Rental Housing Journal Colorado October 2017

Page 1

Rental Housing Journal Colorado

October 2017 - Vol. 9 Issue 10

2. Why Your Apartment Reviews and Digital Curb Appeal Matter 3. 10 Hottest Hipster Markets in America 5. 4 Ways to Keep Up With Changing Compliance Laws in Rental Housing

DENVER • COLORADO SPRINGS • BOULDER

www.rentalhousingjournal.com • Professional Publishing, Inc

Monthly Circulation To More Than 7,000 Apartment Owners, Property Managers, On-Site & Maintenance Personnel

Maintenance Check Up: Is Your Rental Housing A Target For Bird Nests?

Is Your Property Management Compliance Training Working? By Ellen Clark

T

he Grace Hill training tip this month focuses on compliance training and the importance for landlords and property managers of keeping up with ever-changing rental housing laws at federal, state and local levels. The holy grail of compliance training questions: Is the training working? Being able to answer the question, “Is my compliance training program working?” requires thoughtful planning, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Breaking it down can help, so over the next few weeks we’ll provide a series of tips for structuring a good compliance training evaluation plan. Measure the effectiveness of your

T

he maintenance check up this month, provided by Keepe, asks whether your rental housing may be a target for unwanted bird nests. You wake up on a Saturday, make yourself some coffee and a bagel, open up the newspaper and start reading. Suddenly, you hear the dreaded beeping of your phone. It is the tenant at your rental property complaining about bird poop all around the front porch and backyard. A bird family has set up nest inside the vent. Your tenants can’t use the microwave oven or the vent fan for fear of hurting the little hatchlings. You decide to call bird control to remove the nest. But one thing weighs on your mind you really don’t want to hurt the birds or their babies. Maybe they will just fly away in a few weeks? Bird nests common in the Northwest This is an all too common scenario in many parts of Seattle and the Greater Northwest. It may be time for a maintenance check up to focus on nests. Migratory birds (robins, tree swallows, tanagers, etc.) nest during late

Professional Publishing Inc., PO Box 6244 Beaverton, OR 97007

PRSRT STD US Postage P A I D Sound Publishing Inc 98204

continued on page 4

E

compliance training program using these five simple steps It may help to think about your plan in the five components below. Each one represents an important program evaluation pillar. Collectively, the information will help you understand what’s working and what isn’t so you can target improvements to your compliance training over time. Even if an evaluation doesn’t show positive results, it is a success if it provides the information you need to make things better.

No. 1 - Implementation of compliance training Did employees complete the training? continued on page 7

Empty Nester Housing Key As Baby Boomers Keep Working

mpty nester housing is a key as the surge in full-time workers over the age of 65 means that folks born in the 1950s are going to continue working well past the traditional retirement age, according to a new report from John Burns Real Estate Consulting. “The workaholic baby boomers continue to redefine employment, even as they reach the traditional retirement age. They created the surge in dualincome families that ended in 2000, and now they are creating a surge in full-time workers over the age of 65,” write Chris Porter, Chief Demographer, and Mikaela Sharp, Research Analyst, for John Burns. Burns calls this group born in the 1950s, and ranging in age from 58 to 67, “The Innovators” and the have delayed retirement, driven by economic

necessity in the wake of the Great Recession, a desire to keep working, and a realization that they will likely live longer than any generation before them.

"The Innovators" will need empty nester housing “The Innovators” are now outside the “prime working years” category (ages 25–54) that many economists use. The 55+ age group now holds 22% of all fulltime jobs—a significant increase from only 11% in the mid-1990s. • Large in numbers. 66% more people were born in the 1950s than the 1930s, and immigration over the years has added to their size. • Hard working. They have had the highest labor force participation rates of any generation after age 35, continued on page 7

Text REALESTATE-ROI to 44222 to receive a digital copy of this year's

Real Estate Opportunities in Investing (ROI) Finding Investing Success in Today's Housing Market


Rental Housing Journal Colorado

D

Why Your Apartment Reviews And Digital Curb Appeal Matter

igital curb appeal matters more than ever now as 62 percent of potential residents use ratings and apartment reviews at the beginning of a search for a rental property, according to J Turner Research. And online reviews are becoming more important than personal recommendations on properties. Surprisingly social media is not a significant factor in the apartment search process.

