2008 - Houston Apartment Association

Transcription

ABODE
JUNE 2008
The Houston Apartment Association Magazine
Way
Greystar expands the s
HAA network and snag
going
top honors for the on e.
2008 Membership Driv
to
Go!
CONTENTS
ON THE
COVER
Photo by MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography
June 2008
Marketing Mojo
38
40
44
Know Your Customers – Understanding the
diverse wants and needs of your prospect pool
will help you close more effectively.
The Greystar Go-Getters once
Brand Savvy – Know yourself in order to help
your customer know you.
most members during the
Convert Those Calls – These techniques can help
everyone from small property owners to seasoned
leasing consultants make the most of valuable
telephone traffic.
again clinch the top spot for
recruiting and renewing the
2008 Membership Drive. See
Page 54 more photos from the
luncheons and happy hour.
Features & Photos
32
Community Works – HAA members reach out
to provide training to area high school students.
34
Greater Houston – An annual survey of Houstonarea residents shows support for transit, planning.
36
The Hot 11 – Houston fire inspectors tell us what
they see over and over and over.
Departments
48
Photo Album – Scenes from the second annual
Maintenance Mania event.
52
Designate of the Month – Laura Collins earned
the CAS designation to show empathy and support
for her customers.
54
HAA: This is Your Network – See photos of
recruiters and new and renewing members
from the lunch meetings and finale party.
64
Photo Album – Scenes from the Bill Dinerstein
Memorial Golf Tournament.
8
19
20
25
54
58
60
61
62
70
72
74
75
76
38
PATRON
EDUCATION
CALENDARS
REGISTRATION
GO-GETTERS
AMBASSADORS
PROPERTY UPDATE
IN THE NEWS
WELCOME MAT
OWNER RESOURCES
SUPPLIER RESOURCES
ADVERTISERS INDEX
MARKET LINE
BACK PAGE
48
Columns
7
President’s Corner – Join us in honoring the industry’s top achievers at our annual awards dinner.
9
Legislative Update – FAA rules require land-use planning around Houston’s three airports.
11
It’s The Law – Answer resident questions confidently with these explanations of standard policies.
14
Resident Relations – Two complaints illustrate issues that arise when a resident moves out early.
16
Words From NAA – NAA’s Education Conference will offer its first track especially for executives.
26
NAA Industry Update – The foreclosure crisis is bringing new attention to the rental housing sector.
30
Media Roundup – HAA and the YMCA team up to bring a water safety initiative back to area residents.
We welcome your
comments and letters.
Write to us at:
HAA Communications Dept.
4810 Westway Park Blvd.,
Houston, Texas 77041
or fax to: 281-582-1506.
Or send us an e-mail at:
[email protected].
ABODE
JUNE 2008
3
OFFICERS AND ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP
JOHN RIDGWAY
PRESIDENT
BETH VAN WINKLE
PRESIDENT-ELECT
DAVID JONES
VICE PRESIDENT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRODUCT SERVICE COUNCIL
SPONSOR MEMBERS
Suan Tinsley,
Immediate Past President
Josh Allen
Mack Armstrong
Brian Austin
Margaret Balderaz
Gene Blevins
Jeff Blevins
Roger Camp
Kathy Clem
Ernest Etuk
John Fedorko
Darlene Guidry
Billy Griffin
Alison Hall
David Hargrove
Larry Hill
Deborah Holcombe
Theresa Lamar
Dick LaMarche
Cesar Lima
Etan Mirwis
Michelle Bridges-Pahl
Velissa Parmer
Byron Plant
Jackie Rhone
Kelly Scott
Trey Stone
Eileen Subinsky
Vicki Summitt
Sal Thomas
Starla Turnbo
Vic Vacek Jr.
Debbie Webre
Tony Whitaker
Jerold Winograd
Michelle Ybarra
OFFICERS
Tony Whitaker, President
Foundation Specialists
Vicki Summitt, CAS, Vice President
Direct Energy
Jeff Blevins, CAS, Secretary
Camp Construction Services
Michelle Bridges-Pahl, CAS, Treasurer
Century Air Conditioning
Cesar Lima,
Immediate Past President
AAA Plumbers
1968
Reliant Energy
DIRECTORS EMERITUS
Gary Blumberg
Al Bradley
Jack Dinerstein
Jenard Gross
Hap Hunnicutt
Stacy Hunt
Nora Krakower
Tim Myers
John Moore
P. David Onanian
Stephen Sweet
Kirk Tate
H. J. Tollett Jr.
Patrick J. Tollett
KIM SMALL
SECRETARY
JENIFER PANERAL
TREASURER
MEMBERS
Peggy Charles
Brandt Electric
Arrie Colca, CAS
Craven Carpet
Laura Collins, CAS
Classic Touch Painting
Kevin Fenn, CAS
Pavecon
Michael Flores
Higher Standard Construction
James Gregory
Redi Carpet Sales
Lisa Grimes
D&C Contracting
Jimmie Hotz, CAS
HD Supply
Deona James, CAS
Resident Data
Alan Jones, CAS
ICI Paints
Susan Lee, CAS
Craven Carpet
James Lenhardt
Hire Priority Staffing & Executive Search
Brenda Nite
J&L Distributors
Dean O’Kelley, CAS
Liberty Personnel/Executive Search
Mindy Price
BG Personnel Services
Beth Rohani
Ameritex Movers
Nichole Williams, CAS
Apartment Guide
Andrea Winans
Bishop’s Office Needs
1976
Mueller Water Conditioning
1977
M&M Lighting Inc.
1978
1980
Great American Business Products
Penco Construction Co.
Marvin Poer & Co.
1981
Hoover Slovacek LLP
1982
Wallace Garcia Wilson Architects Inc.
1983
Webb Pest Control
Cort Furniture Rental
1984
Brady, Chapman, Holland & Assoc.
1985
Gemstar Construction &
Development Inc.
Golden Greek Carpets Inc.
1987
For Rent Media Solutions
Houston Metro Electrical Corp.
Namco Manufacturing Co. Inc.
1988
AmRent
Big Z Lumber Company
HCI Building Group
Redi Carpet Sales
Sherwin Williams Company
1991
Apartment Data Services
1992
Alexander-Rose Assoc. Inc.
1993
Comcast
1995
Westwood Construction Services Inc.
1997
Paramount Insurance Repair Service
RENCON
GENERAL COUNSEL EMERITUS
Joe Bax
1998
AAA Staffing Ltd.
2000
Pools by Dallas
HOWARD BOOKSTAFF
GENERAL COUNSEL
JEFF HALL, CAE
EXECUTIVE VP
4
JUNE 2008
HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS
PATRON MEMBERS
Claude Arnold
Kenn Brown
Anita Harrison
Dwayne Henson
Mike Koch
Nora Krakower
Merry Mount
Monette Reynolds
Sherry Stevenson
Kirk Tate
Suan Tinsley
Del Walmsley
Nancé Wells
Jeanne Marie Zublin
1980
Coinmach
Texas Apartment Locators
1981
WEB Intelligent Laundry Systems
1982
BFI-Browning-Ferris Industries
1983
Royal Plumbing Supply
1994
AAA Plumbers
Presto Maintenance Supply
Whirlpool Corp.
1996
Houston Planned Energy Systems
1997
Apartment Guide
2003
Dixie Carpet Installations
MAB Flooring Inc.
2001
National Exemption Services
Pura Flo Corporation
Renovation Services Inc.
2002
Gexa Energy
Southwest Painting Contractors Inc.
Wilmar Industries Inc.
2003
Capital Welding & Construction
Sign-Ups & Banners Corp.
Southern Wrecker
Utility Advantage of Texas
2004
Assessment Advisors
Embark – The Tree Specialists
Ygnition Networks
2005
Apartment Appliance Leasing
Classic Touch Painting
First Advantage SafeRent Inc.
Lone Star Roofing of Texas
Regal General Contractors Inc.
Storm Water Services
United Protective Services
2006
Bell’s Laundries
N.D. Chandler Mechanical
CAD Restoration Services LLC
Corestone Paving & Construction
DoodyCalls
First Co.
Lopez Carpet Care & Painting
Masonry Solutions Inc.
National Tenant Network
Parking Management Company
Quantum Fitness Corp.
Roto-Rooter Services Co.
Texas Contract Floors Inc.
USA Decon
Valet Waste
ZipReports
2007
ABC Restoration Inc.
ACR Supply Inc.
Adams & Abdulla
American Sports & Concrete LLC
Apple Moving
Builders Granite & Tile Inc.
Choice Corporate Housing Inc.
D&C Contracting
Delaney’s Roofing & Construction
Double Trees Construction
Lone Star Striping & Paving
The Mad Hatter of Corpus Christi Inc.
Don McGill Toyota of Katy
Merit Parking Company
Millennium Lock Inc.
Premier Carpet Cleaning
RoofTec
Rylitt Inc. Construction &
Landscaping Service
SLM Construction Services
Site Reconstruction LLC
Suntrust Real Estate Corporation
Texas Pool Chemicals
Veritas Services
2008
Accent Coat Refinishing
Atlas 1031 Exchange LLC
Bury & Partners Inc.
M.L. Deer Construction Co. LP
Elite Apartment Services Inc.
Holden Roofing
Jusa Resurfacing & Paint Co.
KT Building
LowVolt Technologies
Matrix Paving Services LLC
Mr. Brick of Houston Inc.
Texas Turf Management
Turner Electrical Services Co.
AFFILIATES
ABODE
JUNE 2008
VOLUME 31, ISSUE 6
Executive Vice President and Publisher JEFF HALL, CAE [email protected]
EDITORIAL STAFF
Director of Publications and Design DEBORAH NIX [email protected]
Managing Editor RACHEL ZOCH [email protected]
ADVERTISING
Director of Supplier Services AMANDA SHERBONDY [email protected]
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Vice President and General Manager SUSAN HINKLEY, CAE [email protected]
Vice President of Events and Meetings CARA JOHNSON, CMP [email protected]
Vice President of Professional Development EMILY HILTON, CPP [email protected]
Vice President of Public Affairs ANDY TEAS, CAE [email protected]
Controller NANCY LI LO, CPA [email protected]
Director of Facility Services LANA SHILLER [email protected]
Director of Form Sales FRANCES TORRES [email protected]
Director of Information Technology MARY PARKHOUSE, CAE [email protected]
Director of Member Services LISA BUTLER [email protected]
Director of Resident Relations MATILDE LUNA [email protected]
Education and Meetings Manager KIRSTEN DEAGEN [email protected]
Public Affairs Specialist AIMEE BERTRAND ARRINGTON [email protected]
Resident Credit Reporting Manager LUISA AREVALO [email protected]
Webmaster and IT Specialist WILL ALFARO [email protected]
PRINTER
TGI PRINTED www.tgiprinted.com
HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION COMMITTEES
COMMITTEE
Program & Budget Committee
Nominating Committee
National Liaison
State Liaison
Ethics Committee
Investment Committee
Owners Committee
Legislative Committee
HAA Better Government Fund
Century Club
Developers Committee
Multifamily Fire Safety Alliance
Media Relations Committee
Resident Relations Committee
Resident Relations Committee A
Resident Relations Committee B
Product Service Council
Community Relations Committee
Membership Committee
Ambassador Club
Go-Getter Club
Membership Campaign
IROC Committee
Education Advisory Council
Career and Community Development
SOAPS Committee
Golf Tournament Committee
HAF Fund-raiser
2008 Education Conference & Expo
2008 Expo Exhibitor Committee
Online Advisory Committee
CHAIR
JOHN RIDGWAY
SUAN TINSLEY
JERRY WINOGRAD
DAVID HARGROVE
EILEEN SUBINSKY
MACK ARMSTRONG
STACY HUNT
BETH VAN WINKLE
STACY HUNT
JEFF BLEVINS
BRIAN AUSTIN
BYRON PLANT
JENIFER PANERAL
DARLENE GUIDRY
SANDRA HAZELWOOD
BRANDY LESLIE
TONY WHITAKER
KYLE BROWN
DAVID JONES
MICHELLE BRIDGES-PAHL/KEVIN FENN
BILLY GRIFFIN/GLORIA HANEY
VARIOUS CAPTAINS
DEL WALMSLEY
KIM SMALL
BETH ROHANI/GEORGEANNE LONGORIA
STARLA TURNBO
ROGER CAMP
PATRICK BROTHERS/MICHELLE GATES
KIM SMALL
VICKI SUMMITT
TREY STONE
STAFF ADVISOR
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
ANDY TEAS
ANDY TEAS
ANDY TEAS
ANDY TEAS
ANDY TEAS
AIMEE ARRINGTON
MATILDE LUNA
MATILDE LUNA
MATILDE LUNA
SUSAN HINKLEY
SUSAN HINKLEY
LISA BUTLER
LISA BUTLER
LISA BUTLER
LISA BUTLER
EMILY HILTON
EMILY HILTON
EMILY HILTON
KIRSTEN DEAGEN
CARA JOHNSON
CARA JOHNSON
CARA JOHNSON
AMANDA SHERBONDY
WILL ALFARO
HAA MISSION AND VALUES
The Houston Apartment Association is the leading advocate and resource to further the quality of rental
housing in the greater Houston area. Core values guiding the governance and management of HAA are:
• Promoting community involvement, leadership and collaboration • Grounded in integrity, excellence
and ethics • Embracing diversity • Source of lifelong career development
Visit HAA Online at www.haaonline.org
ABODE IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION.
Serving the multihousing industry in Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris,
Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Waller and Wharton counties.
ABODE, JUNE 2008, VOLUME 31, ISSUE 6
ABODE is published monthly by the Houston Multi Housing Corporation. Publishing, editorial and advertising
offices are located at 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, Texas 77041. Telephone 713-595-0300. The $50
annual ABODE subscription rate is included in all member dues and additional subscriptions are available.
The annual subscription rate is $50 for members, $65 for non-members. Advertising rates are available upon
request. Contributed material does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Houston Apartment
Association. Copyright © 2008 by HAA.
Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at Houston, Texas.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ABODE, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, Texas 77041.
ABODE
ABODE
JUNE 2008
5
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Now it’s time to spotlight
the superheroes
of the multifamily industry.
By
JOHN RIDGWAY, 2008 HAA President
Shining Stars
Recognize the superstars
of our industry
for the 2008 Industry
Achievement Awards.
Join your fellow HAA members in honoring the industry’s top achievers
at our annual awards dinner.
O
wn
er
/M
an
a
of gem
th
In
en
e
de
Ye t E
pe
xe
a
r
n
cu
of de
Once a year, the Houston Apartment
tiv
n
t
t
h
S
e
O
e
up
Association honors individuals whose
Ye wn
pl
a
ier
accomplishments in the multifamily
er
r
Pr
of
op
housing industry are deemed exceptional.
t
he
er
t
Ye
The awards listed at left – as well as
M
of y S
ar
ar
th up
ke
Go-Getter of the Year and a special
e
e
tin
r
Ye vis
g/
event honoring NAA Educaton
ar
or
Tr
o
H
a
Designates – will be presented.
ft
in
um
he ing
an
Please join us as we honor these
Ye
Re
ar Dire
s
outstanding individuals.
ct
o
of
ur
or
th
ce
Ac
e
s
co
D
Ye
un
ar ire
ct
of ting
or
Ad
th
M
m
e
a
Ye na
in
Thursday, June 12,
ge
ar
St istr
r
a
a
On
6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
ff
tiv
of
-si
e
te
InterContinental Hotel
th Su
p
e
(in Ma
Ye po
2222 West Loop South
n
th
rt
ar
As
re age
sis
Reception and Buffet
ec r
ta
at of t
nt
eg
$30 if payment is received by June 9;
h
O
or e Y
ies
ea
of n-s
$40 after June 9
r
)
th ite
Le
e
Reserved tables of 10 available
M
as
Ye
in
ar ana
g
with company name
ge
of
Co
M
r
t
n
he
ain
s
te
Ye ulta
American Express, Visa, MasterCard and
na
nt
ar
of nce
Discover are accepted in person, over the
th
L
e Sup
phone and by fax. Notice of cancellation is
Te ead
Ye
er
ch
vis
ar
required two days prior to the event for a
ni Ma
o
r
cia in
te
refund, less a $10 administrative fee. All pren
n
of
a
th nce
registered no shows will be billed. Payment
e
Ye
will be required at the door if not received
ar
prior to the event.
Industry
Achievement
Awards
Reserve your
seats on June 12
to help us honor
designates and
the everyday
superstars who
keep Houston at
the forefront of
the industry.
E
ach year, HAA and its members gather to
celebrate and congratulate the best and
brightest in our business with the Industry
Achievement Awards. If you haven’t
already, be sure to reserve your seats on
Thursday, June 12 to help us honor NAA designates
and the everyday superstars who keep Houston at the
forefront of the multifamily industry. Awards are
given in 14 categories and recognize individuals at all
levels of the property management business. While
there may only be one winner in each category, the
program celebrates the work of everyone who makes
this business the best it can be. Take a look on the
facing page (Page 6) for more details and make plans
to attend and celebrate with your colleagues.
TERRIFIC TRADESHOW
Thank you to all the members who helped make
the 2008 Education Conference and Expo such an
amazing event! In particular, I want to recognize the
efforts of the Expo Committee, seminar sponsors,
exhibitors and event chairs Vicki Summitt, Direct
Energy, and Kim Small, Alliance Communities.
Together, their work made our annual show an excellent event. Look for details on the 2009 show soon.
TOUGH PRESS
A number of news stories in the past months have
highlighted substandard conditions at a few of the
region’s lowest-end properties. Houston Chronicle
See PRESIDENT, Page 73
✴
✴
✴
✴
2008
✴
For reservations and information, contact
the Education & Meetings Department at
713-595-0300, e-mail [email protected]
or register online at www.haaonline.org.
✴
Sponsored by Apartment Guide
and Liberty Personnel/Executive Search
ABODE
JUNE 2008
7
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
PATRON OF THE MONTH
These companies have
generously supported the
Houston Apartment
Association with their
patron membership.
Please give them careful
consideration, whenever
possible, in your business.
JUNE 2008
Royal Plumbing Supply
HAA Member since 1978
BFI-Browning-Ferris Industries
MAB Flooring Inc.
