Valley (Eugene, Salem, Corvallis) Rental Housing Journal - August 2014 by Professional Publishing, Inc

August 2014 - Vol. 8 Issue 8

Rental Housing Journal Valley

4. Multifamily NW Help, My Time’s Been Hijacked

2. C23 Property Management Tips for Mastering E-mail © 3. Dear Maintenance Men:

EUGENE • SALEM • ALBANY • CORVALLIS

VALLE

WWW.RENTALHOUSINGJOURNAL.COM • PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHING, INC

EUGENE • SALEM • ALBANY • CORVALLIS

3 Tips for Low, Middle & High Net Worth Peerto-Peer Investors ‘You Need to Learn Enough to be Dangerous,’ says P2P Pioneer

fter the economy crashed in December 2007, nascent online peer-to-peer lending platforms quickly grew. They’ve since evolved into an increasingly popular investment alternative to Wall Street and other traditional options. Peer-to-peer lending isn’t new and it’s no passing fad, says P2P pioneer Brendan Ross, president of Direct Lending Investments LLC, (www.dirlend.com), which runs a short-term, high-yield small business loan fund. “It’s a rebirth of the simplest and oldest way of making money: one individual loaning money to another and getting paid back with interest,” Ross says. What makes this new incarnation different is accessibility. “Online lenders like IOU-Central and Prosper.com make it easy for prospective lenders to find and fund borrowers through a website,” Ross says. “These platforms have automated the underwriting process, including checking credit and looking at applicants’ bank accounts, so they can vet borrowers based on reliable information.” Each online lending platform operates differently, but all vet applicants. The lender posts qualifying requests on its website, and private investors decide which to fund, either in their entirety or in part. At Lending Club, for instance, investors can choose to lend the entire amount requested by a borrower, or as little as $25 to multiple borrowers, which Continued on page 7 Professional Publishing Inc. PO Box 6244 Beaverton, OR 97007

Campus-Style WiFi Systems: The Amenity for Today

partment residents have long held in high regard such amenities as a fitness center, a patio, a washer/dryer and a pool, but now of equal importance as those features is having high-speed community-wide Internet service. Having high-speed communitywide Internet service is now among the most desired amenities according to a 2013 survey by the National Multi Housing Council. More than 70 percent of respondents said that it was important or very important. Easy enough, right? Practically every restaurant and coffee shop you visit has wireless Internet service. Most libraries have it. Many college campuses do too. If the corner Starbucks (and mid-block Starbucks and other corner Starbucks) can pull this off, surely you can too. Is it as simple as expanding the WiFi you already have running in your business center or around the pool area? It’s not. As many an apartment manager has discovered, there are a plethora of significant hurdles to setting up a WiFi system that provides consistent, fast and full coverage across a number of buildings and in open spaces. It would be hard to design something that would be tougher to bring WiFi to than an apartment community. Concrete. Stucco and wire framing. Metal duct work. Hot-water heaters and washers and driers. Fireplaces. And any number of devices in each unit trying to connect to the Internet. In fact, everything apartment communities have in quantity interfere with the microwave level frequencies that WiFi uses. The vastness of the area to provide coverage is yet another challenge. Most WiFi access points (AP) have an indoor broadcast range of between 25 to 100 feet, so dozens

Current Resident or

PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Portland, OR Permit #5460

if not hundreds of AP units are required to create complete coverage. These AP units need to be installed with great care and must operate in coordination so that all areas get coverage but that each signal doesn’t interfere with the other. In most urban areas, all the other devices operating on the license-free radio frequency cause interference with WiFi systems, which weakens the signal and can cause interruptions. These devices include mobile phones, baby monitors, radios, twoway radios and other WiFi systems. Couple that with the small antenna most consumer devices have and you have connectivity issue. Security is increasingly one of the biggest issues in setting up a WiFi system. Hackers target public WiFi systems that are weakly defended or are poorly designed, snooping about for sensitive information to exploit. With the high-profile security breaches in the past few years, users are more conscience than ever of the need for top-quality security. Perhaps the greatest hurdle in

installing community-wide WiFi in apartment communities has been the cost. The electronic hardware and cost of installing the equipment can easily top $100,000 (not to mention on-going maintenance), too great a price tag for most apartment community owners to justify installing, leaving residents to each get their own Internet service. But a few wireless internet service companies have developed new equipment, software and delivery methods that solve the issues that have long prevented apartment communities from installing campus-like WiFi. A growing number of apartment communities are installing the service and marketing the much-desired amenity. Residents of the Emparrado Apartments, a 154-unit community in Mesa, have been receiving highspeed Internet service since the spring. In addition to faster speeds, resident are most excited about being able to unbundled service from cable providers, saving money, and Continued on page 6

Advertise in Rental Housing Journal VALLEY Circulated to over 6,000 Apartment owners, On-site, and Maintenance personnel monthly.

Call 503-221-1260 for more info.

RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL VALLEY

C23 Property Management Tips for Mastering E-mail ©

by Ernest F. Oriente, The Coach {Article #220…since 1995} ject line must clearly summarize what the body of the E-mail says

ccording to a recent survey by Matrix Information, three billion people around the globe have access to Internet-based services and E-mail. In addition, this report expects electronic commerce to grow from $3.2 trillion in 2013 to $6.2 trillion by the year 2015. Is your property management company ready for these exploding communication and marketing trends? Is your leasing team ready to handle the Email just sent by 15 new prospects relocating from Paris or Moscow? Read the tips in this article and learn how easy it is to master E-mail and profit from it…it’s just a few keystrokes away!

