Rental Housing Journal Valley December 2015

Rental Housing Journal Valley

December 2015

2. Flipping Edges Out Renting As The Preferred Investing Strategy

5. Historic Lending Discrimination Settlement Addresses Allegations of Modern Day Redlining

4. 4 Reasons Why Women Will Lead the Business World in the 21st Century 6. Dear Maintenance Men – Emergency Preparedness

EUGENE · SALEM ·ALBANY · CORVALLIS WWW.RENTALHOUSINGJOURNAL.COM • PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHING, INC

Will 2016 be a Super El Niño Year?

By Jerry L’Ecuyer and Frankie Alvarez of Dear Maintenance Men

W

e have been living with drought in the Western United States for a long time now.

So the prediction of a strong, wet El Niño year is quite appealing. Will it fill our reservoirs, recharge our aquafers, and bring us back to normal? Hard to tell; many experts say we may need multiple years of El Niño to be back to pre-drought conditions. First a short explanation by some of the experts as to what an El Niño condition is.

An El Niño is a weather pattern produced by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific. The El Niño phenomenon is associated with extreme weather around the globe and in California it typically means a wet winter with higher than normal rain levels. As early as last spring, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was predicting a 60 percent chance that the El Niño conditions will continue all year. Now that we are much closer to the end of the year, the experts are predicting closer to 100% that 2016 will being a strong or super “El Niño” year. Dr. Dough Gillham a Meteorologist, PhD tells us: “We are in the midst of a rapidly strengthening El Niño event which will likely peak later in fall as one of the strongest El Niño events on record.” El Niño has a reputation for bringing mild winters to much of the country, especially across the northern States. The two strongest two El Niño events on record prior to this year (198283 and 1997-98) were quite mild from the Pacific Northwest to the Northeast.

Only the Southwestern States saw below average temperatures during those winters. However, a review of other El Niño winters shows that a strong El Niño does continued on page 7 Professional Publishing Inc., PO Box 6244 Beaverton, OR 97007

The Top Amenity Trend in 2016 for Today’s Tech-Savvy Residents:

Property-Wide WiFi Part I of III

By Eric Markow

W

ith widespread technology use by residents of all ages and the rise of the Millennial generation, property-wide WiFi, Gigabit speeds, WiFi calling, and smart home features are what’s next in technology trends for apartments in 2016. Rental properties have to provide the technology amenities the market demands, starting with high-speed, reliable internet service.

Apartment living is evolving because of shifting population dynamics. With 77 million tech-savvy Millennials (ages 18-36) entering the apartment market, they are transforming the demand for technology-oriented amenities in both private and shared residential spaces. It’s not hard to see why Internet is the No. 1 desired technology-based amenity today.

In addition to attracting droves of new residents, new technologies actually have the potential of opening up untapped ancillary income for owners.

High speed access to the internet for information and entertainment is an in-

tegral part of the lives of more and more Americans, but especially the millennials who grew up with such services.

Dense, bandwidth intensive content such as YouTube videos, movies, and continued on page 3

Credit Screening

By Jo Becker Education/Outreach Specialist Fair Housing Council of Oregon

I

t is a common practice for housing providers to screen applicants based on credit score and credit history.

From a fair housing perspective, providers can decide how to set their credit criteria as long as they apply it consistently regardless of the protected class status of the applicant.

Recently, I receive a call from a landlord who wanted to know how he could apply an exception to the FICO score requirement he has without running PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Portland, OR Permit #5460

POOR afoul of fair housing laws. He wanted to make an exception if a low credit rating is tied to high medical bills2.

This is a generous (and, frankly, realistic) consideration, given that the number one cause of bankruptcies in this country are due to unpaid medical bills, outpacing those caused by credit-card bills or unpaid mortgages, according

GOOD to an CNBC article (http://www.cnbc. com/id/100840148). Reportedly, having health insurance doesn’t buffer many from such financial hardship.

If housing providers decide to have exceptions to their screening criteria, the policy includes an explanation of when exceptions would be made. A common continued on page 7

Advertise in Rental Housing Journal Valley Circulated to over 6,000 apartment owners, on-site and maintenance personnel monthly.

