When J Turner Research released its list of top ten apartment resident complaints, three of the top five complaints reflected renters’ dissatisfaction with onsite staff’s responsiveness; poor grounds upkeep, disorganized  staff and lingering maintenance requests lessen the chances of lease renewals and referrals. One community has discovered how Yardi Maintenance Mobile keeps staff on top of resident concerns before they become complaints. During Wesley Fonseca’s time as a maintenance tech in the Atlanta area, he has worked at several apartment communities offering varying degrees of customer satisfaction. He has observed that time management directly affects a team’s ability to meet residents’ needs and provide top quality service. “The toughest part of our job would be time management,” says Fonseca. “Being able to schedule work orders is important, so important. That will make or break a maintenance team. I’ve seen teams that were exceptional in time management and other teams that were just not and the property was in chaos.” Without a convenient maintenance app, techs may miss out on details such as move-in dates, establishing a bad first impression when new tenants arrive to a unit that isn’t ready. Techs must also return to the leasing office several times throughout the day to sign off on completed assignments and pick up new ones, wasting precious time that’s better used out in the field. With few ways to handle scheduling conflicts, pop-up emergencies, and other delays, techs may arrive late to scheduled work orders or miss out on some entirely. At Fonseca’s current community, Post Glen in Brookhaven, his team implemented Yardi’s Maintenance Mobile with great success. “I’ve seen my time management get so much better with Yardi because of how I’m able to access the work orders on my smartphone. Maintenance Mobile has helped...

Michael J. Novogradac, a managing partner at Novogradac & Co., estimates that available affordable housing lags behind demand by as many as 20 million units. The funding simply isn’t there. Without it, low-income families and affordable housing providers are running low on options. Aubrey Fakalata, Resident Manager of Yardi client Burbank Housing has experienced the dire need for new construction firsthand, “That was one of the reasons why [Burbank Housing] built Logan Place (pictured, right), was for the homeless. When the company advertised that they were opening a brand new affordable housing property, they went straight to the homeless shelters. A majority of our applicants were from the shelters throughout Sonoma County,” she says. Without adequate housing availability, low-income families are relegated to shelters or the streets. Competition for one of the few affordable housing units becomes desperate. There are several factors contributing to the decline in available housing. Primarily, the building costs have increased while equity has remained the same for decades. There are also fewer gap financing offers and tax credits, with less money flowing from HUD in programs such as the HOME Investment Partnerships and The Community Development Block Grant. Lastly, equity investors aren’t seeing the returns that they would prefer, making affordable housing an unappealing option. “There is always a shortage of federal and state tax credits to go around,” begins Jeanne Taylor, CFO of Preservation of Affordable Housing, a Yardi client. “After the economy hit a few years ago, the tax credit arena wasn’t as plentiful…and the investors became a little stricter in their requirements.” Future tax reform could further tighten investors’ purse strings. Any legislation that includes lower rates and longer depreciation would damage the industry’s bottom line. Novogradac & Co. proposes that the industry would see as...

The solution was obvious. If you can’t feed 100 people, then feed just one. It was a simple solution to a problem that didn’t exist. At least, that’s what Cheryl Jackson was told. As she educated on food insecurity in the area, many fellow residents pulled her aside to inform her that there were no hungry people in Plano, TX. “First, we had a problem educating people about the need. The need exists,” says Jackson. “They see people smiling but they don’t understand what could be going on in the background: if that smiling person earns minimum wage and they’re struggling to make ends meet or if they’re earning $11-12 per hour but that’s just not enough to support their families. Outside, everything can appear to be okay but people need help.” Jackson saw beyond the façade. In 2008, she pulled back the veil on food security and actively sought a solution by founding Minnie’s Food Pantry. She knew that the quality of food and consistency of availability would go a long way towards promoting health for North Texas families in need. She immediately sought out corporate sponsors and partnerships in addition to community contributions. Progress was slow at first but soon Minnie’s Food Pantry began to grow. Minnie’s couldn’t have come at a better time. Federal funds for SNAP food assistance were slashed by $5 billion. Families that were on the brink soon found themselves in desperate need. Ubiquitous job cuts lead to an increase in families who struggled with food security as the recession lingered. On several occasions, volunteers who once helped distribute food returned in need of assistance. “I had a management team from a huge corporation that came to volunteer. Before every group serves, I always tell them, ‘This could...

