Preparing Your Properties For Winter

Depending on where your properties are located, you may find yourself spending weeks preparing them for the cold winter months. Even those in more temperate climates will need to do some basic housekeeping in order to keep maintenance calls in check.

Here are a few preparation tips for your property as winter approaches:

• Prepare to have ice melting products on hand.

• Tune-up the snow blower to ensure it will function properly before use.

• Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses in order to prevent pipes from freezing.

• Service any working fireplaces prior to burning a fire and be sure to check the flue for proper ventilation.

• Inspect the current heating systems in your rentals for potential problems.

• Conduct a solid inspection of the property to check for leaks and drafts that may need additional insulation.

• Change air filters and the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

It is helpful to provide your residents with a handy winter preparation checklist that they can refer to. The list makes it easier for residents to remember what needs to be done, and they can check off the item once it’s completed. This makes for more satisfied residents and a well-maintained property.

Want to make sure your property is prepared for winter? Contact your Account Manager today for more winter essentials information.
 

Copyright: Harvepino

In light of the impending threat of Hurricane Matthew to the East Coast, NMHC is urging members to take the threat seriously and make necessary preparations.

Hurricane Matthew has tracked over the Bahamas is moving northwest towards Miami and the east coast of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Hurricane Matthew is forecast to hit Florida late Thursday and work its way up the coastline, inflicting serious damage with sustained wind speeds of 125 mph and coastal flooding.

Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have all declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

NMHC members with properties in any of the affected areas should refer to the resources below for pre-storm planning and post-disaster response.

National Resources

• NMHC – Disaster Planning
• NMHC – Emergency Preparedness Guidance for Apartment Firms
• FEMA – Hurricane Matthew Press Release and Resources
• Ready.gov – Prepare yourself before, during, and after a hurricane
• Live updates from FEMA’s twitter
• Live tracking of Hurricane Matthew

State Resources

• Florida Division of Emergency Management
• Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency
• North Carolina Department of Public Safety
• South Carolina Emergency Management Division

Read more on NMHC website here.

Upcoming Events/Shows

MHA – Minnesota Multihousing Association Fall Conference
October 11, 2016
St. Paul RiverCentre, St. Paul, MN
http://www.mmha.com/EDUCATION/2016-fall-convention
 

CVAA Trade Show & Seminar Series
October 13, 2016
Richmond International Raceway- Dominion Bldg., Richmond, VA
http://www.vamaonline.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=751940&group=

NEAHMA Conference & Trade Show
October 18 – 19, 2016
Lombardo’s, Randolph, MA
http://www.neahma.org/programs/annual-conference-trade-show/
 

NAHMA Fall Meeting
October 23 – 25, 2016
The Fairmont, Washington, D.C.
https://www.nahma.org/product/fall-meeting-registration/

IAA – Midwest Multifamily Conference
October 25 – 26, 2016
Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN
http://midwestmultifamily.org/

Connect with our Sales Team today!

Do you cringe when you hear the words “budget season?” If so, you’re certainly not alone. Budget season is a busy time for multifamily professionals. With numbers to crunch and dollars to stretch, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stressed out. Take a deep breath and check out these 5 tips to help make this budget season a little less stressful in your office.

1. Stay Organized
Walking in to the office each morning and being greeted by a messy, disorganized desk is a guaranteed way to start your day off on a stressful note. So, at the end of each day, take a few minutes to organize your desk so you can start the next day with your paperwork organized and easy to find.

2. Take a Break
Stand up and stretch. Take 5 deep breaths. Take a quick walk around the block. Stepping away from your desk every now and then allows you to clear your head so you’re mentally prepared to take on your next task.

3. Ask for Help
You don’t have to do everything yourself. Instead, delegate tasks to your team so you can all work together to ensure everything gets finished.

4. Make Your Health a Priority
During the busy budget season, it’s easy to put yourself last on your list of priorities. Don’t fall into that trap! Unhealthy habits like frequent trips to the vending machine and skimping on sleep can actually make you more stressed! Instead, make sure you’re eating a healthy, balanced diet, getting regular exercise and clocking enough sleep each night so you wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready to bring your A-game to the office. 