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Rental Housing Journal Valley

Flipping Edges Out Renting As The Preferred Investment Strategy For The Fourth Consecutive Quarter According To Auction.com Real Estate Investor Activity Report™ Price appreciation and inventory constraints continue to dictate investor strategy in the second half of 2015

A

uction.com, LLC, the nation’s leading online real estate marketplace, today announced the findings from its Third Quarter 2015 Real Estate Investor Activity Report™, a nationwide survey of real estate investors bidding on properties offered for auction during the respective period. Survey data collected from investors bidding on property online and at live events across the country reveals that flipping is still the preferred investment strategy among investors, edging out the hold-to-rent strategy for the fourth consecutive quarter – and since Auction.com began tracking the split in investor intent.

“Rising prices and extremely limited inventory make a nearly ideal environment for real estate investors who want to buy, fi x and flip properties, and that is precisely where we are in today’s market,” said Auction.com Executive Vice President Rick Sharga. “But record occupancy rates in the rental market also present opportunities for investors who find moderately priced homes they can rent out at a reasonable rate of return, so it’s not surprising that we’re continuing to see buy-and-hold investing activity in the Midwest and Southeastern states.”

Although Auction.com’s findings for the third quarter reveal a propensity toward flipping among investors overall, investor intent varies considerably by the type of auction (live event versus online auction) and investor profile. Survey respondents who indicated that they were making a one-time purchase clearly preferred a holdto-rent strategy, while respondents identifying themselves as full-time “real estate investors” and those indicating that they were working on behalf of another investor strongly favored flipping.

per year: nearly 68 percent of respondents in this group favored flipping in the third quarter – up from 62 percent in Q2 and 54 percent in Q1.

Q3 2015 Investor Data: Intent By Purchase Profile Purchase Profile 0-1 Property/Year 2-49 Properties/Year 50+ Properties/Year

Flip 37.3% 58.8% 66.7%

Rent 60.1% 40.4% 33.3%

Undecided 2.6% 0.8% 0%

About Auction.com:

Auction.com, LLC, is the nation’s leading online real estate marketplace. Founded in 2007, the company has sold more than $32 billion in residential and commercial real estate assets. Auction.com has over 900 employees and headquarters in Irvine and Silicon Valley, Calif., as well as offices in key markets nationwide. Visit www.auction. com for more information.

SOURCE Auction.com, LLC

Q3 2015 National Findings: Investor Intent Investor Profile One-time purchase Real Estate Investor Working on Behalf of Another Investor Total

Flip 27.8% 55.1% 67.6% 53.7%

Rent 68.7% 43.3% 31.9% 45.1%

Undecided 3.5% 1.1% 0.5% 1.2%

Investors bidding at live events appear to be far more likely to flip the properties they purchase based on survey responses collected in the third quarter of 2015, with respondents indicating a preference toward flipping over holding to rent in every state where Auction.com conducted live events.

Q3 2015 Live Event Investor Data: Intent of All Investors Surveyed State Arizona California Georgia Idaho North Carolina Nevada Tennessee Texas Washington Nationwide

Flip 59.8% 67.5% 53.2% 71.6% 54.9% 87.4% 69.5% 56% 73.8% 62.4%

Rent 40.2% 32.5% 46.8% 28.4% 45.1% 12.6% 30.5% 44% 26.2% 37.6%

Undecided 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Conversely, responses given at online auctions in the third quarter of 2015 show that investors bidding online generally intend to hold the properties they purchase.

This was true in every region except the Northeast, which experienced a swing toward flipping in the second quarter due to the region’s inventory constraints and higher purchase prices negatively impacting rental property returns.

Q3 2015 Online Investor Data: Intent of All Investors Surveyed Region

Flip

Rent

Undecided

West Midwest South Northeast Nationwide

45.8% 41.3% 38.6% 52.7% 43.3%

51.8% 56.6% 58.1% 45.5% 54%

2.4% 2.1% 3.3% 1.8% 2.7%

Less active investors (those indicating that they purchase one or fewer properties per year) demonstrated a strong preference for renting properties, while flipping was prevalent among investors who purchase multiple properties per year. This preference appears to be growing among investors purchasing more than 50 properties 2

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Rental Housing Journal Valley Circulated to over 6,000 apartment owners, on-site and maintenance personnel monthly.

