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Rental Housing Journal Metro January 2016

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Rental Housing Journal is the business journal for the Portland Metro area rental housing and multi-family property management industry.
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Circulated to over 6,000 apartment owners, on-site and maintenance personnel monthly. Call 503-221-1260 for more information Advertise in Rental Housing Journal Metro 3. Desire to Buy Strong Despite Affordability, Economic Concern 5. Welcome to 2016!!!! 7. Creating Vision in a Rapidly Changing Industry Published in association with: Multifamily NW; Rental Housing Association of Oregon; IREM & Clark County Association www.rentalhousingjournal.com • Professional Publishing, Inc Rental Housing Journal Metro January 2016 Portland/Vancouver ...continued on page 9 10. How to Take Care of HVAC Systems and Prevent Disease 12. Dear Maintenance Men – Pests & Prevenative Care 14. Change Your Behaviors to Become a More Inspiring Leader in 2016 15. Ask the Secret Shopper – Attracting New Renters 16. 4 Faces of Leadership and the Importance of the Vision Thing ...continued on page 4 ...continued on page 6 Build Community in ree Steps A s an industry, we’re consistently focused on developing a sense of community. A critical budget line item is Resident Events. And yet, partici- pation in our pizza parties, breakfast-on- the-run, Disney movie sing-alongs, or Super Bowl viewing parties are minimal, at best. To make matters worse, when ask- ing residents about their satisfaction with “Sense of Community,” the national aver- age is 3.40 on a 5-point scale. at trans- lates to a “Warning” classification on our rating scale. Ouch! Lately, as we’ve been presenting work- shops and seminars, we poll the audi- ence by asking, “As you think about the upcoming weekend, how many of you are looking forward to hanging out with your neighbors?” e typical response from a room full of around 150 people is 3 or 4 raised hands. Aſter a year of conducting these non-sci- entific experiments, we feel convinced that what we’re seeing in the classrooms is not very different from what you’re see- ing on-site. Yet why are we convinced our residents feel any differently? According to the 2015 SatisFacts Index, when asked why residents weren’t “Very Likely” to renew, “Neighbors” was in the top 5 rea- By Jen Piccotti, SVP Education and Consulting, SatisFacts and ApartmentRatings.com Do-it-Yourself Landlords May be Working Below their Paygrade T he economic conditions of recent years have led many Americans to look to the real estate market for investment opportunities. Considering there are now nine million more renters than there were a decade ago and rental rates continue to increase, now may seem like the time all those property investors have been long awaiting, right? Unfortunately, what many proper- ty investors fail to realize is the high cost and demanding lifestyle that ac- companies their investment if they choose to self-manage as a do-it-yourself (DIY) landlord. Approximately 80 percent of investors who lease single-family residences man- age their property themselves, subse- quently taking on the responsibilities of rent collection, regular property inspec- tions, tenant issues, repairs, maintenance, and occasional legal action. Real Property Management, a national property management franchise, released findings that suggest many DIY landlords may be working below their pay grade, spending too much money and time managing their rental properties, and ul- Delivering a Dynamite Digital Experience: Best Practices for Satisfying the Needs of the Multifamily Wi-Fi Lifestyle By Eric Markow T remendous New Opportunities for Property Owners Many apartment build- ings, housing sub-divisions, and oth- er contained communities have driv- en incremental revenues by creating interesting services for their residents, including newsletters, events, parties, and interest groups. Today’s property owner can take this concept to an entirely new level. By bring- ing high-speed connectivity to the Inter- net into your property you can distribute it to every unit under complete control. Professional Publishing Inc., PO Box 6244 Beaverton, OR 97007 PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Portland, OR Permit #5460
Transcript

Circulated to over 6,000 apartment owners, on-site and maintenance

personnel monthly.

Call 503-221-1260 for more information

Advertise in Rental Housing Journal Metro

3. Desire to Buy Strong Despite A� ordability, Economic Concern

5. Welcome to 2016!!!!

7. Creating Vision in a Rapidly Changing Industry

Published in association with: Multifamily NW; Rental Housing Association of Oregon; IREM & Clark County Association

www.rentalhousingjournal.com • Professional Publishing, Inc

Rental Housing Journal Metro January 2016

Portland/Vancouver

...continued on page 9

10. How to Take Care of HVAC Systems and Prevent Disease

12. Dear Maintenance Men – Pests & Prevenative Care

14. Change Your Behaviors to Become a More Inspiring Leader in 2016

15. Ask the Secret Shopper – Attracting New Renters

16. 4 Faces of Leadership and the Importance of the Vision Thing

...continued on page 4

...continued on page 6

Build Community in Th ree Steps

As an industry, we’re consistently focused on developing a sense of community. A critical budget line

item is Resident Events. And yet, partici-pation in our pizza parties, breakfast-on-the-run, Disney movie sing-alongs, or Super Bowl viewing parties are minimal, at best. To make matters worse, when ask-ing residents about their satisfaction with “Sense of Community,” the national aver-age is 3.40 on a 5-point scale. Th at trans-lates to a “Warning” classifi cation on our rating scale. Ouch!

Lately, as we’ve been presenting work-shops and seminars, we poll the audi-ence by asking, “As you think about the upcoming weekend, how many of you are looking forward to hanging out with your neighbors?”

Th e typical response from a room full of around 150 people is 3 or 4 raised hands. Aft er a year of conducting these non-sci-

entifi c experiments, we feel convinced that what we’re seeing in the classrooms is not very diff erent from what you’re see-ing on-site. Yet why are we convinced our residents feel any diff erently? According

to the 2015 SatisFacts Index, when asked why residents weren’t “Very Likely” to renew, “Neighbors” was in the top 5 rea-

By Jen Piccotti, SVP Education and Consulting, SatisFacts and ApartmentRatings.com

Do-it-Yourself Landlords May be Working Below their Paygrade

The economic conditions of recent years have led many Americans to look to the real estate market for

investment opportunities. Considering there are now nine million more renters than there were a decade ago and rental

rates continue to increase, now may seem like the time all those property investors have been long awaiting, right?

Unfortunately, what many proper-ty investors fail to realize is the high cost and demanding lifestyle that ac-

companies their investment if they choose to self-manage as a do-it-yourself (DIY) landlord.

Approximately 80 percent of investors who lease single-family residences man-age their property themselves, subse-quently taking on the responsibilities of rent collection, regular property inspec-tions, tenant issues, repairs, maintenance, and occasional legal action.

Real Property Management, a national property management franchise, released fi ndings that suggest many DIY landlords may be working below their pay grade, spending too much money and time managing their rental properties, and ul-

Delivering a Dynamite

DigitalExperience:Best Practices for

Satisfying the Needs of theMultifamily

Wi-Fi LifestyleBy Eric Markow

Tremendous New Opportunities for Property Owners

Many apartment build-ings, housing sub-divisions, and oth-er contained communities have driv-en incremental revenues by creating interesting services for their residents, including newsletters, events, parties, and interest groups.