Jim Postell brings an unusual background to the commercial real estate industry – with a passion for acting and communications, he thought he might work as a journalist or producer. But when he graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Communications/Directing, no companies in his field were hiring. So, he made a decision that would shape the future of his career. “My dad worked in commercial real estate for a company called Cross & Brown in New Jersey. He was a huge influence and encouraged me to make the shift to the industry, which he saw as a more stable and practical field.” More than 20 years later, Postell has built two regional commercial real estate offices from the ground up in his home state of New Jersey. The first was for Trammel Crow and the second was Transwestern’s New Jersey branch, an operation he grew from “me, on a laptop in my kitchen,” to a thriving office with 30 employees. Throughout his career, Postell has persevered through hardships – both professional and personal, such as raising his two young daughters after losing his wife to cancer. A turning point in his career, one that has stayed with him to this day, was his direct involvement in quickly finding new office space for 2,000 American Express employees in a span of just 10 days, immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Under Postell’s leadership, Transwestern was recently recognized as New Jersey’s No. 1 “Best Place to Work” by NJBIZ, an honor that Postell considers his greatest career achievement to date. Read on for excerpts from our interview with Jim Postell.  After making such a major industry shift, have you found happiness in real estate? Postell: I enjoy it a tremendous amount and think...

Not all costs are spelled out in a lease agreement, according to Dylan Pichulik, CEO of Yardi client XL Real Property Management. We recently interviewed Pichulik about hidden costs associated with rental units. Tell me about XL Real Property Management. Pichulik: I created XL Real Property Management as a way to better serve offsite owners and their property management needs as more and more NYC property buyers from overseas were scooping up investment properties here in the City. Since many of these foreign investors do not necessarily understand the work and many different intricacies that go into owning property here, my team helps provide a local resource that handles daily operations, like rent collection or property renovations, that many these offsite owners are unable to do from thousands of miles away. We currently have a roster of clients based both across the United States, as well in countries such as China, Australia, Russia, Venezuela and more. What are some hidden costs of rentals? How can these be avoided? Pichulik: There are quite a few additional expenses that come attached to many rental units, both in New York City and elsewhere in the country, that many people are generally not aware of. If an apartment has floor-to-ceiling windows or high ceilings, it is harder to maintain a consistent temperature, especially during the summer and winter months, causing energy bills to increase drastically. Tenants should utilize heavier curtains for the apartments with floor-to-ceiling windows, in order to maintain a consistent temperature, depending on the season. Backyards, especially in cities, are not something that renters typically factor in as an additional cost. However, unless a landlord specifies in the lease that they will maintain the backyard for a tenant, the tenant is responsible for maintaining the space,...

It has been over 10 years since The Marjorie Luke Theatre reopened its doors to the public. The performance venue, established in 1933, had passed through the hands of several owners before falling into a state of disrepair. It’s beautiful architecture, history, and Santa Barbarans’ notorious local pride triggered the restoration of the property. Now, the revitalized Luke Theatre is home to over 140 arts and educational organizations and countless visiting performers. Rick Villa, General Manager at The Luke Theatre has been helping dreams take stage since 2003. He became involved in the arts as a child, though when he entered college he took the sage advice to “have something you can fall back on” and majored in marketing and communications. That path led to an assistant position with the theater and ultimately to management. Since then, Villa has devoted his efforts to securing affordable access to the arts for Santa Barbarans and providing artists with a beautiful space in which to present their craft. The Luke Theatre does not produce its own shows. “We’re here to serve our community, offering an affordable house theater for anyone in our community to rent,” says Villa. Competitive pricing and an attractive space has enticed a wide range of performance troupes, school groups, local organizations, and bands to bring their talents to Santa Barbara. “[The pricing] attracts a lot of people to us and we get such a wide range of events coming through our doors, everything from operas to surf movies to plays and mariachi music,” says Villa. Though everyone is welcomed to rent the space, the theater has a special place in the hearts of youth organizations, many of which use the performing and visual arts as a tool for education. “Arts education is important...