Call 503-221-1260 for more information w w w. re n t a l h o u s i n g jo u rn a l .co m Rental Housing Journal Valley · December 2015

Rental Housing Journal Valley

Property-Wide WiFi ...continued from page 1

video games is a given for this market.

Millennials want to stay connected on their devices anywhere for social media and real-time interactions on platforms like Twitter and Snapchat. Mid-life residents (36-55) are also increasingly heavy technology users. With the growth of telecommuting, more workers are based at home and demand reliable Internet.

And seniors aren’t far behind, as they want to use email, Netflix, and other websites, and Skype with their grandchildren.

To keep up with this societal trend, more and more properties have discovered that technology amenities have become a critical part of the mix of offerings required to attract and retain residents, especially the swelling ranks of younger residents who grew up computer literate and social media savvy.

Apartment hunting priorities for these residents still include affordable price and quality living conditions, but highspeed connectivity has risen to equal importance in and plays a key role in decision making. Most apartment hunters want to know they’ll have powerful and reliable internet connectivity, delivered wirelessly and with plug-and-play sim-

plicity. Smart home features such as USB ports, and smart phone docking and charging stations round out the complement of technology offerings that will let residents know that your apartment community is the right fit for them.

Whether building a new facility or upgrading existing buildings, including property-wide WiFi that offers high speed connectivity for both individual units and in common areas is a growing trend, and is proving to be a “win” for residents and owners/managers at properties around the country. New cutting edge technologies have finally made it easy and affordable to offer WiFi solutions at a high level.

Community Space Technology One of the major trends in apartment, MDU, and condo development in 2015 has been the focus on campus-like spaces, especially for urban communities where per-unit footprint has been shrinking. Designers and builders are creating more upscale lounges, club rooms, technology, fitness, business centers, media rooms, and play spaces so residents can gather socially while remaining connected to the Internet.

Millennials in particular use these pub-

lic spaces for socializing with other residents and guests, or as an extension of their own living space. Implementing the newest technology trends like property-wide WiFi and smart home features allows residents to use these spaces as an extension of their home. Residents can print property wide, turn off their lights from anywhere, adjust their AC on the go, and much more.

The perfect solution for a growing number of property owners has been to offer high-speed community-wide Internet service, which a recent survey by the National Multi Housing Council calls “one of the most desired amenities.”

More than 70 percent of respondents said that fast, reliable broadband connectivity was either “important” or “very important” in their decision making.

Increasingly, apartment communities are installing “bulk Wi-Fi” services and marketing this in-demand amenity as an option to create a new profit center. By eliminating the “big box” cable or DSL Internet companies from the equation, residents receive a superior service at a fraction of the market cost and MDU owners can establish a new revenue source

Modernizing In-Unit Technology Amenities To keep up with tech-savvy residents, modernizing rental units to include additional technology features are a key trend for 2016 and beyond. Simple steps like installing wall outlet covers with USB ports can be a great starting point.

Adding the latest technology amenities converts quickly into increased revenue and retention. And while quality Internet service may not be the only factor in

a resident’s choice to move in, your bad Internet service can definitely be a reason they choose a competing property.

Conclusion Of all the latest amenities that a property can include, technology access is becoming increasingly crucial in today’s competitive rental marketplace. Highspeed Internet service options that extend from apartment units to community spaces can help set you apart, and don’t have to be an expensive solution to implement; in fact they can bring you untapped profit opportunities. If done right, Property-Wide WiFi, amongst other technologies, are a distinguishing factor for resident loyalty, retention and increased per door revenue.

Look for Part II of this three-part Property-Wide WiFi series on in the January issue of RHJ, which will delve more into specific Internet technology options and provide a “how to” on selecting the best community WiFi provider and installer for your property to ensure successful deployment. Part III, appearing in February, will address how to package and market property-wide WiFi and technology amenities to maximize your attraction, retention, and revenue.