Today’s property owner can take this concept to an entirely new level. By bring-ing high-speed connectivity to the Inter-net into your property you can distribute it to every unit under complete control.

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

PRSRT STDUS Postage

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Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

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Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

Desire to Buy Strong Despite Affordability, Economic Concerns

Although only half of surveyed households believe the economy is currently improving, nearly all

young renters eventually want to buy a home, and a convincing majority still view homeownership as part of their Ameri-can Dream, according to a new quarterly consumer survey released today by the National Association of Realtors®. Addi-tionally, a newly-introduced index track-ing the financial outlook of households found that compared to earlier this year an increasing share believes their person-al financial situation will improve in the months ahead.

NAR’s inaugural quarterly household survey, Housing Opportunities and Mar-ket Experience (HOME), tracks topical real estate trends, including current rent-ers and homeowners’ views and aspira-tions regarding homeownership, wheth-er or not it’s a good time to buy or sell a home, and expectations and experiences in the mortgage market1. New questions may be added to the survey each quar-ter to reflect timely topics impacting real estate.

The HOME survey data reveals that an overwhelming majority of current renters who are 34 years of age or young-er want to own a home in the future (94 percent). Overall, 83 percent of polled renters have a desire to own, and 77 per-cent believe homeownership is part of their American Dream.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says the survey’s findings debunk the no-tion that young adults aren’t interested in buying a home. “Despite entering the workforce during or immediately after the worst of the financial and housing crisis, the desire to become a homeowner appears to be a personal goal for a con-vincing majority of young renters,” he said. “Furthermore, there appears to be sizeable, pent-up demand for buying that currently remains untapped because of a variety of economic and personal reasons impacting many households.”

The top two reasons given by renters for not currently owning was the inability to afford to buy (53 percent) and needing the flexibility of renting rather than own-ing (19 percent). When asked what would likely be the main reason for buying in the future, renters cited lifestyle consid-erations such as getting married, start-ing a family or retiring (33 percent) and an improvement in their financial situa-tion (26 percent).

“A combination of factors such as rising rents and home prices, limited supply, re-paying student debt, and getting married and having children later in life has more to do with the currently underperform-ing share of first-time buyers than the idea that buying a home is not as desirable as it used to be,” adds Yun.

Households lukewarm about the U.S. economy

Among all households (renters and homeowners) in the survey, the results highlight a split between those who agree the U.S. economy is on the right track and those who disagree. Only half of respon-dents believe the economy is current-ly improving, and 44 percent think the economy is actually in a recession.

Renters were only slightly more opti-mistic about current economic condi-tions, with 57 percent believing the econ-omy is improving. Regardless of their confidence in the U.S. economy today, over three-quarters (76 percent) of those who don’t think the economy is improv-ing still want to eventually buy a home.

“The promising stretch of job creation in several parts of the country in recent

years has the housing market in 2015 on track for its best year of sales since the downturn,” says Yun. “However, that only half of surveyed households believe the economy is improving can be at-tributed to the fact that some areas have been slow to recover and wages have yet to grow in a meaningful way for far too many families.”

Adds Yun, “With roughly 26 million more people in the U.S.2 compared to the peak year of home sales in 2005 (7.08 mil-lion), the pace of existing sales would like-ly be more robust if not for the economy’s subpar growth since the downturn and wage gains that have failed to keep pace with rents and home prices.”

...continued on page 8

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Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

sons. And when asked what could be done to improve the community, “Better Resi-dents” ranked in the top ten. Let’s face it, residents are not welcoming each other to the community with goodie baskets and borrowing cups of sugar – the “love” is just not there.

For added confi rmation, we look to our data and an in-depth analysis of surveys from over 1.6 million residents. What we see is that when residents are evalu-ating “Sense of Community,” they’re not expressing their desire to become best friends with their neighbors or even hav-ing more or better events. When residents are evaluating sense of community, they are actually evaluating their relationship with you, the property team. Th ey’re thinking about how connected they feel to those who care for and maintain the com-munity, not the population that makes up the community itself. So, how do we build that connection?

1. Be the Go-To Guy or Gal.Ideally, everyone on staff should have

the ability to provide assistance to any resident, but it’s such a luxury to be able to get in contact with your “go-to” person, A “go-to” already knows your back story, they know what’s already been done or what your particular challenges are. As Lisa Giedd, of Th e Bluff s at Nine Mile Creek (Dominium) shared as a best prac-tice, “If a resident asks for a specifi c team member or the manager, do what you can to connect them with that team member. Even if someone else was able to answer the question or resolve the issue, the resi-dent will mostly remember that the team member or manager was not available to them.”

2. Expect the BestOne of the best pieces of advice I ever

received from a supervisor was, “Go into the meeting expecting that it will go well. 9 times out of 10, it will.” It’s a self-fulfi ll-ing prophecy. If you expect that a resident meeting or call is going to be a disaster, it probably will be. But if you anticipate your own ability to provide a good resolu-tion and that the resident will walk away feeling good, then most likely that will be the outcome. Relationships with resi-dents, like all other relationships, are built on communication and shared experienc-es, which can lead to trust. Give them rea-sons to love you, believe in your ability to work well with them, and enjoy the result.

3. Dress to ImpressResidents want to be proud to show off

their home to friends and family. Now, more than ever, the appearance and con-dition of common areas is being evalu-

ated when a person chooses to rent or to renew. Be obsessive about neatness and ti-diness. Ensure walkways are swept, trash cans are emptied, cobwebs are brushed away, and bare dirt is attended to. Your community doesn’t need to be brand new to look well kept. Th e same goes for you and your entire team. You’re part of the scenery, so take pride in how you present yourself. Clothing should be clean and pressed. Your hair and nails should be neatly groomed. Are your residents excit-ed to walk their guests around the com-munity? Are they excited to introduce them to you (or do they steer them away)?

Th e point of this article is not to get you to scrap your event calendars or do away with contests and opportunities to celebrate what makes your community a great place to live. However, instead of planning events strictly to connect resi-dents to each other, plan events with the

goal of the team connecting with the resi-dents. Require team participation, and set a goal of getting to know at least 5 resi-dents you haven’t spoken with before.

Residents don’t “just” leave apartments. Th ey most oft en leave people. Because our business is built on relationships, our ability to build those relationships is going to determine the big winners and the colossal losers in our industry. “Sense of Community” = “Sense of Connection with the Staff .” Build your relationships one resident at a time and you’ll suddenly fi nd you’ve built a thriving community!