Joseph Batdorf, co-founder of J Turner Research, in a recent webinar revealed new information about the online apartment reviews industry and

2

how it works, such as the percentage of potential residents using ratings and apartment reviews. He also discussed the large number of apartment review sites and the differences between them. “If you want to outpace the competition, you need more than two reviews per month about your property,” Batdorf said.

Also he made several points during the webinar including:

• Apartment reviews are becoming more positive than they were in the past, and tools like gamification help get better reviews.

• There are 4.7 million reviews on the internet of housing.

• J Turner Research is actively monitoring 19 review sites over 67,000 properties on a monthly basis to measure the online reviews of those properties. The number of multifamily apartment reviews are also growing rapidly. As an example in April of this year there were 115,929 multifamily housing reviews and by September of 2017 there were 154,191 reviews he said. “Most people can tell you about reviews coming in on their properties, or two or three of their competitors in their region,” Batdorf said. “But when you are tracking 67,000 properties you get a really good idea of what is going on.” There are review sites that are more trusted. Some have more information than others. Also some are more regional. Yelp is strong on the West and East coasts, but not so much in the middle of the country, he said. The digital curb appeal of your property is important to potential renters, as well as the online reputation of the review site itself. “If you have a poor online reputation and people are not stopping by your property, you may not even know

that,” Batdorf said as he urged property managers to keep up with reviews of their properties online. In the report, Jackie Rhone, , CPM, CAPS, executive director of real estate, AMO, Greystar Real Estate Partners, says that online reputation is a critical component of strengthening today’s business model: “There is an unquantifiable loss of traffic that you will never even know that you could have possibly had at your door, if you don’t manage your online reputation,” she said in the report. “We consider it as our new online curb appeal.” Batdorf said review sites vary and property managers should study them for the differences. He said that star ratings vary depending on which review site you are looking at. For instance, he said For Rent gives many 4.5 star rating and the ratings are skewed positive on that site. “They are like your grandmother, always saying good things about you,” Batdorf said. He said the top 3 most trusted review sites in making a decision to buy a property are Google, Apartments.com and Apartmentratings.com. He said 11 percent of apartment sites have no reviews at all, and another 18 percent only have one to five reviews. continued on page 4

Rental Housing Journal Colorado · October 2017


Rental Housing Journal Colorado

T

Top 10 Hottest Hipster Markets In America

he top 10 “hipster” markets that draw millennials, businesses and housing demand are led by Columbus, Ohio, Seattle and San Diego, according to a release. Also making the top 10 list in the West are San Francisco, Colorado Springs and Long Beach, California, according to a new data collaboration from Realtor.com and Yelp. The “Hottest Hipster Markets in America” list identifies the most indemand housing markets in the U.S. with the highest concentrations of "hipster" businesses for home buyers looking to embrace indie culture. "Although their opinions about their music and fashion may be out of the norm, when it comes to real estate -- hipsters have a knack for getting it right," Javier Vivas, director of economic research for Realtor.com, said in the release. "Based on our research, there's clear evidence that "hipster" popularity – in markets like Austin, Texas – has led to mainstream interest and higher home prices over time. Whether it's the farmto-table restaurants or urban renewal projects that were already underway, a concentration of hipsters seems to be an indicator of a hot housing market."