Eric Markow is Chief Technology Officer of Dual Path, a provider of high speed property-wide WiFi services. Dual Path’s customers include MDU and senior living communities who enjoy fast, reliable connectivity, delivered with old-fashioned customer service. Dual Path’s unique revenue generating model allows property owners to leverage their “Internet real estate” to maximize profits, increase resident satisfaction and retention, and increase property value. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Dual Path offers property-wide WiFi, Gigabit Internet and WiFi calling solutions to properties and businesses coast to coast. For more information, visit www.dualpath.net or contact 1-800-468-6851.

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

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

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

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

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W

4 Reasons Why Women Will Lead The Business World In The 21st Century

hen you let women be women in the business world, they do better. That’s according to a recent report from the Harvard Business Review, which makes the case that traditional thinking – that women should be treated no differently than men in corporate settings – is simply flawed and regressive.

A major point the post makes is that only about 20 percent of businesswomen make partner. By expecting from women what you would expect from men, the corporate world is consciously and unconsciously excluding female leadership. That’s a very bad thing, according to many. For example, Kevin O’Leary of “Shark Tank” fame says that of his 27 companies, only the ones with female CEOs make him money.

“Women are good for business, so it follows that what’s good for your best women will be good for your bottom line,” says Debora McLaughlin, CEO of The Renegade Leader Coaching and Consulting Group (www.TheRenegadeLeader.com), and author of “Running in High Heels: How to Lead with Influence, Impact & Ingenuity.”

“I’ve long advocated this position, and that symbols of female business identity, like high heels, are signs of a businesswoman’s ability to elevate business results, consistently providing a better return for stakeholders.”

and, perhaps, fostering a creative culture of collaboration.

“Of course, this is not a strict gender rule,” McLaughlin says. “But I think it’s the experience of many that women are, in the aggregate, more nurturing.

• Momentum will continue to build for women leadership. Momentum tends to build upon itself, and that includes social change. While that change has been slower in the corporate world, we’re already seeing signs and opinions of change, as exemplified by Kevin O’Leary.

McLaughlin discusses why women will be essential for leading businesses into a new paradigm this century.

• The old way doesn’t work. Since 1955, more than 90 percent of the companies on the Fortune 500 list have gone bankrupt, shrunk in size, become inconsequential, been mopped up by their rivals or closed their doors. Sixty percent of CEOs think their current business model is only sustainable for another three years. Sticking too closely to your old guns, including discouraging a woman’s nature in the corporate world, will likely involve your company in that 90-plus percent failure rate.

• The business world has already changed. While technology continues to revolutionize how we do business,

it has also changed the workforce.

Today’s employees are smarter, more innovative, more creative and full of potential – and it’s not only due to technology. As Generations X and Y emerge as tomorrow’s leaders, Millennials are proving to be very resourceful workers. Old models like “command-and-control” don’t fit with a company’s most precious resource, its people.

• Women are more social and excel in collaboration. We shouldn’t generalize to strictly regarding gender norms.

However, it’s probably fair to say that women are more nurturing for ingroup members. Much of the traditional management method centralized authority; a woman’s leadership is more prone to sharing influence

“More importantly, if the Harvard Business Review’s post is an indicator, women in business will feel more comfortable being themselves in a professional environment,” she says. “Unlocking those invisible shackles from a woman’s high heels will be a game-changer.”

About Debora McLaughlin

Debora McLaughlin is the best-selling author of “The Renegade Leader: 9 Success Strategies Driven Leaders Use to Ignite People, Performance and Profits.” Her new book, “Running in High Heels: How to Lead with Influence, Impact & Ingenuity,” is a how-to leadership companion for women in business. She is CEO of The Renegade Leader Coaching and Consulting Group (www.TheRenegadeLeader.com). As a certified executive coach, McLaughlin helps business owners, executives and managers nationwide ignite their inner renegade leader to unleash their full potential, drive their visions and yield positive results, both in business and in life.

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Rental Housing Journal Valley · December 2015

Rental Housing Journal Valley

Historic Lending Discrimination Settlement Addresses Allegations Of Modern Day Redlining

By Jo Becker Education/Outreach Specialist Fair Housing Council of Oregon

E

arlier this year the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced an agreement with Associated Bank to resolve a disparate treatment redlining case. Redlining is the practice of refusing to lend or insure homes in areas deemed to be a poor financial risk due to the ethnic demographics of the areas.

