Rental Housing Journal On-Site December 2017

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

December 2017

3. How To Raise Money For Multifamily Property Investing

7. HUD Charges Landlord With Sexual Harassment Of Female Tenants

12. Forget The Millennials, The Baby Boomer Renters Want Apartments

4. Free Online Sexual Harassment Training For Property Managers

8. Providing Quality Rental Housing - The Year in Review

16. 13 Ways To Pet Proof Your Rental Property

6. Landlords Missing Rent Payments Online After Company Bankruptcy

10. Seattle Area Landlords To Pay $95,000 To Settle Discrimination Complaint

19. Tenants Rights Protestors Show Up At Seattle Landlord Conference

How Do You Practice Compliance In Apartment Leasing And Management?

www.rentalhousingjournal.com • Professional Publishing, Inc 17,000 Papers Mailed Monthly To Puget Sound Apartment Owners, Property Managers & Maintenance Personnel Published in association with Washington Association, IREM & Washington Multifamily Housing Association

Packages Piling Up Can Be A Headache For Apartment Property Managers

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ackages piling up in the rental office from online orders by tenants can be a real headache this time of year for property managers.

As more and more people order online and more and more boxes are delivered by Amazon and others, the issue is growing for property managers who are sometimes dodging packages left for tenants in the property management office.

Package security is a concern for all and thus folks in apartments many times have only the property management office as a solution and place to have their packages sent.

“Package delivery continues to be on the rise and this trend isn’t going to let up anytime soon. It’s evident a solution is needed now more than ever to provide both apartment management and residents alike the most robust and convenient package management solutions,” Georgianna W. Oliver, general manager and founder of Package Concierge, said in a release.

“When residents can access their packages whenever is convenient for them. It’s win-win for the industry.

Leasing teams will take back their time to focus on customer service instead of package management, and residents

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

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continued on page 15

The Multifamily Investing Forecast For 2018

By Vinney Chopra

W

hat is your multifamily investing forecast for 2018? I hear a lot that a correction is coming in multifamily Investing.

Is it really?

When?

Where, in what markets?

How long will it last?

These questions have been on the minds of a lot of multifamily Investing groups and multifamily syndicators.

The market has been strong for about eight or nine years. Usually the market cycle lasts about that long too.

I wanted to share my perspective on it. It is very hard to predit the future.

Especially in the times of uncertainty with talk of possibly lowering of tax

rates, and cutting out of social programs and small business tax breaks all in the name of economic growth.

So it is very hard to project the multifamily investing forecast for 2018 due to 5 current factors.

Many markets across the nation have peaked.

The rents are at the highest level in years. continued on page 17

Outsmarting Jack Frost

Are Your Properties Ready For Winter?

Christian Bryant President of IRC Real Estate and Property Management www.IRCEnterprises.com

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ven though the current legislative climate for landlords in Oregon is very distracting, don’t let it keep you from protecting your property and preparing for winter. If they take the proper steps before winter comes, many landlords will avoid damage, unnecessary after-hours repair expenses, and lawsuits. These expenses can soar up into the tens of thousands of dollars. Next to improvements that will increase rent, and properly managing your tenant, investing in repair and maintenance avoidance will have the largest impact to your longcontinued on page 9

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site ¡ December 2017

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

How To Raise Money For Multifamily Property Investing

By Vinney Chopra

I

love multifamily property investing and I love to help others who would like to learn how to invest in this area that I have been enjoying success in for more than 20 years.

Multifamily property investing provides nice, steady cash flow and checks every quarter to investors in many cases.

Many of my students ask how to get started in multifamily property investing and how do I raise money for it?

In raising money, it is important to have an understanding of the SEC (Securities Exchange Commission) rules and regulations. Second, it is important to build a strong team with at least one high net worth partner. Then, add a supporting team including a real estate attorney, a syndication attorney, real estate brokers in the emerging markets you are planning to invest in and a loan broker.

I have the attitude that we are serving many through multifamily syndication process – the valued investors, residents and staff.

I love to speak to larger groups of investors and help them explore commercial investing from the funds

in self-directed IRAs, 401(k) and other tax deferred alternatives.

I believe it’s a great art in understanding the psychology in having the investors invest with you.

You need experience and a good track record to share with them.

Four types of multifamily property investing financing A recent article in Fits Small Business sets out four common multifamily financing options available to real estate investors who are looking to purchase or renovate a property with between 2 – 20+ units. Each of these loans have their own unique terms, rates, and qualifications.

The four multifamily financing option are: Conventional Mortgage – Terms between 15 – 30 years. Loans are capped at 80% LTV and typically have interest rates between 4% – 6%.

Government-Backed Loan – Terms between 5 – 35 years. LTV capped at 87%. Interest rates between 3% – 6%.

Portfolio Loan – Terms between 3 – 30 years. LTV of up to 97%. Interest rates from 3.70% – 5.70%.

Short-Term Multifamily Financing

Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

– Terms between 1 – 3 years. Interest rates of 4% – 12%. Monthly payments are typically interest-only.

Changes happening in capital raising activities “Banks are really pulling back,” David Hanchrow, CIO of Bristol Development Group, said in a panel discussion according to Multifamily Executive.

“The biggest challenge for us is the amount of equity we’re having to raise for each deal,” as banks that issued 75% loans a few years ago are now offering loans at 60% or 65%.

Kirk Motsenbocker, CFO of JPI/ TDI, said that “smaller regional banks are seeing an opportunity, with the big banks pulling back, to grab some market share.”

So smaller regional banks or boutique banks are one potential source of financing. This is the avenue I have taken quite a few times. The local banks close to the apartment community, know the location, the neighborhood and the potential that a savvy buyer can do to add value. This happened to me four times in recent months.

One such instance happened when I purchased a not-so-good looking asset of 160 units in small city of Lake

Jackson, TX. Ultimately we won a top award from the city after we changed it for the better for our valued residents by adding many great amenities such as those below.

How multifamily syndication financing works You can raise money from others to begin your multifamily property investing.

But remember, there are specific more government regulations that dictate what you can, and cannot do, when raising money from others for your multifamily property investing.

So do your due diligence and consult a good attorney so you stay out of trouble.

When you invest in multifamily properties and raise money from others to fund it, you enter a whole new world of government regulations that dictate what you can and cannot do while raising that money Advertising for investors “In the wake of the JOBS Act, when advertising for investors became legal under Regulation D, Rule 506(c), crowdfunding platforms like have sprung up to meet investor demand for continued on page 180

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Free Online Sexual Harassment Training For Property Managers With a new initiative from the U.S. Department of Justice to combat sexual harassment in housing, it is more important than ever that landlords and property managers know the Fair Housing Act and state laws on the issue.

By John Triplett Rental Housing Journal

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he online training leader in the multifamily industry, Grace Hill, is offering free sexual harassment training for the property management industry to help with the new U.S. Justice Department initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing.

The Justice Department initiative “specifically seeks to increase the Department’s efforts to protect women from harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, security guards, and other employees and representatives of rental property owners,” according to a release.

The Justice Department settled over $1 million in housing sexual harassment so far in 2017 Since January of this year, the Civil Rights Division has filed or settled five cases and recovered over $1 million for victims of sexual harassment in housing.

“No woman should be made to feel unsafe in her own home,” Acting Assistant Attorney General John M. Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in the release. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously enforcing the Fair Housing Act’s ban on sexual harassment and is looking forward to

working closely with state and local partners to combat this problem.”

Dru Armstrong, CEO of Grace Hill, said in an interview with Rental Housing Journal that it is important to provide tools that managers and employees need to navigate the sexual harassment laws and changes going on today.

“We're very focused on ultimately helping employers and employees create an ethical culture, and a welcoming workplace. I think one of the key ways that you do that, is by empowering your employees with knowledge, and understanding of what those laws are, and how to act appropriately in a situation, which is exactly what our courses do.”

The free course can be accessed here online. Anyone in some type of role in an apartment community, whether landlord, a property manager, maintenance person or anyone can go in and look at the course, even though their manager may not have told them to, or hasn't instructed them to.

Armstrong said, “I felt very strongly that given our leadership position, it made complete sense to make this course as widely available as possible.

“If folks felt like they needed to better arm themselves in order to stay in adherence with the laws, and behave

appropriately on site, then we should absolutely do that. I think it's really powerful when training is effective, everyone wins, because you're helping both the employer, and the employee create a welcoming workplace, and I think that's what, at the end of the day, compliance training, and sexual harassment training is all about,” Armstrong said.

“It covers all of the basic federal laws that anyone needs to know, and the great thing about our courseware is, not only does it teach you the law, but it allows you to practice applying that, and then actually tests you to see whether or not you'd successfully been able to apply those principles.

You want people to feel prepared when they actually go on-site, and are in those situations real time,” Armstrong said.

“We’ve actually written scenariobased assessment questions based on real case law. Often times you're answering a question that a real court decided, and so it can be hard.

“That's the whole point of training people, and using online training, so people can keep going back to the materials, keep accessing, and I think nothing is more powerful than when a learner raises their hand, and says, "I want to go take this course, because

I want to feel more prepared, so I can be successful at my job," Armstrong told Rental Housing Journal.

“That is exactly why we made it free on Visto, so that anyone in our industry that feels like, "Wow, there's a lot happening in sexual harassment today, I want to make sure that I'm really on the right side of the law," can go do that right now, and start practicing, and feel equipped to be successful on site,” Armstrong said.

Do people understand Fair Housing covers sexual harassment?

“I think that when they hear that it's a law in general, they tune out,” Armstrong said. “When in reality, fair housing, and sexual harassment, and on-site discrimination, really at the end of the day, it's a very simple idea.

“The idea is that every prospect, every employee, every resident, should feel welcome on-site, and should feel comfortable. Once you understand some of the core principles of the law, which is what our courses teach, then it makes a lot more sense that fair housing would cover sexual harassment,” she said.

Leasing agents can be on the front line with potential tenants continued on page 21

you time, energy and money. Get started today.