From a housing perspective, all the markets on the list have strong market dynamics, showing healthy buyer demand with homes selling in an average of 30 days. Each market also has low or average unemployment rates ranging from 2.7 percent to 4.6 percent, compared to 4.4 nationally. Top markets sought by millennials With all the hipster businesses in town it comes as no surprise that these markets are also highly sought after by millennials, according to the release. Overall, millennials -- ages 25 to 34 -- in the top ten markets make up an average of 22 percent of the population, higher than the national population share of millennials of 13 percent. Additionally, these markets are continuing to draw interest from a younger crowd, as the millennial age group is viewing property listings at a rate 1.2 times greater than the share of millennials already living in the area, indicating strong interest from other millennials wanting to move into these neighborhoods. Yelp data shows that mentions of "hipster" occur across a wide range of businesses, from music venues and dive bars, to restaurants, barbers, and vinyl record shops. While some cities and

ZIP codes, like Seattle, may be more recognizable as traditional hipster havens, Yelp data shows that there are many under-the-radar locations where Yelpers have identified neighborhoods that tout cool, hipster businesses. The average star rating of businesses with mentions of hipster in the Columbus zip code is 3.8, with the top 10 ZIP codes averaging 4 stars. Beyond searching for hipster businesses, Yelp also offers tools for homeowners like Request a Quote, which allows people to send requests to up to 10 home service providers at once. "Yelpers are great at identifying upand-coming areas and businesses, which allows us to predict trends as well as uncover detailed data on what's happening in local economies right now," said Carl Bialik, Yelp data editor. "While 'hipster' is something of a cliche, it turns out to be a useful term to uncover the types of businesses and attributes we often associate with cool hunters, such as visually appealing interiors and less touristy parts of town." The realtor.com® Yelp Hottest Hipster Markets in America list was developed by first leveraging Yelp data to rank ZIP codes by the greatest gap between the share of reviews in the ZIP containing

the word "hipster" and the share in the ZIP's city. The realtor.com® Market Hotness Index was then calculated for each market (based on realtor. com® page views and days on market). Markets were then ranked based on a composite index made up of both the Yelp differential and the realtor.com® hotness index. Only one ZIP code per metropolitan area was included. The neighborhoods listed have the most businesses associated with that neighborhood within the ZIP code. To read more about the findings, please visit: realtor.com research + Yelp blogs.

No. 1. Columbus - ZIP 43202 (Clintonville, Ohio) The draw: Columbus features art, music, theater, museums, and culture, in addition to being home to Ohio State University. It has a strong economic ecosystem with employers like JP Morgan Chase and a thriving startup scene, with nearly 72 startups for every 1,000 businesses in the area. In addition, after New York and Los Angeles, Columbus is home to more fashion designers than any other U.S. metro area, with a pipeline of

Publisher Will Johnson – will@propubinc.com Designer/Editor Kristin Flores – kristin@propubinc.com

continued on page 6

Advertising Sales Will Johnson – will@propubinc.com Terry Hokenson – terry@propubinc.com Larry Surratt – larry@propubinc.com

Rental Housing Journal Colorado is a monthly publication published by Professional Publishing Inc., publishers of Real Estate Opportunities in Investing & Real Estate Investor Quarterly

www.rentalhousingjournal.com The statements and representations made in advertising and news articles contained in this publication are those of the advertiser and authors and as such do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Professional Publishing, Inc. The inclusion of advertising in this publications does not, in any way, comport an endorsement of or support for the products or services offered. To request a reprint or reprint rights contact Professional Publishing Inc. PO Box 6244 Beaverton, OR 97007. (503) 221-1260 - (800) 398-6751 © 2015 All rights reserved.

NAME ADDRESS CITY

STATE

ZIP

I am an: OWNER

Advertise in Rental Housing Journal Colorado Circulated to over 7,000 apartment owners, on-site and maintenance personnel monthly.

Call 503-221-1260 for more information Rental Housing Journal Colorado · October 2017

INVESTOR

PROPERTY MANAGER

*Print subscriptions $25/year $15 each additional market $8 each additional market

VENDOR

E-mail subscriptions $15/year

I would like:

PRINT

E-MAIL

Editions:

ARIZONA SALEM/EUGENE, OR

COLORADO SEATTLE/TACOMA

VISA

OTHER

PORTLAND, OR UTAH

MASTER CARD

CARD NUMBER NAME ON CARD BILLING ADDRESS

EXP.