AAA Plumbers
Coinmach
Whirlpool Corporation
Texas Apartment Locators
Dixie Carpet Installations
WEB Intelligent Laundry Systems
Apartment Guide
ABODE
BETH VAN WINKLE, CAM, CAPS, CPM, HAA Legislative Committee Chair
with ANDY TEAS, CAE, Vice President of Public Affairs
Airport Zoning
Federal Aviation Administration rules require land-use planning
around Houston’s three airports.
Houston leaders
are proposing a
three-tier system
that would affect
construction and
redevelopment
near each airport.
JUNE’S PATRON
8
Houston Planned Energy Systems
By
“Someone tell the helicopters to shut … up!”
– Greg Camalier, airport neighbor and noise activist,
before being arrested for running onto the grounds of
the Boulder, Colo., airport
E
verybody knows Houston has no zoning.
We’re the largest un-zoned city in the
United States. It’s not just that we haven’t
gotten around to it, either. City leaders have
tried to enact zoning many times, and voters have rejected it each time – most recently in 1993.
While urban planners have always tried to make
Houstonians care how appalled they are by this, “new
urbanists” in recent years have embraced Houston’s
market-based land planning system as being much
more flexible than other cities, where modern mixeduse development is difficult to do. Zoning is designed
to separate land uses as incompatible, while smartgrowth advocates dream of having an apartment over a
coffee shop and a bakery, next door to a corner grocery.
A bill passed by the Texas Legislature last year,
however, is going to let Houston into the zoning
business in a limited way. Basically it allows Houston,
despite a city charter provision to the contrary, to
implement zoning around Bush Intercontinental
Airport, Hobby Airport and Ellington Field. As it turns
out, the Federal Aviation Administration is requiring
Houston to adopt some land use restrictions around
its airports as a condition of continued funding,
which will be vitally important as Houston airports
expand to meet growing demand.
Houston has long imposed height restrictions on
structures near airports, which is critical to public
safety. This new program, however, is about noise.
Cities across the country are dealing with citizens
who – frankly – buy houses near airports, then complain about aircraft noise, not unlike some
Houstonians during the last zoning debate who
bought houses in Montrose, then complained that
there were bars there. Some local governments have
been bullied into expensive property buy-outs that
have cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
Houston leaders are proposing a three-tier system
that would affect construction and redevelopment
near each airport:
The innermost Tier 1 will consist of relatively small
areas of private property just off the ends of existing
runways or where new runways or runway extensions
are planned. New home and apartment construction
would be prohibited in Tier 1, along with new hospitals, schools and day care centers. An existing apartment community in Tier 1 could be completely
rebuilt if destroyed but could not be expanded. New
industrial and most commercial development would
be allowed in Tier 1 without restrictions.
Tier 2 would take in a somewhat larger area that
would include some apartment properties in the
Greenspoint area and along the Broadway corridor
between the Gulf Freeway and Hobby Airport. In Tier
2, new apartment construction is permitted, along
with expansion and rehabilitation of existing apartment properties, but only with the inclusion of
“noise attenuation” measures.
The standards for noise attenuation have not been
determined but will probably involve the following
measures required in buildings around airports in
other cities:
• More substantial insulation under roofs.
• Solid wood or foam-core metal doors instead of
hollow-core doors on units.
• More substantial windows and insulation around
windows.
• Baffles in chimneys and other vents from the unit
to the outside air.
Tier 3 is a large circle around each airport but would
only require that property sales include a notice to
any buyer that the property is near an airport, which
the average buyer would probably figure out anyway.
The tricky part of this will be to determine the
exact extent and estimated cost of the noise attenuation requirements and to determine what will be
required in what sort of rehabilitation. The initial
suggestion from the apartment industry is for the
city to require attenuation measures in any Tier 2
apartment rehab only to the extent that the rehab
affects those items. For example: If an owner wants
to re-roof a building, the city should require noiseattenuation insulation under the roof but should not
require any change to doors or windows. If an owner
See LEGISLATIVE, Page 17
ABODE
JUNE 2008
9
IT’S THE LAW
By
HOWARD BOOKSTAFF, Hoover Slovacek LLP , HAA General Counsel
Make it Clear
Answer resident questions confidently with the following explanations
of standard multifamily policies and procedures.
If you would
like to provide
these tips to
prospective
residents, they
are also available
online at the
HAA Web site.
P
eople interested in renting apartment units
may want to ask a number of questions. In
the spirit of educating prospective residents
on what they can expect when they apply for
and reside at an apartment community, below
are certain questions that may be typically asked and
suggested answers. You can give these tips to prospective
residents of your property or use these tips to educate
your employees on how you may want to answer these
types of questions. If you would like to provide these tips
to prospective residents, they are also available online on
the Residents page at the HAA Web site.
sign a rental application providing certain information.
The questions asked will be used to determine whether
you are eligible for rental. Remember that the rental
application is a contract between you and the owner of
the property. The application contract will tell you what
fees and deposits must be paid and whether or not they
will be refundable. Many owners require that you pay a
nonrefundable application fee, a nonrefundable administrative fee and an application deposit that may or may
not be refundable. Read your application closely so that
you will know what fees and deposits must be paid and
whether you can get them back if you change your mind
and decide not to rent.
HOW DO I FIND AN APARTMENT?
There are a number of apartment communities and
apartment providers in Houston. Many communities
offer a variety of amenities such as swimming pools,
business centers with Internet access, cable TV and other
things to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Many
apartment companies have Web sites that will allow you
to find out more about the company, a particular community, amenities, unit size and availability.
WHAT WILL I HAVE TO DO TO QUALIFY
TO RENT AN APARTMENT?
Apartment communities will have a set of rental criteria that states the guidelines for acceptance. The rental
criteria may ask for your credit history, employment history, rental history and criminal history. You should
review the rental criteria before applying to rent. This
will give you an idea of whether you will qualify. Keep in
mind that many apartment communities restrict rental
to persons who have not been convicted of certain types
of crime and who have an acceptable rental history.
HOW DO I APPLY?
Most apartment communities will require that you
IF I DON’T RENT, CAN I GET MY
APPLICATION DEPOSIT BACK?
It depends on what your application says. Many communities use an application under which the application deposit may or may not be refundable depending
upon certain conditions. The application deposit is not
a security deposit; however, it may be used as a security
deposit once the lease is signed. Typically the application deposit will not be refundable if: (i) you withdraw
your application; or (ii) you fail to answer questions or
give false information on the application. Often if you
are declined, the application deposit will be refundable
as long as you didn’t withdraw your application before
being declined or give incomplete or false answers on
the application.
IF I WANT TO FIND OUT ABOUT CRIME
IN A PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD,
WHOM SHOULD I ASK?
Many prospective residents make the mistake of asking the manager or leasing agent about crime in the
neighborhood. While the manager or leasing agent
may know about crimes that have occurred, they are
Don’t miss the
“Immigration & City Inspections” • Friday, June 13 at 11:30 a.m.
It’s The Law
Luncheon
at the Dinerstein Reed Prokop HAF Education Center,
4810 Westway Park Blvd. • call 713-595-0300 to register
$25 (includes lunch) • Sponsored by TXU Energy
ABODE
JUNE 2008
11
IT’S THE LAW
Some owners
require more
than 30 days’
notice. The
amount of
notice that
has to be given
should be
clearly stated
in your lease.
not the best source of this type of information. Call the
local storefront of the Houston Police Department for
crime statistics. The officers at the local storefront
should be able to give you the most accurate crime statistics available.
SHOULD I CONSULT AN ATTORNEY
BEFORE SIGNING AN APPLICATION OR LEASE?
Both the application and lease are legal documents
that will govern your application and occupancy, respectively. Whether you get an attorney is up to you; however, you should read these legal documents before signing.
If you are unsure of what you are signing, it is a good
idea to consult an attorney.
IS THE APPLICATION OR
LEASE DOCUMENT NEGOTIABLE?
Parties to a contract can negotiate the provisions of a
contract in any way that is mutually acceptable.
However, most apartment community owners and leasing personnel are reluctant to negotiate the documents
they use for all residents. There are legal requirements to
treat all residents equally; changing provisions on a caseby-base basis may create differences between residents,
and it may be difficult for owners to keep up with different provisions for different residents.
CAN I REVIEW THE APPLICATION
AND LEASE BEFORE SIGNING?
Yes. These are legal documents that will govern your
rights and responsibilities during the application process
and during and after the time that you live at the property. You should be fully aware of the rent, fees and
deposits you will be required to pay, what fees are nonrefundable and what conditions there will be on any
refundable fees and deposits. If an application or lease is
not clear with respect to these issues, you and the apartment owner should make them clear on the documents
you sign.
WHAT TYPE OF NOTICE DO I HAVE TO GIVE
TO TERMINATE MY LEASE?
Your lease contract should identify what notice you
have to give to terminate the lease. Many apartment
owners use a lease requiring that at least 30 days’ notice
must be given and that the lease can only be terminated
at the end of the lease term or at the end of any monthto-month renewal term. Some owners require more than
30 days’ notice. The amount of notice that has to be
given should be clearly stated in your lease.
IF I DON’T GIVE PROPER NOTICE,
HOW MUCH WILL I HAVE TO PAY?
If you do not give the notice required by the lease
and vacate your unit without paying rent for the full
remaining term (or month-to-month renewal term), you
will be in default of your obligations. If you are in
default, various types of damages can be assessed against
you. Many leases provide for a reletting charge
to compensate the owner for the time, effort
and expense in finding and processing a
replacement resident. The reletting charge is
most often assessed if you:
(i) fail to move out or fail to give proper written move out notice,
(ii) move out without paying rent in full for
the entire lease term or renewal period,
(iii) move out after receiving a notice to
vacate, or
(iv) are judicially evicted.
In addition to the reletting charge, many
leases allow the landlord to assess accelerated
rent against the resident. Accelerated rent is all
monthly rent for the rest of the lease term or
renewal period, which is automatically accelerated without notice or demand if you:
(i) move out,
(ii) remove property in preparing to move
out or
(iii) give oral or written notice of intent to
move out before the lease contract term or
renewal period ends.
Additional damages may also be provided for
in the lease, such as court costs, expenses, late
charges and collection agency fees.
WHAT AMOUNTS ARE DEDUCTED
FROM A SECURITY DEPOSIT?
Your security deposit can be applied against
any amounts you owe under the lease to the
landlord. These can include unpaid rent,
unpaid utilities, unreimbursed service charges,
repairs or damages to the unit including marks
from stickers, scratches, tears, burns, stains or
holes. Because issues relating to the deposit are
somewhat subjective, it’s a good idea to try to
walk the unit with the manager after you have
vacated to determine what deductions may be
appropriate. This will avoid unnecessary surprises when only a portion, or none, of your security deposit is returned.
IS THE OWNER RESPONSIBLE
FOR PROTECTING ME FROM THE
CRIMINAL ACTS OF OTHERS?
No. Most owners and management personnel have no more experience, training or ability to prevent criminal acts than you do. You
should never rely upon the owner or management personnel to secure you from the criminal acts of third parties. If you are in need of
security services, call the police. In the event
of an emergency, call 911. If you have questions regarding security issues in your neighborhood, contact the local HPD storefront and
discuss your concerns with the officers
patrolling the neighborhood.
12
JUNE 2008
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ABODE
JUNE 2008
13
RESIDENT RELATIONS
From the
RESIDENT RELATIONS COMMITTEES
Broken Leases
Two separate complaints illustrate some of the issues that arise when a resident
moves out before the end of the lease term.
T
wo residents filed complaints with
HAA to dispute charges levied
after their respective properties
said they failed to fulfill their
lease obligations.
COMPLAINT A
The resident filed a complaint with HAA
to dispute charges and to receive a letter
from management stating she owes nothing to the property. Pictures were provided.
Management responded to HAA with an
explanation that the resident said she wanted to move out because she was being
stalked by someone but did not provide
any police reports or documentation to
management. Management also stated that
the pictures provided by the resident to
HAA were her move-in pictures.
14
JUNE 2008
ABODE
Management said the resident was
charged according to the terms of the lease.
Enclosed were copies of the lease, application, move-in condition form, deposit disposition, revised deposit disposition and
carpet invoice.
In light of the revised deposit disposition,
the committee decided in favor of the
owner. The resident has agreed and has
paid the $375.04 that was owed after the
committee’s adjustment.
COMPLAINT B
Another resident filed a complaint with
HAA to dispute charges. Management
responded to HAA with the explanation
that the resident did not fulfill her lease
obligation. Management said the resident
was charged according to the terms of the
lease. Enclosed were copies of the lease,
application, notice to vacate, deposit disposition and carpet invoice.
The committee decided in favor of the
owner because the resident did not fulfill
her lease obligation. However, the committee believed the carpet charge of $773.75
was not depreciated. The committee adjusted the carpet charge to $574.72 based on a
life expectancy of four years and said all
other charges were justified. After the committee’s adjustment, the resident owes the
property $3,364.
Managers can call the HAA main line at
713-595-0300 and ask for Resident Relations.
Please identify yourself as a property manager
so that we may direct your call appropriately.
WORDS FROM NAA
By
MICHAEL TOMPKINS, CPM, CCIM, NAA Chairman of the Board
Executive Edition
NAA’s Education Conference & Expo will offer its first track tailored especially
for the needs of multifamily executives.
A
n executive track of education
sessions and speakers will make
its debut this year at the 2008
NAA Education Conference &
Exposition June 26-28 in Orlando, Fla.
The conference features more than 50
education sessions divided into nine tracks,
including Executive, Development &
Rehab, Marketing & Leasing, Human
Resources, Independent/Small Owner,
Specialty Housing, Personal Development,
Wild Card! and Shared Interest Groups.
Heading the executive track lineup is Dr.
Marshall Goldsmith, a world authority in
helping successful leaders achieve positive,
lasting change in behavior for themselves,
their people and their teams.
Goldsmith has been recognized by the
American Management Association as one
16
JUNE 2008
ABODE
of 50 great thinkers and leaders who have
impacted the field of management over the
past 80 years, and by Business Week as one
of the most influentional practitioners in
the history of leadership development.
In his fast-paced, interactive session,
Goldsmith will explain why it can be so
difficult for successful leaders to change.
Participants will get to practice feed forward
– a positive, simple and focused tool for
development that is being implemented
successfully by leader around the world.
Goldsmith then will share a proven process
for leadership development – one that has
been validated by research involving more
than 86,000 participants.
Other executive sessions include:
State of the Industry: U.S. Apartment Market
Outlook, economics and market conditions.
LEGISLATIVE, continued from Page 9
is only replacing doors, don’t require any
change to windows or roofs.
Check www.haaonline.org for a link to
detailed maps to see if your airport-area
property would be affected.
Evolving Role of Women in the Industry, discuss the impact women have had on apartment management with panelists
Insight, Inspiration and Invitation, identify
and elaborate on the trends currently
reshaping the industry and those on track
to do so in the future.
2008 MONITOR Perspective: Passion For
Precision, with Ann Clurman of the
Yankelovich MONITOR, the longest running, most in-depth study of consumer
value and lifestyle trends available .
Choose Wisely, Spend Sensibly: How to
Implement Internet Technology Projects that
Help Your Bottom Line, panelists will ask and
answer critical questions about how to maximize the impact of Internet technology.
Visit www.naahq.org to register and to
view a complete schedule of events.
ALARM FEE INCREASE
The Houston City Council voted last month
to increase burglar alarm fees, but not quite to
the level sought by the administration.
Out of Houston’s approximately 1,500
apartment communities tracked by Apartment
Data Services, 306 report having “intrusion
alarms” as an amenity in at least some of their
nearly 86,000 units. Apartment owners
learned quickly in the 1990s that alarms need
to be permitted separately in each resident’s
name, making the resident responsible for permit fees and false alarm penalties.
Houston actually requires two permits for
a typical apartment unit – one for the
“break-in alarm” on doors and windows,
and one for a “panic button” that is often
activated from a single bedroom location.
The panic-button generates a Priority-One
police call, while the break-in alarm generates a lower-priority call to which officers
often take up to an hour to respond. Annual
alarm permits have been $15 for many years
and are non-transferable.
The Houston Police Department spends an
embarrassing amount of money running
false-alarm calls. Even legitimate alarm calls
rarely result in an arrest. Worse, state law
requires Houston to give at least three “free”
false alarm calls to each permit holder each
year, making it difficult for the city to
recoup its expense.
HPD wanted to double the fees to $30 –
meaning an apartment resident would pay
$60 to permit his alarm system, even on a sixmonth lease. HAA argued that many residents
would choose not to permit their alarms at
that rate and urged council members to keep
permit fees low, capturing revenue with higher false-alarm penalties on repeat offenders.
In the end, the city agreed to a $20 fee on a
second alarm permit in a single unit – meaning a typical resident will pay $50 instead of
$60 each year for break-in and panic button
alarm permits. It’s not a total victory, but it’s
one that could potentially save our customers
more than $400,000 per year.
Have a question or problem? Call HAA’s
Andy Teas or Aimee Bertrand Arrington at
713-595-0300 for assistance. The more we
know about the issues facing our members,
the more we can do to help you do business
smoothly and profitably.
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JUNE 2008
17
HAA’s biggest events are on the menu!
sponsorship
Have a drink and
whet your appetite
with great
promotional
opportunities…
18
JUNE 2008
ABODE
Appe
tizers
Fall
Golf
T
SOA ourname
PS L
n
unch t Hole
eon
Salad
Hall
of F
ame
Lun
cheo
n
Entre
e
Ch
ili F
est
Dess
ert
&
Ins
tall
atio
n
sponsorship
auction
…and feast on some great HAA events.
New
Yea
rG
ala
Wednesday, June 18
Registration: 2 p.m.
Drawings Close: 2:30 p.m.
Auction Begins: 3 p.m.
Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center
4810 Westway Park Blvd.
off Clay Road just east of Beltway 8
The event is free.
Call ahead to RSVP. For more information,
contact Amanda at 713-595-0316,
e-mail [email protected] or
visit www.haaonline.org online.
More than 50 events are up for bid. You determine
the value of each event in an auction format, with
selected sponsorships determined by drawing.
Whether your customers are property supervisors,
managers, maintenance technicians or upperlevel executives, there’s an HAA/HAF event that
targets the people you do business with. Sponsorship
is a great way to gain recognition for your company.
During sponsored events, a commercial is read to
attendees and sponsor signs are displayed.