• If your leasing teams are using the E-mail “reply” feature to respond to a future resident, make certain they reply by including the information the prospect sent in their original E-mail note. In addition, ask your leasing teams to include the name of the future resident throughout their E-mail reply. Tips for using E-mail within your property management company: When your leasing teams are using E-mail to communicate internally, make certain they understand when to respond by E-mail and when to call the person who sent the original E-mail, depending on the tone or content of the E-mail

Tips for using E-mail with prospective new residents: Ask your leasing teams to always use spell check before sending an Email to a future resident • Have your teams read each E-mail twice before they send it, just to make certain it conveys exactly what they are trying to communicate and it portrays the professional image important to your property management company • When sending an E-mail, the sub-

software • Explain to your leasing teams that deleting an E-mail does not remove it from their computer system nor from the system of the person the E-mail was sent to. During several recent lawsuits, damaging E-mails that had been deleted were used in the courtroom to the surprise of the individuals and their property management companies • Instruct your leasing teams about the extra care required if they receive an E-mail that has an attached document, as this is where most computer viruses are hidden. Many property management companies do not let their leasing teams send or open attached files

• Explain to your leasing teams how and when to use carbon copy {cc} and blind carbon copy {bcc} with E-mail

• E-mail files can easily be opened and read so confidential information like salaries, financial reports, social security numbers or credit card numbers should not be sent by E-mail.

• Have a written company policy regarding the use of E-mail, clearly outlining the rules and expectations of your company. Have this document signed by each person who will be accessing your E-mail

Tips for using E-mail as a marketing tool: E-mail can also be used as a powerful marketing tool to attract new residents or to better service your ex-

isting residents. Here are some tips: Aside from a small $15-$20 service charge per month, sending or receiving E-mail is free. When compared to other forms of marketing…having your leasing teams send E-mails to new or existing residents is their least expensive form of marketing • Imagine the marketing success your leasing teams will have if they had the E-mail address on the guest card of every future resident who visited their apartment community over the past 12 months… and your leasing teams can stay in touch with these potential new residents for free! • When your properties are using Email to handle resident questions or maintenance requests, a timely response is expected and required • Create two separate E-mail lists… one for future residents and one for current residents so you can send appropriate marketing information to each group • Create an E-newsletter which can be easily sent out on a weekly or monthly basis. Remember, since sending E-mail is free, your leasContinued on page 5

Background Screening

Rental Services, Inc. RSI Now Offers: Online Rental Applications and Online Lease Agreements! RSI Offers

Call for more information! Toll Free: 800-628-6414 Fax: 800-296-9902

             

Credit Reports Nationwide Criminal Records Resident Verifications Eviction Records Employment Verifications Sex Offender Report Civil Records Drug Testing Driving Records Employment Screening Business Reports Tenant Screening Nationwide Access Custom Reports

Visit us at www.erentalservicesinc.com 2

Rental Housing March Valley •August 2014

RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL VALLEY

Dear Maintenance Men: By Jerry L'Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez

Dear Maintenance Men: By Jerry L'Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez Dear Maintenance Men: I am a firm believer in doing interior and exterior inspections at my properties. However, as I’m getting older, I find I am spending less time at the buildings, so I need to use my time constructively. What should I include in an inspection report to help me decide what work to do now or later? Fred Dear Fred: You are thinking ahead and that is a good thing! Just because you visit the property less, does not mean the building requires less maintenance and as you know, routine maintenance issues evolve into costly repairs that could have been avoided. Here are some of the things we pay special attention to: 1: First and foremost, we look for potential hazards. Broken sidewalks, poorly lit stairs, missing handrails; anything that can potentially cause an injury for a resident or a guest. And, of course, we make sure those fire extinguishers are functional and fire escape areas are clear of clutter.

Rental Housing Journal Valley • August 2014

2: It is important to check building exteriors for cracks in the foundation, open crawl spaces and any places in brick work or stucco where water might get into the walls during heavy rain. This includes making sure that caulking around vents and piping is sufficient. We do a similar inspection of the roof, looking for spots were leaks might occur. 3: Make sure that all of the property's windows close smoothly and securely and identify any broken panes. Windows that leak or collect condensation on the sills can create major problems down the road. 3: Fire Hazards such as dryer vents should be inspected to make sure they are clear of lint and debris. Chimneys are inspected for cracks and proper ventilation. Both gas and electric water heaters pose fire and water hazards. Electrical connections are checked as are gas lines along with water pipe connections and venting. 4: Biannual furnace filter inspections at the end of fall and spring will keep your HVAC systems operating at peak performance, while ensuring dangerous conditions are not present.

5: The most costly and damaging of all deferred maintenance is water related. Plumbing throughout the building must be inspected to make sure that seals are secure, faucets are not leaking and pipes are in good condition. Residents should be encouraged to report leaks and drips. A small leak under a cabinet can create serious damage if left unchecked. 6: Inspect breaker boxes and all electrical equipment: 7: Include washing machines, garage door openers and other mechanical devices such as garbage disposal units and re-circulation pumps etc. in your inspections. Check for loose wires, water leaks and unsafe conditions. This is only a partial list and individual buildings may differ in their needs. Dear Maintenance Men: It is currently summer time and that is when we get the most vacancies. How do I keep my residents from moving? Denise Dear Denise: According to the 2011 national resident study, "Getting Inside the Head of the Online Renter," the number one factor in a resident's decision to renew a lease is "Quality of Maintenance Services."