It’s easy: 1. Call a program representative at 1-866-997-9767 or to schedule a free email on-site energy assessment.

2. An energy specialist will highlight specific free in-unit measures and identify additional low cost opportunities.

We also provide referrals to pre-screened contractors from our Contractor Alliance Network.

3. Schedule your direct install appointment and contractor bids for high priority energy efficiency improvements.

The savings start here.

Schedule your free appointment today.

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Outsmarting Jack Frost ...continued from page 1 term bottom line. If you manage your own properties, you really can’t afford to skip these steps. And if you have a professional manager, you need to verify that their weatherization policies and procedures mimic these guidelines.

To be as prepared as possible, there are three areas to focus on: the property, the tenants, and your business procedures.

When it comes to preparing your rental property, there are the obvious things like having the gutters cleared, roofs cleaned, and providing vent and hose bib insulation covers. If you really want to invest in damage prevention due to winter weather, there are many precautions you can take: • If you live in an area that has prolonged periods of freezing temperatures or your water pipes are exposed to the elements, you may consider having electric warmers installed on your water lines. Standard systems are controlled by a switch, but I recommend upgrading to a temperature activated automatic switch.

• After the first heavy rain, you can have the attic inspected for possible roof leaks that were created during the summer months. A quick roof patch before drywall is damaged or mold has a chance to grow is much more affordable.

• Have all your trees inspected and pruned as necessary. Any trees or limbs at risk of coming down should be dealt with before the ground loosens due to rain, and the winter winds start.

• Make sure that the earth outside your crawl space vents is below the

bottom of the vent and the grade slopes away from the structure. A simple build-up of debris and dirt outside a vent can lead to the flooding of your crawlspace, along with expensive mold problems.

• For a higher tech preventative measure, you can install moisture meters under your sinks, by the water heater, behind the fridge, under the dishwasher, and behind the clothes washer. The low-cost versions will set off an alarm that someone must be home to hear. This also relies on your tenants knowing how to turn the water off to the line that is leaking. The higher cost option is connected to a water line shut-off valve so that if the meter detects excess moisture from a leak, it will automatically stop the flow of water to that line.

• Verify that all smoke detectors are in good working order. Christmas trees, decorations, and lights all increase the risk of fires in the home.

This brings us to your tenants. Are you expecting enough from your tenants when it comes to protecting your rental in winter? Ideally, you will have your tenant’s weatherization responsibilities spelled out in the lease, or a weatherization addendum.

It would also be a good idea to send out a weatherization reminder a few weeks before you anticipate freezing weather. At IRC Real Estate & Property Management (www.IRCEnterprises. com), we use this opportunity to send our tenants a winter newsletter.

We include all their weatherization responsibilities, in addition to some

Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

holiday tips, recipes, local holiday events, etc. This has the added benefit of improving the tenants’ relationship with us. There are several things you can require of your tenants during the winter months. Obviously, not all of these responsibilities would be expected of tenants in multi-unit properties, but they are what we expect of our tenants in most of our 1-4 unit rentals.

Tenants should: • Cover all foundation vents. Given that they are inexpensive, I would recommend buying and delivering these to your tenants. Every winter you should verify that the tenant has enough covers. Maybe even give them 1-2 extras, just in case.

• Disconnect all outside hoses, hose splitters, and water features. Then, of course, make sure tenants have enough hose bib insulators to cover all outside faucets.

• Disconnect washing machine hoses and place them in the drain line so that both faucets can be left on at a slow trickle.

• Keep all water inside the unit running at a slow trickle.

• Keep temperature above 62 degrees at all times, even when away from home.

• Familiarize themselves with water shut-off valves.

• Notify you if they will be gone in the winter for more than a couple days. If needed, get their permission or serve a notice of entry to inspect the unit during their absence.

• Lastly, make sure your tenants know who to call in the event of winter damage.

The last area you should focus on is making sure that YOU are prepared to handle any problems that can arise with rental properties in the winter.

No matter how much you prepare your property and tenants, there is always a chance you will have an emergency to handle. If you haven’t planned ahead, then best-case scenario is that you spend a few hundred unnecessary dollars on emergency repair labor in the middle of the night. Worst-case scenario is that you can’t fulfill your responsibilities as a landlord and expose yourself to a lawsuit by the tenants. If you complete these tasks before winter hits, you should be prepared to handle any emergency repair that comes your way quickly, at the lowest possible cost: • Find two general contractors you trust and that have 24-hour emergency repair services available. You will want someone that can patch roofs and is an all around “jack of all trades.”

• Find two licensed plumbers you trust and that have 24-hour emergency repair services available.

• Find two drain clearing companies you trust and that have 24-hour emergency repair services available.

• If you don’t invest in space heaters, find two HVAC contractors you trust and that have 24-hour emergency repair services available.

• Instruct all your emergency repair contractors to limit their after-hours continued on page 23

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Landlords Missing Rent Payments Online After Company Bankruptcy

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ozens of landlords around the country are missing rent payments online and still trying to collect funds tied up in an online ecommerce dispute that had led to a Kentucky-based online company bankruptcy last month.

CC Operations LLC dba eCHECKit, filed a bankruptcy petition in October in Kentucky. eCHECKit is the payment processor for the 13-yearold Fort Collins, Colorado, company eRentPayment, which offers landlords and property managers the convenience of collecting rent payments online.

According to eRentPayment’s website, tenants pay rent on the company's secure website and it is processed in the automatic clearinghouse, or ACH, network and then deposited in the landlords' accounts.

It is still unclear how many landlords may have received some payments and how many are still missing rent payments online and seeking payments from reports.

The Ft. Collins, Colorado newspaper reported, as an example, landlord Wes Kalter's tenants paid their $3,200 rent on Oct. 5, the same as always. The money paid to eRentPayment.com should

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have made it to Kalter's account within three to five days. It never showed up, according to the newspaper.

Kalter says he has talked to 91 other landlords who are owed about $250,000 in rent payments, and to Fort Collins police.

Kalter told the newspaper he is not holding his tenants responsible and blames eRentPayment for "not giving us a route to fix this. ERentPayment is blaming eCHECKit ... all they are telling us is eCHECKit is declaring bankruptcy, and we're out $250,000.

They're just blowing us off."

But eRentPayment emailed customers, claiming that recent payments weren't made because of issues with its payment processor, eCHECKit, which filed for bankruptcy protection.

The BBB of Colorado and Wyoming said it started getting complaints about eRentPayment Oct. 12 and had received 41 complaints last month and has suspended eRentPayments' accreditation.

Missing rent payments online “In my husband’s and my case, it’s about $4,000 that we’re missing,”

Sherrie Mills, a Denver Realtor who owns investment property, told the Business Den. Mills said she has used eRentPayment for three years.

Mills told the newspaper she’s disappointed by what she sees as a lack of communication by the rent management company. Next month, she’s avoiding rent payments online and asking tenants to cut her a check. “I think it’s turned me off permanently,” she said. “At no point did we think our funds were at risk.”

Multiple posts by various landlords around the country on Bigger Pockets discuss what has been happening with the payments.

Rick Sands, president of eRentPayment, wrote on his company Facebook page, payments made through the site now are being processing by New York-based Esquire Bank, and those made after Oct. 12 are being processed without issue.

The latest Facebook posts from the company, however, indicate that some payments from early October still had not reached landlords’ bank accounts.

The posts have attracted dozens of comments from frustrated customers, according to Business Den.

The issues faced by Kentucky-based payment processor eCHECKit, have put Tempe, Arizona’s Check Commerce in the middle of the dispute, according to a report by the East Valley Tribune.

The newspaper reported the Tempebased company, rent payment online processor for eCHECKit, froze over $4 million of eCHECKit’s funds in a reserve account due to irregularities it noticed in debit and credit instructions that eCHECKit submitted on behalf of its merchants.

In a notice to consumers, Check Commerce stated, “At that time, Check Commerce believed that eCHECKit lacked sufficient available funds to cover the corresponding credit transactions for the debits it had submitted on behalf of its merchants,” according to the newspaper.

The issue began when property owners using the eRentPayment online platform realized they had not received automated clearing house payments submitted by tenants in early October, the newspaper reported. It became clear that issue stemmed from financial problems faced by eRentPayment’s payment processor, eCHECKit, the continued on page 23

Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

T

HUD Charges Landlord With Sexual Harassment Of Female Tenants

he landlord and owner of several rental properties in Wichita, Kansas has been charged with sexual harassment of female tenants and housing discrimination after the landlord allegedly offered to exchange sex for rent, according to a release.

“Landlords who use their position to intimidate or harass residents or to attempt to trade sexual favors for rent violate the sanctity of a woman’s home, the place where she should feel the safest,” Anna María Farías, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, said in the release.

“HUD is committed to protecting the housing rights of those who are sexually harassed and will continue to take action any time housing providers violate those rights.”

Sexual harassment of female tenants involved unwanted sexual advances The charge is the result of complaints filed by two female residents alleging that the landlord made unwanted sexual advances toward them, harassed them, made derogatory statements based on race, and evicted them because they refused his advances.

HUD’s charge alleges that the landlord subjected one of the women, who was working as a property manager, to a hostile environment, including entering her apartment

uninvited, sexually harassing her, and requesting sex in exchange for allowing her to stay in her unit. The charge also alleges that the landlord told her that he could be her “sugar daddy,” grabbed her buttocks, and made comments about her body to others. On one occasion she awoke to find him in her bedroom on her bed.

The charge further alleges that the landlord subjected a second woman to a hostile environment by making numerous requests for sex when he picked up her rent payments. Once, when she was late paying a portion of her rent, the landlord allegedly asked her if she wanted to have sex with him instead of paying the $150 she owed. When she refused the offer, the landlord allegedly became very upset and immediately wrote her a 3-day notice to vacate.

"Throughout the course of Complainant tenancy, Respondent Thong Cao made comments such as "if you ever want a sugar daddy, you should consider me because I am rich, and I can take care of you," would smack or grab her buttocks, urinate in front of her without closing the bathroom door, and would make comments that her boyfriend, who lived with her, did not love her, but that Respondent did love her,” according to the complaint.