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization of medical providers who promote early literacy and reading aloud. The organization operates in all 50 states, serving 4 million kids each year. Medical providers distribute 6.5 million books to children and supply parents with literacy advice to help families obtain the longer term benefits of reading aloud from birth. It’s never too early to promote literacy and language development, which is why the partnership between Reach Out and Read and physicians is so important.  “96 percent of kids see a pediatrician,” explains Judith Forman, Reach Out and Read’s Public Awareness Manager. “The pediatrician is the most common person outside of a home that a child sees in their first five years. We incorporate early literacy guidance into checkups since children are already going to the doctor, and parents view the pediatrician as a trusted figure.” Reading to babies and toddlers fills their word banks at an early age, establishing the foundation for academic success before they start kindergarten. By 18 months, children who are read to show greater intellectual processing skills than children whose parents did not read to them; by the age of three, the word gap–the number of words kids know—is already more than 30 million. From this stage, children are walking the path to failure or success as students. To proactively adress the word gap, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued a policy statement officially recommending literacy promotion via pediatricians. The announcement was made at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting as part of a partnership between the AAP, Reach Out and Read, Scholastic, and Hillary Clinton’s Too Small to Fail Organization of a partnership to raise awareness among parents about the importance of early language development. The news was feature...

FirstService Residential is the largest third-party manager of homeowner’s associations in the United States, with more than 6,000 properties – and another 600 or so in Canada. So it makes sense that the Dania Beach, Florida-based company would be think big about how to deliver technology solutions specifically for the HOA lifestyle. Whether you’re a resident or owner of a home in a master planned community, a community manager of an HOA or a member of a community board of directors, FirstService is thinking about how to improve your experience, and give you mobile applications to obtain information and complete neighborhood-related tasks. “Whatever we can do to make the community manager’s life easier, and do that in an effective way, translates into a better experience for the resident,” said Alan Missen, recently appointed CIO for FirstService. “That’s such a big part of our culture, making a difference in every resident’s life every day.” Missen talked about the various apps FirstService is developing and how they hope to make the HOA experience more mobile-friendly for everyone involved. Tell us about your existing resident service portal. Missen: FSRConnect is our core property management solution. It’s focused on helping the associates to service the property and has a lot of information around the residents, the properties, and it aids in managing much of the activity around amenities. In the HOA world, there’s lots of documents that need to be put in the hands of residents, so we handle document management with this solution. We manage work orders, violations, architectural modifications, and we also provide some financial data that residents can touch. We’re generally more cautious around that, the financial data being more sensitive, so we keep a lot of that back in our accounting solutions. But we...

Competition can be empowering. It doesn’t matter whether the competition takes place on a field, court or office. Knowing that you will go head-to-head with a worthy competitor encourages you to set goals, hone your skills, and believe that you are capable of emerging from the competition as a victor. You alone can forge the path to victory. Michelle Duke, Manager of Special Events and Volunteers at Special Olympics Santa Barbara, has seen the empowerment of competition at work in the athletes that she serves. From weekly practices to grueling four hour tournaments, Special Olympics athletes first challenge themselves before challenging their opponents. Their personal victories give them the confidence needed to tackle larger challenges in life. “We have an athlete who was incredibly shy. He really didn’t have any friends,” says Duke. “He got into our program and soon became a leader to other athletes. He took part in Global Youth Activation Summit where he was able to travel to Korea for the World Games. He served as an ambassador for Special Olympics. He really never would have been able to do it without the confidence that he gained with Special Olympics.” The experience empowered him with the skills needed to step out in other areas and live his life to the fullest. “Participation in the programs changes athletes’ outlook, social skills, and impacts their lives,” Duke says. Through Special Olympics, athletes also gain a support system that provides encouragement and camaraderie. Without such programing, many adults living with developmental disabilities can lead solitary lives; it can be challenging to relate to others. “Being in Special Olympics helps [athletes] connect with people of their same background, people who understand them,” says Duke.  The social aspect of the games strengthens self-esteem, builds character, and...