Additionally, the current SatisFacts Insite® Index for Work Orders indicates that 18% of all service requests are not completed right the first time. And of those, only onethird of residents received notification that there would be a delay in completing the request. What the above means is poor maintenance service can lead to higher vacancies. It does not matter if you have 10 units or 100 units; maintenance is a critical tool in the physical well-being of your property and the happiness of your residents. Think of it this way. A service call and parts may cost $250 to service a broken washing machine or water heater, resulting in a satisfied resident. However, a resident having to live with a broken washing machine or intermittent hot water may elect to move rather than dealing with the hassle of calling in repeated service requests. That resident vacating will now cost the owner thousands of dollars in loss rent and rehab work to bring the unit back to rent ready condition. Good maintenance is a year round tool to keeping your investment healthy and your residents paying the rent month after month. Dear Maintenance Men: I have been hearing the term “Aging in Place” more and more lately. What does it mean and how does it affect my apartment building? Harold Continued on page 6

RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL VALLEY Pam McKenna Multifamily NW President

16083 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road, Suite 105, Tigard, OR 97224 503-213-1281, 503-213-1288 Fax www.multifamilynw.org

Help, My Time’s Been Hijacked

oes it feel like you manage your schedule or does your schedule manage you? I’ve started days focused, with my task-list in front of me ready to tackle the day. Then I opened up my email, received some phone calls, had people walk into my office needing instruction, and before I knew it I had completely lost focus on my task list allowing my day to be hijacked. We can’t always control the hours we work, the interruptions or additional tasks we have to complete but there is a way to manage it more successfully and to focus on the right things. I’m going to share ten tips that have helped me over the years to have more balance in my life and to take control of the busy chaotic demands of my career. 1. The first step is to consciously set your priorities. This includes priorities for work and for life. Determine what is most important to

you and what your goals are. Pick your top 5 (keep it simple) and stay focused on these. Take time each morning to review your priorities reminding yourself to block out time each day that will focus on what is important to you. Live a life that reflects the priorities you have set. 2. Track your time for one week. Look for time wasters that suck up your day without being obvious. These may include social media sites, news feeds, personal calls, shopping online, or a gossiper in the office. You may notice that in addition to wasting your time, they drain your energy too! Identify times in the day that you are more productive and schedule more challenging tasks during those times. 3. Use Microsoft Outlook or other electronic calendar programs to schedule out your month as much as possible in advance. Organizing your schedule puts you in a proactive frame of mind. Schedule one thing you look forward to doing ev-

ery day. These are the items in your day that reenergize you and give you the energy and focus you need to accomplish the other tasks in your day that you don’t like as much. Keep your commitments to personal appointments on your schedule. If you have something fun on your schedule (for instance making it to your son’s baseball game) then you will work harder and stay focused so you don’t have to cancel or show up late. 4. Make health a priority. Getting up earlier in the morning is not always the easiest thing for most of us to do but the benefits of taking time to exercise are proven. Studies show that you deal with stress much better when you regularly exercise and you also have more energy and focus. Make sure you get enough sleep every night. This can have an impact on your focus during the day and also helps maintain a healthy weight. Plan out your meals for the week to ensure you have healthy snacks and lunches throughout the day. I hear

a lot of people say “I haven’t eaten all day” and they wonder why they are so tired. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Drinking water can give you that boost of energy and focus you are looking for in the middle of the afternoon. Make space in your life for quiet time. This is a great time to reflect on life and if you are living your priorities. 5. Learn to say “no”. I admit this is not something I am good at but over time I have learned that there is not choice, I can’t do it all. One of my mentors taught me that it is important to say “yes” to the right things and equally as important to turn down projects that are too much to handle at that time. Over committing will spread you too thin and then you aren’t great at anything. 6. Ask for support. Asking for help on projects is not a sign of weakness but shows you know when you need help. Be sure to have people in your life that are positive and help to support you. Delegate. This emContinued on page 7

Multifamily NW

Events Calendar July 8, 2014 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM SOLD OUT Fair Housing for Maintenance (Portland, OR) July 10, 2014 1:00 AM - 1:00 AM PDX Charity Golf Tournament (Portland, OR) July 11, 2014 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM It's the Law Lunch Time Series: Dealing With Non-Tenants Unauthorized Occupants, Trespassers & Ejectments (Portland, OR) July 15, 2014 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM SOLD OUT EPA LeadBased Paint Renovation Certification (Portland, OR) July 16, 2014 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM NALP: Rental Policies and Procedures (Portland, OR) July 22, 2014 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM New Hire Training (Portland, OR) July 24, 2014 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CAMT: Appliance Repair Part I (Portland, OR) July 31, 2014 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CAMT: Appliance Repair Part II (Portland, OR)

August 5, 2014 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM OR Landlord/Tenant Law Part 1 (Portland, OR) August 6, 2014 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM NALP: Leasing and the Internet (Portland, OR) August 7, 2014 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Washington State Forms & Notices (Vancouver, WA) August 8, 2014 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Mold Awareness & Remediation (Portland, OR) August 8, 2014 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM It's the Law Lunch Time Series: Crazy But True: Stories From a Full Moon (Portland, OR) August 12, 2014 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Washington State Landlord/Tenant Law (Vancouver, WA) August 15, 2014 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM New Hire Training (Portland, OR) August 19, 2014 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM OR Landlord/Tenant Law Part 2 (Portland, OR)