About the author: Jen heads up client support for SatisFacts and Apartmen-tRatings.com, by developing dynamic, practical and eff ective educational pro-grams and resources, conducting resi-dent feedback analysis, directing custom-er experience re-design, and providing digital strategy coaching. Jen has over two decades of customer loyalty and process effi ciency experience. A not-ed author, keynote speaker and highly followed blogger in the multifamily in-dustry, Jen has spoken at such events as the NAA Education Conference, NAA Education Institute (NAAEI), AIM: Apartment Internet Marketing, and the Multifamily Social Media Summit.Contact Jen at [email protected]

Building Community ...continued from page 1

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5Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

John Sage,RHA Oregon President

10520 NE Weidler, Portland, OR 97220(503) 254-4723 • Fax (503) 254-4821

[email protected] • www.rhaoregon.org

President: John Sage • President Elect: Ron Garcia | Past President: Elizabeth CarpenterSecretary: Lynne Whitney | Treasurer: Elaine Elsea | Offi ce Manager: Cari Pierce

Welcome to 2016!!!!

I hope that each and every one of you has a Happy New Year!!! RHA Oregon had a wonderful, exciting and busy

2015. Way back in January of last year, I fi rst took offi ce as President of this amaz-ing organization. Th ankfully, I am blessed to have board members who are dedicated to serving RHA Oregon, and knowledge-able with many diff erent skill sets to draw upon when needed. As the year progressed we found the need to tap into quite a lot of those diff erent skills. Running your own business you know the many diff erent hats that you have to put on, on a daily basis. So you can image the variety of skills that are required to run an organization like this. “Hats Off ” to our board members for everything that they did this last year to make it a wonderful experience. Also, I would like to say “Th anks “to our mem-bers for their support and commitment to being involved in their communities and providing quality aff ordable housing. Our members came out and supported our “Starry Night” event in July of this year, raising enough money to sponsor getting another homeless family off of the streets. RHA Oregon partners with JOIN for this event and we serve lunch at JOIN’s loca-tion on 81St Avenue once a month. Our Annual PICNIC at Oaks Park was a suc-cess and had the largest attendance that we have had in sometime. Alita Dough-erty was the chair for this event and will be chairing the event in 2016. Great job Alita,

we are all looking forward to this year’s picnic. We also had a great time with good food and conversation at our Christmas party in December. We installed our new Offi cers and directors for this year’s board.

Much of our time in the last year has been spent keeping up with changes that the City of Portland has been making in their eff ort to increase rental housing. So what is happening this coming year? 2015 was an interesting year for property own-ers in Oregon and 2016 is starting out to be just as interesting. With the upcoming Legislative “Short” session starting in February, things will probably get even more interesting. Th ere will be bills in-troduced for minimum wage, inclusion-ary zoning, and changes to notices. What

other changes may be coming? We will just have to keep our eye and ears open to fi nd out. As always our lobbyist Cindy Robert is working to keep us abreast of any legislation that could aff ect our busi-nesses. Board members Phil Owen, Jim Herman, and Jerad Goughnour also at-tend various committee meetings during the month and keep us informed. Be sure to check your emails and our website for information concerning any upcoming changes or meetings. Always remem-ber that a democracy depends on an in-formed and motivated public. We all need to be involved.

Well, I didn’t want this fi rst message of the New Year to be a call to action or a discourse on politics. Our industry is

seeing some challenges and changes. We have to be ready to get involved and make our voices heard or we can sit back and let things wash over us and then pick up the pieces and move on. I choose to get involved and help to shape the decisions being made in City Halls across the state and in Salem. It isn’t easy!! We have fam-ilies, businesses to run, properties to take care of and a myriad of other things de-manding our time. I urge you to fi nd a way to get involved. Whether it is being a part of a committee at RHA Oregon, do-nating money to support a worthy cause, fi nd something that gets you involved and do it.

Th ank you from the bottom of my heart for the honor of being President of RHA Oregon for the last year. It has been a lot of work and it was time well spent!! I am looking forward to the rewards and chal-lenges that the coming year will bring. To each and every one of you a safe, happy and wonderful New Year!!

Sincerely, John SagePresident RHA OregonStegmann Insurance Agency Inc.

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Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

timately receiving minimal return-on-in-vestment (ROI). Th e fi ndings are from the company’s online Landlord Calculator, a resource that allows landlords to input how much time they’re spending on each aspect of property management, in com-parison to overall income money spent.

For example, Real Property Manage-ment research indicates that the typical DIY landlord earns an average annual income of $100,000. Assuming a 2,000 hour work year (50 weeks times 40 hours per week), the value of their time is $50 per hour. According to other research by the company, an average DIY landlord spends 49 hours per year for leasing and managing. With this time commitment, the value of the landlord’s time per rental is $2,450*.

Th e cost of professional property man-agement is signifi cantly less. Although property management fees vary across the country, a professional property man-ager typically charges 50 percent of one month’s rent for leasing a vacancy, and 10 percent per month for managing the property. For a $1,000 per month rent-al property, the cost would be $500 for leasing plus $1,200 per year for property management fee, totaling $1,700. Th is

cost does not take into account the fact that property management fees are tax deductible, so the actual out-of-pocket expense is less.

Do-it-yourself landlords can avoid the cost, hassle and liability associated with managing a property by outsourcing the responsibilities and pain points associat-ed with property management to a pro-fessional property manager.

Property management professionals have the resources and knowledge to per-form thorough background checks on prospective tenants, document move-in and move-out condition of a rental, and they understand the Fair Housing Act and other landlord-tenant laws – all jobs in which costs can signifi cantly add up.

Th e Real Property Management re-search found that less than one third of self-managing landlords spend adequate time on every step of the leasing process, and skimp on things like credit history, criminal background checks and move-in documents. Many do not conduct criminal background checks or contact previous landlords for references, which increases the risk of renting to an unqual-ifi ed tenant. Some also fail to conduct a true competitive analysis of competitive

rental rates, creating risk of over-pricing a rental and losing income because of long vacancy periods, or underpricing the property which reduces long-term reve-nue from the property.

Other shortcuts frequently taken by DIY landlords include responsible rent collection and in-property inspections. Th is hurts cash fl ow, increases the risk of lost rental income and eviction, and al-lows tenants to fl y under the radar with lease violations like unauthorized ten-ants, pets, or damage to the property.

Whether it’s a carefully considered in-vestment or an ‘accidental landlord,’ not all DIY landlords realize the signifi cant cost and demanding lifestyle required as a property owner. Th e monetary costs may be easy to calculate, but what about the value of the hours and days spent on other management tasks? A professional property manager typically saves money for the investor, and can sometimes be the very lifeblood for success and profi t as a property owner.

*The amount of time can be signifi cantly higher for older homes with more main-

tenance needs, or properties that require updating before leasing.

Authored by: Robert Pifke, Chief Marketing Offi cer for Property Management Business Solutions, LLC, the franchiser of Real Property Management. About Real Property Management Real Property Management is a franchise organi-zation owned by Property Management Business Solutions, LLC, a privately held corporation based in Utah. With over 25 years of industry exper-tise, Real Property Management offi ces provide full-service residential property management for thousands of investors and rental home owners from more than 260 independently owned and operated locations throughout the United States and Canada.