All events are promoted with pre-event publicity in
ABODE magazine, by e-mail and on the Web at
www.haaonline.org. Every event for the second half
of 2008 – from the Chili Fest Cook-off to the
Installation & New Year Gala to the Fall Golf
Tournament to the Hall of Fame – is up for sponsorship. Don’t miss your chance to grab a drink,
a bid and a big heaping serving of HAA events.
Proxy bidding available. Call for details.
UPCOMING COURSES
S
chedule and fees are subject to change without prior notification.
Notice of cancellation is required two days in advance to receive a
refund, less a $10 administrative fee. Seats are guaranteed on a
first-come, first-served basis when payment and registration are received
in advance of the program. Unless otherwise indicated, courses are held
in either the Camden and Michael Stevens Interests Room or the Direct
Energy and Liberty Personnel & Executive Search Room at the Dinerstein
Reed Prokop Education Center, 4810 Westway Park Blvd. on the second
floor of the HAA Office Building. Seating is limited. You must pre-register.
June
CAM/CAS: Property Maintenance
for Managers
Wednesday, June 11
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Program fee: $999
Sponsored by ICI Paints
Maintenance is for the manager,
too! Learn about the importance of
a team approach, contractors and
the bidding process, preventive
maintenance and safety.
It’s the Law Luncheon
Friday, June 13
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Program fee: $25
Sponsored by HD Supply
APPLE Core Session V:
Welcome to the World of Leasing
With Amy Kosnikowski
Tuesday, June 17
8:30 a.m. to noon
$249 per property; $40 each for
non-enrolled property personnel
Sponsored by BG Personnel
Whether you are new to the
industry or you want to re-ignite the
passion for leasing that once was,
this class is for you! Discover all that
is required to be successful in sales:
the importance of a positive
attitude, the value of a leasing
professional, the power of a
professional image, how to become
a product knowledge guru and
more! See Page 23 for details.
Blue Star Program
Wednesday, June 18
7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Grace Community Church
14505 Gulf Fwy.
$35 if paid by June 17; $45 after
From the
A registration form for all courses and seminars listed here is on Page 25.
For more information, contact the Education & Meetings Department at
713-595-0319 or 713-595-0314 or register online at www.haaonline.org
(online registrations discounted).
Notice to Attendees: All pre-registered no-shows will be billed. For
admittance into HAA/HAF events, payments will be required at the door
if not received prior to the event. Start times listed below include a 30minute registration period. Notice of cancellation is required two days
prior to the event for a refund, less a $10 administrative fee.
May 17
Sponsored by Classic Touch
Painting
Created for rental properties of all
sizes, the Blue Star program’s goal is
to help law enforcement officials and
the multifamily housing industry
work together to effectively reduce
criminal activity in rental properties.
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Program fee: $999
Sponsored by MAB Flooring
Learn to avoid accidents and assess
risk in advance as well as how to
minimize risks to residents and staff
(including crime prevention and
environmental hazards), effectively
handle emergencies and more.
PowerPoint Tips & Techniques
for Trainers
Thursday, June 19
8:30 a.m. to noon
Program fee: $55
Sponsored by Apartments.com
Learn the latest tips and techniques
to help make this powerful
presentation program work harder
for you with dazzling results.
July
Specialist in Housing Credit
Management Certification
Training and Exam
Thursday and Friday, June 19-20
Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday: class 9 a.m. to noon,
exam at 1 p.m.
Course fee: $399 (includes lunch
on Thurs.)
Exam fee: $150
The Specialist in Housing Credit
Management certification has been
developed by the National
Affordable Housing Management
Association especially for those
involved with properties developed
and operated under the Low
Income Housing Tax Credit
program. Note: A minimum of two
years of experience in tax-credit
management is required to qualify
See Page 24 for details.
CAM/CAS: Risk Management
Wednesday, June 25
HAA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
CAM/CAS: Finance
Wednesday, July 9
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Program fee: $999
Sponsored by Presto Maintenance
Supply
Conquer your fears of finance by
attending this highly informative
module. Topics covered include:
investment objectives, how to add
value to an existing investment and
a basic mathematics refresher, as
well as financial statements, budgets
and property valuation.
Introduction to Microsoft Excel
Thursday, July 10
8:30 a.m. to noon
Program fee: $55
Sponsored by Ameritex Movers
Learn to conquer your fear of the
spreadsheet! This great-forbeginners course offers a detailed
look into this multifaceted, often
daunting program.
IROC Breakfast
Friday, July 11
7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Free to members; $25 nonmembers
Sponsored by Foundation
Specialists Inc.
APPLE Core Session VI:
Doing it All – The Path to Effective
Time Management
With Kate Good
Tuesday, July 15
8:30 a.m. to noon
$249 per property; $40 each for
non-enrolled property personnel
Sponsored by BG Personnel
Manage your time, don't let it
manage you! Kate Good brings you
practical tips on how to manage
your time effectively when faced
with constant surprises. After this
seminar you will be able to take the
“Customers aren’t an interruption to
your work, they are your work”
attitude back to the office.
Introduction to Microsoft Excel
Thursday, July 17
8:30 a.m. to noon
Program fee: $55
Sponsored by Aaron’s Corporate
Furnishings
Learn to conquer your fear of the
spreadsheet! This great-forbeginners course offers a detailed
look into this multifaceted, often
daunting program.
Extreme CAM/CAS
July 24-26 and July 31-August 2
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (registration at
8:30 a.m. on July 24 only)
Program fee: $999
Sponsor TBA
Extreme CAM accelerates the
education process and allows you to
attain the Certified Apartment
Manager designation on a schedule
that works best for you. Classes will
be held Thursday-Saturday for two
consecutive weeks; taught by Bill
Nye, Ph.D. (Recommended for
experienced managers only.)
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JUNE 2008
19
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
JUNE
S M T W T
1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12
15 16 17 18 19
22 23 24 25 26
29 30
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
F
6
13
20
27
June 2008
Events
Education
5
2-4
PSC Education Program:
Following the Clues to Budget
Season Success – Thursday, June 5,
2 p.m. All supplier members are
welcome. For details and to RSVP,
contact Susan at 713-595-0313 or
[email protected].
NAA Advanced Instructor
Training – Monday, June 2
through Wednesday, June 4.
Contact Emily for details at
713-595-0319 or ehilton@
haaonline.org.
12
CAM/CAS: Maintenance –
Wednesday, June 11, 8:30 a.m. to
5 p.m. Sponsored by ICI Paints.
Industry Achievement Awards –
Thursday, June 12, at the
Intercontinental Hotel, 2200 West
Loop South. See Page 6 for details.
Sponsored by Apartment Guide
and Liberty Personnel/Executive
Search.
It’s the Law Luncheon – Friday,
June 13, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sponsored by HD Supply.
18
17
Sponsorship Auction –
Wednesday, June 18. See Page 18
for more information, or contact
Amanda at asherbondy@
haaonline.org or 713-595-0316.
APPLE Core Session V:
Welcome to the World of
Leasing with Amy Kosnikowski
– Tuesday, June 17, 8:30 a.m. to
noon. Sponsored by BG Personnel.
See Page 23 for details.
13
T
1
6 7 8
13 14 15
20 21 22
27 28 29
F
4
11
18
25
S
5
12
19
26
Events
Education
19
11
4
9
15
9
PowerPoint Tips and Techniques
for Trainers – Thursday, June 19,
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored by
Apartments.com. See Page 25 for
more information.
Ambassador Club – Wednesday,
June 11, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at
Amazon Grill, 9600 Westheimer
(at Gessner). All supplier members
are welcome. For details, contact
Lisa at 713-595-0322 or lbutler@
haaonline.org.
Offices Closed – Friday, July 4.
The HAA Offices will be closed in
observance of the Independence
Day holiday.
CAM/CAS: Finance – Wednesday,
July 9, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sponsored by Presto Maintenance
Supply.
11
10
Annual Bowling Tournament –
Friday, July 11, 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
at Palace Bowling Lanes, 4191
Bellaire Blvd. Sponsored by Access
Electric and Houston Pest. See
Page 22 for details.
Introduction to Microsoft Excel –
Thursday, July 10, 8:30 a.m. to
noon. Sponsored by Ameritex
Movers.
APPLE Core Session VI:
Doing it All – The Path to
Effective Time Management
with Kate Good – Tuesday, July
15, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Sponsored
by BG Personnel. See Page 23 for
more information.
Ambassador Club – Wednesday,
July 9, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at
Amazon Grill, 9600 Westheimer
(at Gessner). All supplier members
are welcome. For details, contact
Lisa at 713-595-0322 or lbutler@
haaonline.org.
17
Resident Relations Committee –
Wednesday, July 9 at 3 p.m.
Management Certification Exam
Training and Exam – Thursday
and Friday, June 19, 8:30 a.m. to
5 p.m. and Friday, June 20, 9 a.m.
to noon (exam begins at 1 p.m.)
Note: A minimum of two years of
tax-credit management experience
is required to qualify. See Page 24
for details.
Resident Relations Committee –
Wednesday, June 11 at 3 p.m.
25
CAM/CAS: Risk Management –
Wednesday, June 25, 8:30 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Sponsored by MAB
Flooring.
11
IROC Breakfast – Friday, July 11,
7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sponsored
by Foundation Specialists Inc.
Meetings
Introduction to Microsoft Excel –
Thursday, July 17, 8:30 a.m. to
noon. Sponsored by Aaron’s
Corporate Furnishings.
24-26, 31
Extreme CAM/CAS – July 24-26
and July 31-August 2, 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. (registration at 8:30 a.m. on
July 24 only). Sponsor to be
announced. NOTE: This course is
recommended for experienced
managers only.
10
Community Relations
Committee – Thursday, June 10,
10 a.m. Contact Susan for details
at 713-595-0313 or shinkley@
haaonline.org.
17
Product Service Council –
Thursday, July 17, 10 a.m. Contact
Susan for details at 713-595-0313
or [email protected].
30
NAA Education Conference &
Expo – Thursday, June 26 through
Saturday, June 28 on Orlando, Fla.
See www.naahq.org for details.
18
Blue Star – Wednesday, June 18,
7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Grace
Community Church, 14505 Gulf
Fwy. (northbound, just south of
the toll road). Sponsored by
Classic Touch Painting.
Unless otherwise noted, all events meet at our Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., second
floor, in either the Direct Energy and Liberty Personnel & Executive Search Room or the Camden and Michael Stevens
Interests Room.
JUNE 2008
T
3
10
17
24
31
Meetings
26-28
20
W
2
9
16
23
30
July 2008
19-20
11
JULY
S M
S
7
14
21
28
ABODE
Legislative Committee –
Wednesday, July 30, 3:30 p.m.
Meetings located at the HAA Offices, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., first floor, will be held in the
Redi Carpet and Winograd Families/ Judwin Properties Conference Room.
Board of Directors – Wednesday,
July 30, 4:30 p.m. Sponsored by
Hamilton-Steele Outdoor Accents.
Keep the Houston Apartment
Foundation Dinerstein Reed Prokop
Education Center in mind when your
company is in need of a facility for your
next meeting or employee training. The
center is available for rental to members
and is the perfect venue for budget
meetings, planning sessions and more.
For more information, contact Lana
Shiller at 713-595-0306, e-mail
[email protected] or visit us
online at www.haaonline.org.
ABODE
JUNE 2008
21
Aerosmith or Alabama? Bo Diddley or Big and Rich? Madonna or Mozart? Garth Brooks or Chris Gaines?
It’s not too late!
Half-Year Enrollment
Now Available!
Rock and Bowl!
No matter your musical style, get your groove on and come get bowled over.
Whether you’re a little bit country or a little bit rock and roll, we’ve got the game for you!
Register your team of 5 players for $200
(maximum of two teams per company).
Price includes 3 games, shoes and buffet.
Send your entire property staff
to any and all of the remaining
2008 sessions for only
$249 per property!
HAA Bowling Tournament
Friday, July 11
2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Spectators are just $15 – price includes buffet.
Prizes will be awarded for the best individual
and team costumes, so come as your
favorite band or singer and rock out!
Registration from 2 to 3 p.m.
Tournament begins at 3 p.m.
Palace Bowling Lanes
Trophies will be awarded for the following:
Highest score single game – male and female
Best overall score – male and female
1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams
4191 Bellaire Blvd.
APPLE features some of the best nationally acclaimed speakers in the industry.
Enrollment is only $249 per property, and the fee includes unlimited attendance
by your entire property staff to any or all of the 10 workshops in four tracks:
• CORE • Maintenance • Leadership • Marketing
Registration for individual sessions by non-enrolled property personnel is $40 per person.
The 2008 series continues with the next three great workshops:
APPLE: Core – Session 5
Tuesday, June 17
Sponsored by
Welcome to the World of Leasing
with Amy Kosnikowski
Whether you are new to the apartment industry
or you want to re-ignite your passion for leasing,
this class is for you. This half-day session will
expand the knowledge of leasing professionals to
understand recent trends. Learn the history of the
multifamily industry and how it affects property
performance. Discover your value as a
leasing professional, the importance of a positive
attitude, the power of a professional image and
how to become a product knowledge guru. Learn
how to create and use a leasing presentation
book, the latest merchandising tips and the
essential steps of leasing. This workshop is
filled with tons of valuable knowledge and interactive exercises in a setting guaranteed to improve
leasing performance.
t
HAA Bow
n
e
m
ling Tourna
Bring your
Mission of Yaweh
donations.
See Page 68
for details.
Sponsored by Access Electric and Houston Pest
Advanced registration and payment are required. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover
are accepted in person, over the phone, by fax or by email at [email protected].
APPLE: Core – Session 6
Tuesday, July 15
Sponsored by
Doing it All: The Path to Effective
Time Management
with Kate Good
Manage your time – don’t let it manage you.
There are many resources for learning how to
effectively manage your time, but not many people understand the hectic, ever-changing property
management business. Kate Good brings you
practical tips on how to manage your time effectively when faced with constant surprises. After
this seminar you will be able to take the
“Customers aren’t an interruption to your work,
they are your work” attitude back to the office.
Take a bite out of APPLE…
It’s half off!
APPLE: Marketing – Session 3
Tuesday, August 12
Sponsored by
Outrageous Outreach Marketing:
A Whole Year Full of Ideas
with Amy Kosnikowski
Do you need to generate qualified traffic? Is your
phone ringing off the hook with future residents
calling? Is the leasing team surpassing sales goals?
If not, attend this seminar to learn the importance
of marketing outreach in creating a steady flow of
quality leads to your community. You will realize
the vital role outreach plays in achieving the
objective set in your marketing plan, plus uncover
the keys to a successful outreach visit. Find out
what’s hot and happening in outreach to jumpstart efforts. This session is jam-packed with more
than 100 ready-to-implement ideas and strategies
to fill your calendar for a whole year.
AND MUCH MORE TO COME!
APPLE sessions are held at the
HAF Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education
Center, 4810 Westway Park Blvd.,
at Clay Road east of the Beltway.
Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., and
programs run from 9 a.m. to noon.
For more information, contact the
HAA Education Department at
713-595-0319, e-mail
[email protected] or look
For more information, call the Education & Meetings Department at 713-595-0314 to join the fun, or check us out online at www.haaonline.org.
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JUNE 2008
23
SHCM: The Housing Credit Certification
Developed by Management Professionals
for Management Professionals
Management Certification
Training Class and Exam
The Specialist in Housing Credit Management® certification has been developed bythe National Affordable
Housing Management Association especially for management professionals involved with properties developed
and operated under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit
program. The SHCM is designed by management professionals for management professionals to ensure they have
attained the knowledge, experience and competence
required to excel in the housing credit property management industry.
The subject matter of this course is focused on the federal
Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, and the
Houston Apartment Foundation is an approved provider
of training in support of the national SHCM program.
Students who take the course will earn the full 12 hours
of the required 12-hour pre-SHCM exam training or 12
hours of the required six hours of annual continuing education to maintain the SHCM certification.
Event presenter Ruth L. Theobald
Probst, CPM, HCCP, SHCM, is president
of TheoPRO Compliance & Consulting
Inc. TheoPRO is a Milwaukee-based
company specializing in the Section 42
program. A nationally recognized consultant and
trainer, Theobald Probst has more than 26 years of
property management experience and 19 years
with Section 42. Published in industry magazines
and a recognized speaker at industry conferences
nationwide, Theobald Probst’s focus is the successful
development and compliance management of taxcredit housing education.
For more information or to register, contact
the HAF Education and Meetings Department at
713-595-0300, e-mail [email protected] or visit
us online at www.haaonline.org.
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JUNE 2008
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This informative workshop offers the latest tips and techniques to help make this powerful presentation program work harder for you with dazzling results. Learn to import movies, sounds and streaming files to augment your training programs and
sales presentations. The latest PowerPoint trends used in presentations nationwide as well as tips for acquiring useful application add-ons will be presented in an upbeat and dynamic environment. Intended for users with basic knowledge of
PowerPoint, this program is a must for anyone who regularly uses this engaging software in training or sales presentations.
t pr es e nt a t io n s wi l l fl y of f
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o
P
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scr
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PowerPoint Tips and Techniques
ee
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for Trainers
Yo
Thursday, June 19
SHCM Certification Training Class and Exam
Thursday and Friday, June 19-20
HAF Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center
4810 Westway Park Blvd., off Clay Road at the Beltway
HAF Dinerstein Reed Prokop
Education Center
4810 Westway Park Blvd.
Preparation Course
off Clay Road and the Beltway
8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. – Registration;
9 a.m. to noon – Program
$55/person
Day 1, Thursday, June 19:
8 a.m. – Registration
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Program
Day 2, Friday, June 20:
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Program
Exam Preparation Course Fee: $399 (includes lunch
on June 19)
Sponsored by Apartments.com
Exam
Thursday, June 20
1 p.m. – Registration
1:30 p.m. – Exam Begins
Exam Fee: $150
Note: A minimum of two years of housing credit
management employment experience is required
to qualify for this certification.
For more information and to register,
contact the Education Department at
or see online at www.haaonline.org.
Instructor Julie Marie Irvin is a national presenter and consultant specializing
in computer literacy and technical solutions for effective communication. Irvin,
president of Houston-based Keystone Resources, is a Microsoft Office User
Specialist with more than 10 years of experience. She combines creative and
technical talents to deliver solutions to a national and international client base.
REGISTRATION
Register online at
www.HAAonline.org
to receive a discount!