Notification of Balance Due M042 OR-WA

Sponsored by:

Check out this new form offering from Multifamily NW! The Notification of Balance Due offers an easy and standard way to serve written notice of any balance a tenant may owe. Deposit still owing? Never got last month’s Pet Rent? There are other more serious termination forms that can communicate the same balance due, however this form allows a friendlier way of explaining the balance due while still building a paper tail of enforcement. Rental Housing March Valley •August 2014

RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL VALLEY

The Coach ...continued from page 2 ing teams will have lots more flexibility. In addition, E-newsletters portray a professional image about your property management company and are quick to be passed-along to others, thus expanding the reach and exposure for your marketing • When sending E-mail, have your leasing teams develop a five to seven line signature which is automatically placed at the bottom of every E-mail they send out. This signature line will further promote their apartment community, your corporate website and can be changed on a daily basis, if necessary • Use E-mail to stay in touch with the media in your area, especially if your apartment communities have any exciting events or community projects to announce • The E-mail address at each of your properties should be included on every business card, every brochure, on any sales information and with all print advertising. Want to hear more about this important topic or ask some additional questions about how to use E-mail as a powerful marketing tool? Send an E-mail to ernest@powerhour.com and The Coach will E-mail you a free PowerHour invitation.

Author’s note: Ernest F. Oriente, a business coach/trainer since 1995 [32,320 hours], serving property management industry professional since 1988--the author of SmartMatch Alliances™, the founder of PowerHour® [ www.powerhour.com ], the founder of PowerHour SEO [ www.powerhourseo.com ], the live weekly PowerHour Leadership Academy [ www.powerhourleadershipacademy. com/pm ] and Power Insurance & Risk Management Group [ www.pirmg.com ], has a passion for coaching his clients on executive leadership, hiring and motivating property management SuperStars, traditional and Internet SEO/SEM marketing, competitive sales strategies, and high leverage alliances for property management teams and their leaders. He provides private and group coaching for property management companies around North America, executive recruiting, investment banking, national utility bill auditing, national real estate and apartment building insurance, SEO/SEM web strategies, national WiFi solutions [ www.powerhour.com/ propertymanagement/nationalwifi.html ], powerful tools for hiring property management SuperStars and building dynamic teams, employee policy manuals [ www.powerhour.com/propertymanagement/employeepolicymanuals.html ] and social media strategic solutions [ http://www.powerhour. com/propertymanagement/socialmedialeadership. html ]. Ernest worked for Motorola, Primedia and is certified in the Xerox sales methodologies. Recent interviews and articles have appeared more than 8000+ times in business and trade publications and in a wide variety of leading magazines and newspapers, including Smart Money, Inc., Business 2.0, The New York Times, Fast Company, The LA Times, Fortune, Business Week, Self Employed America and The Financial Times. Since 1995, Ernest has written 225+ articles for the property management industry and created 400+ property management forms, business and marketing checklists, sales letters and presentation tools. To subscribe to his free property management newsletter go to: www.powerhour.com. PowerHour® is based in Olympic-town…Park City, Utah, at 435-615-8486, by E-mail ernest@powerhour.com or visit their website: www.powerhour.com

VALLEY

EUGENE • SALEM • ALBANY • CORVALLIS

Rental Housing Journal Valley • August 2014

RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL VALLEY

WiFi ...continued from front page in the flexibility of service, said Debbie Achs, property manager. “I live here and I am dumping the Internet portion of my cable service,” she says. Most residents don’t want a land line phone, and a good portion want to drop cable TV service, given the increasing cost. Having campus-style WiFi has made the property more attractive to potential residents, Achs said. “It's been the one amenity that every single potential resident has asked about,” she said. “It's been a huge influence. It just opens the door to new and better things.” How have wireless Internet service companies overcome the difficulties in having campus-style WiFi in apartment communities? First, they’ve taken advantage of the high-speed and high-capacity data packages available directly from data center operators. By eliminating

the cable or satellite dish companies from the equation, end users get Internet service at a fraction of the prior cost and the apartment community owners can establish a new profit source. Installation costs are typically borne by the Internet service companies, who earn a return from the monthly charge to end-users. “The technical solutions were difficult; we tried many designs that just didn’t perform,” said Rory Conaway, a well-known radio frequency engineer and owner of Phoenix-based Triad Wireless, which designed and installed the campus-style Wi-Fi system that was installed at the Emparrado Apartments. “But we knew the market demand for campus-style WiFi was strong and worth the engineering and technical effort.” At the behest of Red Hot-Spot Company, a start-up Internet service provider, Triad Wireless spent

VALLEY, METRO, ARIZONA • Driveways • Parking Lots

• Patching & Repairs • Seal Coating

Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov, 503-391-6274

*Free Prompt Estimates

D.J. Burrough is a Scottsdale-based freelance writer. His work has appeared in Urban Land Institute Magazine, The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor and The Arizona Republic. Red Hot-Spot is a Phoenix-based wireless Internet service company that creates campus-style WiFi in commercial and multifamily housing settings. For more information contact Red Hot-Spot at www.redhotspot.net or call 1-800-4686851.