DIY Landlords ...continued from page 1

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Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

16083 SW Upper Boones Ferry Rd, Suite 105, Tigard, OR 97224503-213-1281 | Fax 503-213-1288 | www.multifamilynw.org

Creating Vision in a Rapidly Changing Industry

We enter 2016 in a rapidly chang-ing industry. The multifamily industry in the Northwest is

extremely active with new housing starts, ownership transitions and redevelopment. We are also a breath away from several re-actionary but expected legislative changes. As an industry, it is important to proac-tively position ourselves to make the best of opportunities and challenges. During my 23 years in this industry I have not wit-nessed a housing cycle or trend that has started to change the multifamily land-scape so rapidly. We cannot solely rely on the methods we have previously used to create successful outcomes. We will be well served to be strategic, proactive and thoughtful as our marketplace is now part of the larger, national housing arena. We also need to act quickly to stay on top of proposed legislative changes that threaten the balance of good public policy includ-ing issues related to housing supply and

rent control. We also should recognize that good public policy is not made in a day, a week or even a month. We have clarity of the issues and we now have the opportunity to develop a working plan to cultivate our strategies and deliver contin-ued industry success.

I’m honored to serve as your President in 2016. We are well equipped to move forward amidst a rapidly changing indus-try. We have strong Association Coun-cils, Staff, Board and Executive Council. I want to also thank our immediate Past President, Scott Arena for his leadership over the last 12 months. Scott demon-strated proactive leadership, successful-ly addressing complicated and nuanced issues. We should take confidence that our association is strong and robust. We could easily argue we have never been stronger however without further strate-gic direction we will not be equipped to successfully serve a rapidly changing in-dustry moving forward.

It is not time to rest or sit back and at-tempt to reap the benefits of our past suc-cess. Now is the time to focus on strong and thoughtful strategy. I look forward to applying my years of leadership ex-perience in structuring legislative and strategic initiatives. Now is the perfect opportunity to strive for balanced public policy and strong continued service to our membership and community. We are

in a great position to capitalize on these opportunities if we are thoughtful in our actions that promote long term suc-cess. Multifamily NW has a purpose. We have a mission. We are “The Association Promoting Quality Rental Housing”. It speaks to who we are and what we do. We need to be strong, cooperative and strate-gic in how we proactively design and mold

our path forward in a quickly changing environment. Association Leadership will quickly work to develop our strate-gic vision for 2016 and forward. I’m very confident in this process. Together we will continue to bring success to our as-sociation, our industry and the thousands of community members we serve.

Dave BachmanPresident of Cascade Management

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Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

Desire to Buy Strong Despite ...continued from page 3

Homeownership remains good fi nancial decision, part of American Dream

Despite uncertainty about the econ-omy’s current performance, at least 84 percent of all households within all sur-veyed age groups and education levels be-lieve owning a home is a good fi nancial decision. When asked if they believe this strongly or moderately, 76 percent who believe it’s a good decision feel strongly about it.

Additionally, at least 85 percent of sur-veyed households in each age category as well as across all education levels believe homeownership is part of their personal American Dream. Th e most appealing aspects of homeownership cited by those

with this feeling include a place to raise a family (36 percent), owning their own place (26 percent) and a nest egg for re-tirement (14 percent).

Good time to buy, but skeptical about ability to obtain a mortgage

NAR’s survey found that more home-owners (82 percent) than renters (68 per-cent) during the polling period believe that it’s a good time to buy a home. Fur-thermore, of those who thought it was a good time to buy, 64 percent felt strongly about buying. Among current owners, 61 percent believe it is a good time to sell a home, of which 53 percent felt strongly that it was a good time to sell.

According to the survey, roughly two-thirds (65 percent) think it would be

very or somewhat diffi cult to obtain a mortgage. Furthermore, there are dif-ferences among income brackets. Rent-er households making between $30,000 and $40,000 were the most likely to be declined a mortgage (10 percent), while 51 percent of those who make more than $50,000 a year have not tried but feel con-fi dent they would succeed in getting a mortgage. Overall, fi ve percent of renters have recently tried and failed to obtain fi -nancing for a home.

By nearly double the amount of oth-er responses, the most common reason homeowners purchased a home was for lifestyle changes such as getting married, starting a family or retiring (35 percent). Eighteen percent said the desire to settle down in one location infl uenced their

decision to buy, and 15 percent cited an improvement in their fi nancial situation.

Direction of home prices, fi nancial outlook on the rise

Refl ecting the ongoing recovery of home values throughout most of the country, 89 percent of respondents said home prices in their communities have either risen or stayed the same in the past year. Looking ahead toward the next six months, 91 percent of respondents believe home prices in their community will in-crease or stay the same.

Th e HOME survey also calculates a monthly Personal Financial Outlook In-dex3 measured by household type, age, in-come and type of location. Since tracking began in March, the index representing all households has slowly trended upward to its highest current reading in Decem-ber – refl ecting stronger confi dence that respondents’ fi nancial situation will be better in six months. Currently, renters, younger households and those living in urban areas are more optimistic about their future fi nancial situation.

“Young adults, who make up the major-ity of all renter households, are typically more optimistic about their future,” adds Yun. “As more of them settle down and begin plans to start a family, the allure of owning their own home as well as the long-term fi nancial stability homeowner-ship provides will drive their emergence into the housing market. However, the ex-tent to how fast this occurs will greatly de-pend on more entry-level housing supply coming onto the market and needed im-provements in aff ordability conditions.”

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Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

Dynamic Digital Experience ...continued from page 1

Contracting with the right provider you deliver a complete service throughout the entire community.

How do you identify the right provider? When you interview them, they’ll recom-mend the following best practices.

“Transparent Access”With the exception of some younger

millennials who were raised with infor-mation technology as a major part of their lives, most users want to enjoy the benefi ts of wi-fi internet access without having to think about the technology that delivers it. Keeping the technology invisible starts with making the initial connection to the service “push-button” easy. Th e right provider will off er step-by-step pictorial-ly illustrated instructions for connecting various devices to the service, and may off er a premium “welcome” service in which someone does all the connecting for the renter.

From that point forward the user should seldom if ever need to reconnect.

You may also be able to look to your provider to include a “front-end” website that your renters encounter fi rst whenever they log in to their device. Th is “portal” can be set up to make a host of excellent services available to your renter, including services you provide yourself. Th ese ser-vices are not limited to the internet. You may want to make it easy for your renters to request various physical plant services or community activity services from you.

Comprehensive Security & PrivacyTh e privacy of personal information in-

cluding online banking, personal health information and more is becoming a “front-of-mind” issue with everyone. When you’re speaking to the “right pro-

vider” you’ll hear plenty about how they protect users from viruses, spam, mal-ware, hacking, and all the other internet threats out there. Parental controls over website access is another paramount issue you can expect to hear about.