CVV

OR MAIL A CHECK TO: Rental Housing Journal PO Box 6244 Portland, OR 97294-3327

3


Rental Housing Journal Colorado

Maintenance Check Up ...continued from page 1 winter and early spring. With loss of habitat, and low winter temperatures, birds have begun nesting inside the warmer confines of household dryer vents. This keeps them safe from the extreme climate and allows them to prepare for the arrival of their hatchlings. While it is easy to fall in love with the notion of sharing your home with other harmless living beings (in some eastern cultures, a bird building it’s nest in/ around your home is considered a good omen), there are numerous downsides to letting this happen as well. The obvious ones are visible bird droppings (aka bird-poop), and loud noises. Newborn birds often die and are abandoned in the vents causing serious odor problems throughout the house. Even worse, these nests can become extremely dirty and be a haven for lice and bacteria. Maintenance check up: Install bird guards over vents The best solution for this problem is prevention. You can get a bird guard installed on your dryer vents. These are widely available on Amazon or any home department store like Home Depot or Lowes. Bird guards cover dryer vents and prevent mother birds from nesting in dangerous environments. If you are unable to install it yourself, then ask your handyman or maintenance provider to install it for you. October and November are the best times to do a maintenance check up and be proactive about installation so

that you don’t have to clean up after the birds have already set up nest, or even worse, after the hatchlings are born. This allows the mother bird time to find a nest in a tree or somewhere else where they won’t be disturbed. About Keepe: Keepe is an on-demand maintenance solution for property managers and independent landlords. Keepe makes hundreds of independent contractors and handymen available for maintenance projects at rental properties. Keepe is available in the Greater Seattle area, Greater Phoenix area, San Francisco Bay area, and is coming soon to an area near you. Learn more about Keepe at http://www.keepe. com

Reviews and Curb Appeal ...continued from page 2 Some of the key findings about apartment reviews in the report: • Brand image: The importance of reputation of the management company in their decision to lease at a community has been rated at a high of 8.10 on a scale of 0-10 by the residents. • The top five sites with regards to their market share (based on the number of properties with a review) are Google, ApartmentRatings.com, Facebook, Apartments. com, and Yelp. • The top three sites with regards to their impact on a prospect’s decision to rent at a property are Google, Apartments.com, and ApartmentRatings.com.

average rating of the same properties on other sites. • Apartments.com assigns a star rating to a property based on its proprietary CoStar Building Rating SystemSM. The star rating is independent of the resident review; it does not reflect the opinion of residents. It has the third-highest sentiment of reviews. • The review sentiment on ApartmentRatings.com is the most negative as it has historically been used by residents to express dissatisfaction. However, over time, the sentiment is improving on this site. • Online reviews are becoming more important than personal recommendations.

• Residents are more affected by reviews on independent review sites than reviews posted on property websites and Facebook.

• A large majority (75 percent) of residents look at ratings and reviews multiple times in their apartment search.

• Modern Message, the pioneer of review gamification, has the highest volume of reviews per property.

• Social media is not a significant factor in the apartment search process. About J Turner Research

• Sites (ApartmentGuide.com, Rent. com, and ApartmentRatings.com) which allow survey companies to feed reviews for their clients have the second-highest number of reviews per property. • ForRent.com displays filtered reviews from other sites such Google, Facebook, and Yelp for its clients, hence it has the most positive sentiment of reviews.

J Turner Research is the leading market research firm exclusively serving the multifamily industry. Our data and research empowers management companies to drive revenue. We offer customer insights and an integrated online reputation management platform that enables companies to enhance resident satisfaction, increase closing ratios, and improve online reputation.

• Modern Message has the second-highest positive sentiment – an effect of review gamification. For properties with reviews on Modern Message, the average rating is higher as compared to the

Text REALESTATE-ROI to 44222 to receive a digital copy of this year's Real Estate Opportunities in Investing (ROI) Finding Investing Success in Today's Housing Market 4

Rental Housing Journal Colorado · October 2017


Rental Housing Journal Colorado

4 Ways To Keep Up With Changing Compliance Laws In Rental Housing

By Ellen Clark

T

he Grace Hill training tip this month focuses on the importance of keeping up with ever-changing rental housing compliance laws at federal, state and local levels.