Enclosed is $ ___________ to register for the following event(s). Please make checks payable to the Houston Apartment Foundation. For courses and
events designated by an asterisk (*), please make checks payable to the Houston Apartment Association.
o MasterCard o Visa o American Express o Discover Card Number _________________________________________________________
Name as it appears on card _______________________________________________________________
Expiration Date __________/__________
Signature _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
o CAM/CAS: Property Maintenance for Managers,
Wednesday, June 11. $999.
o It’s the Law Luncheon, Friday, June 13. $25.
o APPLE Core Session V: Welcome to the World of Leasing,
Tuesday, June 17. $249/property; $40/non-enrolled property
personnel.
o Blue Star Program, Wednesday, June 18. $35 if paid by
June 17; $45 after May 17.
o PowerPoint Tips & Techniques for Trainers, Thursday,
June 19. $55.
o Specialist in Housing Credit Management Certification
Training and Exam, Thursday and Friday, June 19-20. Course:
$399, Exam: $150.
o CAM/CAS: Risk Management, Wednesday, June 25. $999.
o CAM/CAS: Finance, Wednesday, July 9. $999.
o Introduction to Microsoft Excel, Thursday, July 10. $55.
o IROC Breakfast, Friday, July 11. Free/members; $25/nonmembers.
o APPLE Core Session VI: Doing it All – The Path to Effective
Time Management, Tuesday, July 15. $249/property; $40/nonenrolled property personnel.
o Introduction to Microsoft Excel, Thursday, July 17. $55.
o Extreme CAM/CAS, July 24-26 and July 31-August 2. $999.
Name(s) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Company _____________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________
City _________________________ State______ Zip ______________ Phone_________________________ Fax_______________________________
Mail to the Education and Meetings Department, Houston Apartment Foundation: 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, TX 77041; fax to HAF at 281-582-1508,
e-mail [email protected] or online at www.haaonline.org. Schedule and fees are subject to change without prior notification. Notice of cancellation is
required two days in advance to receive a refund less a $10 administrative fee per registration; payment will be considered nontransferable at this time.
Because of guarantees at hotels, restaurants and other venues, all pre-registered no-shows will be billed. For admittance into HAA/HAF events, payments will
be required at the door if not received prior to the event. The Houston Apartment Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex
or national origin in any of its education programs. Register online with a credit card at www.haaonline.org and save.
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25
INDUSTRY UPDATE
From the
NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
and the
NATIONAL MULTI HOUSING COUNCIL
Rental Revival
The foreclosure crisis is bringing new attention to the rental housing sector
and our calls for a more balanced housing policy.
H
arvard University’s Joint Center
for Housing Studies released in
late April a new report titled
America’s Rental Housing: The Key
to a Balanced National Policy. The study examines recent mortgage market events in the
context of longstanding affordability problems that plague millions of renters and calls
for a new and more balanced set of housing
policy initiatives that would expand opportunities for renters and homeowners alike.
In releasing the report, Joint Center Senior
Scholar and former HUD Assistant Secretary
of Housing William Apgar noted that, “For
the past decade, broader access to homeownership has been the centerpiece of federal,
state and local housing programs. The rapid
rise in mortgage delinquencies and home
foreclosures unfortunately exposes the tragic
flaw in this imbalanced approach.”
The study’s authors call on policymakers
to focus renewed energy on preserving
rental housing and eliminating land-use
restrictions and other barriers to rental
housing production. The full report is at
www.jchs.harvard.edu.
Separately, a study by the Center for
Economic Policy Research and the National
Low Income Housing Coalition says the federal response to the housing crisis should
consider the relationship between local
ownership and rental costs, noting that in
many cities the recent run-up in house
prices has made ownership more than twice
as expensive as renting. Encouraging owners
in these bubble markets to remain owners
could result in them paying more for housing than necessary, even with mortgage
write-downs. Therefore, the study says, a
government policy of ensuring suitable
rental options is likely to be better for many
current homeowners than trying to preserve
their ownership status. The report, The Cost
of Maintaining Ownership in the Current Crisis,
is available at www.cepr.net.
NAA/NMHC also continue to use the
lessons learned from the housing market
turmoil to strengthen our calls for a more
balanced housing policy.
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IMPACT ON THE APARTMENT SECTOR
Among other things, NMHC’s April 15-16
Research Forum explored the degree to
which the foreclosure crisis is affecting the
rental housing industry. Specifically, it
explored how renter quality has changed,
whether evicted homeowners are becoming
renters and to what degree the “shadow
market” is competing with the professionally managed apartment sector.
was not meant to be used for enforcement
purposes. The DHS no-match rules attempt
to impose harsh sanctions on employers
who do not follow the so-called safe harbor
steps identified in the regulation, including
terminations under certain circumstances.
Federal courts blocked DHS from enforcing the regulation last October. On March
26, DHS issued a supplemental proposed rule
(73 FR 15944) that attempts to resolve the
A government policy of ensuring suitable rental options
is likely to be better for many current homeowners
than trying to preserve their ownership status.
According to forum participants, dispossessed homeowners are not flooding the
rental market and represent between 2 percent and 6 percent of all applicants. The
biggest impact on the apartment sector,
they say, has been a stop in the outflow of
renters into ownership. As for the shadow
market of vacant houses and condos for
rent, one speaker presented research showing that the new rental condo inventory is
not as large as many people think and that
single-family rentals do not typically compete for the same renters as apartments. He
also noted that the vacancy rate for singlefamily rentals is high, but that it began rising in 1995 and has had little impact on
the apartment sector over that span.
FEDERAL EMPLOYEE SCREENING
REQUIREMENTS
On April 25, NAA and NMHC filed comments opposing the Department of
Homeland Security’s latest attempt to
impose new requirements on employers
that receive a “no-match” letter. At issue is
a controversial DHS regulation outlining
how employers should respond to nomatch letters issued by DHS or the Social
Security Administration when an employee’s Social Security number fails to match
information in the government’s database.
Prior to the new rules, the Social Security
Administration maintained that the nomatch letter was merely informational and
court’s main concerns. Our comments argue
that the latest version of the rule is substantively identical to the original one. We note
that a no-match letter based solely upon a
government database with amply documented errors should not, without more evidence, be sufficient to prove a violation of
the law. We call on DHS to shift some
responsibility for resolving mismatched
information to the government or to consider a voluntary third-party employment eligibility certification. Finally, we point out that
DHS has not addressed the considerable
costs to employers and employees that could
arise from forced terminations.
NAA and NMHC will continue to call for
comprehensive federal immigration reform
to replace the patchwork of federal enforcement-only measures and state and local
laws that, in some cases, impose improper,
onerous screening requirements on apartment owners. Our comments are available
at www.naahq.org/govern_affairs/Issues.
UPDATED AD CAMPAIGN:
NOT EVERY HOME IS A HOUSE
NAA and NMHC have updated our
“Because not every home is a house” ad
campaign with four new ads. The campaign
reminds policymakers about the importance of apartments in creating strong and
healthy communities and challenges the
conventional wisdom about homeownership. NAA and NMHC are running the ads
in publications targeting lawmakers. We are
also making them freely available to apartment operators, local apartment associations
and apartment trade publications for their
use. To request a CD with camera-ready artwork, please contact Michael Tucker at
[email protected] or 202-974-2360.
NEW POOL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
With summer approaching, members are
reminded that federal law requires that as of
December 19, 2008, all public pools and
spas, including those located in apartment
communities, be equipped with anti-entrapment devices. Apartment owners are advised
to evaluate their pool drain systems to determine if adjustments are required. A helpful
FAQ document from the Association of Pool
and Spa Professionals is available online at
http://tinyurl.com/5ng3uj to help explain the
new compliance obligations.
NATIONAL GREEN BUILDING STANDARD
The first and only consensus-based standard
for residential green building will be published
later this spring. Thanks to NAA and NMHC
efforts, the ANSI-approved standard was
expanded to include multifamily properties.
The National Green Building Standard,
which will be available through the
International Code Council, will provide
uniform guidance on green building practices appropriate for low-, mid- and high-rise
apartment construction. It will also offer
local jurisdictions that are considering
mandatory green building requirements an
alternative to non-standardized green rating
systems (like the U.S. Green Building
Council’s LEED criteria).
An AIMS Building Codes Update that
examines the NGBS, how it differs from
existing standards and how apartment developers can use it to their advantage is available at www.naahq.org/govern_affairs/Issues.
Support the Houston Apartment
Association Better Government Fund
For a better industry tomorrow.
Call the Houston Apartment Association at
or [email protected] or look online
at www.haaonline.org.
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JUNE 2008
27
MEDIA ROUNDUP
By
JENIFER PANERAL, CPM, Media Relations Committee Chair
with information from the YMCA and HAA sources
A Mother’s Story
By Deonesia Grays, founder of Bria’s House
Fast Facts
from the Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services Department
I
Get Water Wise
HAA and the YMCA team up to bring a water safety initiative back
to area apartment residents.
We know that
drowning deaths
can often be
prevented, and
that is why
apartment owners are committed to educating
the community
about how to
enjoy the water
safely.
N
early a dozen people have drowned in
Houston so far this year. Drowning,
the second leading cause of accidental
death among children, is also the second leading cause of accidental death
among adults.
Drowning claims the lives of nearly 3,000 people
every year. Children 4 and under have the highest
drowning death rate. Most drowning and near-drowning accidents happen when a child falls into a pool or
is left alone in the bathtub. Even a near-drowning
accident can have lifelong consequences. Children
who survive a near drowning may have brain damage;
after four to six minutes under water, the damage is
usually irreversible.
“Unfortunately, 10 children in our area have
already been victims of drowning this year,” said John
Ridgway, HAA president. “We know that drowning
deaths can often be prevented, and that is why apartment owners are committed to educating the community about how to enjoy the water safely.”
ETHNIC, ECONOMIC FACTORS
A nationwide study released this month by the
University of Memphis reveals that more minority children drown than white children. The findings show
that 57 percent of black and Hispanic children are
unable to swim – nearly twice as many as their white
counterparts. The results also reveal that the major factor in children’s inability to swim comes from their parents. In those families, 91percent of black children will
not learn to swim. Among white and Hispanic children, that number is closer to 70 percent.
The study also reveals that children on a free or
reduced-price lunch program are twice as likely to be
non-swimmers. Researchers found that as income
increased, so did the respondents’ swimming ability
and comfort level around water. Fear of drowning
also decreased. The findings conclude that
respondents from homes with highly
educated parents were significantly
more skilled and comfortable swimming than minority respondents.
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WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
Last year, thousands of people learned about water
safety through the YMCA Water Wise initiative.
Aquatics instructors and lifeguards taught swimming
lessons to close to 500 children in local apartment
properties and the speakers bureau provided water safety presentations to nearly, 4,000 adults and children
across the greater Houston area. This is the second year
HAA is partnering with the YMCA of Greater Houston
to bring swim lessons to apartment communities. Your
youngest residents will learn to swim, float and survive
in the water, and have safe fun in the pool.
With summer right around the corner, the YMCA of
Greater Houston and HAA have again partnered to
combat drowning through the multifaceted Water
Wise awareness campaign designed to educate the
community about drowning prevention, particularly
targeting children and families in low-income neighborhoods. The program includes swim lessons at area
apartment properties, traveling speakers, a television
and billboard campaign, educational materials, a Web
site with water safety tips, CPR information and swim
lesson schedules.
“Nothing is more important to us than our children’s safety, which is why we’re launching the YMCA
Water Wise initiative,” said Clark Baker, YMCA of
Greater Houston president and CEO. “These important survival skills will help keep our children safe at
pools, beaches and water parks.”
GET INVOLVED
For $600 you can lock in your property’s spot in the
program and ensure that YMCA lifeguards will visit
the property to conduct lessons for one week during
the summer. Your residents will also receive water
safety handouts, toys and other giveaways as part of
the program. Spaces are very limited, so don’t delay!
Contact Megan Harms at [email protected]
or visit www.haaonline.org or www.ywaterwise.org
for more information.
n May 2005, there was
a drastic change in my
life. I lost my daughter
Bria in a pool drowning
at the age of 4.
My first thoughts
were, “Why me? I can’t
live like this. There is no
place here for me anymore.” Luckily, I had
family who constantly
prayed. Then I had to think about my living son and
how he deserved to have a mother to talk, listen and
hang out with. There were days that I would not come
out of my room, because I was consumed with my
tears and the absence of sleep as I began to shut out
the world around me.
Then there was a voice asking me if Bria were here,
what would you be doing? She would want me to live
my life as if she were here. So I began to turn my pain
into joy and knew I had to get it together for those
around me. I believe that by returning to my life full
force, I am now a better person. I know that I will meet
her again in heaven.
Soon after, I decided to establish Bria’s House so that
I could assist parents like myself with information about
water safety and help prevent this from happening to
any other parents. This organization is just the first step
in the plans I have to allow her to live through me. The
one thing that I am working on now is being able to
speak each summer to parents who reside in apartments and the surrounding areas. I want to share my
story and lead parents and children in the right direction to prevent drowning. Promoting water safety will
help get the message out to those willing to listen.
At Bria’s House, I will work very hard to maintain a
positive reputation in the Houston area. As a member
of the Houston community, I have a responsibility to
our fellow neighbors. Although there are other places
in Houston you could choose from, Bria’s House is
based solely on my own personal experience. I vow to
do whatever it takes to make this the most conducive
path in order to reach all parents who can and will
benefit from my outcome.
If I can help save one life, that will have me one step
further to save many more. Please visit these Web sites
for more information on water safety:
www.briashouse.net
www.seeandsave.org
www.hcphes.org
www.safekidsgreaterhouston.org.
Take the steps to be safe – it will make all the difference. Your decision to provide your child with early
aquatic experiences is a gift that will have lifelong
rewards.
Who is at risk? Children 5 years old and younger are at greatest risk of drowning,
followed by teens and young adults. Males are three times more likely to drown than
females. In addition, black and Hispanic children ages 5-19 are more than twice as
likely to drown as white children. Water-related injuries and drownings result in
tremendous financial costs, which cannot compare to the cost of losing a life.
Where and how do children drown? Most drowning fatalities and injuries
occur on Saturdays and Sundays between the months of May and September.
Most drowning injuries for children under 4 occur in the home. Children who
drown in backyard swimming pools and bathtubs were left unattended for a twoto five-minute period – the time it takes to look away to answer the telephone.
Even an older child with minimal swimming skills can be at risk by engaging in
risk-taking behaviors, often encouraged by peer pressure to act on a dare.
Important water safety tips:
• Stay alert. Children move quickly and disappear from sight in seconds.
• Enroll yourself and your child (age 3+) in swimming classes.
• Actively watch children by keeping them within arm’s reach. When you leave
the water or pool, take your child with you.
• Make sure your child is wearing a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket for his
or her specific weight and size.
• Never rely solely on the lifeguard to watch your child.
• Children should never play games of holding their breath under water.
• Learn basic CPR; keep rescue items and a phone nearby in case of emergency.
Remember: As you plan your summer activities, plan for safety first! For more information or to register for a training session on how to conduct water safety presentations to families in your community, please contact the Harris County Public Health
& Environmental Services Water Safety Program Coordinator at 713-439-6230.
Volunteers demonstrate safety
lessons from the Water Wise
program during the April
Pool’s Day press conference
on April 1. Contact Megan at
[email protected] to
register your property for the
Water Wise program.
Representatives of HAA, the YMCA, the Red Cross, Harris County, the City of Houston, the Greater
Houston Safe Kids Council and the Texas Safe Boating Council help kick off the Water Wise program.
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29
PHOTO ALBUM
David Hargrove gives his
presidential address at the
Texas Apartment Association
Education Conference &
Lone Star Expo.
Photos from the 2008
Outgoing TAA President Josh Allen presents the Frank
P. Finch Presidential Award to Gary Blumberg.
TAA EDUCATION CONFERENCE & LONE STAR EXPO
Houston’s own Anita Gilliam, NALP, is presented the TAA Leasing
Professional of the Year award.
David Hargrove is installed as the 46th president of TAA. Houston’s Jerry Winograd was
installed as a vice president.
Dancing the night away during the opening party.
Keynote speaker Nolan Ryan with
Suan Tinsley
Tony Whitaker, Cesar Lima, Caroline Kane, Nichole Williams,
James Gregory and Mally Cook
Alex Townsend and
Paul Brandt
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JUNE 2008
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Jenifer Paneral and David Koenig
Mike Koch and
Brandon Bridwell
Alison Hall and Michelle Gates
Amanda Sherbondy and
Mark Park
John Ridgway and
Carol Dougherty
COMMUNITY WORKS
Future Force
Information from the
SHARPSTOWN LEASING 101 PROGRAM
HAA members reach out to provide training
to area high school students.
A
group of Sharpstown High School students are now better
equipped to enter the work force and the rental market
thanks to two special programs on career opportunities in
the multifamily industry presented on campus through HAA
member companies.
Kathy Clem, area director for United Dominion Realty, and Karen Nelsen,
the company’s marketing specialist, coordinated efforts to introduce students
to the apartment industry by offering a six-week leasing class using the curriculum from HAA’s popular Leasing 101 course.
Each Friday for the six weeks, speakers from different apartment-industry
companies discussed leasing topics, including career opportunities, telephone
techniques, Fair Housing, meeting and greeting, the demonstration and
closing – as well as Renting 101.
The class also took a field trip to Rice University to tour the student housing and cafeterias on campus and visited a Riverstone Residential community near the Rice campus. The final session discussed dressing for success, and
each of the four students received a certificate of completion and participated in a mini-job fair with the companies whose volunteers taught the course.
UDR, AAA Staffing, Judwin Properties, Riverstone Residential, Milestone
Management, Greystar, Rice University and Hire Priority Staffing & Executive
Search all contributed speakers and lunches for the students. The students –
Alexis Bradford, Ablagan Amewolo, Byron Carter and Mona Faley – are looking forward to potential full or part-time careers in the apartment industry.
Sharpstown students also had the opportunity to participate in an HVAC
training program provided by Century Air Conditioning. Instructors John
Burg and David Gonzalez trained 10 students in the basic components of
refrigeration systems, schematics, line voltage, control voltage, pressure
and temperature relationships, sub-cooling and superheat. Century Air
Conditioning provided each of the students with clamp-on meters to diagnose HVAC issues. In addition, the students will complete EPA training in
order to take the test for EPA certification.