Be sure to ask about the interactivity of security services. Oft en, the renter’s specifi c bank or other internet resources may require some “custom-tuning” to the fi rewall and other security services in or-der to perform properly. Th is should be as easy as calling in to the support team.

Easy-Access Technical SupportSpeaking of the support team, remem-

ber that you’re providing your renters with a comprehensive service that you can be proud of. If they run into a prob-lem and have a hard time solving it, all the time they spent enjoying good service will suddenly be forgotten. Th e respon-siveness and ease of access to the provid-

er’s support team make all the diff erence. Th is may be a technical service, but it’s being used by people, so the people they interact with when something is wrong need to be top drawer, easy to reach, and easy to work with.

User Counseling & AdviceSupport should be as proactive as it is

reactive. Beyond responding to requests for restoration of services, the support team should also be available to advise your renters about adding new devices, products, or services to their wi-fi net-work. Smart Home automation is becom-ing very popular, with more and more users being able to switch lights on and off , lock and unlock their doors, control their thermostats and much more from their smartphones wherever they may be. Home Th eater systems are replacing long wires strung around the home with wi-fi -connected speakers. Refrigerators

and other appliances are using wi-fi to serve customers better. Your provider’s support team should be able to help your renters get the most out of these emerging new digital lifestyle enhancements.

Future-Proofi ngIt is a sure bet that technology will

keep on improving, and you won’t ever want your renters complaining that your wi-fi service is antiquated and out-of-date. Smart providers are assuring that it is easy and inexpensive to update your equipment and your wi-fi internet access services to keep step with the times.

Th e availability of a comprehensive built-in wi-fi capability in your units will be a huge diff erentiator for your proper-ties for a long time to come, especially if you make the right choices, implement the right technologies and services work-ing the with right partners.

Eric Markow is Chief Technology Offi cer 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, re-liable 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 profi ts, increase resident satisfaction and reten-tion, and increase property value. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Dual Path off ers proper-ty-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.

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Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

How to Take Care of HVAC Systems and Prevent Disease

By Cliff Hockley, President , Bluestone & Hockley Real Estate Services

General Classification of Faults % Total Service CostsCompressor 24%

Controls Error 10%Condenser 9%

Electrical Problem 7%Evaporator 6%

New Installation 6%Air Handling 5%

Refrigerant Leak 5%Installation/Startup 4%Cooling Water Loop 4%

Fan Belt 2%Others 18%

Table 2: Classification of fault types by total cost.

Ensuring proper function of your HVAC unit also prevents health complications related to mold and allergies. The most serious ailment associated with poorly main-tained commercial HVAC units is the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease.

Legionnaire’s disease is a pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria. The bacteria lives in water, (especially standing warm water keyed off by rising temperatures in the summer months,) and is carried by steam and mist. The bacteria has been detected in drinking water systems and tubs, cooling towers and in standing water that is aerosol-ized and ends up circulating in building air conditioning systems. Legionnaires ‘dis-ease bacteria rarely will cause problems unless water contaminated with the bacteria enters the HVAC system. Well-maintained HVAC systems and air conditioning units without humidifiers are unlikely to harbor the Legionnaire bacteria.

How to maintain HVAC systemsThe American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers

(ASHRAE) offers the definitive guide to HVAC maintenance, ASHRAE Standard180

Why do HVAC systems need regular maintenance? Owners of commercial buildings sometimes overlook the maintenance

of their HVAC (Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning) systems. I re-cently had a meeting with clients who own a 20,000 square foot building where they had installed a new HVAC system at the cost of $100,000. Because it was new they thought did not need a preventive maintenance plan. I explained how this perception would not only put their $100,000 investment at risk, it would also endanger the health of their tenants.

HVAC units have many reasons for failing. The following charts published in a No-vember 2000 ASHREA Journal article, Smart Maintenance for Rooftop Units, indi-cates the main reasons for unit failures. Most of these failures are preventable with proper maintenance.

Causes for ‘No Air-Conditioning’ Service Call % Total Occurrences

Controls Error 21%Electrical Problem 20%Refrigerant Leak 12%

Condenser 7%Air Handling 7%

Evaporator 6%Compressor 5%

Cooling Water Loop 4%Plugged Filters 2%Personnel Error 2%

Expansion Device 2%Can’t Classify 12%

Table 1: Classification of ‘no-air conditioning’ cases.

...continued on page 18

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11

Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

12

Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

Dear Maintenance Men:

How do I get rid of mice or rats? I have found droppings in the house and I’m not happy and I need a solution.

Annie

Dear Annie:

Please come down off that chair! We have written about dealing with mice and rat issues in the past and below is what we recommend if you want to get rid of the rodents yourself. Keep in mind that rats and mice are smart & conservative. Th ey are not risk takers. In the rat or mouse’s mind, a trap out in the middle of the fl oor is too risky to investigate. Rodents will run along walls, raft ers and other low ex-posure areas. Put the traps along these routes about ten feet apart. A good bait to use is peanut butter. Patience is king when trying to trap a rat. Place all your baited traps, but DO NOT set them for a day or two. Let the rat nibble at the bait danger free. Th is last part is the hardest to do. However, patience will win out. If you rush ahead and set the traps and the rat triggers one and is not caught; he will remember! Also, avoid using traps designed for mice; it will only annoy the rat and he will be smarter for it. Th e same goes for using rat traps to catch mice. Th e trap is too big and when sprung may miss the mouse.

Using poison is another option. An-ticoagulant poison is very popular. Th is poison causes the rat’s blood to thin. It

DEAR MAINTENANCE MENPESTS & PREVENTATIVE CARE

By Jerry L’Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez

will make him thirsty and when he drinks water, he will bleed internally. When us-ing this option, be sure to leave a saucer of water near the poison. Th e poison nor-mally comes in bars that can be broken up into pieces. Remember rodents hoard, so just because the poison is gone, does not mean they ate it. Put more until they stop taking it. Th e local hardware store should carry this product, but it is best to go to a farm supply store. Th ey will have the best quality supply. Be careful with placement, so other animals do not eat this poison. Th e hardware store or farm supply store carry approved bait dispens-ers designed for rats or mice. Again, pa-tience is rewarded. Before using poison bait, use crunchy peanut butter to let the rats get used to the bait station for a few days. Th en add the poison bait with a little bit of peanut butter.

Glue traps are also a viable option. It is important to use large rat sized traps. Put the glue trap along a known rat run-way, or along a ledge or raft er used by the rodents. It is important to nail or fasten the glue trap in place. Place a bit of pea-nut butter in the middle of the trap as an attractant. Happy hunting!

Dear Maintenance Men:

I doing some long term preventive maintenance with my building’s individ-ual 30-40 gallon water heaters. Each unit has a water heater and I’m not sure of the

age or condition of each unit. How long do most heaters last and what are some signs of imminent failure?