Ever-changing compliance news is a challenge to keep up with. One of the trickiest things about compliance training is keeping up with changing compliance laws, rules, and regulations. You can create a great compliance course, assign it to your learners or set a date for training, and a month later, it needs to be updated. This can feel like an endless, overwhelming cycle. To help, here are some practical tips for managing the ever-changing compliance world.

Work with them to identify priority issues so you aren’t overwhelmed with information you may not need. Have them create short summaries of why the change in law, rule, or regulation or other information is important to your business specifically.

As a trainer, your work is never done. This is one of the most challenging aspects of your job, but it can also one of the most invigorating. Actively managing the changing world of compliance can help you be ready for whatever the compliance

No. 3: Be proactive and keep with with changing compliance laws To avoid surprises and the scrambling that inevitably results, block time on your calendar every week or two to scan HUD, EEOC or state agency websites for important compliance news. Set up a Google alert, or something similar. Subscribe to key email lists and newsletters. Sorting through the information takes time, but planning it into your schedule and leveraging technology will make it a more manageable task. No. 4: Retain an expert If you have the resources, retaining an expert such as a law firm for legal compliance or a CPA for compliance with the tax code is very useful. Rental Housing Journal Colorado · October 2017

About the author: Ellen Clark is the Director of Assessment at Grace Hill. Her work has spanned the entire learner lifecycle, from elementary school through professional education. She spent over 10 years working with K12 Inc.’s network of online charter schools measuring learning, developing learning improvement plans using evidence-based strategies, and conducting learning studies. Later, at Kaplan Inc., she worked in the vocational education and job training divisions, improving online, blended and face-to-face training programs, and work-

ing directly with business leadership and trainers to improve learner outcomes and job performance. Ellen lives and works in Maryland, where she was born and raised.

Tenant Screening 4 Less...

“ScreenScreening Your Tenants Online Anytime” Tenant 44 Less... Tenant Screening Less... (FREE Membership Available) “Screen Your Tenants Online Anytime”

No. 1: Make a plan to keep up with changing compliance laws In compliance training, change is a given. Since you know it is coming, build change into your plans. Make a plan to update training regularly. Have processes in place and resources set aside so you aren’t repeatedly scrambling for time or budget. Identify a mechanism to get information out quickly (for example, an email or an alert in the LMS) if something critical comes up between scheduled training updates. Training people to always anticipate change regarding compliance laws is key. No. 2: Make “change” a big idea in training “The world of compliance is everevolving” is a fundamental concept that is important for learners to understand. Providing learners with big ideas like this equips them with a framework around which they can learn in a coherent way. Make “change” a theme in your compliance training and revisit it periodically. This may help learners better understand and appreciate the importance of engaging in regular compliance training.

world throws your way.

“Screen Your Tenants Online Anytime” (FREE (FREE Membership Membership Available) Available)

“Low-Cost “Low-Cost •• Fast Fast •• Easy Easy •• Tenant Tenant Screening” Screening”

“Low-Cost •by Fast • Easy • Tenant Screening” Member” You You can can save save money money by becoming becoming aa “Volume “Volume Discount Discount Member” You can save money by becoming a “Volume Discount Member”

You You Receive Receive All All This: This:

• ••

You Receive All This:

National Credit Report National Credit Report National Eviction Report

• National Eviction Report

With Your “Volume Discount With Your “Volume Discount With Your “Volume Discount Membership” You Receive All Membership” You Receive All Membership” You Receive All of the Above Reports For Only of the Above Reports For Only

• ••

FICO Score FICO Score Tenant Qualifier Report

• Tenant Qualifier Report

9

$$ 99 99

If you do more than 16 credit and eviction reports a year, If youour do more thanDiscount 16 creditMembership” and evictionisreports “Volume for you.a year, our “Volume Discount Membership” is our “Volume Discount Membership” is for for you. you.