A job fair sponsored by Century Air Conditioning will showcase the students and their newly learned talents. Student participants include Brittany
Blueitt, Allison Bradford, Thomas Chee, Quinton Jones, Kayla Lee, Craig
Maddy, Dennis Smith, Bayron Torres, Anthony Williams and Robair Williams.
What can you and your company to make a difference in a young adult’s
life? Contact Kathy Clem at [email protected] to get involved.
JUNE 2008
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microscope.
Make sure you lease to the
best residents with RCR.
Problem: You can’t tell from a prospective resident’s face whether he or she will
skip out on your lease.
Solution: Knowing your prospects’ rental histories is the key to minimizing the
risk of future default. In Houston’s fiercely competitive market, what better way to
evaluate a prospective resident than through his or her rental and eviction history?
Sharpstown faculty join ML Young, Houston Community College, and HAA
members Kathy Clem, Karen Nelsen and James Lenhardt in congratulating
the Leasing 101 graduates.
Resident Credit Reporting data can nip your problem in the bud by alerting you if
a prospect has an unfavorable history. We offer 24/7 Web access, responsive
customer service and a uniquely thorough local database with access to national
information.
Together with national partner First Advantage SafeRent, RCR provides its services
starting at 30 cents per unit, per month for unlimited usage, not a per-inquiry
fee like other screening services. That price includes access to applicants’ rental
histories, criminal histories, inquiry histories so you know who else has been
asking and more – and it’s all available 24/7 with immediate, online access
(surcharges apply for phone access during regular business hours).
John Burg, David Gonzalez and Billy Griffin of Century Air Conditioning
congratulate the HVAC students.
Leasing students: Alexis Bradford, Ablagan Amewolo, Byron
Carter, Mona Faley
HVAC students: Brittany Blueitt, Allison Bradford, Thomas Chee,
Quinton Jones, Kayla Lee, Craig Maddy, Dennis Smith, Bayron
Torres, Anthony Williams, Robair Williams
Participating companies: AAA Staffing, Greystar, Hire Priority
Staffing & Executive Search, Judwin Properties, Milestone
Management, Rice University, Riverstone Residential, UDR
Did you know that when you join the Houston Apartment Association, you
are also a member of the Texas and National Apartment Associations?
As a member of the HAA, your membership works for our industry at a local,
state and national level. Get involved, support your industry and make your
membership work for you. Call HAA at 713-595-0300 for more information.
32
Put your prospects under a
Our clients tell us RCR is the best source of bad debt
collection available. Help us help you by reporting your
move-ins, move-outs and evictions for FREE. The cost to
report is nothing, but the returns are substantial. The more
data you enter, the more skippers we can catch – and that’s
good for everyone in the business.
RCR is just one more benefit made available to you by
membership in the Houston Apartment Association. Our
rental history and eviction information will give you the
upper hand. Become a subscriber today to boost your bottom line and greatly increase your collection of bad debt.
For more information, contact the
RCR department at 713-595-0345
or [email protected].
GREATER HOUSTON: Annual survey says Houstonians favor transit, urban planning
R
ice University sociologist Stephen Klineberg
has been asking Houstonians how they feel
about socioeconomic issues such as jobs,
housing and transit since 1982. The results of his
latest survey, unveiled at a Greater Houston
Partnership luncheon in late April, suggest a cautiously optimistic population concerned about
jobs, health care, access to education, mass transit and immigration.
Those interviewed by Klineberg and his team
expressed mildly positive attitudes toward job
opportunities in the Houston area but were overwhelmingly convinced that a high-school education was not enough to get a good job.
Klineberg noted in his remarks that “inequality is
increasing, predicated on higher education.”
The survey also showed that about two-thirds
of Houstonians support universal federal health
insurance and worry about the growing gap
between rich and poor. These concerns fueled
negative attitudes toward about the region’s
immigrant population, as almost half of respondents said they believe that undocumented
immigrants create a strain on public services
such as schools and hospitals.
Despite these attitudes, however, only 12 percent named the economy as the region’s biggest
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JUNE 2008
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Dr. Stephen Klineberg
reveals survey results.
problem – almost three times as many respondents said traffic is our biggest woe. Underlining
that concern, almost two-thirds said a mass transit system including rail is “very important” for
the region. A majority of Harris County residents
also support urban planning and redevelopment,
according to the survey. A whopping 82.8 percent said they would favor a general plan to
guide future growth in Houston.
Klineberg noted that quality-of-life considerations such as mobility, green spaces and air
quality are becoming more important to attract
new jobs and residents. He mentioned an informal survey of Rice students that revealed that
70 percent say they came to Rice “in spite of”
the campus being located in Houston. “We have
to turn this into a far more aesthetically pleasing
place” he said.
Klineberg predicts that a million people will
move to Harris County in the next 10 years,
many from other countries. As the baby boom
generation – primarily white – reaches retirement
age, the younger generations – largely secondgeneration Americans who are largely not white
and less affluent – will begin to replace them.
Hispanics are nearing half of the region’s population now and will be a majority in future generations. In just two decades, Houston has shifted
from a biracial city controlled by white men to
one of the most culturally diverse metropolitan
areas in the country. Nearly two-thirds of survey
respondents said Houston’s diversity will prove a
great source of strength for the region.
Respondents were more positive about
Houston’s future than that of the nation. In his
concluding remarks, Klineberg suggested that
Houston will need to accomplish three things in
order to thrive: attract and nurture a better-educated work force, become a more environmentally appealing place and develop a more inclusive
multiethnic society offering equal opportunity to
all comers.
Houston fire inspectors
tell us what they see over
and over and over…
Hot
The
By
“Fire, water and government know nothing
of mercy.” – Proverb
C
ity fire inspectors may seem driven,
persistent – even nit-picky – but
they’re nothing compared to the
persistence of a fire in an apartment property. With insurance deductibles going through
the roof, fire inspectors are your property’s
best friends. We couldn’t keep these guys to
a top 10 list, so here’s a list of the top 11
violations Houston inspectors are finding
these days.
Illustration By Andres Rodriguez/dreamstime.com
36
JUNE 2008
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ANDY TEAS, HAA Staff,
HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
and the
1. No gas test performed within the last
five years. Each apartment building in Houston with natural gas must have its piping
system tested every five years by any licensed
master plumber who is registered with the
city. The permit to perform the test will cost
your plumber $15 for the first three openings, plus $2 each for additional openings. If
your system passes, the city then issues the
certificate at no additional charge. For information, call the plumbing inspection office
at 713-535-7700.
2. Exposed electrical wiring in boiler,
mechanical or electrical rooms. This speaks
for itself. That sprinkler controller that was
jury-rigged by the junior assistant maintenance man isn’t safe if any wiring is exposed,
even if it’s locked “safely” where residents
can’t go.
3. Missing cover plates or dead fronts
on electrical panels. It’s amazing what
people will steal these days, and fire inspectors are constantly seeing electrical panels
with the covers missing. Make sure these are
properly replaced.
4. Missing smoke detectors or smoke
detector batteries. State law requires an
apartment owner to provide a working
smoke detector whenever a resident moves
in. If you do, it’s a violation of the Texas
Property Code for a resident to remove or
disable it. If a smoke detector in an occupied
unit is missing or missing its battery, somebody’s breaking the law. Make sure you have
a signed smoke detector addendum in each
resident’s file to prove it isn’t you.
5. Dryers in laundry rooms not properly
vented or with large accumulations of lint
in or around traps. Believe it or not, clogged
dryer vents can cause overheating and fires.
Make sure the vents work properly and that
the traps are checked frequently.
6. Breached draft stops in attics and penetrations in boiler room walls and ceilings.
Compromised attic draft stops are the number one cause of small fires turning into large
ones. Over the years, or even just a few
months, you may lose track of how many
telephone, cable, air conditioning, plumbing
and other technicians have been in your
attic. Time is money to these guys, and they
have a bad habit of leaving holes in your
attic draft stops. Make sure nobody enters
your attic until a maintenance technician
you trust agrees with him or her that all draft
stops are intact and make sure nobody leaves
until they agree that’s still the case. This also
applies to the walls and ceilings in a boiler
room, which are rated fire separations.
7. No valid access gate or key box permits on file. If you have controlled access
gates, they’re required to have 911 boxes. The
vehicle gates and boxes all need permits, and
the permits have to be on file in your office.
8. Inoperable access gates or empty 911
box. The 911 box has to have the key or code
inside or it doesn’t do any good to an emergency responder trying to reach one of your
residents in the middle of the night. Since
most 911 locks are rarely used, the lock
mechanisms can corrode or rust. Spray a little
silicone lubricant (kerosene sprays attract
dirt) into the keyholes once in a while.
9. LP gas grills stored on balconies and
porches. In the old days, residents using
charcoal grills on their balconies was a common problem. Lots of grills these days use LP
(liquid petroleum) gas, commonly called
propane. Propane can’t be used or even
stored in an apartment unit or on a balcony.
10. Cooking or grilling on porches or
balconies. Houston prohibits grilling within
10 feet of a building, even with charcoal, and
a balcony is part of the building.
11. Expired inspection tags on fire extinguishers, alarm panels and sprinkler or
standpipe systems. The disposable fire extinguishers in apartment units do not have to
be tagged and generally can’t be recharged
anyway, but the larger extinguishers in your
office, fitness center, clubhouse, etc., need to
be inspected and tagged every year. You
should have a contract with your extinguisher provider to take care of this. Buildings with
fire sprinkler and standpipe systems need to
be inspected and tagged.
7777 Blankenship Drive • Houston, Texas • 77055
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37
Photo By Varina and Jay Patel/dreamstime.com
Know
your
Customers
SOLUTIONS AND STRATEGIES
Organizations that have been successful in tapping into the multicultural consumer base have used four fundamental strategies:
1. Understand and evaluate the demographics of the local market. It
is critically important to understand the new economic powerbase that is
the multicultural consumer. Examine their countries of origin, age segments and median household incomes to develop a sound marketing
plan.
2. Develop appropriate products and modify service delivery. Products and services that are relevant and appropriate sell. Take into account
the nuances of the multicultural consumer, such as multigenerational
households, religious practices or language proficiency.
3. Get the right infrastructure in place. Without the right infrastructure, you cannot accommodate multicultural customers or recruit the right
sales professionals. Multicultural consumers and real estate professionals
require language, religious and philosophical considerations if you are
going to win them as customers or team members.
4. Market your message. Understanding and addressing your target
audience through the communication vehicles they prefer is critical.
Researching and understanding the media distributions and identifying
community influencers are the first steps to getting your in-culture marketing and recruiting message out.
GETTING YOUR STRATEGY RIGHT
As you examine your organization’s strategy, it is important to not only
consider economic changes but also societal and consumer changes that
may be driving the local economic engine. Leverage the four strategies we
recommend to help you develop a strategy for dealing with these changes
and go on the offensive to help you bridge the economic and consumer
gap you may be facing.
The Gonzales Group, a multicultural business consulting and research firm in
the real estate and financial services community, provides business solutions that
enable companies to develop and implement effective multicultural market
programs, strategies and measurement systems. For more information, e-mail
[email protected] or visit www.thegonzalesgroup.com.
Understanding the diverse
wants and needs of your
prospect pool will help you
close more effectively.
By
THE GONZALES GROUP
MARKETING Diversity
38
JUNE 2008
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E
arlier this year, the Pew Research Center released a study reinforcing the
changing face of America. According to the study, if current trends continue,
the population of the United States will rise to 438 million in 2050, from
296 million in 2005, and 82 percent of the increase will be due to immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their American-born descendants.
According to the University of Georgia’s Selig Center, buying power among multicultural consumers will grow exponentially, and the market share claimed by this
targeted group of consumers is important because the higher their market share, the
lower the average cost of reaching a potential buyer in the group.
Organizations often take a defensive approach and adopt a “preserve and sustain”
mindset that ignores or discounts the opportunities that present themselves. Pinpointing external change and detecting customer patterns allows you to make
sound judgment about where the world is going and putting your business on the
offensive to capitalize on changes, according to Ram Charan, author of Execution:
The Discipline of Getting Things Done.
Many brokers, lenders and others in the single-family housing industry tell us that
they are experiencing a transformation in the profile of the homebuyers coming
through the door. This new homebuyer is not receptive to existing sales techniques,
and traditional marketing approaches do not seem to do much to bring them
through the door. The solutions require some getting back to basics.
Population Projections: 2005-2050
• Nearly one in five Americans (19 percent) will be an immigrant
in 2050, compared with one in eight (12 percent) in 2005. By 2025,
the immigrant, or foreign-born, share of the population will surpass
the peak during the last great wave of immigration a century ago.
• The major role of immigration in national growth builds on the
pattern of recent decades, during which immigrants and their American-born children and grandchildren accounted for the most population increase. Immigration’s importance increased as the average
number of births to American-born women dropped sharply before
leveling off.
• The Latino population, already the nation’s largest minority
group, will triple in size and will account for most of the nation’s
population growth from 2005 through 2050. Hispanics will make up
29 percent of the United States’ population in 2050, compared with
14 percent in 2005.
• The non-Hispanic white population will increase more slowly
than other racial and ethnic groups; whites will become a minority
(47 percent) by 2050.
Sources: Pew Hispanic Center, The Gonzales Group
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39
Illustration By Scott Maxwell/dreamstime.com
you going to get a soda (cola, pop, soft drink) or
are you going to get a Coke? Are you going to
get a sports car or are you going to get a Ferrari?
In each turn from the generic category of
thing or service to the specific brand, the brand
holds all of the generic meaning but adds to it
the greater degree of cache, history and quantitative content that gives us a shorthand for saying what we want or don’t want.
As another example, contrast Toyota with
Yugo. The former is synonymous with quality
and value, the latter is synonymous with inferior design and heartbreakingly poor quality. (Of
course, that’s if you even remember the Yugoslavian subcompact import; either way, Google it
and take note of the Time article that will likely
appear at the top of the search results.)
REPRESENT WHAT YOU WANT
So if you are an apartment operator, what do
you want in your brand? Likely, you want it to
express the concept of home. You likely want
to represent the quality of your product.
Brand
Know yourself in order to help
your customer know you.
By
MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography & Professional Imaging
40
JUNE 2008
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QUESTION YOURSELF
Whatever the business and whatever your
position within the business, there are shared
routes to taking control of your brand and making it recognizable to your clientele and a variety of ways to ask the questions. That said, I’ve
been thinking about the following questions
and attempting to come up with the means to
find the answers:
• Who does my brand reach? I want to
know the people who know me. Of the people I
want to know, I want to know who doesn’t
know me so I can shape my marketing efforts to
gain their attention. I also want to know the
people I don’t want to know so I don’t waste
my marketing resources.
MARKETING Image
Savvy
H
ere’s the thing about brands: Even if you haven’t given it much
thought, you – individually – have one. Your company has one. Call it
personality, identity, style or whatsoever makes you unique, but you
can’t avoid branding.
Ideally, you have a brand that is positive, memorable and that excites the people
who know you. You might be uniquely boring – a stereotype, a brand you might not
exactly want. In the worst case, you might not be memorable at all.
The notion of branding is something I’ve been thinking about for quite a long
time, both as an abstract concept and in the close-to-home work of building my
own business. By my observations, when a brand really works – when it has seated
itself effectively in the larger social consciousness – the brand supplants the product.
KLEENEX VS. TISSUES
MARKETING Image
that specific category of service we might provide. The challenge is to be the memorable
foundation repair company, the memorable
plumber, the electrician who comes to mind
first, the best painter, the best makeready, insurance agent, lawyer, marketing partner, etc.
For instance, think about blowing your nose: Are you going to use a “tissue” or
are you going to ask for a Kleenex (regardless of whether or not you choose Puffs
over the actual Kleenex brand)? If you’re going to go get a hot caffeinated beverage
in the morning, are you going to go get coffee or are you going to get Starbucks? Are
For those of us who work to take care of
the people and businesses that operate
apartment communities, we want our
brands to represent what we do and that
we’re the best for whatever that specific
category of service we might provide.
In particular, you want people who encounter
your brand to automatically think of it as a
sign of a good place to call home, a place with
good neighbors and the answer to all their
desires for the living situation that fits their
individual means.
It doesn’t much matter what class your
properties fall into, but how your property
staff operates, how they show the units, how
you invest in the ongoing maintenance and
improvement of your assets all speak to the
reinforcement of the brand you define (or that
is defined for you).
For those of us who work to take care of the
people and businesses that operate apartment
communities, we want our brands to represent
what we do and that we’re the best for whatever
• What does my brand represent? There are
a couple of basic parts to this: saying what you
want and knowing what people say. As you
define your brand, what are the three or four
characteristics you want people to take away
when they see you or your company? I’m asking myself, “When people hear my name, what
first comes to mind? Did I have a direct hand in
shaping their perceptions through active marketing efforts, or did it just happen passively? Is
the brand perception positive?”
• When do my clients/prospective clients
encounter my brand? What are the ways you
reach your clients? Do you reach them through
advertising, through their individual contact
with your business or at a second tier, where
people who know you and can speak to your
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41
strengths are doing the marketing for you?
• Where is my brand present and visible?
There are direct aspects to brand presence; for
instance, if you are advertising, are you advertising in the places where you will reach the people you want to reach? If you are networking,
are you talking with the right people? At the
most personal level, do you present yourself
physically in a manner that aligns with your
brand? Do your employees or colleagues carry
themselves with a similar sense of deportment?
Additionally, there are indirect aspects to
brand presence – the carryover of referrals, the
places the where the people who talk about you
end up talking about you, the publications and
resources where the results of your work are
reviewed. Are the people who refer you the people who you want making referrals? Are people
talking about you in the places you want them
to be talking about you?
• Why is my brand what it is? What have
you done to shape your brand? How is your
brand what you want, and how do you need to
change your brand to make it more of what
you want?
• How do my marketing efforts reinforce
and invigorate my brand? What are the results
that you see? How long does it take you to see
the results? Who are you asking to determine
the impact and value of your efforts? What are
the metrics that allow you to determine
whether or not your efforts are successful?
Your answers endow you with the ability to
say what you need to say to take control of
your brand and shape it as you want it. By
knowing who you want to reach, where you
want to reach them and what you want to
convey, you can shape the message you and
your staff deliver through personal interaction
and define the character you want your business to represent. With that definition in hand,
you can generate the marketing strategy, advertising copy, imagery and placement that shows
you to be as you want to be seen by the people
you want to attract.