Bryan

Dear Bryan:

Th e chances of a number of heaters fail-ing all at once are very slim. Th e cost of replacement can be spread a over period of time. Th e average life span of a typical 30 or 40-gallon water-heater is about 10 to 12 years, some may last much longer de-pending on use. A sign the end may be near is: banging noises coming from the heater, short hot water supply and long heater cycle times producing lukewarm water. At this point you should start pric-ing a new heater. However, if you fi nd water pooling at the base of the heater … replace it immediately, it has FAILED!!

Dear Maintenance Men:

One of my maintenance chores I do is caulking and sealing shower/tub fi xture fl anges and shower walls. My problem is getting the caulking to dry before a resi-dent uses the shower. Any Suggestions?

David

Dear David:

A lot of people will say: “Just tell the res-ident not to use the shower till the caulk-ing is dry”. Well it doesn’t work and by the time you are driving away from the building, your resident is already taking a shower and your fresh caulking is wash-ing down the drain. Your caulk should

cure at least 24 hours before use. Wa-ter based latex caulking is easy to use, but very susceptible to water until it is cured. Try using a silicone or polyurethane based caulking for doing tubs, showers, toilets, sinks or other wet locations. It tends to set quickly and will repel water during its cure time.

Another solution we have found works well with very busy showers is to remove all the fi xtures, including the showerhead & arm, valve handles and tub spout, be-fore caulking. (A bit extreme, but eff ec-tive) We then plug the showerhead and tub spout with a capped pipe. Th en caulk the tub/shower. We come back 24 hours later and reinstall all the fi xtures.

One more thought; if you have sliding shower doors for your tub, check the bot-tom track. If it is loose, do not caulk until the track is removed, cleaned and dried. Reinstall the track with new adhesive caulk to hold it down and caulk the edges to keep the water out.

Please call: Buff alo Maintenance, Inc for mainte-nance work or consultation. JLE Property Management, Inc for management service or consultationFrankie Alvarez at 714 956-8371 Jerry L’Ecuyer at 714 778-0480 CA contractor lic: #797645, EPA Real Estate lic. #: 01460075Certifi ed Renovation Company www.Buff aloMaintenance.comwww.ContactJLE.com www.Facebook.com/Buff aloMaintenance

MARCH 31, 2016 - EVENT SCHEDULE

TIME LOCATION TITLE/TOPIC TIME LOCATION TITLE/TOPIC

8:30-9:30AM PORTLAND BALLROOM 251 & 258

Keynote Presentation: 1:05-1:35PM ROOM D133 ROOM D135 ROOM D136

Appliances: Dryer Do You Want Free Money? - Rebates Communication

9:45-10:15AM

ROOM D133 ROOM D135 ROOM D136

Appliances: Washer Do You Want Free Money? - Energy Rebates Containment (English/Spanish)

1-2PM ROOM D139-140

What You Say Matters (Fair Housing - Spanish)

10-10:30AM ROOM D137 ROOM D138

Water Heater (Spanish) Plumbing: Troubleshooting

1:20-1:50PM ROOM D137 ROOM D138

Preventative Maintenance: Tracking & Notations Emergency Preparedness

10-11AM ROOM D139-140

What You Say Matters (Fair Housing) 1:40-2:05PM ROOM D133 ROOM D135 ROOM D136

Appliances: Refrigerator General Landscaping Basic Electrical Troubleshooting

10:20-10:50AM

ROOM D133 ROOM D135 ROOM D136

Appliances: Dryer Electrical Safety & Equipment Communication

1:55-2:20PM ROOM D137 ROOM D138

Tech for Maintenance: Apps Plumbing (Spanish)

10:35-11:05AM

ROOM D137 ROOM D138

General Landscaping Plumbing (Spanish)

2:10-2:40PM ROOM D133 ROOM D135 ROOM D136

Water Heater: Troubleshooting Mold: The Warning Signs TBA

10:50-11:20AM

ROOM D133 ROOM D135 ROOM D136

Appliances: Refrigerator Preventative Maintenance: Tracking & Notations Emergency Preparedness

2:15-3:15PM ROOM D139-140

What You Say Matters (Fair Housing)

11AM-12:30PM

HALL D Lunch 2:25-2:50PM ROOM D137 ROOM D138

TBA TBA

11:45AM-12:45PM

HALL D Maintenance Mania Events 2:35-3:05PM ROOM D133 ROOM D135 ROOM D136

TBA Mold: The Warning Signs TBA

12:30-1PM ROOM D133 ROOM D135 ROOM D136

Appliances: Washer Containment (English/Spanish) Water Heater: Troubleshooting

2:55-3:20PM ROOM D137 ROOM D138

TBA TBA

12:45-1:15PM ROOM D137 ROOM D138

Electrical (Spanish) Plumbing: Troubleshooting

3:30PM HALL D Maintenance Mania Car Race Raffle Prize Giveaway

Ready to register? Fill out the form on the back or visit MultifamilyNW.org.

Featuring:Featuring: Featuring:Maintenance Mania®

Featuring:Featuring:Maintenance Mania®Maintenance Mania®Maintenance Mania®Maintenance Mania® Maintenance Mania®

In order to give you more educational options, the Maintenance Fair education schedule has been revamped! With the exception of Fair Housing classes, all sessions will be 30 minutes long an encompass a variety of important Maintenance Topics.

Attendees are encouraged to choose 3 to 5 classes from the list and spend some time visiting the vendor booths that will be open all day. Keep in mind that many of the classes are being offered more than once so that you can customize your schedule as you like.

PublisherWill Johnson – [email protected]

Designer/EditorKristin Flores – [email protected]

Advertising SalesWill Johnson – [email protected]

Terry Hokenson – [email protected] Surratt – [email protected]

Rental Housing Journal Metro is a monthly publication published by Professional Publishing Inc., publishers of Real Estate Opportunities in

Investing & Real Estate Investor Quarterly

w w w . r e n t a l h o u s i n g j o u r n a l . c o m

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.

13Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

Form of the MonthOregon Rental Agreement

– Single Family, Condo, Multi-plex M201

Th e rental agreement has been updated for all of the le-gal changes for 2016! Make sure to execute your new tenancies with rental agreements and ad-dendums that have been updat-ed for the new law changes that took eff ect on January 1, 2016. Log on to multifamilynw.org for more information!