Editor’s note: Last fall, we introduced you to Kyle Kazan, CEO of Beach Front Property Management and a former law enforcement officer. Kazan’s stories of dealing with problem tenants and difficult situations at his properties stood out – he is upfront and honest about real-world situations that other executives might not want to talk about. As a result, we interviewed Kazan for Multi-Housing News Magazine. Here’s a follow-up to his story. “A good B or C quality building, like a nice quality used car, doesn’t lose value. It’s in high demand, and if the majority of people are your target market, I think you’re in the safe spot,” said Kazan, whose firm has been recognized regionally for their efforts to turn around troubled units. A former policeman and inner city school teacher turned successful owner-manager, Kazan operates in real world property management. “With all due respect to my friends out there in some of the big REITs that like to stick to Class A and sinking to Class B is not where they want to be, I feel like I am right in the sweet spot of society,” he said. His company, Beach Front Property Management, is based in Long Beach, but Kazan travels the globe to oversee assets on behalf of his investors. Back in LA, he can slip back into police officer mode and lead a team to throw out drug dealers or other troublesome tenants. It’s that skill that prompted recent calls from brokers about a very troubled apartment building in Anaheim, not far from Disneyland. “The previous owner had a stroke and had been overseeing the property himself. He had six units not paying rent, and a police shooting had killed a gang member on the corner of the property....

Technical analyst turned Q&A specialist, Edith Pojum is a dedicated member of Yardi’s CSD team in Cluj and a freelance illustrator whose playful e-cards are slowly paving her way towards taking over the world, one heart flutter at a time. Even though that’s not the way she’d go about world domination: “I’d start by helping people in need, because I have huge empathy for those who are abused, or homeless, or somehow disenfranchised.” A member of the Yardi Cluj family since November 2011, Edith Pojum previously worked as a technical analyst but switched to a Q&A specialist position three months ago. She spends her workdays testing the system, creating system enhancement and trouble requests and checking if previously reported bugs and errors have been resolved. A graduate of the University of Babeş-Bolyai’s Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, her college studies come in handy in her day-to-day tasks, as many of Yardi Voyager’s functionalities have an accounting and finance base. Edith enjoys all that her job implies, but her favorite part of working at Yardi is the atmosphere and her colleagues. Catching up with the Milton Keynes and Yardi Amsterdam office colleagues was her favorite part of the recent European CSD Conference. The conference took place in Cluj on June 11 and 12 and was attended by more than 60 Yardi staff members from Milton Keynes, Amsterdam and Cluj. “It’s always nice to meet our colleagues from other offices, we work with them on an almost daily basis.” Learning more about Voyager functionalities such as Orion Business Intelligence, Rent Café/Residential, Advanced Budgeting, Commercial Leasing Pad, Payscan App, etc. also proved exciting to the dedicated Q&A specialist. When Edith leaves the office however, is when her true passion surfaces: drawing and illustrating. Her current...

The needs of our neighbors aren’t always evident.  When Sharon Johnston served as the president of Irving Women’s Network (IWN) from 2004-2006, the organization was shocked to discover that there were over 1,000 homeless teenagers in their town. Johnston immediately called the  school district’s homeless liaison to figure out how such a need could be overlooked. “I discovered that most of them were couch surfing or  doubling up – multiple families living in one small home or apartment,” says Johnston. While many families avoid life on the streets, they are still unable to make ends meet. Among other things, the growing children lack adequate clothing.   Johnston, a resourceful leader, quickly gathered a budget from IWN and purchased one hundred pairs of jeans, one hundred T-Shirts and one hundred hoodies. “That’s the unisex thing that everyone is wearing, kind of a uniform for teens,” Johnston laughs. She contacted Project PASS and had the clothing distributed to local teens. A similar system continued for several years. In 2009, Johnston joined forces with four other women to form Advocates for Homeless Teens. Through a triad partnership with IWN, Stein Mart- Las Colinas and Dignity U Wear (a national charity founded by an Auschwitz survivor) they received 16 commercial-sized boxes of clothing but they had no place to store or distribute the apparel. The fledgling organization rallied support from local leaders, getting their major breakthrough with the Mayor. Johnston would have been happy with a climate controlled storage unit but through the Mayor’s connections she was given access to a 6,090 square-foot building that was formerly an antiques mall. “It was a hot mess,” Johnston admits. The hole-pocked walls were covered in multicolored paint, capped off with a retro border. AllState Insurance Corporate office supplied 45 volunteers on Martin...