30+ Years Years 30+ 30+ Years Serving Serving Serving Housing Housing Providers Providers

• You will save $4.95 on every eviction/credit report You will will save save $4.95 $4.95 on every eviction/credit4report report $9.00 on with the recommended Star Tenant Screening Report •• You every eviction/credit •• You will save $9.00 with the recommended 4 Star Tenant Screening Report Volume Membership is only $77 a 4year You will Discount save $9.00 with the recommended Star Tenant Screening Report •• Volume Discount Membership is only $77 a year Free Non-Discount Membership Available •• Volume Discount Membership only $77 a year Free Non-Discount MembershipisAvailable

• Free Non-Discount Membership Available

To To Register Register or or Start Start Your Your Free Free Membership Membership Go To www.tenantscreening4less.com To Register or Start Your Free Membership Go To www.tenantscreening4less.com

Go To www.tenantscreening4less.com 888-802-7020

888-802-7020

888-802-7020

5


Rental Housing Journal Colorado

Hottest Hipster Markets ...continued from page 3 young design talent coming from the Columbus College of Art & Design. Clintonville hipster hotspot: Harvest Bar + Kitchen Review highlights: Kale Caesar salad, lunch special The stats: The median listing price is $269,455. The median household earns $44,007 a year, with a low county unemployment rate of 3.8 percent. Millennials make up 28.8 percent of its population, contributed contribute to 26 percent of all page views in the area on realtor.com®, and have a median household income of $46,265.

2. Seattle - 98122 (Capitol Hill) The draw: Capitol Hill offers a strong collection of restaurants, bars, boutiques, and culture. Seattle has a booming economy, with tens of thousands of job openings pulling young technophiles into the city. Seattle-dwellers are some of the most active people in the U.S., with open spaces and parks located all around the city, and Mt. Rainier closeby for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. Capitol Hill hipster hotspot: Porchlight Coffee & Records Review highlights: Cold brew, chill vibe The stats: The median listing price is $756,653. The median household earns $65,367 a year, with a low county unemployment rate of 3.2 percent. Millennials make up 26.6 percent of the population, contribute to 23.8 percent of all page views in the area on realtor. com®, and have a median household income of $61,089. 3. San Diego - 92104 (North Park) The draw: San Diego is known for

a plethora of local breweries, farmer's markets, beach eateries and nightlife for the non-mainstream crowd. Compared to California cities like Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego boasts of lower rent and mortgages on average. A concentration of top universities and a thriving startup scene bring many young buyers and renters to the area. North Park hipster hotspot: Pigment Review highlights: Air plants, terrariums The stats: The median listing price is $597,000. The median household earns $55,130 a year, with a county unemployment rate of 4.1 percent. Millennials make up 23 percent of the population, contribute to 25.4 percent of all page views in the area on realtor. com®, and have a median household income of $55,772.

4. Fort Wayne - 46802 The draw: Fort Wayne offers fun traditions like BuskerFest, an annual celebration of street performers. Fort Wayne adjusted to the shrinking manufacturing industry faster than its Rust Belt counterparts and today has a strong economy with a lower unemployment rate than other cities in the area. Hipster hotspot: Junk Ditch Brewing Company Review highlights: Joseph Decuis Farm Wagyu beef, brunch The stats: The median listing price is $163,925. The median household earns $29,591 a year, with a county unemployment rate of 3.3 percent. Millennials make up 19.9 percent of the population, contribute to 27 percent of

all page views in the area on realtor. com®, and have a median household income of $32,243.