ON-SITE

VALLEY

EUGENE • SALEM • ALBANY • CORVALLIS

CCB# 155631

The Industry Leader in Quality

Order Factory Direct! 1010 East 62nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90001-1598 Phone: 1-800-624-5269 • Fax: 1-800-624-5299

1/8 Page 4 7/8” x 3 5/8”

On-Site3a Quality asphalt Maintenance

• Protects & Prolongs Asphalt Life • Resists Oil & Gas Spills • Reduces Maintenance Costs • Improves Appearance

Dear Harold: Aging in place is defined as living in the community with a level of independence for as long as possible without the need of in home care. The biggest barrier to aging in place is our homes. Most homes and rental communities are ill equipped for long term aging in place residents. As an eye opening statistic, the Baby Boomer generation is 25 percent of the population and the first of the Boomers turned 65 in 2011 and the last will turn 65 in 2029. As apartment owners and managers, we need to pay attention to this aging trend and not be caught off guard. Aging in place means bigger showers with wider doors, taller toilets, grab bars and bath sinks that

• Asphalt Repair • Crack Filling • Striping • Slurry Seal

will accommodate wheelchairs etc. As your units come up for rehab over time, think about these improvements; they might just be money in the bank for the long run. Bio: Please call: Buffalo Maintenance, Inc for maintenance work or consultation. JLE Property Management, Inc for management service or consultation Frankie Alvarez at 714 956-8371 Jerry L’Ecuyer at 714 7780480 CA contractor lic: #797645, EPA Real Estate lic. #: 01460075 Certified Renovation Company Websites: www.BuffaloMaintenance.com & www.ContactJLE.com www.Facebook.com/BuffaloMaintenance

VALLEY

EUGENE • SALEM • ALBANY • CORVALLIS

pl e a s e v i s i t u s at www. re nt a l h o u s i n g j o u r na l .co m

PROPERTY NAME

NAME BEFORE

ADDRESS

CITY STATE ZIP

prompt Free estimates

503.362.9171

EMAIL ADDRESS

800 - 458-9171

www.salemsealcoating.com

Dear Maintenance Men: ...continued from page 3

RHJ VALLEY FREE SUBSCRIPTION

Commercial & Residential

campus-style WiFi are protected by a commercial security system that filters out threats and dangers before they ever get reach users' computers. “This is a level of security typically found at Fortune 500 companies,” Spain said. “We knew we had to offer that kind of peace of mind on a WiFi system, given that it’s viewed as a shared system and because of the increasing level of threats on the Internet.” The Phoenix-based company, which is just two years old, has installed campus-style WiFi in a number of communities in Phoenix and Tucson, and expects to start construction on dozens of communities throughout the Southwest by fall.

Salsbury Industries

Service Area: Salem, Albany, Eugene & Portland

• Licensed • Insured CCB# 165255 Since 1984

more than a year in R&D creating a proprietary Wi-Fi design for apartments. Access points are where end users connect to the Internet. Triad’s design uses access points that are a third the size of the smallest access point previously on the market. The small size and increase in power made it possible to design and build a campus-style WiFi system that overcomes stucco, steel, firewalls and a geographically spread community, Conaway said. Concurrently, Red Hot-Spot developed a proprietary software system that manages each account separately, blocks external sharing, allows each household to have multiple devices connected at any one time, manages gamers, and manages the revenue and service components. “It seems like a simple task – having multiple users and multiple devices trying to connect from one apartment unit – but it was quite a challenge to develop the software to allow that to happen without connection and security issues,” said APT. NEWS Red Hot-Spot President Zach Spain. Security for end users was also addressed in designing the campus-style WiFi system, Spain said. Rather than users having to rely on the security filter on their home computer and devices, which are often outdated or over-matched, users of

AFTER

PHONE

Send for your FREE subscription to Professional Publishing, Inc., PO Box 6244 Beaverton, OR 97007 • (503) 221-1260 • fax (503) 221-1545 Rental Housing March Valley •August 2014

RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL VALLEY

Hijacked ...continued from page 4 powers your teams when they know you trust them with responsibility. If you think no one can do it better than you then you need to reevaluate your perspective. Hiring smart people that you can develop and delegate to is a positive reflection of your abilities. 7. Dale Carnegie says “About 90% of the things in our life are right. Make sure you don’t overlook the 90% that is right because you are focusing on the 10% that isn’t.” Do you waste a lot of energy focused on the things that are going wrong? Ask yourself “how much of this is in my control?” It isn’t worth your time to focus on the things you have no control over. Spend your energy coming up with solutions on the things you actually can have an impact on. 8. Take vacations. Plan your vacations in advance. Schedule you vacations at the right time of the month to avoid critical deadlines or meeting. Make sure you are choosing adequate coverage during your absence and give everyone the tools needed to handle any emergencies that may arise. Learn to let go for that week and turn off your email. If your team can’t handle things while you are gone then you may need to reevaluate your hiring and training skills. If you have done your job well you should be able to leave for a week without any problem. 9. Find a mentor. This can be a formal or informal arrangement.

