Portfolio Changes and In The

HAA and HAA members were recognized at the Texas Apartment Association’s winter board meeting here in Houston. New Hope Housing Harrisburg and The Pointe at Crestmont each received an award for innovation in new affordable housing construction. Francis Property Management received an award for its involvement of the HAA Food Drive. Lastly, HAA received the TAA Membership Growth Award for outstanding membership growth among local affiliates with more than 500 members.

Jennifer Ramos, CAM, CAPS, CAS, is now with Greystar.

Richard Wall, CAM, CAP,S joins Westdale Asset Management.

Kelsey Eggleston is now with Grayco Partners.

Lisa Kennedy joins Marquette Companies.

THE MCCARTHY Where sophisticated luxury and service thrives.

Property:The McCarthy Owner/Management: MetroNational/Lincoln Property Company Location:9789 Katy Freeway Units: 133 Built:2018 Web: www.themccarthyatmemorialcity.com Interesting features: The McCarthy is an unbelievably sophisticated and exclusive community of luxury apartments. Meshed with the Hotel ZaZa Memorial City, this harmonious combination creates a level of luxury for apartment residents that exceeds Class A product here in Houston. From the moment you walk through the doors, you’re greeted with resort-level customer service. The McCarthy has studio, two-bedroom and eight unique penthouse layouts. Penthouse residents are given an extra key at move-in that grants them access to their personal wine storage, located in the apartment’s sky lounge.

All of the apartment community’s residents are part of the Za Club, allowing residents to indulge in all of the hotel’s amenities, including the spa, restaurant and bar, and at a discounted rate. Through the Za Club, The McCarthy residents have complimentary valet service for themselves and their guests and discounted hotel rates for friends and family.

The owner, MetroNational, owns everything that lights up blue at night in the area, including Hotel ZaZa Memorial City, The Westin Memorial City, the Memorial City Mall, the Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center and more.

Residents often feel attacked by PMPs and property managers during a German cockroach infestation. German cockroaches are often controlled through flushing and baiting methods, but large amounts of food debris and trash in an apartment give these pests additional harborages and cause them to avoid the bait. For these reasons and more, German cockroach control is nearly impossible without cooperation from the resident. Asking for that cooperation without hurting feelings can be tricky. If someone feels attacked, it is possible that they may push back, pass the blame, write negative internet reviews or even file lawsuits. That’s why it is important to speak empathetically and professionally.

Try to avoid words such as mess, dirty or clean up. Being specific is your best tool in this type of conversation. You can try, “I noticed there was some grease built up on the side of the stove. I think these cockroaches may feed on that instead of consuming the bait. It would help me tremendously if you could fix that.” If we avoid attacking, a resident can become a very valuable partner in controlling cockroaches, bedbugs and rats. It is important to remember that German cockroaches don’t check credit scores before they infest a pantry. Bedbugs don’t spare mattresses that cost $3,000. A rat will still crawl in through a roof even if it is built with ceramic tiles. Pests do not economically discriminate. Let’s remove the stigma. Each of us could encounter a pest problem in our own homes. Understanding this makes us better servants to our residents. If we’re all on the same page and properly communicating when we’re dealt pests, we can enjoy effective results and positive ongoing relationships in our multifamily housing communities.

Nicholas Nunnery is the director of commercial business development for Preventive Pest Control, a Houston-based company. Nunnery has 12 years of experience in the pest control industry, working in leadership roles in Louisiana and Texas. He holds a certified applicator license in the categories of pest and termite. Nunnery has taught classes on bedbug, termite and wildlife management. You can reach him at nicholas@preventivepest.com or at 713-382-2906. Preventative Pest Control is located at 10050 West Gulf Bank Road, Suite 214 Houston, TX, 77040.

Do you need to find a product or service for your property on the go? Visit the Buyer’s Guide is online at www.haabuyersguide.com Simply search for a member by name or category to find the most up-to-date HAA supplier member listings. You can contact the companies directly or use our “Request for Information” tool. It's quick and easy!

A/C Supplies Century A/C Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 281-530-2859 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.centuryac.com Laundry Equipment & Supplies Scott Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 713-686-7268 . . . . . . . . .www.scott-equipment.com

Carpet Installation Dixie Carpet Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 281-261-6334 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.dixiecarpet.com Texas Southwest Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 800-719-4321 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.texasswfloors.com

Collection Agencies Alexander-Rose Associates Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 713-644-4441 . . . . . . . . . . .www.alexanderrose-inc.com

Electric Contractors Affordable Quality Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 713-695-5992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.acuityelectric.com Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating Services . . . . .15 281-693-3383 . . . . . . . . . . .www.brandtelectrical.com

Foundation Repair Church Foundation Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 713-468-8400 . . .www.churchfoundationrepair.com

