Leaders Leaders - Houston Apartment Association

Transcription

ABODE
AUGUST 2008
The Houston Apartment Association Magazine
2008
Leaders
His
Best
Sh t
Yet
Hall of Famer Dick LaMarche
tees up for HAA’s highest honor
CONTENTS
ON THE
COVER
Photo by MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography
August 2008
Shining Stars: 2008 Leaders
38
Par for the Course – 2008 Hall of Fame recipient
Dick LaMarche takes on life at full swing.
2008 Hall of Fame honoree
42
A Solid Foundation – Our managers and supervisor
of the year attribute their success in part to the
people who have supported them along the way.
Property Management, takes
46
Building for the Best – Questions and answers
with Independent Owner of the Year Emery Jakab.
48
Talk About Success – Owner/Management
Executive of the Year Darlene Guidry answers
our questions.
50
Q&A – Learn more about the inner workings of our
industry from four award winners.
Dick LaMarche, Creative
on life and business at full
swing. Meet him and other
leaders of our industry as we
focus on the 2008 Industry
Achievement Award recipients.
Features & Photos
23
Education Update – Help HAA communicate with
you by providing accurate contact information.
29
Photo Album – Scenes from the HAABGF luncheon
featuring Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the Sponsorship
Auction and the PSC Supplier Education Seminar.
32
Photo Album – Scenes from the Industry
Achievement Awards.
56
Designate of the Month – Education helps refresh
and reinforce everyday fundamentals for CAM
designate and CAPS candidate Pam Lupercio.
42
Departments
8
19
20
25
58
60
62
63
64
70
72
74
75
76
PATRON
EDUCATION
CALENDARS
REGISTRATION
GO-GETTERS
AMBASSADORS
PROPERTY UPDATE
IN THE NEWS
WELCOME MAT
OWNER RESOURCES
SUPPLIER RESOURCES
ADVERTISERS INDEX
MARKET LINE
BACK PAGE
32
Columns
7
President’s Corner – The Hall of Fame luncheon is a way for HAA members to thank our industry leaders.
9
Legislative Update – Houston looks to revise its sign code and attention-getting device ordinance.
11
It’s The Law – Take care to follow every detail of the lease and law when exercising a landlord’s lien.
14
Resident Relations – A resident gives notice and changes her plans, moving out without adequate notice.
16
TAA Update – Participate in TAA’s Neighbors CARE program to combat heat-related injuries.
26
NAA Industry Update – We observe 40 years of Fair Housing with a review of the law and its implications.
28
Media Roundup – Nominate someone for an award to get the word out about your property or company.
We welcome your
comments and letters.
Write to us at:
HAA Communications Dept.
4810 Westway Park Blvd.,
Houston, Texas 77041
or fax to: 281-582-1506.
Or send us an e-mail at:
comm@haaonline.org.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
3
OFFICERS AND ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP
JOHN RIDGWAY
PRESIDENT
BETH VAN WINKLE
PRESIDENT-ELECT
DAVID JONES
VICE PRESIDENT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRODUCT SERVICE COUNCIL
SPONSOR MEMBERS
Suan Tinsley,
Immediate Past President
Josh Allen
Mack Armstrong
Brian Austin
Margaret Balderaz
Gene Blevins
Jeff Blevins
Roger Camp
Kathy Clem
Ernest Etuk
John Fedorko
Darlene Guidry
Billy Griffin
Alison Hall
David Hargrove
Larry Hill
Deborah Holcombe
Theresa Lamar
Dick LaMarche
Cesar Lima
Etan Mirwis
Michelle Bridges-Pahl
Velissa Parmer
Byron Plant
Jackie Rhone
Kelly Scott
Trey Stone
Eileen Subinsky
Vicki Summitt
Sal Thomas
Starla Turnbo
Vic Vacek Jr.
Debbie Webre
Tony Whitaker
Jerold Winograd
Michelle Ybarra
OFFICERS
Tony Whitaker, President
FSI Construction
Vicki Summitt, CAS, Vice President
Direct Energy
Jeff Blevins, CAS, Secretary
Camp Construction Services
Michelle Bridges-Pahl, CAS, Treasurer
Century Air Conditioning
Cesar Lima,
Immediate Past President
AAA Plumbers
1968
Reliant Energy
DIRECTORS EMERITUS
Gary Blumberg
Al Bradley
Jack Dinerstein
Jenard Gross
Hap Hunnicutt
Stacy Hunt
Nora Krakower
Tim Myers
John Moore
P. David Onanian
Stephen Sweet
Kirk Tate
H. J. Tollett Jr.
Patrick J. Tollett
KIM SMALL
SECRETARY
HOWARD BOOKSTAFF
GENERAL COUNSEL
1981
Hoover Slovacek LLP
1982
Wallace Garcia Wilson Architects Inc.