Mark Hiebert is Hiebert
Photography & Professional
Imaging, your source for quality
photography services for businesses and individuals. You can
learn more about Hiebert
Photography & Professional
Imaging online at www.hiebertphotography.com
or you can contact Mark directly at
[email protected].
42
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Illustration By Andres Rodriguez/dreamstime.com
MAKE THE TIME TO MAKE
THE APPOINTMENT
When you have a vacancy, your skill on the
phone is crucial to getting it leased. You can
have great advertising, a nice rental property
and great management skills – and an empty
home if you don’t know how to convert phone
traffic. Most prospect phone calls last less than
a minute. For professionally managed multifamily communities, the average is 47 seconds.
I consider myself a pretty good sales person,
and I occasionally talk as though I am an auctioneer, but I can’t convince someone to rent a
house from me in 47 seconds.
As an industry, we waste so much effort on
the phone! Keep in mind the overall goal of
your call: to land an appointment. You do this
by going through the five essential steps to the
phone sales process: attention, interest, conviction, desire and the close.
ATTENTION AND INTEREST
Convert
those
Calls
These techniques can help
everyone from small property
owners to seasoned leasing
consultants make the most
of valuable phone traffic.
By
CHRISTOPHER HIGGINS, The Apartment Guy
MARKETING Sales
44
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F
inding the right renter for your home or vacant apartment is not easy, but
compare your situation to that of most salespeople and they will tell you
you’ve got it easy. Most of our customers call us. Most salespeople have to
go out and find customers. Plus, finding a place to live isn’t a casual sale –
not the kind of thing people waste time “just looking for.” So why is it so hard
for us to convert that phone traffic? Because we just don’t do it right! We think of
it as a nuisance, a break in our routine.
I work with small property owners and large apartment management companies, and I find the same phenomenon with each. I will be in someone’s office
working on marketing issues and listen to them rush through a prospect phone
call so they can get back to whatever it was they were doing before. What a waste!
You have spent good money and appreciable effort to generate that call. Why rush
through it?
Attention is generated before the phone
even rings. The prospect has driven by your
“For Rent” sign three times to scrawl the
phone number on the back of a receipt from
the glove compartment or perhaps come across
your ad in the local paper or on an Internet
site. Signage and advertising tends to get
prospects’ attention and lead them to us. That
is one of the great things about the way we sell
– the customer calls us.
You have to be educated and familiar with
your advertising to know what information
your prospects have seen or read already and
what they do not know. Don’t waste your
time reciting bullet points they have likely
seen in print. Spend your time creating
interest in items they have not heard about
yet and expanding on what has interested
them already.
Interest can be generated with how you treat
that phone call. The first four sentences you
speak are when the prospect will decide
whether you are worth listening to. Practice
and have a good opener – not a script, but a
way to let people know you have the information they need and that you’ll be fun and
pleasant to talk to. Be prepared and ready to
answer the phone before you pick it up. Don’t
multitask – this phone call is the most important thing you have going on right now.
Most phone calls start with the prospect asking, “How much are you asking for the twobedroom?” A mistake is often made when you
immediately answer with a rent amount. Keep
in mind that the person asking the questions is
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45
MARKETING Sales
Build upon the interest and
attention they have shown in
calling you by creating a word
picture. Sell the property and
extol its features. Avoid exaggeration or unsubstantiated
claims when enticing interest.
in control. If you answer your prospect, you have ceded control of
the conversation. It is nearly impossible to get it back.
ASK GOOD QUESTIONS
Instead of merely answering the question, turn it around. Say
something like, “That is a great unit with a number of terrific features. Would you mind if I tell you a bit more about it?” Most of
your rental prospects will say yes. You have now gained control of
the call and set yourself up for an informational exchange. The
following few questions are all things you are likely asking now,
but maybe in a different order or a different tone: “I didn’t get your
name, mine is ____________________.” “I appreciate your call, how
did you find out about us?” “What about this property caught
your interest?”
Follow these responses with, “If it is OK, I would like to ask a couple of additional questions to be sure that this would be a good fit for
you.” This is more of a statement than a question, but you most
always will get an affirmative response. It sets you up for a more
detailed conversation that isn’t likely to end in 47 seconds. “When
were you looking to make your move?” “What were you wanting in
your next place?” “Why are you leaving your current residence?”
Once you have the answers to these questions, you can begin to
describe the rental you are offering.
Build upon the interest and attention they have shown in calling
you by creating a word picture. Sell the property and extol its features. Avoid exaggeration or unsubstantiated claims when enticing
interest. Avoid saying things like “it is unbelievable,” “it is amazing,”
and “you won’t believe your eyes.” I have only seen a couple of
“unbelievable” rental homes, and they were all in Aspen or the
Bahamas. You can sell without overselling. If you have paid attention
to the prospects’ answers to questions, you should know which items
you offer will to be important to them, so hype those!
lead you to a successful phone call conclusion
– a yes to see the unit in person.
After selling value first, provide the pricing
last. Then you can start the qualifying process
with a question, “I am currently renting that
unit for $950 a month with one month’s
deposit. Does that fit within your budget?” If
you get specific questions relating to your
qualifications, what it takes to qualify or what
the costs are to get moved in, you can go into
this with your prospect. Otherwise, you need
to proceed as though the caller is qualified. If
you judge your prospect based on your short
conversation, you are likely to be wrong.
The last step requires true salesmanship –
creating desire from your prospect. You can’t
just get their attention, build interest, convince
them and leave it at that. You have to turn that
conviction into desire – a desire to make the
move, to agree to appointments, to bring their
checkbooks. This can often be done by creating
a believable sense of urgency with your caller.
When you give a small child a toy and he or she
acts like it isn’t so great, have you ever tried to
take it back? Whoa! All of a sudden, that is the
best toy in the whole world.
The same happens with adults – but maybe
not quite as drastically. Sell your prospects on
the virtues of your rental by using a great phone
presentation. Paint a word picture of the perfect
place. Show them how easy it will be to move
in and take advantage of the amenities and conveniences you offer. Let them revel in finding
what they sought, then swipe it out of their
hands. This is a sure-fire way to land a quick
appointment and a likely rental.
Having good phone skills is an essential tool
in renting your property. Every property owner
can be more successful if they keep in mind
some basic phone tactics. Your prospect is likely
calling two to four other properties, but your
chance of winning the lease is much higher if
you make the most of each phone call.
Christopher Higgins is The Apartment Guy, a
professional speaker, industry educator and marketing consultant based in Montana. He started his
career in West Texas with his own print apartment
publications and at age 23, became the national
marketing and training director for a top multifamily developer and has almost two decades of years
of experience in the industry. For more, visit
www.theapartmentguy.net.
CONVICTION AND THE CLOSE
Conviction is created by asking your prospect a series of questions
that will lead you to “yes.” This is the trial or mini-close. When you
talk about an individual feature, like a garage or new dishwasher, cap
off the comment with a question like, “Doesn’t that sound great?”
“Would that work for you?” or “Are you wanting one of those?”
You will start to get a number of yeses. All of these little yeses tend to
46
JUNE 2008
ABODE
Did you miss an issue of ABODE? Complete
issues are now available for download in our
online archives. See the HAA Web site at
www.haaonline.org and click on
“ABODE Magazine” for details.
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PHOTO ALBUM
MAINTENANCE MANIA
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2008 Maintenance Mania
National Championship Qualifying Awards
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MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography
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PHOTO ALBUM
50
JUNE 2008
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MAINTENANCE MANIA
Photos by
MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography
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51
DESIGNATE OF THE MONTH
By
RACHEL ZOCH, HAA STAFF
Here For You
Laura Collins earned the CAS designation to refresh her knowledge
and to show empathy and support for her customers.
Having the CAS
is showing the
management
side that you
know how they
feel. … That
way they know
that you’re on
their side.
P
roperty management may seem like a simple
endeavor from the outside, but those who
work on site know better. Once a manager,
Classic Touch Painting’s Laura Collins wanted to make sure her customers know that she
understands their business from their perspective, so she
took the courses to become a Certified Apartment Supplier.
“Having the CAS, to me, is showing the management
side that you know how they feel,” she said. “Not every
vendor has been on site, and I just think that it’s important. … That way they know that you’re on their side, you
know what they go through on a daily basis, and I think
it’s important for them to feel that you’re there for them.”
LEARNING THE ROPES
After a stint in restaurant management, Collins made
the move to property management at the suggestion of a
former coworker who offered an on-site position with a
free apartment. When that property changed hands a few
months later, Collins took a job with Diane
Gilbert at a neighboring community and got what
she considers her first real taste of the industry.
“Obviously she hired me as a leasing agent
because I had no experience, was greener than
green, and after probably about three weeks and a
negative closing ratio, she decided that I would be
better as a bookkeeper,” Collins said, laughing, “
… I think she saw something in me that even I
didn’t see. I was a bookkeeper for a while, and
when Diane was leaving for a new opportunity she
recommended me for the management position to
our supervisor, and that is how I became manager.”
Gilbert was a tough but fair mentor who
instilled in her the importance of learning the ins
and outs of the business and knowing what
you’re doing, says Collins.
“You can’t come to work and just expect things
to fall into place,” she said. “… You have to do
your research and you know your business.
There’s a balance, and there is a fine line in being
a woman in this business. You can’t be a
pushover, nor can you allow yourself to be
walked on. It’s really important to continually
educate yourself in your field. You simply cannot
know too much!”
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RESPECT FOR THE CUSTOMER
A fellow supplier recently asked Collins whether she
had found the CAS useful since earning it. Earning the
designation doesn’t mean the customers automatically
come rolling in, she says, but the knowledge gained and
the respect earned make the CAS well worth the effort.
“I think people look at you differently, and I think people respect – especially managers – that you took the
time out of your schedule to learn what they know,” she
said. Whether you do anything with it or not is totally up
to you, and whether you advertise that you have the
CAS, obviously that’s totally up to you. …
“I don’t walk into a property and say, ‘Hi, I’m Laura,
and I have my CAS designation.’ But as we’re sitting
and visiting, if I have the opportunity to visit with someone, and they ask, ‘What’s your background?’ I tell them
I was on site for a while, and I remember being on site
but it’s been a while, and I have refreshers through the
CAS designation.”
Collins thinks the designation courses are
especially helpful to give vendors new to the
industry, as well as seasoned vendors who
have never worked on site, an inside look at
the numerous daily demands a property manager must handle.
“You have no idea of how busy they are,”
she said, “and I think the CAS opens people’s
eyes to how many different items that on-site
managers have to pay attention to with the
laws always changing.”
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
Collins also says there are some things
about her business that most managers are
simply too swamped to learn, like the finer
points of painting and makereadies, which she
has learned since becoming a vendor about 10
years ago. Before founding Classic Touch
Painting with a partner in 2002, she managed
Color Splash Painting for several years.
“I was basically learning as I was going,”
she said, “managing but learning everything
I think people respect that
you took the time out
of your schedule to learn
what they know.
about painting and makereadies. …When I
was on site, I had a maintenance supervisor
who dealt with that, and so really I didn’t learn
any of that until I was with Color Splash.”
Collins describes her business partner, Jose
Silvestre, who prefers to work with crews in
the field while she handles the networking and
marketing end of the business, as indispensable, and she says she wouldn’t do it without
him. She also says that while the CAS designation earns her respect in the multifamily
industry, being a woman at the head of a company that does work typically attributed to
men can still pose a challenge.
“As a woman, you have to prove yourself
unless it’s a ‘women’s industry,’” she said, “so
me being in, I guess, what would typically be
a man’s role is sometimes challenging because
it’s almost like I have to prove to you that I
know my business.”
But like many in the HAA family, Collins is
hooked for life.
“I absolutely love the industry,” she said. “If
I left this, I don’t know that I would go anyplace outside the industry. It’s almost like
once you’re in, you’re stuck somehow. …
There are many reasons to stay in the industry
and one is the many friendships that you make
over the years. I feel like it’s our own little
world, and I am happy to be a part of it.”
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53
Your Network
J
HAA is
Just because the official campaign luncheon meetings
have ended doesn’t mean you can’t still recruit!
By recruiting new members through June and July you can
win cash prizes and a chance to join us for a party cruise
on Galveston Bay in August to relax and celebrate with
your HAA network of friends (more details to come).
Peggy Charles, Brandt Electrical,
and Lydia Conn, Asset Plus
Leticia Dorotea, Tarantino, and
Rafael Valdespino, All Floors
Keeley Park, Alliance Communities; Andrea
Winans, Bishop’s Office Needs; and Beth Varney,
RPM Daily Services
Marsha Hollis, Greystar, and
Tracie McCaulley, Riverstone
New members John Ferguson, Turner
Electrical Services, and Daryl Turner,
KT Building Services
Ameritex Movers
New member Judith Gallegos, Spring Branch Towing,
with Veronica Chavez and Maria Roman, Guardian Equity
Management
Help HAA and your company network grow. For more
information, contact Lisa Butler at 713-595-0322 or
[email protected].
Thank you to Meeting 6 co-sponsor Foundation Specialists Inc.
New members Jillian Rossi
& Gretchen Mendez,
American Patriot Industries
Thank you to Meeting 5 co-sponsors Certified Recovery Systems
and Utility Advantage of Texas.
Thanks to Meeting 6 co-sponsor
Resident Data.
New members with Absolute Turn-Key and First Capital
Commercial with Suan Tinsley, GFI Management Services
Theresa Lamar and Dean O’Kelley,
Eileen Subinsky, Michael Stevens Interests,
and TAA President David Hargrove,
Greystone Asset Management
Thank you to Finale Happy Hour co-sponsor
Hiebert Photography & Professional Imaging.
54
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Thank you to Finale Happy Hour co-sponsor
Apartments.com.
Steve Estrada, Foundation Specialists Inc.; Patrick Sheahan,
Sherwin-Williams; and Sonny Unverzagt, Best Plumbing
Trey Stone, Guardian Equity Management,
and Suan Tinsley, GFI
Caroline Kane, Summit Asset
Management, and Jason
Newsom, Newsom Landscaping
Sonia Lopez, Gloria Haney and David Jones, Southhampton Management;
Vicki Summitt, Direct Energy; and Billy Griffin, Century Air Conditioning
Tony Whitaker, Foundation Specialists Inc.;
Dick LaMarche, Creative Property Management;
and Jerry Winograd, Judwin Properties
Michelle Bridges-Pahl, Century A/C,
and Mindy Price, BG Personnel
The Tarantino Properties team
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JUNE 2008
55
New member Todd Riedel, ML Deer Construction;
Kathy Moriarity, Greystar; and Byron Plant, Asset Plus
Carina Bryars and Anita Harrison,
Greystar
Mindy Price, BG Personnel; Suan Tinsley, GFI Management Services;
Vicki Summitt, Direct Energy; and Sandra Dilley and Lorraine McCoy,
The Finger Companies
The Ygnition Networks group
Robert Barton and Pam Lupercio,
Milestone Management
Barbara Brett, McBride Electric,
and Steve Park, AAA Plumbers
Keep recruiting to build your network and win cash prizes!
56
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AMBASSADORS
What Do You Need?
Ambassadors use your questionnaires to find out how HAA can help you.
Top producers at the April meeting. From left are Co-chair Michelle Pahl,
and Jacob Kunath, Century Air Conditioning; Co-captain Mary Estrada,
Certified Recovery/Verification Plus; and Co-chair Kevin Fenn, Pavecon.
New Ambassadors at April meeting. From left are Co-chair Michelle Pahl, Century
Air Conditioning; Israel Garza, ICI Paints; Andrea Winans, Bishop’s Office Needs;
Tony Francis, AFLAC; Andrew Baker, Builders Granite & Tile Inc.; Patrick Sheahan,
Sherwin Williams Co.; Jacob Kunath, Century Air Conditioning; and Co-chair
Kevin Fenn, Pavecon.
AMBASSADOR VIPS
This list reflects the number of questionnaires completed by each Ambassador.
Ambassadors listed in bold reached new achievement levels at press time.
HALL OF FAME
700
Patrick Sheahan
500
Julio Garcia
Ambassadors reaching new levels for April. From left are Co-chair
Michelle Pahl, Century Air Conditioning; Darlene Dow, Ameritex Movers;
Alan Jones, ICI Paints; and Co-chair Kevin Fenn, Pavecon.
AMBASSADORS OF THE MONTH
400
Rashann Fontenot
300
Barbara Brett
David Hardwick
Jimmie Hotz
Alan Jones
Nancé Wells
250
Patrick Brothers
Peggy Charles
Michael Flores
Billy Griffin
Michelle Pahl
Alan Jones
ICI Paints
300 Questionnaires
Joe Slaughter
Rasa Floors
75 Questionnaires
The Ambassadors are the eyes and ears of HAA, surveying members on
their wants and needs. If you would like to be a part of the Ambassador
Club, contact Lisa Butler at 713-595-0322 or [email protected].
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150
Kevin Fenn
Amy Mauer
Tony Montemarano
Jimmy Renteria
Randy Rowles
200
NORA KRAKOWER
LIFETIME AWARD
Laura Collins
Lisa Grimes
Kathy Smith
Donald Sweitzer
Andrea Winans
100
CHRISTINE MOHEB
MEMORIAL AWARD
Debbie Andreozzi
Mary Estrada
M.J. Featherston
Fernando Gomez
Billie Johnson
Nora Krakower
Brenda Nite
Sandra Parker
Pablo Paz
Karin ChurchfieldTyson
James Wagner
75
Karl Heinrich
John Hill
Norma Ledbetter
Joe Slaughter
Roland Silas
Todd Smith
25
Stephen Abila
Jessica Baker
Jeff Blevins
Janet Dorsett
Darlene Dow
Andrea Dunlop
Kimberly Flores
Israel Garza
James Gregory
Erica Hallmark
Dallas Hardwick
Dan James
Glenda Jeffcoat
Dean O’Kelley
Chuck Littlepage
Mark Park
Beth Rohani
Mike Romano
Shawn Royer
Preston Sams
Carlos Sanchez
10
Greg Baughman
Ronnie Beavers
Grant Crowell
Aimee Ferrini
Travis Fowler
Laura Hancock
Jason Henley
Philip Jones
Jacob Kunath
Laura Lestus
Erin McCary
Deana Miller
Krista Oliver
Michelle Opalewski
Wendy Pearson
Robert Pfunder
Mindy Price
Carlos Sanchez
Crystal Sepulveda
Wayne Trusty
Glenda Vargas
Beth Varney
Kevin Wendt
Angie Wilganowski
Brandy Williams
Ron Winans
Producers from the Grimes, Featherston and
Mauer team, The HAA Idols. In the back row
from left are Jacob Kunath, Century Air
Conditioning; Pete Lopez, HD Supply;
Patrick Brothers, Andre Gonzalez and
Fernando Gomez, Century Air Conditioning;
Sandy Heard, Republic Waste; Kenyon
Carroll, Maintenance Supply Headquarters;
Sylvia Avila, Republic Waste; Laura Lestus,
Liberty Personnel/Executive Search; Darlene
Dow, Ameritex Movers, Ronnie Beavers,
Presto Maintenance Supply; Mark Griggs
and J.J. Chism, Paramount Insurance Repair
Service; Co-captain M.J. Featherston, Access
Electric; Co-captain Lisa Grimes, D&C
Contracting; Israel Garza, ICI Paints; and
Co-chair Kevin Fenn, Pavecon. Seated in
front from left are Co-chair Michelle Pahl
and Jessica Tollett, Century Air Conditioning;
Elizabeth Rhoden, Randy Risher Fitness Inc.;
Co-captain Amy Mauer, Abbey Residential;
and Beth Varney, RPM Daily Services Inc.