Josh Champion considers himself a student of the real estate business, and since joining the Carroll Organization three years ago, his learning has kicked into a higher gear. Diving headfirst into the task of growing Carroll’s multifamily investment portfolio at a fast and furious pace, Champion oversaw 22 transactions in 2013, valued at over $1 billion. The acquisitions included the largest single-asset apartment purchase in Florida history, with $225 million paid by Carroll for The Resort at Pembroke Pines. Thus far in 2014, Carroll is off to a great start, with four multifamily deals closed as of the end of May, and several others under contract . The growing company has been focused on expanding its portfolio in Florida, where all four purchases are located. Champion told us that they’ll next set out to acquire in Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver. We talked to Champion about his success as a young executive – he’s just 30 – at a growing firm. He started his career as an intern at CBRE, then spent five years at Prudential Mortgage Capital. He’s been with the Carroll Organization since 2011. The Carroll Organization changed its focus to multifamily ownership and management in 2011. What differentiates the company? Champion:  Carroll Organization is a high-energy, younger company with a lot of strategic and smart growth. We’re striving to be one of the premiere owner-operators in the multifamily business. Our market is primarily in the Southeast – including Texas and Florida, and we currently own 40 assets. Our company and our employees have a tremendous work ethic and drive for success. That directly correlates to the quality and performance of our investments. We’re a relatively young company, so we’re always looking to grow our reputation and brand. What do you...

Candlelight Ranch provides nature-based camps for children with special needs. By customizing experiences to accommodate each group, children receive the care that they deserve as well as the challenges and opportunities that they crave. Public Relations and Marketing Chair, Adrienne Hagler, has served Candlelight Ranch for four years. The joy of working with a nonprofit was the supplement she needed in the routine of her everyday life. “To feel good when you wake up every day makes a difference,” says Hagler. “It’s not just happiness in your own life but in many lives, the majority of those who are children, some who have special needs and some who are at risk. It feels good be involved in something that promotes development and wellness in a natural environment.” Personal development and wellness is a focal point for Candlelight Ranch. Camp programs foster a sense of independence, self-confidence, and exploration. “A lot of kids who have special needs don’t serve their own plates at breakfast or wash up on their own or brush their own teeth,” begins Hagler. “A day at camp at Candlelight Ranch, these kids are encouraged to do it on their own.” Activities start first thing in the morning: outdoor excursions, soaring over the canyon on zip lines, hiking down to fresh water springs, or testing their bravery on a suspended ropes course. All activities are made accessible for participants. An all-terrain wheelchair offers kids the opportunity to tackle rugged terrain with their peers. Even the tree house is wheelchair accessible, providing a rare opportunity for kids with mobility issues to fulfill a typical childhood dream. Each activity instills self-confidence and opens a world of possibilities for the children. While the physical activities strengthen their bodies and their sense of personal accomplishment, Candlelight Ranch’s...