1983
Webb Pest Control
Cort Furniture Rental
1984
Brady, Chapman, Holland & Assoc.
1985
Gemstar Construction &
Development Inc.
Golden Greek Carpets Inc.
1987
For Rent Media Solutions
Houston Metro Electrical Corp.
Namco Manufacturing Co. Inc.
1988
AmRent
Big Z Lumber Company
HCI Building Group
Redi Carpet Sales
Sherwin Williams Company
1991
Apartment Data Services
Century Air Conditioning
1992
Alexander-Rose Assoc. Inc.
1998
AAA Staffing Ltd.
2000
Pools by Dallas
HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS
PATRON MEMBERS
Claude Arnold
Kenn Brown
Anita Harrison
Dwayne Henson
Mike Koch
Nora Krakower
Merry Mount
Monette Reynolds
Sherry Stevenson
Kirk Tate
Suan Tinsley
Del Walmsley
Nancé Wells
Jeanne Marie Zublin
1980
Coinmach
Texas Apartment Locators
1981
WEB Intelligent Laundry Systems
1982
BFI-Browning-Ferris Industries
1983
Royal Plumbing Supply
1994
AAA Plumbers
Presto Maintenance Supply
Whirlpool Corp.
1996
Houston Planned Energy Systems
1997
Apartment Guide
2003
Dixie Carpet Installations
MAB Flooring Inc.
2001
National Exemption Services
Pura Flo Corporation
Renovation Services Inc.
2002
Gexa Energy
Southwest Painting Contractors Inc.
Wilmar Industries Inc.
2003
Capital Welding & Construction
Sign-Ups & Banners Corp.
Southern Wrecker
Utility Advantage of Texas
2004
Assessment Advisors
Embark – The Tree Specialists
Ygnition Networks
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
VOLUME 31, ISSUE 8
Executive Vice President and Publisher JEFF HALL, CAE jhall@haaonline.org
EDITORIAL STAFF
2006
Bell’s Laundries
N.D. Chandler Mechanical
CAD Restoration Services LLC
Corestone Paving & Construction
DoodyCalls
First Co.
Lopez Carpet Care & Painting
Masonry Solutions Inc.
Parking Management Company
Quantum Fitness Corp.
Roto-Rooter Services Co.
Texas Contract Floors Inc.
USA Decon
Valet Waste
ZipReports
2007
ABC Restoration Inc.
ACR Supply Inc.
Adams & Abdulla
American Sports & Concrete LLC
Apple Moving
Builders Granite & Tile Inc.
Choice Corporate Housing Inc.
D&C Contracting
Delaney’s Roofing & Construction
Double Trees Construction
Lone Star Striping & Paving
The Mad Hatter of Corpus Christi Inc.
Don McGill Toyota of Katy
Merit Parking Company
Millennium Lock Inc.
Premier Carpet Cleaning
RoofTec
Rylitt Inc. Construction &
Landscaping Service
SLM Construction Services
Site Reconstruction LLC
Suntrust Real Estate Corporation
Texas Pool Chemicals
Veritas Services
2008
ACS Partners LLC
Accent Coat Refinishing
Atlas 1031 Exchange LLC
Bury & Partners Inc.
M.L. Deer Construction Co. LP
Eco Lawn LLC
Elite Apartment Services Inc.
Holden Roofing
Jusa Resurfacing & Paint Co.
KT Building
LowVolt Technologies
Matrix Paving Services LLC
Mr. Brick of Houston Inc.
Rehab Systems
SpaceCenter Systems Inc.
Texas Turf Management
Turner Electrical Services Co.