Sexual harassment of female tenants

Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

included offer to exchange sex for rent “Respondent Cao informed her she could "work off' her $800 a month rental payment through her property manager duties, or she could sleep with him once a week in exchange for her rent, "and still put money in her pocket." Complainant rejected his offer to exchange sex for rent, but Complainant continued to perform her property manager duties in exchange for rent,” according to the complaint. ”Complainant was asleep in just a t-shirt and underwear when she woke up to find Respondent Cao sitting on her bed with his hand up under her blanket and rubbing her feet. Complainant screamed at him to get out, and she got dressed. When she went downstairs, he was in her living room and he insisted she go with him to look at a unit in need of repair. While driving Complainant in his truck to see the repairs, Respondent Cao called Complainant "honky m****r f****r" and told her that he was her boss. She exited the truck at a stop light, extremely upset, and walked home,” according to the complaint.

Landlord asking for sex when called to fix rental house The tenant also filed for a protection against stalking order, “"Landlord is asking for sex when he is called to fix things in the house and to get rent. I

feel violated and feel like he won't stop till he gets what he wants, willingly or unwilling,” according to the complaint.

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, or disability. Sexual harassment is a form of illegal sex discrimination.

The charge of sexual harassment of female tenants will be heard by a United States Administrative Law Judge unless any party elects for the case to be heard in federal court. If the administrative law judge finds after a hearing that discrimination has occurred, he may award damages to the complainants for their loss as a result of the discrimination. The judge may also order injunctive relief and other equitable relief, as well as payment of attorney fees. In addition, the judge may impose civil penalties in order to vindicate the public interest.

Resources: Wichita landlord demanded sex in exchange for rent, HUD says HUD charges Kansas property owners with housing discrimination after alleged sexual harassment of two female tenants Charge of discrimination Learn about the Fair Housing Act

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711 Powell Ave. SW, Suite 101 Renton, WA 98057 (425) 656-9077 • (425) 656-9087 (fax) admin@wmfha.org

Executive Director - Jim Wiard Board President - Becky Sanders Vice President - Sheri Druckman Treasurer - Laura McGuire Secretary – Melissa Downs Vice President of Suppliers Council - Rob Pendleton Immediate Past President - Brett Stevens

Providing Quality Rental Housing The Year in Review

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017 was an exceptional year for the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association.

As the year comes to a close, we have much to be thankful for as we look ahead to another year of service to the communities of Washington and our many wonderful member companies and their employees.

I am humbled at the passion, enthusiasm and commitment our members have in giving to the apartment industry and supporting each other and our mutual interests to promote quality housing in our state.

Our association continues to grow. We constantly strive to improve the services that add value to the owners, managers and employees in residential property management in our state. The work that we do is immensely important to the communities we serve.

Membership: Our association continues to strengthen our role as a leader in housing for the state of Washington.

Membership now exceeds 1,500 members, including multifamily properties, property management companies and products and service companies.

WMFHA is on pace to end the year with a 14% year-over-year membership growth, having increased membership in 2017 from 1,000 properties with 178,000 units to 1,200 properties and 202,000 units. Management company membership has increased to 115 companies. Industry supplier partner membership increased to 225 companies this year.

The National Apartment Association awarded the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association as one of the top 5 NAA affiliates across the country for membership growth in 2017.

Our Members Using Members (MUM) campaign emphasized the importance of members supporting other members in our efforts to grow and prosper. It is our culture for our property management members to use our supplier members for their products and services.

Government Affairs: Led by our Director of Government Affairs, Brett Waller, our Government Affairs Team worked hard on behalf of the industry in educating policymakers on what makes sense for residents of our communities and our businesses.

In March, WMFHA staff and board members traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with our state’s members of 8

Congress to build on our relationship with our legislators and to convey important positions of the housing industry on federal issues facing our nation.

The legislative session in Olympia was successful in that no bills aimed at restrictions or limitations negatively impacting the housing industry passed the legislature.

Association members joined together on our annual Day on the Hill Legislative Day to meet with our state legislative members to educate them on the valuable benefits the housing industry provides to local communities in our state and the need for appropriate legislation to allow us to continue to provide affordable and quality housing for all.

Elections for the Seattle City Council in late 2017 resulted in one new elected city council member, Teresa Mosqueda.

We look forward to working with Councilwoman Mosqueda next year.

There is also a new mayor of Seattle, Jenny Durkan. During the mayoral campaign, housing issues took centerstage and the need for more affordable housing construction could not be more urgent. We look forward to working with Mayor Durkan on sound, sensible policies that address Seattle’s growth.

WMFHA advocates for less restrictions and more incentives to new housing development. Policymakers need to work on long term and creative solutions that involve the housing industry in the planning process.

Education: WMFHA’s Director of Career Development, Sloane Cerbana, earned the prestigious Excellence in Education Award at the National Apartment Association’s summer conference. We are proud of Sloane’s accomplishments and dedication.

One our primary mission goals is to promote professionalism through education. A highly skilled staff ensures your operations are more cost efficient, residents are happy, staff are more satisfied in their roles and a greater number of your apartments stay occupied.

NAA’s Education Institute designation programs offered by WMFHA were successful this year, with nearly 100 property management professionals who attended either the Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) credential program, the Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technicians (CAMT) course, National Apartment Leasing Professional (NALP), Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS), or the Certified Apartment Supplier (CAS).

WMFHA distributed close to $10,000 in education scholarship dollars this year to worthy professionals to advance their personal accomplishments.

In addition to the National credential programs, WMFHA also offered many other classes and educational offerings attended by over 1,300 property management professionals! In Eastern Washington, WMFHA providing training opportunities attended by 143 industry professionals.

Please review our website periodically to keep up with all of the exciting educational programs we will offer throughout the year, either online or in the classroom.

Events: The annual Emerald Awards recognition gala set a record with over 1,100 attendees. The two signature trade shows – Education Conference (EdCon), with Maintenance Mania, and the Business Exchange reverse trade show, continued to set records for attendance and drew many compliments from property management and supplier member attendees.

EdCon continues to be the most valuable education conference and trade show for attendees in our market and will be held on April 18, 2018 in conjunction with the thrilling Maintenance Mania competition.

The Washington Apartment Outlook economic forecast luncheon continues to be the industry’s most successful and beneficial economic conference event.

750 attendees were treated to experts Mike Scott and Matthew Gardner discussing economic trends in our industry. Brett Waller offered tremendously valuable information on current political trends and the reason why members should be contributing to our Political Action Committee (PAC).

Community Service: WMFHA has increased its charitable service footprint at its events, including partnering with Toys For Tots, Northwest Harvest, Move For Hunger, Shelters to Shutters, Work of Honor, Rebuilding Together, the Domestic Abuse Women’s Network and Childhaven.

The Holiday Giving Gala, with its silent auction, raised over $46,850 for Childhaven. In addition, our 11th annual Chili Cook-Off event raised a record $33,500 for DAWN this year.

WMFHA members worked with Rebuilding Together in our annual Community Impact Day. Member companies volunteered to renovate a

Renton home, in collaboration with the City of Renton and the King County Housing Authority. Members in Eastern Washington also conducted a similar volunteer day.

At the Washington Apartment Outlook, attendees were introduced to the great work done by Mary’s Place.

Since that introduction, Mary’s Place has reported that our members have helped them to house an average of one new homeless family each day.

Leadership: As stewards of our industry and leaders in our community, we owe it to ourselves to work together to advance the benefits and reputation of multifamily housing.

The association enlists the assistance of many member volunteers participating on committees to help direct resources in order to conduct the business of the association.

We are lucky to have outstanding committee members doing great work.

I would like to personally thank the volunteer efforts of all of our committee members, without whose time and devotion we could not provide such quality events and education to benefit our membership.

I would also like to thank our Board of Directors and our Executive Officers for the leadership and guidance to keep this association on our successful path. I look forward to working with several new board members and officers in 2018 as we collectively advance the interests of our association.

Lastly, I would like to extend a special thank you to our devoted staff – Katrina Bishop, Brett Waller, Sloane Cerbana and Tricia Johnson. Their hard work and incredible service allows us the ability to meet the needs and expectations of our members.

Our WMFHA staff have worked hard this year to serve others. To explore avenues to get more involved in the association, please call us at 425-6569077 or e-mail me at jim@wmfha.org.

I am proud to lead this association and wish everyone a safe and joyous holiday and a prosperous new year. We look forward to serving you in the coming year and making your housing association the best it can be.

Jim Wiard – Executive Director

Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Comcast

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2018 EMERALD AWARDS FINALISTS! After the initial judging over 400 nominations, the following have been selected as Emerald Finalists.