2014 has experienced notable growth in mid-sized markets with an expected rent growth of 3-5 percent by year’s end. Yardi client, Trade Street Residential, has capitalized on this market, flourishing in developing markets throughout the southern United States. To achieve its success, the company became proactive about its new wave of renters and their metropolitan aestheticism. Though renters in mid-sized markets are traditionally “more sleepy” and less demanding, Caren Cohen, Director of Accounting, has noticed a shift in renter expectations. Suburban and rural Millennials aren’t respecters of city limits. Their tastes have become just as sophisticated as their urban neighbors. “Some of the young renters expect the same as they do in an urban environment. So we, depending on our location, have to cater accordingly,” says Cohen. Accommodating suburban renters with rural tastes is a two-step process. Trade Street Residential improved operations at community clubhouses to include more activities and nicer amenities. Additionally, onsite personnel reexamined their event calendars, hosting engaging events for tenants and finding new ways to promote resident retention. Talison Row in the Charleston suburbs is a prime example of the company’s approach. Modeled after luxury resorts, the community promotes a fun atmosphere with engaging entertainment. Talison Row offers both indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces: the outdoor space is the uncontested favorite, providing the backdrop of the community’s summer cooking classes, fall Oyster Roasts, and residents’ private parties. The indoor game room is often the venue for wine tastings, cigar and bourbon tastings, and themed parties where residents can explore international cuisine. To enhance the metropolitan appeal, Talison Row offers services such as valet dry cleaning delivery and pick-up. Residents don’t have to worry about gym memberships, either. The community fitness center offers the same equipment as larger gyms in addition...

Yardi client Corvias Military Living, an affiliate of the Corvias Group, has opened Reece Crossings, the Army’s first-ever on-post apartments for junior unaccompanied service members in Fort Meade, Md. Reece Crossings consists of 432 apartments and will house 1,000 junior unaccompanied service members, allowing them to live on the installation, closer to their work and support systems, for the first time. “It’s the first of it’s kind and our vision of what barracks privatization could be and should be for the single solider and service member,” Mike Steiner, Corvias Military Living’s managing director, tells MHN. “The current design for on-post barracks is something called one-plus-one, which is like a college dorm room: two individual rooms with a common bathroom and maybe a microwave. Reece Crossings is well beyond that.” Reece Crossings 1,200-square-foot apartments feature large kitchens with a breakfast bar and full-size appliances, spacious living rooms, a laundry room with washer and dryer as well as free cable, high-speed Internet and utilities. They are all private master suites, which include individual bathrooms, walk-in closets, personal climate controls and private climate-controlled secure storage for military gear. Apartments come fully furnished with a sofa, media cabinet, barstools and coffee table, as well as a queen-size bed, desk and night stand in each bedroom. Amenities include weight lifting and fitness rooms, a state-of-the-art clubroom with multiple flat-screen TVs, pool tables, a sports ticker and video gaming, a cyber café with charging stations and Internet access, basketball and sand volleyball courts. The development also includes gathering spaces, including a 6,233-square-foot community clubhouse, resort-style lap pool and outdoor grilling and picnic pavilions. “It’s nothing like they had before so the appeal is epic,” Steiner says. “We’re trying to help the soldiers get out of their rooms and eliminate the...

Urban Innovations, an owner/manager of commercial real estate in Chicago, takes a unique viewpoint of their portfolio. The company thinks of the 770,000 square feet of space under their management – most of which is located in Chicago’s River North – as one big building. “We like to focus on geographic synergies where we can use our resources across buildings in ways that keep costs down for ownership and for tenants,” said Mike Scilingo, President. Owned by Howard R. Conant Jr., the company also holds a 3,700 unit portfolio of affordable housing and has a construction division. With office space in Chicago a hot commodity thanks to an influx of small to mid-size tech companies, Urban Innovations, a Yardi client,  continues to look to acquire new space. In the last two years, the company reacquired two buildings on the City’s near West Side that it had sold off in 2005. They haven’t added other properties to their portfolio, mainly because the kind of properties they would like – usually those needing slight improvements — are not available. “Typically, there is some kind of physical redevelopment that needs to happen to improve the property and make it more appealing for tenants (for us to be interested). Those opportunities in River North have been harder to find at the price point we can make work,” Scilingo said. The near West Side is more promising, however, and they are in talks with owners there. Scilingo said that robust occupancy – around 98 percent – and rents that are up as much as 20 percent over the last five years have been indicators that the company’s hands-on management style is effective. Read on for more insight from our interview with Mike Scilingo: You worked at UI from 2000-2009,...