5. Rochester - 14620 (Highland Park) The draw: Rochester's Highland Park neighborhood is best-known for its arboretum by the same name, which hosts an annual Lilac Festival drawing in visitors from out of town. From Shakespeare in the Park to live music during the summer, Highland Park is a hotspot for local residents, helping to create the tight-knit community that Rochester residents love. Highland Park hipster hotspot: The Playhouse Swillburger Review highlights: Pinball machine, vampire fries The stats: The median listing price is $154,925, making it an affordable place for a younger population to settle. The median household earns $43,550 a year, with a county unemployment rate of 4.58 percent. Millennials make up 23.1 percent of the population, contribute to 24 percent of all page views in the area on realtor.com®, and have a median household income of $45,871. 6. San Francisco - 94117 (The Haight) The draw: Hippie mecca HaightAshbury has transitioned into a hipster-friendly neighborhood. The Haight offers a plethora of restaurants and bars, and its proximity to Golden Gate Park's free events and concerts can't be beat. The Haight hipster hotspot: The Alembic Review highlights: Cocktail menu, pickled quail eggs The stats: Even San Francisco's most hipster neighborhood costs significantly more than the national average. The median home in The Haight costs $1,396,500. The median household income in this area soars above the national median at $111,817 and its county unemployment rate is well below the national average at 2.9 percent, making the high cost of living more accessible. Millennials make up 31 percent of the population, contribute to 23.8 percent of all page views in the area on realtor.com®, and have a median household income of $113,762. 7. Long Beach - 90814 The draw: Just south of Los Angeles, Long Beach is a more relaxed, cheaper and friendlier option for those drawn to Long Beach's social, tight-knit community and charming Spanishstyle homes. Add in great dive bars and a vibrant art scene, and it's no surprise Long Beach is one of the most hipster towns in America. Hipster hotspot: Viento y Agua Coffeehouse & Gallery Review highlights: Open mic nights, Mexican mocha The stats: The median price to buy a home in Long Beach is $737,000. The average household earns $60,751 a year, with an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent. Millennials make up 19.2 percent of the population, contribute to 22.3 percent of all page views in the area on realtor.com, and have a median household income of $52,001.

Schnitzelberg has seen growing popularity over the past several years. Schnitzelberg is a quirky neighborhood with traditions like hosting the World Dainty Championship the last Monday of July. Schnitzelburg hipster hotspot: Zanzabar Review highlights: Bands, pinball machines The stats: Schnitzelberg is one of the most affordable areas on the list, with a median home price of $173,950. The average household earns $53,134 a year, with an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent. Millennials make up 19.3 percent of the population, contribute to 27.7 percent of all page views in the area on realtor.com, and have a median household income of $53,134.

9. Grand Rapids - 49506 The draw: Between the public art installations and extensive craft brewery scene, it's no wonder hipsters love Grand Rapids. It attracts artists, musicians, young families, and has a strong LGBTQ community, which puts on the highly-anticipated Grand Rapids Pride event every summer. Hipster hotspot: Brewery Vivant Review highlights: Beer cheese, stained glass window The stats: The median home price in Grand Rapids is $387,000. The average household earns $63,308 a year, with an unemployment rate of 3.2 percent. Millennials make up 13.8 percent of the population, contribute to 25.4 percent of all page views in the area on realtor. com, and have a median household income of $67,680. 10. Colorado Springs - 80903 The draw: Colorado Springs offers the same natural beauty and proximity to world-class skiing and hiking that nearby Denver does, but with a lower cost of living and unemployment rate. Its quaint downtown is filled with mom and pop shops and local watering holes. Hipster hotspot: Shuga's Review highlights: Patio, lavender lemonade The stats: The median price to buy a home in Colorado Springs is $337,000. The average household earns $37,215 a year, with an unemployment rate of 2.7 percent. Millennials make up 16.8 percent of the population, contribute to 22.5 percent of all page views in the area on realtor.com, and have a median household income of $43,841.

8. Louisville - 40217 (Schnitzelburg) The draw: With a strong community and affordable local restaurant scene, 6

Rental Housing Journal Colorado · October 2017


Rental Housing Journal Colorado

Compliance Training ...continued from page 1 Collecting this data guards against drawing wrong conclusions about effectiveness. You don’t want to say training didn’t work when, in fact, the issue was that employees didn’t complete the training, or didn’t complete it with fidelity.

No. 2 - Learning Did employees learn the content taught in the training? This provides information on effectiveness of the instruction itself. If employees can’t demonstrate they grasp what’s been taught, it is very unlikely they will be able to apply the training content on the job. No. 3 - Reaction Did employees like the training and feel they benefitted from it? Buy-in will increase likelihood that training will continue to be implemented with fidelity. This is particularly important in compliance training. No. 4 - Transfer Do employees use the strategies on which they were trained on the job? Even if employees demonstrate learning mastery (above), key metrics will not be affected if behaviors aren’t changed. No. 5 - Performance Results Does using the strategies result in improved on-the-job performance? The primary goal of training is to improve job performance. This is typically one of the more difficult things to measure, but also arguably the most important.