General Contractors Camp Construction Services . . . . . . . .Back Cover 713-413-2267 . . . . . . . .www.campconstruction.com Cotton Commercial USA Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 877-511-2962 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cottongds.com Crestmark Construction Services . . . . . . . . . . . .25 713-426-6161 . . . . . . . . . . .www.crestmarkservices.com FSI Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 832-767-1115 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.fsiconstruction.com Gemstar Construction & Development . . . . . . .2 281-821-1195 . . . . . .www.gemstarconstruction.com Guardian Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 832-672-4196 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.guardianconst.com MultiFamily Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 713-266-9100 RENCON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover 713-666-3636 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rencon.com

Glass – Plate, Window, Etc. Ameristar Screen and Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 713-683-6767 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ameristarglass.com

Insurance Harco Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 713-681-2500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.harco-ins.com

Landscape Contractors Outdoor Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 713-955-0990 . . . . . .www.outdoorelementstx.com Texscape Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 281-846-3779 . . . . . . . . . .www.texscapeservices.com Locks & Locksmiths CKI Wholesale Lock Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 713-462-0704 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ckilock.com

Personnel Agency ASAP Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 972-432-6667 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.asapdo.com BG Staffing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 713-781-8367 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.bgstaffing.com

Plumbing Contractors AAA Plumbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 713-462-4753 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.aaaplumbers.com

Resident Screening Service CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover 888-297-8821 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.corelogic.com

Resurfacing Perfect Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 713-952-0202 . . . . . . . .www.perfectsurfaceinc.com

Screens Ameristar Screen and Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 713-683-6767 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ameristarglass.com

Security Control Equipment/Systems SentriForce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 888-671-2202 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.sentriforce.com

Swimming Pool Service Poolsure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 800-858-POOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.poolsure.com

Trash Hauling Waste Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 713-354-5230 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.thinkgreen.com

HAA Products & Services Rental Credit Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 713-595-0300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.haaonline.org/rcr

HAA reserves the right to reject any advertising if its content is inappropriate or inconsistent with HAA’s standards for publication or HAA’s business interests, in HAA’s sole opinion.

TARGET QUALIFIED LEADS

With HAA’s job board, you’ll discover a professional community that’s committed to helping you find the right candidate or your next job opportunity in the greater Houston and surrounding areas. www.haaonline.org jobs@haaonline.org 713-595-0300

www.haaonline.org/rcr

HOUSTON

Snapshot Occupancy: 89.4% Price: $1,054/mo. Rental Rate: $1.19/sq.ft./mo. Size: 884 sq.ft.

Past 12 Months: 2.2% rental rate growth 12,798 units absorbed

Operating Supply: 2,843 communities 667,432 units

Recently Opened (12 months): 64 communities 17,276 units

Under Construction: 78 communities 22,433 units

Proposed Construction: 93 communities 28,749 units 1050 –

1025 –• • •

Rental Rate (¢/sq.ft./mo.) 1000 –975 –

Mar 18 Apr 18 May 18 Jun 18 Jul 18 Aug 18 Sep 18 Oct 18 Nov 18 Dec 18 Jan 19 Feb 19 Mar 19 Apr 19 May 19 Jun 19 Jul 19 Aug 19 Sep 19 Oct 19 Nov 19 History of Effective Rental Rate & Occupancy for All Units

Dec 19 Jan 20 Feb 20

Hottest Submarkets Over the Past Three Months Annualized

% of Market Rental Rate Rank Submarket Absorbed Growth % 1 Montrose/Museum/Midtown 10.9% 1.5% 2 Highland Village/Upper Kirby/West U 12.2% 0.5% 3 Heights/Washington Ave 3.5% 2.2% 4 Lake Houston/Kingwood 6.2% 0.7% 5 Downtown 14.3% 0.3%

Concessions

Total Units % of Average Citywide Class w/Concessions Total Units Special Effect All 302,861 45% -2.9% -6.0% A 78,052 50% -3.9% -7.6% B 119,226 46% -2.3% -5.0% C 92,618 45% -2.3% -5.2% D 12,965 29% -1.8% -6.2% One Month Free = -8.33%

THE FIRST TABLE ABOVE GIVES 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 42 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 captur ed and prorated over a lease term to arrive at a percentage reduction in market or street rents.

TEXAS

Dallas/Ft. Worth Occupancy: 91.2% Price: $1,168/mo. Rental Rate: $1.33/sq.ft./mo. Size: 876 sq.ft.

Past 12 Months: 3.9% rental rate growth 23,098 units absorbed

San Antonio Occupancy: 89.8% Price: $977/mo. Rental Rate: $1.15/sq.ft./mo. Size: 853 sq.ft.

Past 12 Months: 2.4% rental rate growth 4,981 units absorbed

Austin Occupancy: 90.8% Price: $1,312/mo. Rental Rate: $1.50¢/sq.ft./mo. Size: 875 sq.ft.