At approximately $200 million, this is the largest fair housing settlement of this sort against a mortgage lender. The settlement stems from a HUD-initiated complaint alleging that from 2008-2010, the Wisconsin-based bank denied mortgage loans to African-American and Hispanic applicants and provided different levels of loan services in neighborhoods with significant African-American or Hispanic populations – both violations of the FHA’s race and national origin protections.

Associated Bank’s mortgage lending activity indicated that, compared to other lenders, the firm made few loans in majority-minority census tracts in five metropolitan areas, but did make loans in nearby predominantly white tracts.

The terms of the settlement include: • Nearly $10 million over three years in lower interest rate home mortgages and down payment/closing cost assistance to qualified borrowers in majority-minority census tracts in Chicago; Milwaukee; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Racine, Wisconsin; Kenosha, Wisconsin; and Lake County, Illinois; • Nearly $200 million committed to increased home mortgage lending activity in majority-minority census tracts in the same areas; • Nearly $3 million to help existing homeowners repair their properties in these predominantly minority communities; • $1.4 million to support affirmative marketing of loans in the above census tracts; • $1.35 million for community reinvestment and fair lending education and training; • Four new loan production offices in majority-minority census tracts in addition to three branches Associated opened or has planned to open since HUD’s complaint was filed;

• Fair housing training for all residential lending employees; • A second level review process for all denied residential loans.

You can read the full agreement here – http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/ documents/huddoc?id=ExecAssBankConAgrmnt.pdf In announcing the settlement HUD Secretary Julián Castro said, “Discriminatory lending practices have too often cut off too many credit-worthy families from the opportunities they need to thrive. This agreement will ensure that more Americans can fulfill their hopes and aspirations.”

This article brought to you by the Fair Housing Council; a civil rights organization. All rights reserved © 2015. Write jbecker@FHCO.org to reprint articles or inquire about ongoing content for your own publication.

To learn more… Learn more about fair housing and / or sign up for our free, periodic newsletter at www.FHCO.org.

Qs about this article? ‘Interested in articles for your company or trade association? Contact Jo Becker at jbecker@ FHCO.org or 800/424-3247 Ext. 150

Want to schedule an in-office fair housing training program or speaker for corporate or association functions? Visit www.FHCO.org/learning-resources/ trainings to learn about the trainings we offer for companies and groups.

Federally protected classes under the Fair Housing Act include: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (children), and disability. Oregon law also protects marital status, source of income, sexual orientation, and domestic violence survivors. Additional protected classes have been added in particular geographic areas; visit FHCO. org/mission.htm and read the section entitled “View Local Protected Classes” for more information.

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Rental Housing Journal Valley

DEAR MAINTENANCE MEN

By Jerry L’Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez

Emergency Preparedness

Dear Maintenance Men, I have given my residents information on how to prepare a personal emergency preparedness kit for their families. My question is for you is: does my Apartment or commercial building need an emergency preparedness kit? And if so, what should be in it?

Diana

Dear Diana, A quick list of what should be in your family disaster preparedness kit: Flashlight with batteries, canned goods, a Gallon of water per person, a knife, Meds and blankets at minimum. Now this works ok for a family, but may not be appropriate for an apartment building. The residents may very well shelter in place during a disaster and be fine. What may be in danger is your property! Start with a bit of preventive disaster maintenance.

1. Locate the main water shut-off valve and any minor shut-off valves. Make sure the valves are in working order.

If they are gate valves, it might be time to upgrade them to ball valves.

Old gate valves are notorious for breaking valve stems at the moment you need them to work.

2. Locate and clearly mark the main electrical panel.

3. Locate and mark the main sewer clean-out. Run a mainline snake or hydro jet at least once a year.

(A Friday evening main back-up is a disaster.)

4. Locate and mark the main gas or fuel oil shut-off valve.

5. Write down and post this information in a public area of your apartment building, including emergency phone numbers and how to get hold of management. Alternatively; Post this information on the inside of a kitchen cabinet door in each rental unit.

Dear Maintenance Men, I am starting my planning for a major kitchen cabinet remodeling project in my rental units. However, I am having a difficult time making material and design decisions. What recommendations can you give?

