLC
Tracker Systems, Inc.
Winning Edge Software, Inc.
TENANT SCREENING
Clear Screening
Contemporary Information Corp.
Credit Retriever
Hunter Warfield
Interstate Information Services
MOCO, Inc.
National Tenant Info. Services
National Tenant Network
Real Screening
Reliable Background Screening
RentGrow, Inc.
ScreeningOne
Tenant Plus Corp.
TVS Tenant Verification Service
United Screening Services Corp.
VeriQuest Screening Solutions
NARPM Ambassador Program
The Ambassador Program was first designed in 2000 to reward our current members for referring new members to our organization. Who
better to spread the word of the benefits of NARPM than its members? To achieve Ambassador status, you must refer five new members in
one year. Afterwards, you will receive an award certificate and a $195 NARPM credit that can be used toward your annual dues, upcoming
events, education classes, and more! You will also be listed in a special section here, in the Residential Resource, after achieving Ambassador
status. You can earn multiple award certificates in a 12-month period, so be sure you continue referring new members even after you have
achieved Ambassador status.
How Do You Start Referring?
December 2006 List
• Call NARPM Headquarters at 800-782-3452 to request member
application forms. Headquarters, upon request, will mail the
application directly to the prospective member but will not fill in
the “referred by” line.
New Member
• The 12-month period to obtain the five new members starts
the day the first new membership application is processed by
Headquarters.
• When Headquarters receives the fifth new membership
application, an award certificate will be issued and dated.
• A recognition certificate will also be issued, and you, the
“Ambassador,” will be recognized in the Residential Resource.
Janice Lerma-Lozano
Dave Shearer
Barbara Moulder
Cindy Loveless
Jonathan Schellhorn
Daniel De La Portilla
Susan Chapman
Cherie Ruchty
Dwayne Gill
Jeff Hockett
Kathleen Southern
Scott Chandler
Mandy Muller
Danarae Clor
Frank Watson
John Bradford
Brian Ridgway
Katrina Jacobsen
Referring Member
Carl Berg
Rob Massey, CPM®
Melissa Prandi, MPM®
Rob Massey, CPM®
Phil Henderson
Rob Massey, CPM®
Rob Massey, CPM®
Patrick Chapman
Danya Wolf
Rene Gill
Steve Urie, MPM®
Jodi Corette
Jodi Corette
Scott Muller
Jeff Stevens
Rob Massey, CPM®
Rob Massey, CPM®
Mike McCall
Pamela Taeuffer
2006 Ambassadors
Susan Albern, MPM®
Carrie Appling-Lake
Beverly Browning, MPM®
Tony Drost, RMP®
Wanda Franklin, RMP®
Geri Stephens, RMP®
What Would YOU Do...
with $195?
education classes
annual dues
convention
registration
NARPM store
RMP®/MPM® Certification Classes
Date
Location
Class
Instructor
Mar. 21, 2007
Seattle, WA
RMP® Applying Technology
Ray Scarabosio, MPM®
Mar. 21, 2007
Seattle, WA
MPM® Operating a
Maintenance Company
Sylvia Hill, MPM®
Mar. 22, 2007
Seattle, WA
Ethics
Suzanne Cameron, MPM®
Mar. 27, 2007
Albuquerque, NM
Ethics
Peter Meer, MPM®
Mar. 28, 2007
Albuquerque, NM
RMP® Tenancy
Peter Meer, MPM®
Apr. 17, 2007
Lakewood, CO
RMP® Habitability Standards
Kit Garren, MPM®
Apr. 17, 2007
Lakewood, CO
MPM® Personnel Procedures
Sylvia Hill, MPM®
Apr. 18, 2007
Lakewood, CO
RMP® Applying Technology
Apr. 23, 2007
Monterey, CA
MPM® Owner/Client Relations
Sylvia Hill, MPM®
Apr. 24, 2007
Monterey, CA
RMP® Marketing
Apr. 25, 2007
Monterey, CA
Ethics
Apr. 27, 2007
Monterey, CA
RMP® Tenancy
Interested in Sponsoring
Certification Classes?
Opportunities are available
to chapters that would like to
further member education,
promote certification, and
increase their chapter funds by
sponsoring a certification class.
However, it takes time to plan a
class so give your chapter five to
six month’s lead-time if you wish
to sponsor one of these events.
Find out more by calling
Headquarters, at 800/782-3452
or e-mailing [email protected].
We can provide you with the
details you need to make your
certification class a successful
venture.
To register for classes, complete the registration form below and mail or fax with payment to NARPM
Headquarters. For additional information, contact Headquarters at 800/782-3452 or [email protected].
(Please print or type)
Class Registration Form
Name ___________________________________________________________________________________
FEES
Company ________________________________________________________________________________
RMP® Classes
Member
Nonmember
Retake
RMP®/MPM®
Early Registration* Registration*
$195
$295
$100
$97.50
$225
$325
$130
$127.50
MPM® Classes
Member
Nonmember
Retake
MPM®
$395
$495
$300
$197.50
$450
$550
$355
$252.50
Ethics Class
Member
Nonmember
$45
$95
$55
$105
*to receive the early registration price, payment must be postmarked,
faxed, or e-mailed 30 days prior to the class.
CLASS INFORMATION
• On-site registration begins at 8 am. Class hours are 8:30 am-4 pm.
• RMP® classes qualify for 6 hours of NARPM certification.
• MPM® classes qualify for 12 hours of NARPM certification.
• All materials will be given to students on the day of the class.
• All attendees are required to make their individual hotel reservations.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations must be received in writing. If cancellation notice is
received at least 30 days prior to the class, a full refund will be issued less
a $25 processing fee. If cancellation notice is received less than 30 days
before the class, a 50% refund will be issued. No refunds will be made
on the day of the class; however, the registration fee can be applied to a
later class with a $25 transfer fee.
If NARPM cancels the course because minimum registrations have
not been met or for any other reason, then tuition paid will be fully
refundable. All courses are subject to cancellation by NARPM.
Address __________________________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip _____________________________________________________________________________
Telephone ______________________________________ Fax _____________________________________
E-mail ___________________________________________________________________________________
List Classes
Name of Class
Class Date
Cost
___________________________________________________________________________ $ ___________
___________________________________________________________________________ $ ___________
___________________________________________________________________________ $ ___________
Total $ ___________
Method of Payment
I have enclosed a check for $ ___________ Ck/M.O. # ___________ Date ___________
Please charge my credit card in the amount of $ ___________ as follows:
Visa
MasterCard
Discover
American Express
Card Number _____________________________________________________ Exp. Date ______________
Name of Cardholder _______________________________________________________________________
Billing Address ____________________________________________________________________________
Signature ________________________________________________________________________________
I authorize NARPM to charge my credit card.
Two Easy Ways to Register
1. MAIL your form with payment to NARPM,
184 Business Park Drive, Suite 200-P
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
2. FAX your form with credit card payment to
866-466-2776. Please do not mail the original.
Postage Panel

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