16083 SW Upper Boones Ferry Rd, Suite 105, Tigard, OR 97224503-213-1281 | Fax 503-213-1288 | www.multifamilynw.org

Upcoming Events with Multifamily NW

1/7/2016 New Hire Class1/8/2016 It’s the Law – Changing Times: Th e 2015 Amendments to

the ORLTA1/13/2016 CAM: Legal Responsibilities1/19/2016 Mold Awareness1/25/2016 EPA Lead-Based Lunch & Learn: Multiple-Unit Limited Tax

Exemption (MULTE)1/27/2016 CAM: Risk Management1/27/2016 January Luncheon – Forms Update: 2016 Law Changes1/28/2016 2nd Annual Fair Housing Fair

2/1/2016 Oregon Landlord Tenant Law Part 12/1/2016 Strengthening Front Line Skills for Maintenance2/2/2016 CAMT: Electrical Part I & II2/9/2016 Maintanence Tips, Tricks & Pitfalls

2/12/2016 It’s the Law – Fluid Events: Dealing with Water Intrusion Issues2/16/2016 CAS: Supplier Success

Rental Housing Journal Metro · December 2015

Robinson Financial Group Colonial Life

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14

Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

...continued on page 19

Change Your

In 2016

Habits can be a trap for people in leadership positions – whether they are in business, politics or

another fi eld.As leaders, they should provide a com-

pelling vision that inspires those around them. Instead, many of them lapse into automatic and mindless thinking. And that can aff ect every decision they make – and the actions of the people who report to them.

“Too oft en, we don’t come up with imaginative solutions because we let our-selves be ruled by routine and by precon-ceived notions,” says Rob-Jan de Jong, a behavioral strategist and author of “An-ticipate: Th e Art of Leading By Looking Ahead” (www.robjandejong.com).

“We think we know ahead of time what will and won’t work, which makes us quick to dismiss ideas that sound too ‘out there.’ Th e people who answer to you learn the lesson that creative thinking is frowned upon, even if that’s not the lesson you wanted to teach.”

Simply making a New Year’s resolution to have a more open mind in 2016 likely won’t be enough to turn things around. But de Jong says there are behaviors and

practices that, through repetition and perseverance, can help leaders and any-one else develop a mindset that’s open to imaginative and better ideas.

Formulate powerful questions.Generating ideas starts with asking the

right questions and the best questions are thought-provoking. Th ey challenge underlying assumptions and invite cre-ativity. “Th ey also give us energy, making us aware of the fact there is something to explore that we hadn’t fully grasped be-fore,” de Jong says. Train yourself to catch poorly designed questions, asked by you or someone else, and reformulate them. Questions that begin with “why,” “what” and “how” are best because they require more thoughtful responses than those that begin with “who,” “when,” “where” and “which.” Especially avoid questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no.”

Expand your sphere of infl uence.“We are strongly infl uenced, for better

or worse, by the small group of people we have direct contact with,” de Jong says. “Since we tend to hang out with people

Behaviors to Become a More Inspiring Leader

Behavioral Strategist O� ers 4 Tips For Broadening Your Mind

And Your Leadership Skills

Designed by Rosapeig - Freepik.com

15

Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

SK THE SECRET SHOPPERAttracting New Renters

All apartment communities use var-ious means to attract new renters. Many forms of advertising have

minimal costs in dollars, (i.e. online ads, signs, banners, word of mouth referrals, etc.). Yet the time and money it takes to create and design some of these ads AND make sure they are well placed to capture attention, is worth tracking the results! Having a reliable method of document-ing all online, phone, and walk in traffi c is critical to determining the eff ectiveness of each form of advertising. Here is a valid owner concern:

QOur communities used to get a ton of

drive by traffi c and resident referrals. However, over the past few years, I’ve noticed more and more traffi c is being logged as “internet” or “online ad,” with no further explanation. When I question the on site staff s, they tell me they are just noting the ad source from the e-mails or calls they get when prospective residents say they found them “on the internet” or “online.” Th ey aren’t directly asking peo-ple how they found out about their build-ing any more. Th is makes me wonder if prospective renters really learned about the community “on the internet,” or if they just used an online resource to ob-

tain more information aft er they saw the building driving by or heard about it from a friend.

AYou have some very valid concerns

about what has happened to your oth-er forms of advertising. Did these other sources just stop producing traffi c or are these sources not being “uncovered” by your leasing staff s? It will take more ef-fort and some careful qualifying to deter-mine the “primary” advertising source,

which is the way each prospect initially learns about your community. (i.e. res-ident/merchant referral, signs/banners, fl yer, etc.) Th e only way to fi nd out how is DIRECTLY ask them! For example: “I no-ticed you referred to our website in your email. Is that how you fi rst heard about us?” OR “I see you checked the box “drive by” as the way you found us, but I couldn’t help but notice you pulled up our month-ly special on your phone from our craig-slist ad. Did you learn about us fi rst from driving by and then look for us online?”

Using multiple sources of advertising in today’s competitive market isn’t just a good idea, it’s a necessity. Prospective renters must be given the opportunity to see your community advertised in print, on the internet and through the use of signs/banners, etc. However, it’s import-ant to note which marketing source ini-tially sparked their interest and motivat-ed them to make contact. – You will need ALL the facts in order to make informed decisions about your future advertising needs. Of course some of the money you save from budgeting advertising dollars wisely could be spent on an incentive to reward those employees who are commit-ted to carefully qualifying ALL their pro-spective renters…

If you are interested in leasing training or have a question or concern you would like to see addressed, please reach out to me via e-mail. Otherwise, please con-tact Jancyn for your employee evaluation needs: www.jancyn.com

ASK THE SECRET SHOPPER Provided by: Joyce (Kirby) Bica Former owner of Shoptalk Service Evaluations Consultant to Jancyn Evaluation ShopsE-mail: [email protected] © Joyce (Kirby) Bica

William MaxwellAssociate

National Multi Housing Group(503) 200-2063

[email protected]

Offices Throughout the U.S. and Canada www.MarcusMillichap.com

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16

Rental Housing Journal Metro

Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

4 Faces of Leadership and theImportance of the Vision Th ing

Whether it’s a presidential candi-date, a corporate executive or an NFL coach, people admire

a leader with vision.Th ey like someone with a clear idea of

where he or she is headed, and who knows how to motivate others to accomplish the goal.

But as much as people might like to say someone is a “born visionary,” in truth, vision is something we develop, not something we arrive in the world with, says Rob-Jan de Jong, a behavioral strate-gist and author of “Anticipate: Th e Art of Leading By Looking Ahead” (www.robja-ndejong.com).

“One thing that visionaries have in common is that they have an ability to notice things early,” de Jong says. “Th ey recognize some sort of signifi cant change is happening and they make use of the op-portunities it presents.”

Just identifying that a major change is afoot isn’t enough, though, he says. Th e visionary needs to connect the dots into a coherent picture that takes into account future developments.

“Th at’s easier said than done, but it’s an ability leaders can develop if they are will-ing to work on it,” de Jong says.

Growing a leader’s visionary side there-fore boils down to sharpening both the ability to notice things early and the ability to create coherence. In combina-tion, the abilities suggest four archetypes of leaders.

The Follower.Th is is someone who is neither good at

noticing things early, nor skilled at creat-ing and communicating a coherent story from insights about what the future might bring. Th e follower may be an excellent

manager, but don’t expect this person to inspire others or drive innovation.

“Being a follower isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” de Jong says. “Th ese people are of-ten careful about their decisions and good at critical thinking, and in the short term that can work well. But their preoccupa-tion with today keeps them from antici-pating what comes next.”