Allen

Dear Allen, When doing a kitchen or bath material selection, cohesive and functional design is important. Kitchen and bath rehabs are some of the most expensive work you can do in an apartment unit and proper planning is a must. In order to appeal to a larger segment of the population, try to keep the interior color scheme to neutral earth tones. Cabinetry quality varies greatly. Don’t let the cabinet fronts fool you. Manufactures designed their cabinets to look good at first glance. Keep in mind, being in a rental environment, the cabinets also need to hold up to abuse. Look at the actual construction of

the cabinet box or frame. There is no need to use custom cabinets to fit your existing layout. The use of prefabricated modular cabinetry can greatly reduce the time and cost to have a finished kitchen or bathroom. Using real wood cabinet fronts with 3/8” plywood sides is essential for durability. The drawer fronts and sides should be connected with a dovetail or other positive lock construction.

Drawers that are held together by nails will not hold up to tenant abuse, nor will particle board constructed cabinets.

On a side note; if you are gutting the kitchen or bathroom, use this time to relocate and add more electrical outlets and under cabinet lighting.

Dear Maintenance Men: I am a property supervisor for a local property management company and I am looking for solutions to my maintenance issues. How do I keep the cost of maintenance down while still maintaining good living conditions for my residents?

Sally

Dear Sally: Prioritize and bundle is the short answer. To elaborate, you will want to prioritize all of your non-emergency maintenance work by unit, building and area and then bundle enough work for each unit, building or area to use your maintenance tech or vendor efficiently. The

less your tech or vendor needs to travel between jobs the lower the cost of each job will be.

Essentially, you would accumulate all non-emergency routine maintenance work placed on a P.O. or work order and forward it to your vendor or tech as authorized. This dramatically reduces the costs related to gas, trip charges, mobilization, purchase hours, etc. (It works even better if your parts are already onsite) Establishing a “time and material” (not to exceed) approach to billing vs. a per unit price method would also give you more bang for your buck. Talk to your venders or techs about bundled service to help cut costs. Most will appreciate a more organized approach to servicing your properties.

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 714 778-0480 CA contractor lic: #797645, EPA Real Estate lic. #: 01460075 Certified Renovation Company Websites: www.BuffaloMaintenance.com & www.

ContactJLE.com www.Facebook.com/BuffaloMaintenance

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Rental Housing Journal Valley · December 2015

Rental Housing Journal Valley ...continued from page 1

exception is for applicants with screening barriers who have completed an approved tenant education program such as Rent Well, Second Chance, or Moving Forward. So the gentleman who called me may require a FICO score of “X” as a general rule, but he could have a policy explaining he would make an exception if there is documentation to verify the lower score was caused by medical bills2.

Of course, he would need to make that exception consistently, regardless of protected class.

One area of screening that is confusing to some housing providers is how to screen an applicant without a Social Security number. First of all, it’s important to know that fair housing protections apply to everyone in the US, regardless of immigration status (for more on this read FHCO’s previous article on the matter at http://www.fhco.org/news/ read-on?view=category&id=81 http:// www.fhco.org/news/read-on view=category&id=81. A policy requiring Social Security numbers in all cases probably has a disparate impact on immigrants and falls under the “national origin” protected class under fair housing law.

You should know that a Social Security number isn’t the only way that credit bureaus identify us. The bureaus use personal information including full name, date of birth, and addresses, to compile individual credit reports. While, in some cases, having a Social Security number may increase the accuracy of the bureau’s matching process, it is not necessarily essential in running a credit check.

FHCO participated in a work group convened by the Credit Builders Alliance due to growing concerns from both housing providers and consumers about credit screening issues. One of the products that came out of this work group is a Tip Sheet on Building Credit Without a Social Security number which can be found at the Alliance’s website at “http://creditbuildersalliance.org/sites/ default/files/Building%20Credit%20 without%20a%20SSN.pdf” http://creditbuildersalliance.org/sites/default/files/ Building%20Credit%20without%20 a%20SSN.pdf. The Tip Sheet addresses issues of concern to both housing consumers and providers, including using consistent information when interacting with credit bureaus and properly transferring credit history to a new Social Security number. It contains a list of best practices for consumers and businesses, as well as explaining the use of other identifying numbers, such as the ITIN, and how they can be used to pull a credit report?