Rental Housing Journal Valley • August 2014

3 Tips ...continued from front page Look around you for someone that has their time management and work life balance figured out (or at least they appear to). Ask them to help you to review your habits and work style to improve your efficiency. Glean from them as much as you can and adopt their good habits. 10. You will have to put in extra hours when learning a new skill or taking on a new project but it if it related to achieving your bigger career goals it is worth it and will pay off. Successful people will put in the time when needed and aren’t focused on punching a clock. These ten tips are the tools that best helped me to manage my schedule more effectively. But I have one last tip that sums it up for me. Be passionate about what you do. When you find your drive and passion for what you do at work and in life it will give you more energy to keep going. Be sure to surround yourself with smart, positive people who are passionate about what they do. They are energizing and will rub off on you. In turn pass along your passion for life to others. Be the person that leaves a positive impact on everyone around you. Make an impact!

adds protection if one defaults. Investors can manually choose which loans to fund, or they can ask the platform to choose within certain parameters. Yields on a portfolio of loans can be 10 percent or more, Ross says. He offers these tips for investors in three tiered financial levels:

• Investing $10,000 to $24,000: Visit the Lending Club and Prosper.com websites, and choose the one that most appeals to you, Ross says. “Open an account in a tax-deferred IRA and shift a portion of your investments out of stocks and into lending,” he says. The reason for that is interest income is taxed at a higher rate than the capital gains from stocks. Deferring those taxes until you begin spending from the IRA will help keep a lid on your current tax bill. • Investing $25,000 to $100,000: At $25,000, you have enough money to start getting professional advice about which loans to choose and how much to invest in each. “I recommend going to www.lendacademy.com/invest because it’s run by Peter Renton, who’s very knowledgeable,” Ross says. “You choose VALLEY between a conservative or balanced portfolio – I recommend balanced for higher yield -- and they’ll choose the loans for you and put them in your account.”

EUGENE • SALEM • ALBANY • CORVALLIS

The fee is just 0.95 percent. • Investing more than $100,000: Accredited investors have privileged access – they can shop around for private fund pools, Ross says. “As P2P matures, borrower categories that have always had the highest yields, such as small businesses, become available as private fund pools that are managed to deliver the highest yields,” he says. These pools form mutually beneficial relationships with the P2P lending platforms, allowing the platforms to serve a larger volume of borrowers. The private funds get well-vetted borrowers from the platforms and manage the funds to the maximum benefit of all their investors. “Everybody wins,” Ross says, “including the borrowers, who get fast loans at reasonable rates.” About Brendan Ross Money manager Brendan Ross is a peer-to-peer lending first adopter who has become an expert in this non-traditional transaction. The president of Direct Lending Investments LLC, (www. dirlend.com), which runs a short-term, high-yield small business loan fund, he previously ran a number of other companies, including ReserveAmerica, the world’s largest outdoor recreation reservation company.

VALLEY

EUGENE • SALEM • ALBANY • CORVALLIS

RENTAL HOUSING JOURNAL VALLEY ARIZONA, ALASKA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, DELAWARE, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MASSACHUSETTS, NEVADA, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, TEXAS, UTAH, WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON D.C., WEST VIRGINIA & MORE.

5 REASONS Visit TO USEusRENTEGRATION at

1. Access - Rentegration.com is a web based,

- Owners and 5. Value - Large property management Color forand National Tenant Networkthat Logouse Rentegration.com for companies managers can Standards track income expense for each • unit, property and company. Per- only forms generation will save time and Logos are provided on the CD in all three forms: all black, reversed to white, or inproperty PMS 280 Blue/PMS 7543 Gray spot money or 4/color applications. over other methods. Mid and small fect for mid and small size managPlease see below for specific use examples. ers and independent rental owners, who size property managers and independent • No other colors are acceptable for use for the logo. neither have the need or budget for larger, rental owners can manage their entire busi• No altering of the logo is allowed. If you have a special circumstance that requires something not ness at aforfraction more expensive provided on software. the CD, please call NTN NA TIO NAL HEADQUAR TERS 1.800.228.0989 assistance. of the cost of other soft• Logos should not be put over a busy background. ware and forms. 4. Management Database - Rentegration. BLACK com is an easy to use, database driven soft- WHITE (with 40% gray circle)

www.rentalhousingjournal.com

access to forms generation, archives, property management database, basic accounting, vendor ordering and other services.

2. Rental and Lease Forms - Unlimited use forms. All Rentegration.com forms are created by attorneys and/or local rental housing associations. OR-RTG-20 Oregon

CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT CONDITION

REPORT

TENANT(S): ___________________ ______________________________________ 48-HOUR NOTICE _________ ADDRESS: ___________________ OF ENTRY ___________________ OR-RTG-24 Oregon __________UNIT: ______________ CITY: ___________________________________ STATE: ________TENANT(S) : ______________________ ZIP: _________________

WA-RTG-40 Washington

___________ ADDRESS: ___________ ______________________ ___________________ DATE:_____ (G)Good (F)Fair CITY: (P)Poor ___ ______________________ ___________________ UNIT: _________ ___________________ In Out STATE: __________ In Out LIVING AREAS ZIP: _________ TENANT(S): ____________________________________________________ DATE:________ KITCHEN

Rating

Scale = (E)Excellent (VG) Very Good PET AGREEMENT

TENANT INFORMATION

Out

48-HOUR NOTICE OF ENTRY

BEDROOM 3

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________ UNIT: _________ Walls Walls CITY: _________________________________________ STATE: __________ ZIP: _________