The Trend Hopper.On the upside, a trend hopper has a

well-developed ability to see things early and is willing to embrace changing re-alities. Th ese are people who are quick to adopt new technology and among the fi rst to fantasize about how things can be diff erent – even radically diff erent– real soon, de Jong says.

On the downside, trend hoppers aren’t adept at turning their early insights into a coherent story that justifi es an active strategic pursuit. Aft er seeing them chase several fl avor-of-the-month ideas, other people start to tune them out.

The Historian.Th ese leaders are adept at connecting

the dots and spinning a story that makes sense. Th ey cite patterns, facts and fi gures and make everything that’s happened so far look coherent and intentional. “When you listen to them, it all makes sense,” de Jong says. “But they have their eyes trained on the factually true past, not the imaginative uncertain future.”

Certainly, it’s valuable to have some his-torical perspective, he says, but you can’t let history cripple your ability to engage the future. Historians also oft en are cyn-

Behavioral Strategist Explains How Any Leader Can Responsibly Boost Their Visionary Side

...continued on page 19

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How to Take Care of HVAC Systems ...continued from page 10

– Th e standard practice for inspection and maintenance of commercial building HVAC systems. Key points include: • Fixing cabinet air leaks.• Cleaning and adjusting dampers on an

annual basis.• Inspecting the fan, bearings and

belts twice a year and replacing them as necessary.

• Cleaning the air ducts every two years to prevent the buildup of dirt, micro-or-ganisms and mold.

The most essential steps one could take to prevent disease include changing fi lters frequently, prevent-ing pooling water and cleaning the evaporator and condenser coils.

Change fi lters frequently. Pleated fi l-ters are the fi rst line of defense against air-borne irritants. Th ey are the item in the HVAC units that keep the air clean. Th eir effi ciency is measured by a MERV rating. Th e higher the MERV rating, the better their ability to remove dust, dirt and mi-cro-organisms from the air. Changing fi lters frequently it makes it easier for the unit to pull air into the system. If the fi lter is clogged, the system has to work harder to feed air into the unit. Th e frequency is decided by the environment and how dirty the air is. Most commercial build-ings require a quarterly fi lter change and inspections on a contract basis.

Prevent water from pooling around the air handlers. Mold and water sourc-es near the air conditioner intake create opportunities for spores to be sucked into the air intake. Roofs need to be cleaned regularly and trees cut back from the roof lines to prevent the accumulation of dirt

and debris near the unit. Also ensure that drain lines from condensate units drain off of the roof and do not pond under HVAC air intakes.

Clean the evaporator and condenser coils once or twice a year. Evaporator coils tend to stay damp, and allow the growth of mold. In addition to the damp-ness, the coils are typically in contact with air coming in from the outside (warm and humid air in the summer.) Dirt also gets past the fi lters and provides the material that mold needs to grow. Treat coils af-ter every cleaning using an antimicrobi-al treatment. You can consider installing UV (Ultra Violet) lights help keep the coils from being attacked by mold. (Th is is typically a retrofi t item and not all HVAC units have room or a power source for a UV light). In any case it can keep the coils cleaner and reduce the labor to keep them clean.

As Ben Franklin said, “An ounce of pre-vention is worth a pound of cure.” Proper HVAC maintenance will more oft en than not keep that unexpected emergency from happening.

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Rental Housing Journal Metro · January 2016

4 Faces of Leadership ...continued from page 10Become a More Inspiring Leader ...continued from page 14

who are fairly similar to ourselves, chanc-es are we are limiting our perspectives.” He recommends making a deliberate ef-fort to encounter people and ideas that are “profoundly diff erent from the usual suspects you hang out with.” Visit a con-ference of a diff erent profession, hang out with skaters, join an arts club or buy a magazine randomly off the shelf.

Break your patterns.You can increase your chances of seeing

things diff erently if you deliberately break your normal pattern of working, commu-nicating, thinking, reacting and respond-ing, de Jong says. Take a diff erent route to work. Change where you sit in meetings. If you are normally the fi rst to volunteer, hold back.

Learn to listen. “We’ve all been taught the importance

of being good listeners,” de Jong says. “Th e problem is most of us struggle to actually do it.” Oft en when people are “listening,” they really are waiting for the fi rst opportunity to share their story, their opinion or their experience. De Jong sug-gests training yourself to engage in three pure listening conversations a week. Th ey don’t need to be longer than 15 to 20 min-utes, they can be formal or informal, and the other person doesn’t need to know what you’re doing. Vow that you won’t try to take over the conversation no matter how much you want to. “Just keep asking questions and don’t dismiss anything the other person says,” de Jong says. Aft er the conversation, refl ect on what you learned. Don’t dismiss any ideas or views that don’t align with yours. “Dare to challenge your own assumptions and reframe your beliefs if need be,” he says.

“Some of these practices may take peo-ple outside their comfort zones, and ev-eryone might not be ready to try all of these at once,” de Jong says. “But if you start to put them into practice, you’ll be able to grow into a more mindful, vision-ary leader one step at a time.”

About Rob-Jan de JongRob-Jan de Jong, author of “Anticipate: The Art of Leading By Looking Ahead” (www.robjandejong.com), is an international speaker, writer and consultant on strategy and leadership themes. He serves as an expert lecturer at various leading business schools such as the Wharton Business School (USA), Thunderbird School of Global Management (USA), Nyenrode Business Univer-sity (The Netherlands), and Sabanci Business University (Turkey).As a behavioral strategist, he speaks, teaches and consults on executive subjects such as visionary leadership, infl uence, strategic decision-making, and innovation.

ics, ready to explain why things are they way they are and why your unconvention-al idea won’t work.

The Visionary.Th is is the one to strive to be. A vision-

ary isn’t quick to hop on every fad, but also isn’t a naysayer about how things might be done diff erently. Instead, says de Jong, the visionary takes a mindful, future-oriented perspective, balancing the need for a compelling future with the awareness of the dangers of becoming dogmatic and overly optimistic. Visionar-ies are able to explain an imagined future in a way that fi lls people with energy and engages their imagination.

“A powerful vision isn’t just nice to have,” de Jong says. “It’s the most import-

ant tool in the transformational leader’s toolbox. A leader’s personal imagina-tion, inspiration and dedication are what will ignite the excitement in the people they lead.”

About Rob-Jan de JongRob-Jan de Jong, author of “Anticipate: The Art of Leading By Looking Ahead” (www.robjandejong.com), is an international speaker, writer and consultant on strategy and leadership themes. He serves as an expert lecturer at various leading business schools such as the Wharton Business School (USA), Thunderbird School of Global Management (USA), Nyenrode Business Univer-sity (The Netherlands), and Sabanci Business University (Turkey).As a behavioral strategist, he speaks, teaches and consults on executive subjects such as visionary leadership, infl uence, strategic decision-making, and innovation.

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