Before you start planning against these components, it is important to answer this question regarding each of your compliance training programs: • What does success look like? • Is it that all employees take training on time? • Is it also that instances of non-compliant behavior (e.g., harassment) are reduced, or that accident rates or claims rates are at or below a benchmark? Taking the time to articulate your success metrics up front will pay off greatly as you create and implement your evaluation plan. About the author: Ellen Clark is the Director of Assessment at Grace Hill. Her work has spanned the entire learner lifecycle, from elementary school through professional education. She spent over 10 years working with K12 Inc.’s network of online charter schools measuring learning, developing learning improvement plans using evidence-based strategies, and conducting learning studies. Later, at Kaplan Inc., she worked in the vocational education and job training divisions, improving online, blended and face-to-face training programs, and working directly with business leadership and trainers to improve learner outcomes and job performance. Ellen lives and works in Maryland, where she was born and raised.

Rental Housing Journal Colorado · October 2017

Empty Nesters ...continued from page 1 with nearly two-thirds of them still working today. “As more Innovators reach the traditional retirement age, we forecast that they will continue to work more than any preceding generation,” Porter and Sharp write in the report. “We anticipate that one-quarter of them will still be working full-time in their late sixties—almost 7% more than those born in the 1940s and 11% more than those born in the 1930s.”

Building empty nester housing “Because of these shifts, we are telling our clients to build Empty Nester housing,” Porter and Sharp write: • Near employment centers. While many will telecommute, a higher than usual percentage want to live closer to job centers. Additionally, a higher percentage will want to live near their kids and grandchildren, whose presence is the most important “amenity.” • With multigenerational floor plans. Separate entrances, dual masters, and even separate mini-kitchens have resonated with this group. The 1950s Innovators have the down payment, and their adult kids can make the mortgage payment, resulting in a great opportunity to build homes that don’t exist in the resale market today.

thored Big Shifts Ahead: Demographic Clarity for Businesses, which is now available for purchase. Chris was instrumental in developing our Housing Demand by Price Point and LifeStage model. The research he leads informs many of our firm’s forecasts.Before joining John Burns Real Estate Consulting in 2005, Chris worked for Reed Business Information’s HousingZone.com web site, and was also Director of Electronic Media for Reed’s Building and Construction Group. Before that he was an analyst at Rogerscasey, an investment consulting firm. Chris has a B.A. in Economics from Princeton University and a M.S. from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and works in the Irvine office. If you have any questions, please contact Chris at (949) 870-1218. Mikaela Sharp collects and analyzes data for compelling and timely demographic research. She also supports the Marketing team toward building the company’s demographic brand. Before becoming a Research Analyst, Mikaela began her career with John Burns Real Estate Consulting as an intern for both the Demographics and Marketing departments. Mikaela holds a B.A. in Business Economics from the University of California, Irvine. If you have any questions, please contact Mikaela at (949) 870-1203

About the authors:

Chris Porter is Chief Demographer for John Burns Real Estate Consutling. He helps our clients understand the role demographics plays in shaping the demand for housing in the short and long term. He co-au-

7


Rental Housing Journal Colorado

Need Staffing?

Don’t take chances with staffing! Our temps are tested, trained, experienced, and fully insured!

Serving The Pacific Northwest Since

Hiring, Training, and Placing the Property Management Leaders of Tomorrow

Daily • Weekly • Monthly • Permanent Temporary On-Site Staff

Managers • Leasing Agents • Maintenance • Grounds Keepers

Greater Seattle-Tacoma Area (425) 456-3663

Greater Denver-Boulder Area (720) 822-0117

Greater Portland-Vancouver Area (503) 644-8233

www.apartmentadvantage.com 8 s11802-ApartmentAdvantage-201704.indd 4

Rental Housing Journal Colorado · October 2017

4/19/17 11:07 PM


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.