Walls

Pursuant to RCW 59.18.150, this is your 48 hour notice that the dwelling unit and your landlord or their premises located at agents will be (Address) ______________________ WA-RTG-20 ___________ Washington ______________________ _ between the hours of (Date)K-OUT CONDIT and ION(Time) REPORT(Time) . 3) Type _______________ Breed _______________ ________ Light Fixtures Size ______ Age __ Weight ___ Color ____ Name DishwasherTENANT(S): __________ The entry will occur Vaccinations: Yes____ No____ License Number: ______________ for the following purpose: Doors/Woodwork ____________________ ADDRESS: __________ ___________ Doors/Woodwork _____________________ ____________________ Counter Tops __________ Additional Security Deposit Required:$ ___________ ____________________ ______________________ Locks ___________ ______ CITY: __________ ______________________ Locks ________UNIT: ________________________________ ____________________ Cabinets ______________________ ____ AGREEMENT _____ STATE: ________ Ceilings Rating Scale = (E)Excellent ______________________ _ ZIP: _________________ Ceilings Tenant(s) certify that the above pet(s) are the only pet(s) on the premises. Tenant(s) Sink _ (VG) Very Good Electric Outlets (G)Good (F)Fair understands that the additional pet(s) are not permitted unless the landlord gives ten Electrical Outlets (P)Poor IN Out ant(s) written permission. Tenant(s) agree to keep the above-listedFloor pets in theLIVING premises In Landlord AREAS Out Garbage subject to the following terms and Cans conditions: KITCHEN In Windows Out Walls BEDROOM Phone Windows

Stove/Racks

DESCRIPTION OF PET(S)Blinds/Drapes

Windows entering

Refrigerator

Rods 1) Type _______________ Breed _______________ Size ______ Age __ Weight ___ Color ____ Name ________ Ice Trays Vaccinations: Yes____ No____ License Number: ______________ Floor

Shelves/Drawer

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

Disposal

______________________ Blinds/Drapes

Rods

on CHECK-IN/CHEC Floor Light Fixtures

TV Antenna/Cable

BATH ROOM

MethodStove/Racks of Service:

Towel Bars

Refrigerator

* Add one Sink & Vanity

Personal Service:

additional day for

Ice Trays

Toilet

Shelves/Drawer

MASSACHUSETTS, NEVADA, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, TEXAS, UTAH, WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON D.C., WEST VIRGINIA & MORE.

Walls Windows Post

and Mail:

Blinds/Drapes

compliance if served Rods

by post and mail.

Floor

Tub/Shower Disposal

Light Fixtures

Fan (Exhaust) Dishwasher Floor

BlueIndustry PMS 280/Gray PMS Partner 7543 PMS 280/PMS 7543 over color Exclusive of: FLORIDA, GEORGIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY,

Walls

1) The pet(s) shall be on a leash or otherwise under tenant’s control when it is outside the Blinds/Drapes Windows tenant’s dwelling Fireplace unit. Blinds/Drapes 2) Tenant(s) shall promptly pick up all pet waste from the premises promptly. Cleanliness 3) Tenant(s) are responsible for the conduct of their pet(s) at all times. Rods 4) Tenant(s) are liable for all damages caused by their pet(s). Floor 5) Tenant(s) shall pay the additional security deposit listed above and/or their rental BEDROOM agreement as a condition to keeping the pet(s) listed above. 1 Carpet/Vinyl/Woo BEDROOM 2 d 6) Tenant(s) shall not allow their pets to cause any sort of disturbance or injury to the Walls Light Fixtures Walls other tenants, guests, landlord or any other persons lawfully on the premises. Windows report to landlord any type of damage or injury 7) Tenant(s) shall immediately caused by Windows Doors/Woodwork their pet. Blinds/Drapes 8) This agreement is incorporated into and shall become part of Blinds/Drapes the rental Locks agreement exe -cuted between the parties. Failure by tenant to comply with any part ofCeilings this agreement Rods shall constitute a material breach of the rental agreement. Rods

from the database. The modules are all integrated and work together. For example, a customer can use the rent-roll function to identify all delinquencies, apply fees, and create eviction forms with a few simple clicks of the mouse. ARIZONA, ALASKA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, DELAWARE,

Doors/Woodwork

5 REASONSwww.Rentegration.com TO USE RENTEGRATION

Floor

_____________________________ Light Fixtures Landlord

Counter Tops

Locks

Electric Outlets Cabinets

Ceilings

Sink Light Fixtures

Electrical Outlets

Electric Outlets

Floor

______________________________ Garbage Cans Light Fixtures Tenant TV Antenna/Cable ______________________________ Doors/Woodwork Tenant Fireplace

Smoke Detectors

Windows Essential Services

sales@rentegration.com Doors/Woodwork

Locks

Ceilings

Blinds/Drapes Plumbing

Towel Bars

Electricity

BEDROOM 1

Sink & Vanity

Hot Water

Walls

Detectors

Walls

Windows

503-933-6437

BATH ROOM

Heating

Cleanliness

Electric Outlets

Toilet

of this form may

Tub/Shower

be reproduced without

written permission.

1. Access - Rentegration.com is a web based, access to forms generation, archives, property management database, basic accounting, vendor ordering and other services. 2. Rental and Lease Forms - Unlimited use forms. All Rentegration.com forms are created by attorneys and/or local rental housing associations. OR-RTG-20 Oregon

CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT CONDITION

REPORT

Scale = (E)Excellent (VG) Very Good PET AGREEMENT

Windows

DESCRIPTION OF PET(S)Blinds/Drapes

Walls

Stove/Racks

Shelves/Drawer

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

Disposal

48-HOUR NOTICE OF ENTRY

BEDROOM 3

Windows entering

Refrigerator

Rods 1) Type _______________ Breed _______________ Size ______ Age __ Weight ___ Color ____ Name ________ Ice Trays Vaccinations: Yes____ No____ License Number: ______________ Floor

WA-RTG-40 Washington

IN Out TENANT INFORMATION LIVING AREAS TENANT(S): ____________________________________________________ DATE:________ KITCHEN ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________ UNIT: _________ Walls Walls CITY: _________________________________________ STATE: __________ ZIP: _________