The winners will be announced at the Emerald Awards Gala on the evening of February 16, 2018 in Western Washington and February 22, 2018 in Eastern Washington.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING WESTERN WASHINGTON FINALISTS! Presented in Partnership with our Emerald Sponsors

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - OFFICE Abigail Cordell, SAMM Apartments- Allied Brandi Beutler, Griffis Belltown- Griffis Residential Breanna Moen, Wellington - Avenue5 Jennifer Berg, The Commons- Avenue5 Samia Elew, Starboard- Thrive

LEASING CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR (1-300 UNITS) Alyssa Reinhart, Origin- Alliance Dee Randhawa, The 101- Pillar Erik Brown, Copper Trail- FPI Heidi Davis, Clock Tower Village- Security Properties Keith Ponis, Viktoria- Greystar

COMMUNITY MANAGER OF THE YEAR (301+ UNITS)

MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR (301+ UNITS)

RENOVATED COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR (1-150 UNITS)

Alexandra Thornton, Central Park East- Greystar Anela Bucan, Campo Basso- Epic Angela Flook, The Fairways- Pinnacle Brooke Renshaw, On the Green- Security Properties Kathleen Beeby, The Bravern- Greystar

Andrew Guest, The 104- Insite Dan Pollino, Aspira- Pinnacle Daniel Finn, The Fairways- Pinnacle Rob Stanfield, The Ridgedale- First Pointe Terry Spivey, Green Lake Village- Alliance

The Row Townhomes- Thrive Trillium- Coast

COMMUNITY MANAGER OF THE YEAR (AFFORDABLE)

DESIGNATE OF THE YEAR

Andrea Colson, Maple Crossing- Avenue 5 Michelle Bernardi, The Summit at Bay Vista- Cascade

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR—MAINTENANCE Blake Womack, Link Apartments- Greystar Gordon Gilbreath,Fawcett Apartments- Cascade Joel Sanders, The Meyden- Pillar Temara Legohn, Shorewood Heights, Greystar Tyler Leslie, Stack House- Greystar

LEASING CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR (301+ UNITS) Auti Zarrin, Griffis Northcreek- Griffis Residential Brittney Ziebell, Alaire- FPI Dustin Pohll, Tivalli- Greystar Rebecca Chapman, Club Palisades- FPI Sarah Bhatti, Overlook at Magnolia- Weidner

MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR (1-300 UNITS )

ASSISTANT COMMUNITY MGR. OF THE YEAR (1-300 UNITS) Farhiyo Abdulkadir, Mural Apartments- Greystar Hannah Weber, Ondine at Juanita Bay- Weidner Joe Tuiala, Main Street Flats- Greystar Mayra Miramontes-Ruiz, Woodcreek Apartments- Thrive Sandy Voravongsa, Ridgegate- Avenue5

ASSISTANT COMMUNITY MGR. OF THE YEAR (301+ UNITS) Britnee Hernandez, The Ridgedale- First Pointe Jeanne Rispoli, Avery at the Reserve- ConAm Mary Hazuka, Via6- Greystar Stephanie Laeger, Avana 522- Greystar Yijayra Andrade, Club Palisades- FPI

Carlos Castellanos, Guinevere Apartments- Epic Christy Rolfe, Liberty Ridge- ConAm Nathan Knopp, West Mall Apartments- Epic Perry Morin, The Corydon- Pillar Sean Young, Artesia by the Lake- Thrive

MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR (301+ UNITS) Andrei Makouski, Regency Woods- Weidner Camilla Maston, Leliani on Greewood- Weidner Dave Voss, Stadium Place- Pillar Douglas Frelin- Epic Evan Dorsey, The Fairways- Pinnacle

MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR (1-150 UNITS)

COMMUNITY MANAGER OF THE YEAR (1-150 UNITS) Carol MeKash, Evolve- SUHRCO Christina Freidline, Guinevere Apartments- Epic Janelle Allen, Stockbridge- Epic Jeanele Bolder, Sunrise Lane Apartment Homes- Weidner Meagen Martin, Station 9 Apartments- Thrive

COMMUNITY MANAGER OF THE YEAR (151-300 UNITS) Alyssa Adams, LEVA on Market- Alliance Heather Johnson, Griffis South Seattle- Griffis Residential Laureen Adriano, Allegro Apartment Homes- Weidner Marceline Capuyan, Portsmith Apartment Homes- Weidner Tracy Moesch, Velo Apartments- Greystar

Bill Leptich, The Malloy Apartments- Epic Moises Rodriguez, Guinevere Apartments- Epic Nazar Fandych, Promenade at the Park Apartments- Epic Samson Jiwan, Vive- Weidner Siarhei Lavor, Majestic Bay Apartment Homes- Weidner

MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR (151-300 UNITS) Bill Jones, Evergreen Villages- FPI Jason Wakefield, Heritage Place Apartments- SUHRCO Kevin Aguilar, AMLI at Bellevue Park, AMLI Phillip Barnet, Griffis Belltown- Griffis Residential Rafael Angel, Excelsior- Greystar Tony Flaherty, La Mirage Apartments- Indigo

Jean Heier, CAPS- Security Properties Kelly Onarheim, CAM- Epic

PORTFOLIO MANAGER OF THE YEAR Bevin Hays - Greystar Brandy Hildebrand- Avenue5 Candice Johnson- Alliance Chantel Emery- Insite James Tirpak- Griffis Residential

COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR (1-150 UNITS) Stockbridge Apartments- Epic Terravita Luxury Residences- Pacific Crest The Eden- Thrive

COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR (151+ UNITS) Griffis Seattle South- Griffis Residential South Hill by Vintage- FPI The Carter Apartments- Insite The Lyric- Pillar The Seasons Apartments- Greystar Waterstone at Silver Creek- Thrive

NEW DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR (1-150 UNITS) East Howe Steps- Greystar Janus- Security Properties Modera Ballard- Mill Creek Shelton Eastlake- Thrive The LINQ Lofts & Flats- Insite

NEW DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR (151+ UNITS) Affinity at Covington- FPI Augusta- Greystar Modera South Lake Union- Mill Creek Park 88- Pacific Crest The Carter Apartments- Insite

NEW DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR (Affordable) The Estates at Hillside Gardens- Indigo The Reserve at SeaTac- Indigo

RENOVATED COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR (151+ UNITS) Avana One Six Four Apartments- Greystar Beaumont- MG Properties Carvel- Greystar Chelsea at Juanita Village- Thrive Griffis Seattle South- Griffis Residential Panorama Apartments- Avenue5 Ridgetop Apartments- Avenue5

CURB APPEAL GARDEN STYLE: PRE-1990 Pinewood Square- Epic The Fairways- Pinnacle Trellis Apartments- Thrive Yarrowood Highlands- Thrive

CURB APPEAL GARDEN STYLE: POST-1990 Avana 522- Greystar Avaya Trails- First Pointe The Woodlands- Avenue5

CURB APPEAL MID RISE/HIGH RISE Main Street Flats- Greystar The Carter Apartments- Insite Timberlake Park- SUHRCO

COMMUNITY SERVICE - INDIVIDUAL Christina Koski– Indigo Felipe Miranda- Greystar Kayleigh Fulton- Greystar

COMMUNITY SERVICE - TEAM Greystar Taking Action Pillar Passions Weidner Cares!

INDUSTRY PARTNER OF THE YEAR American Floors & Blinds Brook Furniture Rental Community Northwest Thank you also to our Western Washington Sapphire Sponsors Criterion Brock CORT Innovative Systems Tech Inc Maintenance Supply Headquarters Rich Landscaping Inc. ServPro of Seattle NW Wilmar

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING EASTERN WASHINGTON FINALISTS! Presented in Partnership with our Emerald Sponsors

LEASING CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR (1-150 UNITS)

Alyssa Kennedy, Carrington Place Apartments- Greystar Emily Harris, Residence at Tullamore- Prodigy Kristi Kauffman, Ashton Place- Avenue5

LEASING CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR (151+ UNITS) Christina Rodriguez, The Villages- Avenue5 Katerina Nekhamis, Bella Tess- Greystar Sara Dunlop-Moffatt, Stonehorse at Wandermere

COMMUNITY MANAGER OF THE YEAR (151+ UNITS)

MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR (151+ UNITS)

CURB APPEAL (1-150 UNITS)

Christopher Roberts, Eagle Point- Greystar Dora Berger, Big Trout Lodge- Greystar Larial Jacobs, Residence at Whispering Hills West - Prodigy Lidia Pauline, The Homestead- Greystar Taylor Winebarger, Bella Tess- Greystar

Derek Mikkelsen, Riverside 9- Weidner Dom Felix, Lincoln Village- Prodigy Eddie Heiman, Lofts at Innovation Center- Prodigy Kurtis Converse, Bella Tess- Greystar Tom Clark, Prairie Hills- Greystar

Jake at Indian Trail- Greystar Quail Springs- Prodigy The Residence at Tullamore- Prodigy

COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR (1-150 UNITS)

Bitterroot Lodge- Rockwood Eagle Point Apartments- Greystar Lincoln Village- Prodigy Navigator Villas- Security Properties River House at the Trailhead- Avenue5 Rockwood Lodge- Coast

PORTFOLIO MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Taylor Warren, Eagle Point- Greystar Theresa Patterson, Windsor Crossing- Rockwood

Garrett Thiemens- Prodigy Hollye Miller- 4 Degrees Peggy Low- Greystar

Carrington Place- Greystar Lion's Gate- Weidner Residence at Tullamore- Prodigy

ASSISTANT COMMUNITY MGR. OF THE YEAR

MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR

COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR (151+ UNITS)

- Douglass Properties

Allison Brooks, River House at the Trailhead- Avenue5 Cierra Puyear, Eagle Point Apartments- Greystar Deivid Freitas, The Lusitano Apartments- Douglass Properties Melissa Enos, Bella Tess- Greystar Rocio Ayala, Navigator Villas- Security Properties

COMMUNITY MANAGER OF THE YEAR (1-150 UNITS) Aaliyah Kruger, Jake at Indian Trail- Greystar Amanda Lanphere, Revere Ridge- Security Properties Amanda Lazaro, Riverside at Trutina- Rockwood Stephanie Powers, Pine View- Prodigy

Aaron Smith, Windsor Crossing- Rockwood Barb Wehrer, Riverside 9- Weidner Gerardo Mendoza, The Commons at Innovation Center - Prodigy Jaime Cruz, Vintage at Spokane- FPI Joe Villanueva, The Knightsbridge Communities - Douglass Properties Timofey Sytnik, The Homestead- Greystar

MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR (1-150 UNITS) Jacob Mellick, Jake at Indian Trail- Greystar Kevin Harding, Residence at River Run- Prodigy Roman Skumatov, Bitterroot Lodge- Rockwood

Big Trout Lodge- Greystar Canyon Bluffs- Coast Eagle Point Apartments- Greystar Pine Valley Ranch- Avenue5 The Highline at Kendall Yards- Rockwood The Homestead- Greystar

NEW DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR Bella Tess- Greystar Eagle Point- Greystar Legacy Villas- Prodigy Riverside at Trutina- Rockwood The Commons at Innovation Center- Prodigy

CURB APPEAL GARDEN STYLE (151+ UNITS)

INDUSTRY PARTNER OF THE YEAR Comcast ResMan, LLC

Thank you also to our Eastern Washington Sapphire Sponsors For Rent Media Solutions Sherwin Williams Wilmar

For information about the Emerald Awards, visit www.wmfha.org or call 425.656.9077

Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

9

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Seattle Area Landlords To Pay $95,000 To Settle Discrimination Complaint

T

he owners and manager of three Edmonds, Washington, apartment buildings north of Seattle have reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve a lawsuit filed earlier this year following a discrimination complaint..