Past 12 Months: 4.9% rental rate growth 8,573 units absorbed

Operating Supply: 1,019 communities 238,274 units ApartmentData.com has been providing apartment data and marketing products since 1986. ApartmentData.com provides real-time access for property specific information, market surveys and historic submarket data for more than 3.5 million apartment units in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina and Tennessee. For more information, contact Bruce McClenny at 800-595-8730.

© 2020 ApartmentData.com April 2020 ABODE 75

COVID-19, continued from Page 6 the direct threat (i.e., significant risk of substantial harm). In such situations, the housing provider may request that the individual document how the circumstances have changed so that the person no longer poses a direct threat. Case law regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act has applied similar factors to determine whether a person with tuberculosis constitutes a direct threat to others. These factors include: (i) the nature of the risk as to how the tuberculosis was transmitted; (ii) the duration of the risk as to how long the person was infectious; (iii) the severity of the risk as to what the potential harm to third parties was; and (iv) the probabilities the disease would have been transmitted or caused harm. These factors should be considered when dealing with someone who is self-quarantining or self-isolating. Dealing with a person who has or may have come in contact with a person who has the virus requires reliance on the best available objective medical evidence. A housing provider is not a healthcare provider. Housing providers will not and cannot provide guidance with respect to medical or healthcare services. The CDC and local healthcare officials should continue to be the primary source of information and advice. You, like your residents, should rely on these resources for the latest information, updates, and guidance about COVID-19. Consequently, if you are treating a person who is self-quarantining or self-isolating differently than others, you should only rely on objective medical evidence and criteria when doing so.

Can I prevent infected persons from using the amenities?

If you are treating a person that is infected or possibly infected different than other residents, you should be prepared to present the objective medical evidence that the person is a direct threat in order to justify different treatment.

Can I ask a resident whether they are selfquarantining or self-isolating?

If you have identified an objective medical reason for why you are asking if a person is self

quarantining or self-isolating, you may be justified in making this request. For example, if you are asking if a person is self-quarantining or self-isolating for the purpose of incorporating proper precautions when entering a resident's unit to perform maintenance services, you would be justified in asking for this information if you have objective medical evidence to suggest the need for special procedures for maintaining the unit.

If someone who is self-quarantining or self-isolating in my community requests special accommodations such as delivering groceries or medical supplies, am I required to accommodate the request? No, if this is not what you normally do. Assuming the person making the request is "disabled" under the Act, a housing provider can deny a request if providing the accommodation is not reasonable – i.e. if it would impose an undue financial and administrative burden on the housing provider or it would fundamentally alter the nature of the provider's operation. The determination of undue financial and administrative burden must be made on a caseby-case basis involving various factors, such as the cost of the requested accommodation, the financial resources of the provider, the benefits that the accommodation would provide to the requester, and the availability of alternative accommodations that would effectively meet the requester's disability-related needs.

When a housing provider refuses a requested accommodation because it is not reasonable, the provider should discuss with the requester whether there is an alternative accommodation that would effectively address the requester's disability-related needs without a fundamental alteration to the provider's operations and without imposing an undue financial and administrative burden. If an alternative accommodation would effectively meet the requester's disabilityrelated needs and is reasonable, the provider must grant it. An interactive process in which the housing provider and requester discuss the requester's disability-related need for the requested accommodation and possible alternaImage © Alberto Mihai | Dreamstime.com

tive accommodations is helpful to all concerned because it often results in an effective accommodation for the requester that does not pose an undue financial and administrative burden for the provider.

What type of maintenance services should be provided to someone who is self-quarantining or self-isolating?

Once again, your decision of whether, and how to, perform maintenance-related services to a unit with an occupant who is self-quarantining or self-isolating will depend upon the nature, severity, duration and probability of the risk of transmitting the disease to the person performing the maintenance duties. Any decision you make that causes you to treat the occupant of the unit differently than the way you treat occupants in other units should be based upon objective medical evidence, not on fear or speculation.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, you will want to have a protocol to perform maintenance services to address such things as water leaks, mold, electrical problems, malfunctioning lights, broken or missing locks or latches, and other conditions that pose a hazard to property, health or safety. This can be done by either providing maintenance employees with the proper (and medically approved) personal protective equipment or by retaining the services of an outside contractor that will use the proper equipment and take appropriate precautions. The actions we take in the apartment industry with respect to those who are infected or may be infected will largely depend upon the available medical evidence suggesting how to address different situations. In the last month, if we have learned nothing else, we have learned that medical evidence consistently changes. Keep watching the news and following the lead of the CDC and local health officials on how to address various situations.

Good luck and remember that we have been through similar issues in the past and will get through this one!