Do take a close look at the Tip Sheet on the Credit Builders Alliance site and remember, too, that FHCO offers a list of suggested alternative documents that can be used to verify identity, bill payment history, and other relevant screening criteria. The list has been recently updated and is posted at http://www. fhco.org/discrimination-in-oregon/protected-classes/national-origin/alternative-suggested-documents.

This article brought to you by the Fair Housing Council; a civil rights organization. All rights reserved © 2015. Write jbecker@FHCO.org to reprint articles or inquire about ongoing content for your own publication.

To learn more…

Learn more about fair housing and / or sign up for our free, periodic newsletter at www.FHCO.org.

Qs about this article? ‘Interested in articles for your company or trade association? Contact Jo Becker at jbecker@ FHCO.org or 800/424-3247 Ext. 150 Want to schedule an in-office fair housing training program or speaker for corporate or association functions? Visit www.FHCO.org/learning-resources/ trainings to learn about the trainings we offer for companies and groups.

Federally protected classes under the Fair Housing Act include: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (children), and disability. Oregon law also protects marital status, source of income, sexual orientation, and domestic violence survivors. Additional protected classes have been added in particular geographic areas; visit FHCO. org/mission.htm and read the section entitled “View Local Protected Classes” for more information.

Super El Nino Year...continued from page 1 to drain away water quickly. Connect not guarantee a mild winter.

A unique feature of the upcoming downspout extenders at the ground levwinter compared to other strong El Niño el. The extenders will direct water away winters of the past is the expected per- from the building. Check for stucco sistence of the warmer-than-normal cracks. A surprising amount of water ocean-water temperatures south of Alas- can be sucked into a building because ka. Some have referred to this feature as of damaged stucco. Clean out window “the Blob” and it has been a key contrib- weep holes to stop water from finding its utor to the dominant weather pattern way through window frames and damacross North America for the past two aging interior walls. If you have wooden years. This pattern has been associated garage doors, check that the doors are with extended periods of warm and dry painted or sealed and that the springs are weather in the West and two of the cold- in good order. The garage doors can get est winters in recent memory further to quite a bit heavier when wet or allowed the east, especially in the Great Lakes to soak up water. A little bit of preventive and Northeast. If “the Blob” does indeed maintenance now will save both you and persist through the upcoming winter, your residents a lot of discomfort later. then the threat for a cold conclusion to And last but not least, don’t forget to turn off your sprinklers. winter in the East will increase.

Now that we know what an El Niño Bio: weather condition is, how do we prepare Please call: Buffalo Maintenance, Inc for maintenance for El Niño? First order of business is work or consultation.

JLE Property Management, Inc for management to take a long hard look at your apart- service or consultation ment building and surrounding proper- Frankie Alvarez at 714 956-8371 ty. Inspect your building’s roofs, gutters, Jerry L’Ecuyer at 714 778-0480 CA contractor lic: #797645, EPA drains, flashing and trim overhanging Real Estate lic. #: 01460075 trees. In other words, don’t wait for it to Certified Renovation Company be raining to find out your roof is in poor www.BuffaloMaintenance.com condition. Get the work done now while www.ContactJLE.com www.Facebook.com/BuffaloMaintenance it is dry and the roofing companies are not busy. Don’t forget about large trees that hang over your roofs. In wet windy VALLEY, METRO, ARIZONA weather, they can cause a lot of damage to a roof if a limb breaks or a tree falls because of soggy soil. Flat roofs are especially vulnerable to blocked scuppers and roof drains. The backed up water will find the slightest weakness in any Apr, Jun, roof system andFeb, may even cause a roofAug, Oct, Dec to collapse. Make sure the landscaping around your property is designed

ON-SITE-NW SEA

2 This example was this particular landlord’s preference to offer; however, this is one example of a reasonable accommodation request an individual with a disability might request of any housing provider. Regardless of screening criteria, all housing providers are always required to consider reasonable accommodation and modifications requests. To learn how reasonableness is determined and learn more about disability-related protections visit http://www.fhco.org/learning-resources/downloads/category/3-guides?download=193:resource-guide-2015.

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Rental Housing Journal Valley · December 2015