The lawsuit alleged that those landlords refused to rent their apartments to families with children, in violation of the Fair Housing Act, according to a release.

The landlords will pay $95,000 in damages and civil penalties to settle the discrimination complaint, according to the release.

Discrimination complaint alleges apartments advertised as adult only “The settlement resolves a complaint filed by the department in March 2017 which alleged that in March 2014 defendant Debbie A. Appleby told a woman seeking an apartment for herself, her husband and their one-yearold child that the apartment buildings were “adult only.” The complaint also alleged that defendants advertised their apartments as being in “adult buildings,” according to the release.

“The family filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and

Urban Development (“HUD”), which conducted an investigation, issued a charge of discrimination against the defendants, and referred the case to the Justice Department “Equal access to housing is essential for all Americans, including families with young children,” U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes of the Western District of Washington said in the release.

“Particularly in our tight housing market, landlords must follow the law and make units available without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or familial status,” she said.

Landlords to pay settlement of $95,000 The three apartment buildings that are the subject of the settlement are located at 201 5th Ave. N., 621 5th Ave. S., and 401 Pine Street in Edmonds, Washington, a northern suburb of Seattle.

They are owned and managed by defendants Debbie A. Appleby, Apple One, LLC, Apple Two, LLC, and Apple Three, LLC, of Stanwood, Washington.

According to the settlement agreement, the defendants do not admit they violated the Fair Housing Act. Under

the settlement, the defendants will pay a total monetary settlement of $95,000, comprised of: $35,000 in damages to a family that they turned away because the family had a small child $35,000 that will be used to compensate other families that were harmed by defendants’ practices

$25,000 as a civil penalty to the United States Adopt non-discriminatory policies and practices that ensure compliance with Fair Housing Act Submit to record keeping and monitoring requirements for the threeyear period of the settlement agreement.

“The Fair Housing Act prohibits apartment owners and managers from denying housing to families because they have children,” Acting Assistant Attorney General John M. Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in the release. “We will continue to vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act’s prohibition of discrimination against families with children.”

“No family should be denied a place to live simply because they have a child,” Anna Maria Farias, HUD Assistant

Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, said in the release. “HUD will continue to work with the Justice Department to ensure that property owners comply with their obligations under the nation’s fair housing laws.”

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability.

Resources: Justice Department Settles Lawsuit with Edmonds, Washington, Landlords DOJ Settles Familial Status Fair Housing Act Case For $95,000

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

11

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Forget The Millennials, The Baby Boomer Renters Want Apartments

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renter households saw a 2.5 million gain between 2009 and 2015, the largest net increase by age group, according to the study.

Some highlights of the Baby Boomer renters report: Between 2009 and 2015, the percentage of the renting population over 55 years old increased by a whopping 28% (vs. 3% increase in renters 34 or younger).

By education, the biggest changes came from renters holding a bachelor degree or higher: up by 23% (vs. 17% increase in college graduates).

Renter households with no children saw the most significant percentage increase when looking at family type: up by 21% (vs. 14% increase in families with children).

Nationwide, the number of senior

Baby Boomer renters choosing suburban lifestyle Since 2009, 39% more Baby Boomer renters over 55 have chosen the suburban lifestyle for their rental housing.

Among the 20 largest metros in the US, Riverside boasts the highest percentage increase in terms of senior renter-occupied households (63%), while Los Angeles posts the biggest gain (approx. 134,000).

Comprised mostly of Baby Boomers, this generation has lived a big part of its life in the suburbs, essentially being responsible for the launch and prosperity of the consumer suburb.

Owning a home and raising a family in a suburban community truly defined this age group. Now it finds itself in a big empty house, with too much space to keep up and high property taxes to pay. They are not moving into the city in an urban environment.

“Lowering living expenses, looking for a different lifestyle, less house-related work and overall less responsibility can be achieved by downsizing, so a lot of

he current trends in apartment development are suddenly attracting a new kind of renter, Baby Boomer renters over age 55 who want to live in apartments in the suburbs, according to a new study.

These potential new tenants are highly educated and have no children in the household.

“Whether driven by a change in lifestyle, a consequence of the housing crash, or an inability to downsize due to lack of affordable homes, senior households are embracing renting in droves,” according to RentCafe.com.

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retirees opt to rent,” Simona Solomie, a real estate broker with Remax Masters of Morton Grove, Illinois, who works with home sellers, buyers, and renters in the western and northwestern suburbs of Chicago, told RentCafe in the study.

Baby boomers also account for the highest increase in renters in urban areas, but the spike in numbers is much higher in the suburbs (21% vs 39%). The second highest increase comes from renters aged 35-54, 27% in the suburbs and 8% in the city.

Cities with largest increase in Baby Boomer renters In all 20 largest U.S. metros in the study, without exception, the rate of increase in senior renters greatly surpasses that of younger renters.

The two largest gains were in the Los Angeles metro and New York metro.

The Los Angeles metro gained 134,000 new senior renter-occupied households and lost 26,000 renter households under 34 years of age.

New York City gained an additional 124,000 renter households over 55 during this time period and about 54,000 under 34.

While Los Angeles and New York had the biggest numbers, the fastest growing areas Phoenix, Riverside and

Tampa showed the biggest increases in Baby Boomer renters.

Here are the top 10: Riverside, CA – 63% Tampa, FL – 61% Phoenix, AZ ­– 59% Dallas – 46% Seattle – 45% Atlanta – 44% Washington -44% Denver – 43% Minneapolis – 38% San Diego – 33% This Baby Boomer renter is interested to live in a place that offers a convenient, quality lifestyle, a comfortable living space, a place to exercise, and a place to socialize all-in-one.

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site ¡ December 2017

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Packages Piling Up ...continued from page 1 have ultimate freedom with shipping and receiving deliveries,” Oliver said.

Her company sells a package concierge room which includes a surface-mounted kiosk that includes a 7-inch touch screen, barcode reader, still camera and effortless technology is used to control the package room. Automation with property management software creates efficiency for onsite staff and package carriers, allowing for easy drop-off or retrieval abilities. Residents have 24-hour access to retrieve and return packages with the ease of mobile app technology, according to the release.

Packages piling up for tenants The Washington Post talked to three people in the property management industry about this problem.

“This is one of the biggest puzzles in the apartment industry,” Rick Haughey, a vice president at the National Multifamily Housing Council, a Washington nonprofit group, told the Washington Post. “How do you manage hundreds of packages every day?”

“People are buying everything online — even furniture, which means our offices end up looking like West Elm warehouses,” Luanne McNulty, vice president of ZRS Management, an Orlando-based property-management company told the Post. “Sorting all of that out is easily a full-time job.”

“Some days I’m crawling over packages — they’ll be all around my desk, on the tables, on the shelves,” Greenwald, the manager of Gelmarc Towers, a 1950s building that has 166 units, told the newspaper. “It can feel like an obstacle course.”

A National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) resident survey ranked access to packages as the second most important amenity, right after fitness centers. The reasons for the high importance ranking are clear: consumers don’t want to miss deliveries because they’re not home; they want to know their packages are safe and secure; and they want to have access to their packages at convenient times.

Residential, Greystar and Bozzuto Group are on board with Amazon’s plan to install wireless-connected locker units both inside and outside of high-traffic apartment buildings, according to reports.

Amazon hub for packages Earlier this year, Amazon launched a new locker product for apartment buildings to help with this problem called The Hub. Amazon has launched a new delivery locker product, called “the Hub,” for apartment buildings so residents can securely receive bulky packages and pick them up at convenient times for the tenants, according to Amazon.

Amazon is pitching the lockers to apartment owners and property managers saying, ”Your residents will thank you.

“Accepting deliveries from all carriers, Hub by Amazon can free you and your staff from daily package management. It’s convenient and easy to use, making the Hub an amenity your residents will love.

“Self-service delivery and trusted customer support come together to create a solution you can count on,” the company says.

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Rods

Floor

Carpet/Vinyl/Wood 3) Type _______________ Breed _______________ Size ______ Age __ Weight ___ Color ____ Name ________ Disposal Vaccinations: Yes____ No____ License Number: ______________

AGREEMENT

In

BEDROOM 3

Walls

Windows

Refrigerator 1) Type _______________ Breed _______________ Size ______ Age __ Weight ___ Color ____ Name ________ Vaccinations: Yes____ No____ Rods License Number: ______________ 2) Type _______________ Breed _______________ Size ______ Age __ Weight ___ Color ____ Name ________ Floor Vaccinations: Yes____ No____ License Number: ______________ Shelves/Drawer

Additional Security Deposit Required:$

WA-RTG-40 Washington

48-HOUR NOTICE OF ENTRY

Windows 1) The pet(s) shall be on a leash or otherwise under tenant’s control when it is outside the Antenna/Cable tenant’s dwelling TV unit.

Blinds/Drapes 2) Tenant(s) shall promptly pick up all pet waste from the premises promptly.

Fireplace 3) Tenant(s) are responsible for the conduct of their pet(s) at all times.

4) Tenant(s) are liable for all damages caused by their pet(s).

Cleanliness 5) Tenant(s) shall pay the additional security deposit listed above and/or their rental agreement as a condition to keeping the pet(s) listed above.

6) Tenant(s) shall notBEDROOM allow their pets to cause any sort of disturbance or injury to the 1 BEDROOM 2 other tenants, guests, landlord or any other persons lawfully on the premises.

Walls 7) Tenant(s) shall immediately report to landlord any type of damage Walls or injury caused by their pet.