5. Leave Your Work at Work
I know, I know. It’s easier said than done. But you’ll drive yourself (and your family and friends) crazy if you’re constantly checking your email at all hours of the day. Instead, carve out quality time with your family and friends --  free of work distractions! And stop checking emails a couple hours before bed so you can unwind before you go to sleep.
 

- See more at: http://blog.apartments.com/5-tips-for-less-stress-this-budget-season#sthash.9JYXZu9w.74hUBb1f.dpuf

The PennDel AHMA Fall Mgmt. Conference & Expo

September 28 – 29, 2016

Dover Downs, Dover, DE

http://penndelahma.org/FMC2016/FMC16-home.html

Safety isn't often thought of as an amenity, but it can be quite a selling point. And it can raise the bottom line from curb appeal alone, according to our survey of more than 84,000 renters nationwide.

When asked if they'd pay more to live in a gated community compared with a "drive-through" community, 53% of all renters said they'd be willing to open their purse strings for that sense of safety.

But how much are they willing to pay for this feature? To what degree do they place a premium on gated communities? When asked if they'd pay $25 more per month to live in a gated complex, 58% of Gen Xers said yes, followed by 53% each of millennials and baby boomers. The Silent Generation, however, wasn't as enthused; only 42% of them would pay $25 more a month for this luxury.

What happens when we ratchet up the cost of that feature to an extra $50 per month? Surprisingly, the drop-off isn't significant.

Gen X continued to lead the way in putting a premium on this safety amenity, with 52% saying they'd pay $50 more. This is a stark contrast to the 38% of the Silent Generation renters who said yes. Again, baby boomers and millennials placed a similar, albeit smaller, premium on the feature, at 49% and 48%, respectively.

The full results of our groundbreaking survey, The Next-Gen Apartment: What Renters Want, done in conjunction with J Turner Research, will be unveiled at the Multifamily Executive Conference in September.

Read More

Move-in day is around the corner and each year colleges and universities prepare to welcome students for the fall semester. On Call Now has put together three tips that can help make your life easier for when that hectic day arrives.

3 Simple Tips to Enhance Your Move-in Day Plan

Reach beyond the chaotic logistics to establish long-term benefits

Move-in day is hectic, no doubt about it. It takes a lot of organization just to get through it and get everyone settled in. And even with the best plans, chaos can reign supreme.

But turn time is the best time to lay the groundwork for streamlined processes and smooth relationships with your new and returning student residents.

Here are three tips that fit into any move-in day plan. They’ll help save staff time, reduce late payments and cultivate responsible residents long after move-in day is over.

1. Get all their contact information up front—in advance is best. Phone, email, social media. Students usually have multiple contact points. Get it all. And make sure you get all the contact information for their parents, too. Keeping parents in the loop greatly increases your ability to get responses and results. Get as much information as you can prior to move-in day. It may be mission impossible trying to obtain it after.
2. Rent guarantee agreements may be legally binding, but reminders trump collections any day! This is where having all the students’ and parents’ contact information is critical. It’s much easier to send a reminder—and it’s effective, too—than to try to collect delinquent rent. Message notification services like One Call Now make it easy. Use it to send voice and text messages via land lines, mobile phones, email and social media. Automated features save loads of staff time. Create and store messages and schedule delivery dates and times. Multiple delivery points for each message make it simple to include parents in your reminder messages.
   
   If it’s feasible, consider sending reminders regarding other housing expenses: utility bills, insurance premiums, and parking permits. If it affects your property, it affects you.
3. Let them know what you’ll do. You may already have something in place—your website, literature—to let your student residents know their responsibilities. But don’t fall short when it comes to letting them know your responsibilities. What you will do when a repair is needed; when there’s property damage; when rental payments are late; when they become delinquent.
   
   Let residents and parents know the steps you will take. What they can expect. Knowing that there’s a process in place inspires confidence and satisfaction. And understanding the consequences when they default on their responsibilities fosters compliance.

The steps you take up front to establish your resident/parent communications will payoff throughout the term of the lease.

Read On Call Now article here.

If you'd like to set up a meeting during the show, please contact a Buyers Access Team Member below.

Diane Van Lear - National Managing Director of Sales
dvanlear@buyersaccess.com

Johnathan Hovanec - VP of Account Management
jhovanec@buyersaccess.com

Click below for more NJAA information.
http://www.njaa.com/27th-annual-njaa-conference-and-expo.html