Producers from Charles, Collins and
Estrada team, The Legends. In back
from left are Co-captain Michelle
Pahl, Century Air Conditioning;
Alan Jones, ICI Paints; Reggie
Alexander and Jimmie Hotz, HD
Supply; Co-captain Laura Collins,
Classic Touch Painting; Keith
Licciardo, HD Supply; Patrick
Sheahan, Sherwin Williams Co.;
Co-chair Kevin Fenn, Pavecon;
Co-captain Mary Estrada, Certified
Recovery/Verification Plus; and John
Hill, Asset Resource. Seated in front
from left are Andrea Winans,
Bishop’s Office Needs; Barbara
Brett, McBride Electric; Co-captain
Peggy Charles, Brandt Electrical
Services; and Janet Dorsett,
Phonoscope Cable.
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JUNE 2008
59
PROPERTY UPDATE
NEW CONSTRUCTION
Woodmark Real Estate Services is set to open Stoneleigh Cypress
Station, 228 units at 18203 Westfield Place Drive, this month.
Orion Real Estate Services has opened The Retreat at Cinco Ranch,
268 units at 3306 S. Fry Road in Katy.
PROPERTY CHANGES
The Fairfield Residential portfolio now includes Lakeland Estates,
264 units at 630 Colony Lakes Estates Drive in Stafford.
Concierge Asset Management now operates the Westchase Forest
Apartments, 400 units at 11355 Richmond.
Greystar has assumed management of the following properties:
Gramercy Park, 224 units at 2601 Gramercy Blvd.
The Preserve at Kingwood, 320 units at 27600 Kings Manor Drive N.
Briar Meadows, 256 units at 1414 So. Dairy Ashford
Westhollow Park, 404 units at 2503 Panagard
Tanglewood at Voss, 376 units at 7510 Burgoyne
Tradewinds, 222 units at11303 S. Wilcrest
Wilshire Park, 180 units at 2686 Murworth
Hills Property Management now operates the Windsor Cypress
Apartments, 208 units at 12035 Huffmeister in Cypress, and the Club
at Staplechase Apartments, 137 units at 13504 Schroeder.
The Tarantino portfolio now includes Twin Pines, 40 units at
1109 W. 25th St.; Pecan Villas, 40 units at 4725 N. Main St.; and the
Colonial Apartments, 156 units at 900 N. Durham.
Bailey Properties now operates the 2120 Kipling Apartments,
27 units at 2120 Kipling.
Changes for
Properties
and
People
The Westdale Asset Management portfolio now includes the Place
Vendome Apartments, 220 units at 7600 Highmeadows Drive. The
property is set to be deoccupied and demolished to make way for a
mid-rise development later this year.
Sumar Realty has assumed management of the MacArthur Park
Apartments, 90 units at 9616 Long Point.
Derbyshire Investments LLC now operates the Green Meadows
Apartments, 240 units at 17310 Kieth Harrow Blvd.
McCord Development now owns the Willowick Court Townhomes,
171 units at 3237 Las Palmas. Redevelopment is planned.
Resource Residential now operates Tanglewood Court, 634 units at
5885 San Felipe.
JAW Equity Management LLC now operates the following:
Ashford Point, 224 units at 3950 Ashburnham
Live Oak Bend (was Greenridge Park), 252 units at 1351 Greens Pkwy.
Courtyard Manor (was Wayforest Glen), 155 units at 17601 Wayforest
Waterfall Park (was Waterstone), 294 units at 7502 Corporate Drive
The Lodge (was Westbrook Place), 320 units at 7825 and 7901
Corporate Drive.
Pecan Place Apartments, 249 units at 2001 Jenkins Road in Pasadena,
is now part of the Graywood Management portfolio.
NAME CHANGES
IN THE NEWS
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Welter
Sanchez
Christian
Capodice
Apartment Home Living reports a number of
personnel changes: Cindi Bewley is now senior
vice president of sales; Shawn Welter has joined
the company as an industry specialist; Crystal
Sanchez has joined the staff as a customer service representative; and Chad Christian has been
promoted to marketing partner.
Dwain Capodice has joined HD Supply.
Karen Nelsen is now general sales manager
with For Rent Media Solutions.
Jade Zarember is now an account executive
with Houston Pest.
Apartment Finder has two new employees:
Sandra Parker, administrative coordinator, and
Crystal Ford, customer service representative.
Michelle Gates and Beverly Norris have
joined Greystar as regional property managers.
Mike Bishop Properties is now known as Graywood Management.
Windfall Properties has changed the name of San Jacinto Gardens,
68 units at 6115 La Salette, to The Oaks La Salette Apartments.
JAS Properties Ltd. is now known as Dakota Enterprises.
Nelsen
Parker
Ford
Gates
CONGRATULATIONS
James Gregory,
Redi Carpet Sales
of Houston, has
announced his
engagement to
Lacy Hudson. A
September wedding is planned.
Gregory & Hudson
The Houston Housing Authority was recently
recognized for its efforts by the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development, which
awarded HHA a prestigious “high performer”
rating for its operation of the Section 8 Housing
Choice Voucher Program. This is the highest designation HUD awards for operating such programs nationwide. HHA assists approximately
46,305 individuals with affordable housing
through the Section 8 program.
Congratulations to Westdale Asset
Management’s Humble Tower for earning a
spot among Houston’s top ten lofts in an
ApartmentWIZ survey of Houston apartment
locators and residents. These lofts were selected
by residents and apartment locators based on
five factors including overall value, location, quality of property management, building maintenance and overall resident satisfaction.
60
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JUNE 2008
61
WELCOME MAT
OWNER MEMBERS
AK Homes Inc.
Art Eagleman
1523 S Persimmon St.
Tomball, TX 77375
281-255-2856
AK Homes Inc. Properties
Arbor Property
Management Inc.
Kathy Derby
5914 W. Courtyard Drive
#310
Austin, TX 78730
512-343-2762
Seven Gables Apartments
Sherwood Pines Apartments
Bissonnet Oaks LLC
Omri Shafran
Introducing
7003 Bissonnet
Houston, TX 77074-6011
713-270-7090
Oaks on Bissonnet Apts.
Capital Resources Group Inc.
Mark Pantak
5380 W. 34th St. #272
Houston, TX 77092
832-206-9427
Centaurus Property
Management
Justine Hendrix
3100 Carlisle #100
Dallas, TX 75204-0931
866-206-7128
Ashley Square Apartments
Casa Nube en Bissonnet Apts.
La Jolla on the Lake Apts.
Hidden Pines Apartments
Inglewood Village Apartments
SUPPLIER MEMBERS
AMSI
Cheryl Tritt
13831 Northwest Fwy. #550
713-690-2674
Accounting/Bookkeeping
Systems
Computers-Software & Service
Action Executive Search LLC
Micha Dearen
26627 Surrey Park Lane
Katy, TX 77494-2382
713-589-9556
Employment Agencies
Personnel Consultants
Referred by Melissa Coffey
AFLAC
Karen Trudeaux
1830 Edena Drive
832-887-3736
Insurance
Referred by Lisa Grimes
Ambit Energy
Debra Guerrero
6023 Ave. S # 246
Galveston, TX 77551-5419
832-878-9283
Utility Companies
Referred by Lisa Grimes
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Shenandoah Woods Apts.
Southern Oaks Apartments
Unity Pointe Apartments
Waters at Kirkwood Apts.
Casa Nube en Montgomery
Apartments
Referred by Erica Hallmark
Gail Dudley
26914 Holly Lord
Magnolia, TX 77355
281-455-6575
Gail Dudley Property
Elite Asset Management
Demetre Booker
2878 Camino Del Rio
San Diego, CA 92108
661-547-9567
See Pages 20 and 21
Baywood Arms Apartments
Apartment Gurus
James Amaro
448 W. 19th St. #290
713-862-2587
Apt. Rental Info. & Services
Locators
Referred by Beth Rohani
Braun’s Roofing Inc.
Rusty Bushek
6122 S. Loop East
713-645-0505
Roofing Contractors
Roofing Services Consultants
Bury & Partners Inc.
Leona King
330 Rayford Road #106
Spring, TX 77386
713-494-6378
Trumark Realty Properties
Texas Regional Properties
LLP
Jacki Dills
17336 W. Little York
Houston, TX 77084
281-550-7111
Chateau Village Apartments
Verde Apartment
Communities
Stacy Westbay
calendars of upcoming events. Register online
1801 Royal Lane #400
a discounted rate. Call 713-595-0300
for details.
Trumark Realty
Dallas, TX 75229
Welcome to HAA!
for
at www.haaonline.org for
Craig Carpenter
1001 W. Loop South #200
713-212-0011
Engineers-Civil
Land Planning Service
Anchor Services
Fred Kerby
3511 Bering Drive
Houston, TX 77057
713-266-2777
Roofing Contractors
General Contractors
Referred by Terri Clifton
Houston Goodson LLC
103 Goodson Drive
Houston, TX 77060
281-448-8590
Magnolia Regency Apts.
APRIL new members
Cosentino
Bethany Segraves
13124 Trinity Drive
Stafford, TX 77477-4225
281-494-7277
Countertops
Stone
Referred by Mindy Price
Crimestoppers of Houston
Katherine Cabaniss
P.O. Box 541654
713-521-4600
Crime Prevention Programs
Goldstar Painting
Michael Brown
P.O. Box 1244
League City, TX 77574
281-924-2212
Paint
Painting Contractors
Jusa Resurfacing & Painting
Co.
Juan Sanchez
P.O. Box 631851
832-687-2966
Bathtubs & Sinks-Repair
& Refinishing
Leisure Creations
Adam Bravo
67 Ash Ave.
Russellville, AL 35653-4155
256-332-4567
Furniture-Outdoor
Pool Furniture-Repair &
Restoration
Neza Carpet Cleaning
Angelica Cortez
934 Ashland Blvd.
Channelview, TX 77530
281-457-6400
Carpet & Rug Cleaners
Carpet & Rug Dyers
Performance Promotional
& Printed Products
Jeff Edens
7100 Ertel
Houston, TX 77040
713-301-0752
Advertising-Specialties
Printers
Referred by Beth Rohani
PWS-The Laundry Company
Ilene Fudim
3402 East TC Jester Blvd
323-490-1827
Washer/Dryer Sales
Laundry Equipment & Supplies
RB Painting
& Resurfacing Co.
Reyes Berrones
P.O. Box 4316
Pasadena, TX 77502-0316
281-221-5120
Counter Tops
Ritchmond Construction Inc.
Jason Ritchmond
1237 Blalock #103
713-784-3009
Carpenters
Fire/Water Damage
Restoration
Balcony Repair
General Contractors
Royal Sweeping & Paving LLC
Robert Raney
8815 Emmott Road #800
PHOTO ALBUM
Sponsors Paramount Insurance and MAB Flooring with Closest to the Pin winners
Jessie Sagovia and Greg Kostanzi
BILL DINERSTEIN MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Sponsors Orkin Innovative Pest Control and Wilmar Industries with Longest
Drive – Cypress Course winner Brian Downey
Photos by
Longest Drive – Pecan Course winner
Justin Karm
MARK HIEBERTand CHUCK WILSON, Hiebert Photography
Tony Whitaker, Kim Small, Robert McDaniel and Bill Wyatt
Sal Thomas, Cesar Lima, Freddie Rodriguez
and Steve Park
Mack Armstrong, Tim Waiken, Fred Morgan and Stacy Hunt
Sponsor BG Personnel with First Place – Pecan Course winners Bobby James,
David Bowman, Judge Parrot and Emmett Lewis
Sponsor Ygnition Networks with First Place – Cypress Course winners Lonnie
Knowles, Jesus Martinez, Jesus Polino and Jesse Segovia
Putting Contest winner George Jackson
Michael Flores, Caroline Kane, Lisa Grimes
and Daniel Kittrell
Sponsor Ameritex Movers with Second Place – Pecan Course winners Kent Clark,
Kevin Williams, Kevin Kirkland and Bill Brzozowski
Sponsor Paramount Insurance with Second Place – Cypress Course winners
George Jackson, Bruce Bradford, David St. Charles and Lee Craven
Golf Chair Roger Camp with Jeff Blevins
Sponsor AAA Plumbers with Third Place – Pecan Course winners Brian Acome,
Scott Berg, Kevin Barnell and Greg Kostanzi
Sponsor Brandt Electric with Third Place – Cypress Course winners
Marvin Zindler Jr., Bart Bently, Jack Area and Larry Hill
Sponsor Ameritex Movers
with H.J. Tollett Jr.
Players and sponsors enjoy dinner at Sweetwater Country Club.
64
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Business Insurance Group
Louie Werderick, Marie Bell and Lance Williams
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JUNE 2008
65
PHOTO ALBUM
Golden Greek Carpets
BILL DINERSTEIN MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Rick Pippin, Norma Ledbetter, Ron Wenger and Kurt Seidel
Photos by
Dinner sponsors Exteriors, Foundation Specialists Inc. and Hamilton-Steele
Outdoor Accents with Golf Chair Roger Camp and Larry Hill
MARK HIEBERTand CHUCK WILSON, Hiebert Photography
Paramount Insurance Group
TOURNAMENT SPONSORS
Lunch
CenterPoint Energy Natural Gas Division
For Rent Media Solutions
Dinner
Exteriors
Hamilton-Steele
Outdoor Accents
Rick Luke, H.J. Tollett Jr., Howard Bookstaff and John Fedorko
Randy Fletcher, Mike Chambers, Steve Sweet and David Oelfke
Thanks to the beverage cart sponsors: Ameritex Movers, Century Air Conditioning, Access Electric
and CORT Furniture.
Awards
AAA Plumbers
Ameritex Movers
Brandt Electrical Services
Paramount Insurance
Repair Service
Ygnition Networks
Beverage Stations
Maintenance Supply
Headquarters
Practice Range
Kirk Tate and Jack Dinerstein
The Penco team
Putting Contest
Ameristar Screen & Glass
Sponsor Maintenance Supply
Headquarters
Beverage Carts
Access Electric
Ameritex Movers
CORT Furniture
Closest to the Pin
MAB Flooring
Paramount Insurance
Repair Service
The Hettig Management team
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Camp Construction Services
Sponsors Arrie Colca, Craven Carpet;
Peggy Charles, Brandt Electric; and
Barbara Brett, McBride Electric
Longest Drive
Orkin Innovative Pest
Control
Wilmar Industries
Hole Sponsors
Access Electric
Ameristar Screen & Glass
Ameritex Movers
Apartment Guide
Bishop’s Office Needs
CenterPoint Energy –
Natural Gas Division
Certified Recovery/
Verification Plus
Choice Corporate
Housing
Coinmach
Craven Carpet
D&C Contracting
Electric Now
Golden Greek Carpets
ICI Paints
J&L Distributors
Kwal Paint
McBride Electric
MAB Flooring
Pavecon
Perfect Surface
Phonoscope Cable
Pittsburgh Paints
Presto Maintenance
Supply
Resident Data
Valet Waste
WEB Intelligent Laundry
Systems
Wilmar Industries
Greg Young, Brian and Jack Dinerstein and Tom Caltagrione
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67
COMMUNITY WORKS
Donate
Information from the
MISSION OF YAHWEH
HAA partners with local
charity to help abuse victims.
T
he Mission of Yahweh, a shelter for
abused women and children, offers
food, clothing and shelter, as well as
rehabilitation. HAA is partnering
with the Mission to organize a drive
for needed items during the week of July 14-18
as well as an opportunity to drop off items
at the bowling tournament on Friday, July 11
at Palace Lanes. Please check the list below
and make plans to donate what you can.
For more information, please contact Susan at
713-595-0313 or [email protected].
“… I use it weekly, if not daily, whether I’m looking up a property or a vendor
service. If I don’t have a vendor for a particular service I need, you can bet
the Buyer’s Guide will be my first source in finding the answer. The Buyer’s
Guide is an excellent tool for me in running my region.”
– Suan Tinsley, GFI Management Services
Donations needed include:
• Disposable diapers sizes 2,3,4,5 & pull-ups
• Baby wipes
• Diaper rash cream
• Laundry detergent
• Bleach
• Pine-Sol
• Dish detergent
• Yard garbage bags/size 60 lbs.
• Paper towels
• Sugar, Sweet & Low, Splenda
• Creamer
• Cooking oil
• Coffee
• Odor Ban
“Being a member of HAA is like being a
member of a family you can depend on
and trust. This is why I keep my Buyer’s
Guide right by me and even at home if
there is an emergency so I can call on the
people I can trust.”
– Kim Small, Alliance Communities
Clothing needs:
• Large, X-large, 2X, & 3X size suits
and separates for interviews
• Walking shoes and close-toed shoes
• Nice handbags and accessories
Sam’s Club items needed:
• Styrofoam 10 oz. Cups 1,000/per box
• Styrofoam 12 oz. Cups 1,000/per box
• Plastic forks, knives and spoons 1,000/per box
• Detergent
• In lieu of goods, a Wal-Mart gift card would be
appreciated to buy products needed at Sam’s Club.
Please give a copy of receipt with gift card to
ensure value.