Windows 8) This agreement is incorporated into and shall become part of Windows the rental agreement exe Blinds/Drapes -cuted between the parties. Failure by tenant to comply with any part of this agreement Blinds/Drapes shall constitute a material breach of the rental agreement.

Rods

_____________________________ Floor Landlord

Light Fixtures

Doors/Woodwork

Walls

BATH ROOM

* Add one additional

Carpet/Vinyl/Wood

Tub/Shower

Disposal

Light Fixtures

Fan (Exhaust) Doors/Woodwork

if served by post

and mail.

Doors/Woodwork

Ceilings

Electric Outlets

Smoke Detectors

Blinds/Drapes

BATH ROOM

Towel Bars

Electricity

Sink & Vanity

Hot Water

Toilet

BEDROOM 2

Smoke Detectors

Tub/Shower

Walls

Windows

Windows ©2009 NO PORTION

Blinds/Drapes

may be reproduced without written

Floor day for compliance

*

Locks

Cabinets

Sink

Floor

Windows

Services

Post and Mail:

Light Fixtures

Dishwasher

Counter Tops

Floor Locks

Light Outlets Electrical Fixtures

Garbage Cans

Fireplace Plumbing

Cleanliness Heating

BEDROOM 1

Walls

©2011 NO PORTION of this form

Blinds/Drapes

Personal Service:

Rods

Shelves/Drawer

TV Antenna/Cable Essential

Doors/Woodwork

Ceilings

Electric Outlets

Phone

Windows

Refrigerator

Method Ice Traysof Service:

Electric Outlets Ceilings

Rods

______________________________ Floor Tenant ______________________________ Light Fixtures Tenant

Locks

Ceilings

Electrical Outlets

Walls

Stove/Racks

Towel Bars

Sink & Vanity

Toilet

Locks ©2011 NO PORTION of this form may be reproduced without written permission.

BEDROOM 3

Walls

Landlord

Windows

Blinds/Drapes

Rods

Floor

permission.

Blinds/Drapes

Rods

Fan (Exhaust)

of this form may Floor be reproduced without Electric Outlets

Rods

Floor

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Light Fixtures

Floor

Light Fixtures

Light Fixtures

Doors/Woodwork

Doors/Woodwork

Locks

Essential Services

Plumbing

Locks

Ceilings

Heating

Ceilings

Electrical Outlets

Electricity

Electric Outlets

Smoke Detectors

Hot Water

Smoke Detectors

Smoke Detectors

©2009 NO PORTION

of this form may

be reproduced without

written permission.

do NoT change the color

do NoT alter in any way

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site

T

13 Ways To Pet Proof Your Rental Property

hese ways to pet proof your rentals can be helpful as some landlords and property managers are concerned about opening their properties to pets. However, they also know they can attract and keep more good tenants if they are a petfriendly property. The maintenance checkup this week provided by Keepe focuses on ways to pet proof your rental property to be sure you are protecting your investment and income as well as keeping your tenants happy.

Ways to pet proof your rental with a property makeover Property makeovers are the best way to minimize property damage by investing in durable, long-lasting solutions.

While they may require additional costs and work, property makeovers designed to thoroughly pet-proof are the most secure way to protect a property and increase the safety of pets.

• No. 1 - Vinyl, linoleum and tile floors are tough, impermeable and scratch resistant. Converting existing flooring into one of those durable alternatives significantly reduces the likelihood of flooring damage that results from the activity of pets and their potential ‘indoor accidents’.

• No. 2 - Bamboo is a good option if a warmer look is desired, as it is harder

than most wooden flooring, making it not so vulnerable to scratches, and it is also not as permeable having less natural grooves.

• No. 3 - Polyurethane can be utilized to seal wooden floors if pursuing a complete floor makeover is out of the question.

• No. 4 - High-gloss, semi-gloss and satin paints result in hard, moistureproof finishes that are preferable when it comes to preserving and protecting walls. These finishes create washable surfaces that are not vulnerable to stains and chips.

durable and designed for easy cleanup.

They are available in many different patterns and shapes that can suit most indoor spaces.

• No. 7 - Shelves and wall hangings allow decorative pieces, houseplants and more delicate items to be displayed while being out of reach of curious pets.

Taking into account how far off the ground pets can reach is fundamental to make sure that anything sharp, valuable or toxic is safely stored, and shelving helps with utilizing height as a practical advantage.

• No. 8 - Thick, heavy blinds are preferable to fabric curtains and flimsy plastic shades. Dragging fabric, noisy blinds and hanging cords invite biting and pulling, which is why shorter draw strings and heavier materials are a safer option.

• No. 9 - Plexiglass and lucite panels are inexpensive and can be affixed to doors and windows to add a layer of protection from scratches.

• No. 10 - Non-textured furnishings minimizes the scratching and biting

Affordable ways to pet proof your rental property If pursuing a complete property makeover is not feasible, encouraging tenants to pet-proof their living space is still possible and certainly adequate to avoid the likelihood of damages.

The ideas below describe affordable, easy and efficient ways to protect indoor spaces and promoting the safety of pets.

• No. 5 - Area rugs are ideal for making spaces look welcoming and cozy while avoiding risks associated with carpet flooring. They add a personal touch to pet-resistant flooring, while also being easy to replace as needed.

• No. 6 - Outdoor rugs can be utilized indoors as they are naturally more

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Multifamily Investing Forecast ...continued from page 1 The vacancies have been low.

There is less product for sale on the market The competition is fierce.

But the savvy and tough investment groups always find ways to acquire the right properties even in the heated markets.

One of the keys is to look at B and C properties in my multifamily investing forecast I have been fortunate to create a niche markets in Texas and Georgia.

I have been able to do 12 syndication acquisitions in the last couple of years.

We have purchased C properties and B properties in growth markets through developing great relationships with top brokers and making quick decisions when opportunities arose.

Just recently, Multifamily executive reports, “Class B and C multifamily housing will have the greatest potential for high returns in 2017 and well into 2018.”

Do I agree? Yes, I definitely think so.

For the last nine years, my companies and other multifamily investing groups have enjoyed healthy cash flow returns along with the equity gains in the C+ and B class assets in B and A areas. In our companies, we have always gone after the jobs, and the emerging smaller markets outside of the large metro areas where there is path of progress and job market is healthy and growing. Below is a chart from Marcus & Millichap.

Is Class B and C the way to go?

Multifamily executive reports that

what is driving this is, “the oversupply of Class A communities in combination with a drop in demand, the rising cost of homeownership, and millennials entering the market by the millions.

In the midst of this trend, foreign investors have begun to take notice and make their own plays on U.S. multifamily real estate.

As we all know, the U.S. is becoming more of a renters nation, the millennials are loving the “portability” aspect of living. They like living in B class apartments with nice aminities, no need to mow the lawns or take care of the swimming pools etc. and no need to drive to the fitness club because all of this is contained at the dwellings.

The growth of this segment of population as shown in the above graph tells the story.

I predit the market for B class apartment communities will be quite healthy for a long time.

Multifamily executive says, “Class B and C properties also allow real estate investors opportunities to enjoy a significant lift in NOI by making small property improvements. Examples of these value-adds include putting in communal clubhouses, adding dog parks, putting cafes, media centers and offering community events. These upgrades to B and C apartments can be relatively inexpensive to implement yet can generate higher rents, leading to rapid ROI growth.”

My present companies, Moneil Investment Group and Moneil Management Group have been bringing value to C and C+ communities and

Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

converting them to high occupancy Class B assets. The investors really like the fact that along with the cash flow returns they are enjoying the forced appreciation of their investment in equity gains.

Cafes and media centers are examples of value-adds Millennials love apartments The generation has been dubbed Generation Rent and is expected to continue driving apartment demand through 2024. Experts assert millennials are interested in homeownership, but are too laden with debt to pursue it. Their interest in owning a home will become more apparent as they continue to age, pay off debt, get married and start families — but this is still a long way off for the majority of the generation.

Meanwhile, Class B and C properties are attracting a wide demographic, from working-class individuals to millennials entering the market to downsizing baby boomers.

These properties are typically 15to 25-years old and are located in desirable buildings in well-established middle-income neighborhoods. They tend to offer residents the most bang for their buck, attracting renters in a down economy.

Why apartments are booming with Baby Boomers There is a rental-demographic that’s feeling quite young and spry. And old age isn’t something they will be thinking about for years.

It’s the Baby Boomers, most of whom will turn 65 by 2030. Every single day, for the next decade, about 10,000 Baby Boomers will become 65 years old, retire and turn their attention to where and how they’re living.

Born between 1945 and the early 1960s, this is a demographic that’s going to drastically redefine the composition of the U.S. population. In fact, 18 percent of all people living in the nation will be aged 65 and above in the next decade or so.

While they’ve been homeowners for the better part of their lives, recent housing studies show that approximately over the last 10 years, Baby Boomers have become the second biggest rental demographic, right after the millennials.

According to data coming from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies reveals that between 2004 and 2013, renting saw a rise among people aged 50 to 75. Today, most renters are around 40 or older.

Despite being a strong demographic that’s leaning more and more towards renting, the Baby Boomers haven’t received quite the same attention as the younger millennials.

Property managers, landlords and real estate investors alike have been exploring ways in which they can make their rentals appeal to the more dynamic millennials. Fortunately, the things that the Baby Boomers and millennials want aren’t too different.

They want a sense of community fused ...continued on page 22

17

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Raise Money for Multifamily ...continued from page 3 access to the types of investments that institutions, pension funds and other larger entities have secretly enjoyed for years. No matter their size, in today’s market investors are looking for high cash returns, tax advantages and equity growth. Many also prefer the hard asset of real estate, as opposed to stocks, bonds, etc., and the ability to use leverage in their deals to enhance investor returns,” writes attorney Kim Lisa Taylor on her blog.

I have been very fortunate to work with Kim for the last 10 years. She is a top professional syndication attorney. My team and I have done 26 syndications so far and are moving into a $50 million fund in 2018. The market is getting tougher and it’s wise to have the money committed/raised as the opportunities arise that are conducive to syndication.