______________________ Blinds/Drapes Rods

on CHECK-IN/CHEC Floor

3) Type _______________ Breed _______________ ________ Light Fixtures Size ______ Age __ Weight ___ Color ____ Name DishwasherTENANT(S): Vaccinations: Yes____ No____ License Number: ______________

Light Fixtures

The entry will occur __________Doors/Woodwork for the following purpose: __________ __________ ADDRESS: __________ ___________ Doors/Woodwork _____________________ ____________________ Counter Tops __________ Additional Security Deposit Required:$ ___________ ____________________ Locks ___________ ___________ ______ CITY: __________ ______________________ Locks ________UNIT:___________ ____________________ Cabinets _____________________ ___________ ______________________ AGREEMENT _____ STATE: ________ ____ Ceilings Rating Scale = (E)Excellent ______________________ _ ZIP: _________________ Ceilings Tenant(s) certify that the above pet(s) are the only pet(s) on the premises. Tenant(s) Sink _ (VG) Very Good Electric Outlets (G)Good (F)Fair understands that the additional pet(s) are not permitted unless the landlord gives ten Electrical Outlets (P)Poor IN Out ant(s) written permission. Tenant(s) agree to keep the above-listedFloor pets in theLIVING premises In Landlord AREAS Out Garbage subject to the following terms and Cans conditions: KITCHEN In Windows Out Walls Phone TV Antenna/Cable

_____________________________ Light Fixtures Landlord

Floor

Electrical Outlets

______________________________ Garbage Cans Light Fixtures Tenant TV Antenna/Cable ______________________________ Doors/Woodwork Tenant Fireplace

Walls

BATH ROOM

MethodStove/Racks of Service:

Towel Bars

Refrigerator

* Add one Sink & Vanity

Personal Service:

additional day for

Ice Trays

Toilet

Shelves/Drawer

Doors/Woodwork

Locks

Ceilings

Electrical Outlets

Cleanliness

Electric Outlets

BEDROOM 1

Walls

Electric Outlets Cabinets

and Mail:

Rods

by post and mail.

Floor

Doors/Woodwork Locks Ceilings

Sink Light Fixtures

Electric Outlets

Floor Windows Essential Services

Windows

Blinds/Drapes Plumbing

Smoke Detectors

BATH ROOM

Heating

Towel Bars

Electricity

Sink & Vanity

Hot Water

Detectors

Walls

PMS 280/PMS 7543 over color

Light Fixtures

Counter Tops

BlueIndustry PMS 280/Gray PMS Partner 7543 Exclusive of:

Walls Windows Post

Blinds/Drapes

compliance if served

Tub/Shower Disposal

sales@rentegration.com

BEDROOM 3

Fan (Exhaust) Dishwasher Floor

- Owners and 5. Value - Large property management Color forand National Tenant Networkthat Logouse Rentegration.com for companies managers can Standards track income expense for each • unit, property and company. Per- only forms generation will save time and Logos are provided on the CD in all three forms: all black, reversed to white, or inproperty PMS 280 Blue/PMS 7543 Gray spot money or 4/color applications. over other methods. Mid and small fect for mid and small size managPlease see below for specific use examples. ers and independent rental owners, who size property managers and independent • No other colors are acceptable for use for the logo. rental owners can manage their entire busineither have the need or budget for larger, • No altering of the logo is allowed. If you have a special circumstance that requires something not ness at aforfraction more expensive provided on software. the CD, please call NTN NA TIO NAL HEADQUAR TERS 1.800.228.0989 assistance. of the cost of other soft• Logos should not be put over a busy background. ware and forms. 4. Management Database - Rentegration. BLACK com is an easy to use, database driven soft- WHITE (with 40% gray circle)

Toilet

of this form may

Tub/Shower

be reproduced without

written permission.

www.Rentegration.com

503-933-6437

ATTENTION COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS Need Financing for an Investment Property?

WARNING! Working directly with Chase Bank, Umpqua Bank, Union Bank, Opus Bank, America West, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc. can be Dangerous To Your Financial Health! You Should Be Asking Yourself These Questions: Do You Really Think Any Commercial Lender Is Working In Your Best Interests? NO ONE within those institutions is working for you. Staff employed by these lenders are making decisions based on what is in the best interests of the lender – NOT YOU! Doesn’t It Cost More to Use a Mortgage Broker? NO – in almost ALL cases I save investors thousands of dollars and weeks of frustration. Current Interest Rates Multifamily Mobile Home Parks Fixed rates start @ low 3% Office Retail/Industrial/MOD Fixed rates start @ mid 3%

What Lending Sources Do You Use? I have access to dozens of commercial lenders with dozens of different and innovative loan products. You have choices – and are not STUCK with just one lender and whatever they have for a loan program. How Do I Reach You? I will come to you! Doubtful you will get any other banker to come right to your home or office and sit down with you to discuss financing in detail. Free Framed Print When We Meet! If you are going to need a new commercial loan anytime in the next 12-24 months, you should seriously consider moving NOW. If you are ready to start the financing process, just email me or give me a call. When we meet, I will bring as a gift a beautifully framed print of the cartoon below with your name on it – a keepsake for your home or office.

Al Williams, American Commercial Mortgage al@apartmentfinancing.com

800.265.3860

“I listened to Al Williams.” 8

Rental Housing March Valley •August 2014