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“The Buyer’s Guide is
“like my right hand…”
Special thanks to HD Supply for its
donation and delivery of major
appliances to the mission.
“The HAA Buyer’s Guide and Directory is
the apartment industry’s ‘yellow pages.’
We all use it and keep it around for years.
When we don’t know who to call, the first
place we go is to the directory.”
– Michelle Gates, Greystar
Time after time, apartment industry decision makers turn to the HAA Directory &
Buyer’s Guide for their product and service needs. Are you advertising where your customers can see you? For more than two decades, HAA’s directory has been serving
the Houston-area multifamily industry and is the No. 1 resource for thousands of property owners and managers selecting products and services. Get your marketing dollars
into the right hands and make sure they see you there.
Save money now! Don’t miss the July 31 early-bird deadline for the 2008
Directory & Buyer’s Guide. For more information or to reserve your ad space, contact
Amanda Sherbondy at 713-595-0316, e-mail [email protected] or go online
to www.haaonline.org.
ABODE
JUNE 2008
69
HAA RESOURCES
Standard Lease Contracts, Forms & Books*
HAA members can access the most comprehensive
lease available in the industry, along with more than
30 different forms. Also available to members is the TAA Redbook
containing state and federal statutes and governmental rules that
affect all rental housing in Texas. For more information, contact
Form Sales at 713-595-0317, e-mail [email protected] or order
Information for
OWNER/MANAGEMENT COMPANY MEMBERS
Committees & Clubs
Members volunteer to work side by side with industry
peers in more than 20 activities that help the association
accomplish its goals and objectives. Pictures of volunteers are featured in
ABODE magazine every month. For more information, contact Member
Services at 713-595-0322 or e-mail [email protected].
Legislative Information
Continual updates that keep our members apprised
of pending legislation. Staff members are available
to answer questions about the state and federal laws and city
ordinances. Contact the Government Affairs Department at
713-595-0303 or 713-595-0302 or e-mail [email protected].
ABODE Magazine
HAA’s premier monthly publication – 80 pages of
interesting, informative articles from industry
insiders covering rental housing trends and tips to help reduce the
expense of day-to-day operations. A regular bi-annual report on rental
rates and occupancy statistics is published in the spring and fall.
For more information, contact the Communications Department at
713-595-0333 or 713-595-0334 or e-mail [email protected].
Resident Relations Department and Helplines
Free assistance to all member apartment personnel
who have questions or need advice when dealing
with residents. Community service for residents to help resolve
misunderstandings concerning the lease, application and security
deposits. For assistance, contact Resident Relations at
713-595-0300 or e-mail [email protected].
Directory & Buyer’s Guide
An annual listing of all member owner/management
companies, properties and companies that supply
products and services to the rental housing industry is available to HAA
members only. One copy is mailed to each member, including each
property, in January. For more information, contact the Special Services
Department at 713-595-0306 or [email protected].
Surveys/Statistical Data*
An annual salary survey is downloadable from
the HAA Web site and available only to members.
A leasing and occupancy survey is published twice a year in
ABODE magazine for spring and fall.
HAA Online
Online form sales, event calendar and registration and
job listings provide members with a direct connection to
HAA services. All member company Web site addresses have hyperlinks
where permission has been granted. This offer is free to all members.
Education Programs*
From entry-level leasing and sales technique, to
executive-level training in human resources and
marketing, there is truly something for every multi-family professional
through the Education Department. Ranging from three hours to six
months in duration, training programs are available throughout the year
and cover every discipline. Additionally, the six designation programs
from the National Apartment Association are also offered for those
professionals looking to set themselves apart in a competitive industry.
Education grants are also available for certain programs. For more
information, contact the Education and Meetings Department at
713-595-0319 or 713-595-0314, e-mail [email protected], or register
for programs online at www.haaonline.org.
Resident Credit Reporting Service (RCR)*
Powered by First Advantage SafeRent
This is an optional service for an additional charge.
RCR has partnered with First Advantage SafeRent, the nation’s leading
and most innovative provider of screening services, to expand its suite
of resident screening services currently available as an exclusive HAA
membership benefit. RCR partnered with First Advantage SafeRent to
provide leasing staff more screening resources to make consistent,
accurate, and Fair Housing compliant leasing decisions. Local rental
history (including evictions, skips and move-in and move-out data),
nationwide rental history and landlord-tenant records, broader criminal
data and retail credit reports are available in a quick and easy-to-use
Web-based application with instantly delivered results. For more
information, contact Resident Credit Reporting at 713-595-0330 or
*These benefits are in addition to your membership fee.
The Houston Apartment Association is the largest local apartment association in the U.S., representing more than 1,600 companies. We represent
2,300 apartment communities with more than 444,000 units – 90 percent of the Greater Houston market. Exposure is the key to your business
success in HAA. Your membership is only the first step. After joining, take the next step and become involved. In time, you will see results.
70
JUNE 2008
ABODE
HAA RESOURCES
General Membership Meetings*
Supplier members can take part in face-to-face
contact in a social setting with apartment industry
personnel. Bi-monthly meetings vary from chili cook-offs and volleyball
tournaments to dinner awards presentations and gala events.
Average attendance is more than 250 people. For more information,
contact the Education and Meetings Department at 713-595-0319 or
Committees & Clubs
Supplier members can volunteer to work side by side
with industry peers in more than 20 activities that help
the association accomplish its goals and objectives. Pictures of volunteers
are featured in ABODE magazine every month and could help you and
your sales staff get recognized regularly by on-site personnel. For more
information, contact Member Services at 713-595-0322 or e-mail
[email protected].
ABODE Magazine
This award-winning monthly publication contains local,
state and national news to keep our members on top of
their profession. ABODE has a circulation of 4,000 copies every month.
Advertising in ABODE will give you the consistent exposure to the Houston multifamily housing market and reinforce the efforts of your sales
people. Writing an article can show expertise in your field. For more
information on advertising, contact Supplier Services at 713-595-0316
or e-mail [email protected]. To find out more about writing for
ABODE, contact the Communications Department at 713-595-0333,
Directory & Buyer’s Guide
The “yellow pages” of HAA, one copy is mailed to all
members, including each property, in January. This
is the primary reference source used by apartment personnel to
contact HAA supplier members. Supplier members have one
alphabetical and two categorical listings, with more available for a
small fee. The book lists each property by address and by name
and the owners or management companies. Deadline to advertise
or be listed in the 2009 Directory is October 1, 2008. For more
information, contact Supplier Services at 713-595-0316 or e-mail
[email protected].
Information for
SUPPLIER COMPANY MEMBERS
Sponsorships*
Have your company name promoted by sponsoring
an event. More than 120 events are up for auction
twice a year allowing you the opportunity to target specific property
management personnel. Auctions are held in January and June.
For more information, contact Supplier Services at 713-595-0316 or
e-mail [email protected].
Mailing Labels*
Continually updated, preprinted adhesive labels
can increase the efficiency of mass mailings. Available
in three membership categories (owners, properties and suppliers)
for a nominal fee. For more information, contact Form Sales at
HAA Online
Online form sales, event calendar and registration and
job listings provide members with a direct connection to
HAA services. All member company Web site addresses have hyperlinks
where permission has been granted. This offer is free to all members.
Certified Apartment Supplier*
A certification program designed to educate suppliers
on the multifamily industry and the day-to-day
operations of an apartment property. For more information, contact
the Education and Meetings Department at 713-595-0319 or
CAS
*These benefits are in addition to your membership fee.
Get the HAA
member logo
Highlight your company’s
membership with HAA.
Use the logo on your business
Education Conference & Expo*
Market your company at this annual event with more
than 295 exhibitor booths and 4,000 potential clients.
The show is free to all apartment community personnel and will be held
at the Reliant Center. The next show is scheduled for May 2008.
For more information on the 2008 Expo, contact Supplier
Services at 713-595-0316 or e-mail [email protected].
cards, letterhead, publications,
company Web site and any
other communications tools
and marketing collateral.
Show your alliance with
your local advocate for
quality rental housing.
For more information call
HAA at 713-595-0333
Download the logo at www.haaonline.org
72
JUNE 2008
ABODE
PRESIDENT, continued from Page 7
reporters Matt Stiles and Mike Snyder even
solicited suggestions via the Web to create an
online list of “Houston’s worst complexes.”
While we cannot deny that these blighted
properties exist, we maintain that we, as
HAA members, hold ourselves to a higher
standard and that the city has all the tools it
needs to combat blight. A splashy article by
Stiles and Snyder (“Houston gets tougher on
dilapidated apartments”) appeared on May
11, detailing substandard conditions at a
handful of non-member properties. The
reporters interviewed board member and
past president Eileen Subinsky and HAA’s
Andy Teas, however, the article only reflected a small portion of Andy’s comments.
HAA sent a letter to the editorial board of
the Chronicle in response, and although our
letter was not printed, we are pleased to note
that the Chronicle picked up several of our
points for its own editorial on May 17 (“Urban
embarrassment: Houston’s campaign to clean
up blighted apartment complexes is long overdue”). Both HAA and the Chronicle contend
that the city need only enforce laws already on
the books to combat blight, as with the closing
of the Carter’s Grove Apartments last year.
We are also pleased that the Chronicle
views our industry leaders largely as “responsible business people who maintain their
investments.” But one bad apple gets more
press than the 90 percent of us who are
doing things right, and the editorial included
a statement from me that we support cracking down on the relatively few unscrupulous
operators in the city through tough enforcement of existing laws.
Andy Teas, Aimee Arrington and the Media
Relations Committee are working hard to keep
an eye out for these stories and to offer more
positive stories representative of the good
work that we do in this industry to bring quality rental housing to half of the region’s population. One such effort is HAA’s involvement
with the YMCA and its Water Wise safety program. I spoke with the Houston Chronicle’s
Allen Turner to promote the program and
express HAA’s commitment to teaching children and their parents how to enjoy the water
safely. See Pages 28 and 29 for more information on this important effort to prevent
drownings and how you can get involved.
7777 Blankenship Drive • Houston, Texas • 77055
SUMMER SPECIAL
Also, don’t forget about the summer sponsorship auction coming up on Wednesday,
June 18! See Page 18 for more details on this
fun and fast-paced event that helps support
HAA and HAF events.
ABODE
JUNE 2008
73
Apartment Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover
713-960-8292 . . . . . . . . . .www.apartmentguide.com
J Turner Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
713-954-4840 . . . . . . . . . . .www.jturnerresearch.com
Texas Apartment Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
800-493-5406
Apartment Video Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
281-480-0742
Magic Ladder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.magicladder.com
Venterra Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
832-300-1500/ext.106 . . .www.veterraliving.com/careers
Appliance Warehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
800-693-4343 . . . . . . . . . . .www.appliancewhse.com
Maintenance Supply Headquarters . . . . . . . . . .12
281-530-6300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.supplyhq.com
Video Monthly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
713-880-3333 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.videomonthly.com
BG Personnel Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
713-781-8367 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.bgpersonnel.com
Meyer Smith Inc. (Houston Gate) . . . . . . . . . . .27
713-862-7339 . . . . . . . . . . .www.meyersmithinc.com
Video Rental Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
800-475-5184 . . . . . . . .www.videorentalservices.com
Brandt Electrical Services Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
281-693-3383 . . . . . . . . . . .www.brandtelectrical.com
Namco Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
800-634-5816 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.namcomfg.com
Waste Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
713-423-1749 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.wm.com
CKI Wholesale Lock Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
713-462-0704 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ckilock.com
On Guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
713-664-8273 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.onguard.us
Webb Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
800-243-6303
Camp Construction Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
713-413-2267 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.camprecon.com
PWS-The Laundry Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
713-681-8811 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.pwslaundry.com
Century Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
281-530-2859 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.centuryac.com
Perfect Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
713-952-0202
History of Effective Rental Rate & Occupancy for All Units
SNAPSHOT
Occupancy:
Price:
Rental Rate:
Size:
87.2%
$696/mo.
80.8¢/sq.ft./mo.
861 sq.ft.
Past 12 Months:
2.6% rental rate growth
6,487 units absorbed
Operating Supply:
2,764 communities
541,108 units
Recently Opened (12 months):
56 communities
15,536 units
– 91.0
81.0 –
•
•
•
80.0 –
•
79.0 –
• •
78.0 –
Under Construction:
66 communities
19,360 units
77.0 –
Proposed Construction:
60 communities
19,041 units
76.0 –
•
Submarket
Heights
Far East
Richmond/Rosenberg
Medical Center/Bellaire
Fort Bend
– 89.o
•
•
– 88.0
•
•
•
• •
•
•
•
•
HOTTEST SUBMARKETS Over the Past Three Months
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
– 90.0
• •
• •
•
•
% of Market
Absorbed
2.8%
2.5%
3.6%
1.0%
1.8%
Annualized
Rental Rate
Growth %
35.1%
4.5%
4.3%
12.2%
6.0%
– 87.0
Apr 08
TXU Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
866-764-4439 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.txuenergy.com
Feb 08
Integrity Interiors & Exteriors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
832-212-4214 .www.integrityinteriorsandexteriors.com
Mar 08
Apartment Finder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
800-422-8300 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.apartmentfinder.com
Jan 08
Service Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
936-441-2121 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.serviceconcepts.us
Dec 07
Hiebert Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
281-961-3014 . . . . . . .www.hiebertphotography.com
Nov 07
Ameritex Apartment Movers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
713-484-8400 . . . . . . . . . .www.ameritexhouston.com
Oct 07
Scott Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
713-686-7268 . . . . . . . . . .www.scott-equipment.com
Aug 07
Hamilton-Steele Outdoor Accents . . . . . . . . . . .27
713-533-9059 . . . . . . . . . . .www.hamilton-steele.com
Sep 07
Ameristar Screen and Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . .37, 73
713-683-6767 . . . . . . . . . . .www.ameristarglass.com
T
Jul 07
Resident Credit Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
713-595-0345 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.haaonline.org
Jun 07
Foundation Specialists Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
713-690-5330 . . . . . . . . .www.foundationexperts.com
39 submarkets, and the ranking is based on the best combination of
rental rate growth and absorption over the past three months. The third
table distributes and analyzes concessions (specials) by classification.
Concessions generally are represented by three types of specials:
move-in, months free or floor plans. The effect of these specials is
captured and prorated over a lease term to arrive at a percentage
reduction in market or street rents.
May 07
Alexander-Rose Associates Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
713-644-4441
he first table below displays a snapshot of the current market
conditions. The graph displays the overall occupancy and
effective rental rates over the past 24 months. These statistics
are derived from a continuous survey of all apartment communities in
the Houston region. The effective rental rates are the calculated net of
concessions and utility adjustments. The second table lists the five
hottest submarkets in the Greater Houston area. There are a total of
Apr 07
RENCON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
713-666-3636 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rencon.cc
Mar 07
For Rent Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
281-281-1800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.forrent.com
Feb 07
Advalorem Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
281-474-2300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.advaloremtax.net
Jan 07
Reliant Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
800-894-6678 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.reliant.com
Dec 06
First Advantage-SafeRent . . . . . .Inside Back Cover
972-612-2420 . . . . . . . . . .www.registry-saferent.com
Nov 06
Advanced Foundation Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
713-464-5561 . . . . . .www.advancedfoundationrepair.com
BRUCE McCLENNY, President, Apartment Data Services
HOUSTON
Oct 06
RAM JACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
936-689-8585 . . . . . . .www.ramjackfoundations.com
Sep 06
Dixie Carpet Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
281-261-6334 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.dixiecarpet.com
Aug 06
Access Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
281-489-7755 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.access-electric.com
Jul 06
Rasa Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover
713-660-7777 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rasafloors.com
Jun 06
Comcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
713-341-1000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.comcast.com
By
May 06
AAA Plumbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
713-462-4753 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.aaaplumbers.cc
MARKET LINE
Rental Rate (¢/sq.ft./mo.)
Marvin Poer & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
713-460-4500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.mfpoer.com
•
Certified Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
713-464-8219 . . . . . . . . . .www.certifiedrecovery.com
Occupancy (%)
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
– 86.0
CONCESSIONS
Class
All
A
B
C
D
Total Units
w/Concessions
302,305
63,846
107,897
121,128
9,734
% of
Total Units
56%
63%
50%
63%
29%
Average
Special
-7.2%
-6.9%
-7.4%
-7.2%
-8.6%
Citywide
Effect
-4.5%
-4.5%
-4.1%
-4.9%
-5.0%
One Month Free = -8.33%
TEXAS
74
JUNE 2008
ABODE
DALLAS/FT. WORTH
SAN ANTONIO
AUSTIN
Occupancy:
Price:
Rental Rate:
Size:
Occupancy:
Price:
Rental Rate:
Size:
Occupancy:
Price:
Rental Rate:
Size:
90.2%
$735/mo.
85.7¢/sq.ft./mo.
858 sq.ft.
89.8%
$673/mo.
81.3¢/sq.ft./mo.
828 sq.ft.
91.5%
$830/mo.
97.0¢/sq.ft./mo.
856 sq.ft.
Past 12 Months:
Past 12 Months:
Past 12 Months:
Operating Supply:
2,482 communities
549,214 units
Operating Supply:
684 communities
135,272 units
Operating Supply:
680 communities
145,934 units
Apartment Data Services Inc. has
been providing apartment data and
marketing products since 1986.
ADS Online covers Texas’ four
largest metro areas and provides
real-time access for property specific
information, market surveys and
historic submarket data for more
than 1.3 million apartment units.
For more information, contact
McClenny at 800-595-8730.
© 2008 Apartment Data Services Inc.
ABODE
JUNE 2008
75
BACK PAGE
News from around the
COMMUNITY
BP MS150
HAA members and friends again
take to the streets to raise money
to fight multiple sclerosis
Heavy winds did not stop the 60-plus riders of the HAA Direct Energy team from making the annual trek from Houston to Austin for the BP MS150 on April 19-20. Riding
among thousands during the two-day ride, the team enjoyed private, first-class accommodations with showers and bathrooms in RVs at a camp with a pool and hot tub in
addition to all the good food and fun on the Saturday night layover. Thanks again to
all the volunteers, riders and sponsors who helped to raise more than $35,000 for the
Multiple Sclerosis Society with this year’s ride.
76
JUNE 2008
ABODE
photos by Mark Hiebert, Hiebert Photography
Houston Apartment Association
10815 Fallstone Road
Houston, Texas 77099-3496
Return Service Requested

2008 - Houston Apartment Association

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