You see the cash-on-cash needs to be in the 12-12.5% range for the deal to be able to syndicate. We pay out to the Investors who are Class A of the LLC that owns the asset and we pay them 8-9.5% per year.

“Another plus that has arisen postJOBS Act is that with platforms posting their deals online, investors and syndicators have a gauge to see what others are doing that they never had when all such offerings were “private” under the original Regulation D, Rule 506 [now 506(b)], which is still alive and well. As a refresher, Rule 506(b) doesn’t allow any form of advertising or solicitation, but you can include both Accredited and Sophisticated Investors, and there are a lot more Sophisticated

For certain purposes, net worth and income restrictions must be met before a person can be classified a sophisticated investor.

Resources: Multifamily Financing: The Ultimate Guide to Multifamily Loans Apartment Finance Today: Impacting Investments?

What’s

What are Investors Looking For? What is an accredited investor?

What is 'Regulation D – Reg D’ What is the 'Securities And Exchange Commission - SEC' Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act Investors than there are Accredited, so there is still a need for private offerings under this rule for those willing to take the time to develop pre-existing relationships before making offers to investors,” she writes.

One very important fact about this 506 (C) fund is that only Accredited Investors can only participate and invest in it.

What is an 'Accredited Investor' An accredited investor is a person or entity that can deal with securities not registered with financial authorities by satisfying one of the requirements regarding income, net worth, asset size, governance status or professional experience. The term is used by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under Regulation D to refer to investors who are financially

sophisticated and have a reduced need for the protection provided by regulatory disclosure filings. Accredited investors include natural individuals, banks, insurance companies, brokers and trusts.

To be an accredited investor, a person must have a net worth of $1,000,000 or more excluding the equity in the primary residence or demonstrate an annual income of $200,000, or $300,000 for joint income, for the last two years with expectation of earning the same or higher income. Also, if an entity consists of equity owners who are accredited investors, the entity itself is an accredited investor.

A sophisticated investor is a type of investor who is deemed to have sufficient investing experience and knowledge to weigh the risks and merits of an investment opportunity.

About the author:

Vinney Chopra is the Founder and CEO of Moneil Investment Group and President of Ideal Investments Group. His latest accomplishments include acquiring 12 multifamily assets in the last 28 months, worth $132 million. His last two syndications were sold out in just a few hours, and one in 36 hours raising $4.7 million and another one $6 million in eight hours.

Between the two syndication companies he founded, Vinney’s team is controlling over $200 million worth of assets. He is a mechanical engineer. After entering USA with $7, he graduated from The George Washington University with Master’s in Business Administration in Marketing, he shifted his focus to marketing and motivation. He was a professional fundraising consultant and motivational speaker for more than 35 years with a wonderful private company. Vinney and his wife started their real estate investments in 1983. He currently owns single-family homes and multifamily units in Texas, California, Atlanta, Arizona and India.

Many times, people call him “Mr. Enthusiasm” or “Mr. Smiles.” He likes to bring great value to everyone he comes in touch with.

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Contact us at info@rentalhousingjournal.com 18

Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Tenants Rights Protestors Show Up At Seattle Landlord Conference

T

enants rights protesters showed up outside the Trends Rental Housing Management Conference and Tradeshow Show Tuesday in Seattle outside the Washington State Convention Center.

About 75 protestors from the Washington Community Action Network showed up to demand protection for renters, according to a media advisory the group put out.

Tenant rights, labor, and housing advocate groups planned a day of protests and education to “counterbalance the presence of landlords from around the state at an industry trade show at the convention center downtown Tuesday,” according to the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog.

Observers said the group was orderly and quiet, unlike some tenants’ rights groups in Portland which have protested

landlord and property management events in Oregon.

TRENDS is the largest one-day rental housing ownership/management conference and trade show on the West Coast featuring over 200 exhibitors.

TRENDS serves the Pacific Northwest and is a national award-winning event with over 1,500 attendees.

Tenants rights protestors at conference and tradeshow The protest group said in the advisory that the rally at the conference and trade show would include “speakers who will share their stories and elected officials will discuss upcoming legislation related to tenant rights both on the city and state levels.”

On their website, the group says “with over 40,000 members, Washington CAN! is the state’s largest grassroots community organization. Together we

work to achieve racial, social, gender and economic justice in Washington state and our nation. We believe that we can only achieve our goals when people become involved and take action for justice.”

The group started a rally for tenants’ rights earlier in the day.

According to the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, tenants rights organizers said State Representative Nicole Macri, and City Council members Kshama Sawant and Teresa Mosqueda were scheduled to attend the rally.

“On December 5th, landlord associations are holding a conference with 1,500 landlords from throughout the state to learn how to use current law against tenants. These same landlord associations spend thousands of dollars buying local elections, lobbying against tenant rights on the local and state level,

and suing cities to block tenant rights,” the group said on Facebook. Sponsoring organizers include the Washington Community Action Network, the Gender Justice League, UFCW Local, 21 WFSE Local 304, SEIU 775, Real Change, and the Washington Tenants Union, according to the blog.

Trends is owned by Institute of Real Estate Management, the Rental Housing Association of Washington, and the Washington Landlord Association.

How Do You Practice Compliance In Apartment Leasing And Management?

By Ellen Clark

C

an you imagine how delighted you’d be if all of your employees were compliance experts?

Studies of top performers in music, chess, and sports point to the importance of practice in the development of expertise.

With most skills in life, if you want to be great, you have to practice.

But how does one practice compliance?

As trainers, we sometimes fall into the “check the box” mindset.

We are happy when all employees take their fair housing or harassment training once a year.

Deep down, though, we know it takes more than that to be really good at compliance. It takes practice.

How can you create meaningful compliance practice initiative?

Here are some tips!

• Creating a recurring monthly training scenario will help your learners to retain and transfer compliance lessons to their jobs.

• Make a practice plan. Create an initiative around compliance practice. For example, create

monthly compliance refreshers where employees get a few scenariobased questions to answer. Build a course in Vision X to deliver and score the questions.

• Create a little competition and make it fun. Set up a simple leaderboard or acknowledge participating employees in a company-wide email or with a few words at a team meeting. You might be surprised what some healthy competition can do.

• Focus on meaningful, relevant scenarios • Use realistic scenarios and decisions that employees will encounter on the job.

• Making the practice scenarios relevant will ensure employees don’t feel they are wasting their time.

Use your experience to generate real scenarios, but also scan HUD, EEOC or state agency websites for important compliance news, recent claims and court decisions. These are great for developing scenarios.

Learners tend to succeed when allowed to practice in a safe, low-stakes environment

Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

Create a safe space.

In job training contexts, practice allows learners to succeed or fail in a safe, low-stakes environment.

When presenting practice activities to employees, don’t penalize them for getting things wrong. People need to feel like they can try and fail without being afraid of consequences or feeling bad. Let them know that practice is low stakes because the high stake part is on the job!

Practicing compliance strategies will not only keep things fresh in employees’ minds, but will allow them to apply their knowledge to novel situations in order for them to go beyond memorization to understanding.

This is when you will start to see behaviors change on the job, which is what training is all about.

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.

About Grace Hill For nearly two decades, Grace Hill has been developing best-in-class online training courseware and administration solely for the Property Management Industry, designed to help people, teams and companies improve performance and reduce risk.

Read Ellen’s blog here.

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

19

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Pet Proofing ...continued from page 4

appeal that most texturized materials have for pets.

• No. 11- Metal, plastics and resin furnishings are sleek and thus less stimulating than wool, leather, and other coarse surfaces that make for inviting scratch and bite posts.

• No. 12 - Microfiber and heavy, tightly-woven fabrics are most resistant to tear and wear, which is important to consider when choosing linens, couches, armchairs and similar home decor.

• No. 13 - Baby gates can be used to separate pet-friendly spaces from other areas, especially those prone to housing products that are not safe for pets or displaying more delicate furnishings or flooring.

Resources: Why A Pets Allowed Policy Makes

Cents Recommended Pet Policies for Condominiums and Apartment Buildings 7 Questions Landlords Have About Pets and Pet-Friendly Apartments About Keepe: Keepe is an on-demand maintenance solution for property managers and independent landlords. Keepe provides a network of trusted independent contractors and handymen who are available for maintenance projects in the Greater Seattle Area, Greater Phoenix area, San Francisco Bay area, and soon to an area near you. Learn more about Keepe at http://www.keepe. com

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

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site · December 2017

Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Sexual Harrassment Training ...continued from page 4 “Often you're trying to do your job.

You're trying to be successful at your job, and yet you're in an uncomfortable situation, and the question is, how do you handle that?

“The reason why it's so important that we made sexual harassment training available to our industry, is you want everyone to go on-site ready to do their job, armed and prepared, and not have to worry about: What are the sexual harassment laws?

What are the fair housing laws?

How do I handle these situations?

One of the things that we work really closely with our clients on, is putting their own courseware in the system that goes even further.

“Policies and procedures are really important when it comes to something like that, and so I think any time a client asks me, "How can I really manage my risk?" I say, "Well number one, you gotta train people on an annual basis, on all the core compliance topics, so that they're ready, willing, and prepared to perform, but number two, you guys need really great policies, and procedures in training on those, to make sure that your team members know at your company, how to navigate that." That's something else that we talk a lot about with our clients.”

Launching a California-specific sexual harassment course “This month we are relaunching our California specific sexual harassment course, so all of our corporate clients have access to that. I think one of the interesting things, is California really does have almost a higher standard.

And that's important, because we know how large California is, and how many apartment communities are in California.

“One thing that's critical is, that everyone in this industry - if they are on properties in California or have

properties in California - that they are also adhering to those laws because there are additional requirements specific to California sexual harassment laws. For example, one of the core areas is, you need to have a designated person at your company that people can ask California sexual harassment questions of.

“We've found that our clients really like combining our online courseware with some of our features, so that they can designate specific people in the system to respond to that specific requirement. It takes some of that burden off of them. It is important that everyone realize that they're not just federal laws, but also state laws, that they need to be in adherence with.

“We are hosting a webinar in midDecember on the big California sexual harassment update that's coming out, and some of the ways that the law has changed,” she said.

What type of sexual harassment happens most often in multifamily?

“We have so many leasing consultants that come into our industry. They find themselves on a career path, which is one of the things that I love most about this industry.

“This is often the first time someone is working in our industry

on a property. Trying to navigate how to manage residents, how to manage prospects, and trying to understand how to navigate all those situations, can be very challenging.

“What we hear most often from our clients is, ‘How do we successfully onboard people into these roles, so that on day one they get it, and really understand how it works in housing and that they can actually apply it.

That they can handle a potentially gray area when it comes to sexual harassment or to disability.”

“One of the things that we work really hard on is translating complicated laws into short compliance courses that are interactive. Grace Hill’s interactive courses allow people to apply the laws that they've learned, and then feel empowered to go out on site and be successful and navigate any of these situations that are not necessarily intuitive. It's very much, ‘How do we quickly get people up to speed on all of the different regulations?’ I think in particular fair housing, and obviously sexual harassment is part of that.

“California, in my tenure at Grace Hill, has had a number of major changes. And so for us, not only do we stay on top of the federal law, but we spend a lot of time thinking about

California, because we have many clients with communities there, and we have many learners on-site there.

We want to make sure that they are able to follow those laws, and that our broader learning platform helps them from an operational side, manage some of those requirements.

“For example, they're able to take our California sexual harassment course, and build their own version of it, where they designate who their corporate representative is that should receive all the sexual harassment questions, and actually receive that through the platform, right? We try to give them not just a technology solution from really great online training materials, but a way to manage staying in compliance with those laws as well.”

Resources: Justice Department Announces Initiative to Combat Sexual Harassment in Housing Since January of this year, the DOJ has recovered over $1 million for victims of sexual harassment in housing

Grace Hill Makes Sexual Harassment Training Free for the Property Management Industry About Grace Hill: Grace Hill is the market leader in compliance, and specifically sexual harassment training for the property management industry, is responsible for helping learners have the tools that they need in order to navigate the sexual harassment laws. We're very focused on ultimately helping employers, and employees create an ethical culture, and a welcoming workplace, and I think one of the key ways that you do that, is by empowering your employees with knowledge, and understanding of what those laws are, and how to act appropriately in situation, which is exactly what our courses do.

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Multifamily Investing Forecast ...continued from page 17 with interiors that are suited for their specific needs.

Great opportunites lie ahead for more senior living facilities and nice, well-cared for communities to meet their demand.

How about foreign investors in 2018 – what will we see in multifamily investing forecast for 2018?

Multifamily executive reports, “More foreign investors are seeing this potential in the U.S. multifamily housing market. According to an analysis by Real Capital Analytics, as reported in National Real Estate Investor, foreign buyers poured a record $91 billion into U.S. commercial assets in 2015, $19.6 billion of which was invested in apartment communities.

And through June 2016, foreign buyers invested a record $5.1 billion in apartment communities.

“To put that number into perspective, over the course of the previous decade, foreign investors averaged a mere $5.4 billion in multifamily product annually.

We’re seeing much of this money coming out of China, as well as Canada and Mexico. Additionally, in the commercial real estate industry, we’ve begun seeing an influx of investors from the Middle East and South Africa, many of whom are pouring money into multifamily properties.

The reality is that the combination of a pro-deregulation president and potentially unstable economies abroad is making the current U.S. market especially attractive to investors from overseas, therefore drumming up foreign investment in the U.S. real

estate market.”

Multifamily on the rise Multifamily saw the next biggest inflow of overseas capital, with a broader subset of foreign sovereign wealth and pension funds increasing their exposures to the space.

“While some overseas investors are focused on suburban investment strategies due to current urban development levels and pricing, others are seeking to align U.S. multifamily with office exposure from a market and sub-market perspective,” says JLL Americas Research Director Sean Coghlan. “We will see more transactions from these groups, likely at scale, in non-conventional structures and with strong domestic sponsors.

However, selectivity will remain the norm.”

Ongoing diversification With pricing elevated in primary markets, and targeted opportunities remaining limited, foreign investors will continue to expand the scope of their U.S. real estate investment strategies by both asset type and location, including moves into selected non-primary markets.

What about rates of rent growth in 2018?

This statistic presents a forecast of multifamily rent growth in the United States from the second quarter of 2017 to the fourth quarter of 2018. It was expected that the multifamily rent growth would amount to 6.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018 in the United States. Multifamily real estate refers

to a housing structure where multiple apartments are contained within one housing unit, or when several buildings form a larger complex. In the United States, 397 thousand multifamily houses were started in 2015. An average size of such a housing unit was 1,074 square feet in that year.

As outlined above it looks like a healthy rental growth across the quarters in 2018. I definilty say that the rental growth depends on so many other factors and the forces behind the demand in local markets.

Overall, I see a bright future for multifamily Investing in 2018 and beyond!

Resources: 2017–2018 Forecast: Class B and C Apartments Will Rule JLL: Foreign CRE Investment Remains Strong U.S. real estate remains top draw for foreign investors Growing demand and tight supply are lifting home prices and rents About the author: Vinney Chopra is the Founder and CEO of Moneil Investment Group and President of Ideal Investments Group.

His latest accomplishments include acquiring 12 multifamily assets in the last 28 months, worth $132 million.

His last two syndications were sold out in just a few hours, and one in 36 hours raising $4.7 million and another one $6 million in eight hours. Between the two syndication companies he founded, Vinney’s team is controlling over $200 million worth of assets. He is a mechanical engineer. After entering

USA with $7, he graduated from The George Washington University with Master’s in Business Administration in Marketing, he shifted his focus to marketing and motivation. He was a professional fundraising consultant and motivational speaker for more than 35 years with a wonderful private company. Vinney and his wife started their real estate investments in 1983.

He currently owns single-family homes and multifamily units in Texas, California, Atlanta, Arizona and India.

Many times, people call him “Mr. Enthusiasm” or “Mr. Smiles.” He likes to bring great value to everyone he comes in touch with.

We help clients resolve landlord-tenant cases involving evictions, litigation, fair housing complaints, leases, and other tenant disputes.

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Rental Housing Journal On-Site

Missing Rent Payments Online ...continued from page 6 newspaper reported. eRentpayment said on their website last month, “We regret to inform you that our payment processor, eCHECKit, has informed us that it expects to file for bankruptcy protection. We are told that it suffered losses due to a fraud and that its processor, Check Commerce, has held over $4 million of its funds and will not release the funds to the intended recipients at this time. Please note that eRentPayment had nothing to do with the fraud eCHECKit suffered. It was apparently caused by another client of eCHECKit, according to a statement on erentpayment.com.

“The transactions potentially affected were submitted after approximately 7:31:00 PM (Pacific time) on 10/03/2017 through approximately 7:01:33 PM (Pacific time) on 10/12/2017. Any transactions submitted after this time period should not be affected as they are being processed through eRentPayment’s new direct bank relationship. Similarly, any future transactions should not be affected as they will be run through the new direct processing relationship.

“We do not know if or when Check Commerce will send the pending transactions to the recipients.

Accordingly, you should consider your options including having the tenant contact his or her bank to request the transaction be reversed. Specifically, the tenant may initiate a return for an “Incomplete Transaction.” We understand that the return code for this is “R10” and the bank will require a written statement from the tenant.

Also, the tenant will have a limited time period to request the return from his bank, usually within 60 days from the date of the transaction,” the company said on its website last month.

“We are contacting the Attorney General of Arizona, the National Automated Clearing House Association, and reviewing legal action against the relevant parties,” according to eRentPayment.

Resources for rent payments online Ft. Collins Company At Center of Rent Payment Dispute Disappearing rent payments frustrate customers of Fort Collins firm Tempe firm’s $4M dispute sticks landlords nationwide Kentucky Western Bankruptcy Court Case 3:17-bk-33389 Online rent payments to Virginia.

Beach landlord held up by bankruptcy

Outsmarting Jack Frost ...continued from page 5 labor to protecting the property from additional damage and making the unit safe for your tenant. Then have them complete the full repair during regular business hours. If your property is protected and your tenant is taken care of, then there is no reason to waste any more money on inflated after-hours labor rates.

To avoid expensive after-hours HVAC labor rates, we purchased some large electric space heaters for residential use. If heat goes out in the winter, then you are required to have it repaired or provide another heat source ASAP. The cost of you or a handyman delivering some space heaters in the middle of the night is much less than paying a HVAC contractors’ after-hours labor rates.

This will make the tenants feel taken care of since you provided heat quickly, and you’ll get to save money by having the HVAC repairs completed during normal business hours. If your rental unit has a wood fireplace or stove, you can also maintain a stockpile of wood to deliver instead of space heaters.

Lastly, make sure your tenants know how to get a hold of someone to report an emergency repair outside of your normal business hours. Within our company we contract with a call center company that has our afterhours contractors contact information.

You could also incentivize one of your contractors to be available 24-hours and coordinate emergency repairs. Or you can simply give your tenants your cell phone number to call and be sure to have the volume turned up to high before you go to sleep.

Winter can be a very scary time of year for a landlord, especially landlords with low-profit margins. If you are willing to put in some work and maybe even a little financial investment, you can avoid most winter emergencies.

For those inevitable emergencies, you will be prepared to handle anything that is thrown at you with confidence.

Don’t wait until 2:00 a.m. on Christmas morning when a tenant wakes you up with an emergency to find an afterhours contractor. If you get this done before winter and have your 24-hour repair phone numbers easily accessible, you will be back to sleeping soundly after making one phone call. No stress or worrying, just sweet, relaxing dreams, because you can rest assured that your tenants are being taken care of and your rental property is being protected.

Good luck this winter, but don’t wait any longer to get prepared!

Christian Bryant President of IRC Real Estate and Property Management www.IRCEnterprises.com

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