AFFILIATES
Director of Publications and Design DEBORAH NIX dnix@haaonline.org
Managing Editor RACHEL ZOCH rzoch@haaonline.org
ADVERTISING
Director of Supplier Services AMANDA SHERBONDY asherbondy@haaonline.org
CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Vice President and General Manager SUSAN HINKLEY, CAE shinkley@haaonline.org
Vice President of Events and Meetings CARA JOHNSON, CMP cjohnson@haaonline.org
Vice President of Professional Development EMILY HILTON, CPP ehilton@haaonline.org
Vice President of Public Affairs ANDY TEAS, CAE ateas@haaonline.org
Controller NANCY LI LO, CPA nlo@haaonline.org
Director of Facility Services LANA SHILLER lshiller@haaonline.org
Director of Form Sales FRANCES TORRES ftorres@haaonline.org
Director of Information Technology MARY PARKHOUSE, CAE mparkhouse@haaonline.org
Director of Member Services LISA BUTLER lbutler@haaonline.org
Director of Resident Relations MATILDE LUNA mluna@haaonline.org
Education and Meetings Manager KIRSTEN DEAGEN kdeagen@haaonline.org
Public Affairs Specialist AIMEE BERTRAND ARRINGTON aarrington@haaonline.org
Resident Credit Reporting Manager LUISA AREVALO larevalo@haaonline.org
Webmaster and IT Specialist WILL ALFARO walfaro@haaonline.org
PRINTER
TGI PRINTED www.tgiprinted.com
HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION COMMITTEES
COMMITTEE
Program & Budget Committee
Nominating Committee
National Liaison
State Liaison
Ethics Committee
Investment Committee
Owners Committee
Legislative Committee
HAA Better Government Fund
Century Club
Developers Committee
Multifamily Fire Safety Alliance
Media Relations Committee
Resident Relations Committee
Resident Relations Committee A
Resident Relations Committee B
Product Service Council
Community Relations Committee
Membership Committee
Ambassador Club
Go-Getter Club
Membership Campaign
IROC Committee
Education Advisory Council
Career and Community Development
SOAPS Committee
Golf Tournament Committee
HAF Fund-raiser
2008 Education Conference & Expo
2008 Expo Exhibitor Committee
Online Advisory Committee
CHAIR
JOHN RIDGWAY
SUAN TINSLEY
JERRY WINOGRAD
DAVID HARGROVE
EILEEN SUBINSKY
MACK ARMSTRONG
STACY HUNT
BETH VAN WINKLE
STACY HUNT
JEFF BLEVINS
BRIAN AUSTIN
BYRON PLANT
JENIFER PANERAL
DARLENE GUIDRY
SANDRA HAZELWOOD
BRANDY LESLIE
TONY WHITAKER
KYLE BROWN
DAVID JONES
MICHELLE BRIDGES-PAHL/KEVIN FENN
BILLY GRIFFIN/GLORIA HANEY
VARIOUS CAPTAINS
DEL WALMSLEY
KIM SMALL
BETH ROHANI/GEORGEANNE LONGORIA
STARLA TURNBO
ROGER CAMP
PATRICK BROTHERS/MICHELLE GATES
KIM SMALL
VICKI SUMMITT
TREY STONE
STAFF ADVISOR
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
JEFF HALL
ANDY TEAS
ANDY TEAS
ANDY TEAS
ANDY TEAS
ANDY TEAS
AIMEE ARRINGTON
MATILDE LUNA
MATILDE LUNA
MATILDE LUNA
SUSAN HINKLEY
SUSAN HINKLEY
LISA BUTLER
LISA BUTLER
LISA BUTLER
LISA BUTLER
EMILY HILTON
EMILY HILTON
EMILY HILTON
KIRSTEN DEAGEN
CARA JOHNSON
CARA JOHNSON
CARA JOHNSON
AMANDA SHERBONDY
WILL ALFARO
HAA MISSION AND VALUES
The Houston Apartment Association is the leading advocate and resource to further the quality of rental
housing in the greater Houston area. Core values guiding the governance and management of HAA are:
• Promoting community involvement, leadership and collaboration • Grounded in integrity, excellence
and ethics • Embracing diversity • Source of lifelong career development
Visit HAA Online at www.haaonline.org
ABODE IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION.
Serving the multihousing industry in Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris,
Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Waller and Wharton counties.
ABODE, AUGUST 2008, VOLUME 31, ISSUE 8
ABODE is published monthly by the Houston Multi Housing Corporation. Publishing, editorial and advertising
offices are located at 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, Texas 77041. Telephone 713-595-0300. The $50
annual ABODE subscription rate is included in all member dues and additional subscriptions are available.
The annual subscription rate is $50 for members, $65 for non-members. Advertising rates are available upon
request. Contributed material does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Houston Apartment
Association. Copyright © 2008 by HAA.
Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at Houston, Texas.
JEFF HALL, CAE
EXECUTIVE VP
AUGUST 2008
1980
Great American Business Products
Penco Construction Co.
Marvin Poer & Co.
1997
Paramount Insurance Repair Service
RENCON
Joe Bax
TREASURER
1977
M&M Lighting Inc.
1978
Liberty Personnel/Executive Search
1993
Comcast
GENERAL COUNSEL EMERITUS
JENIFER PANERAL
4
MEMBERS
Peggy Charles
Brandt Electric
Arrie Colca, CAS
Craven Carpet
Laura Collins, CAS
Classic Touch Painting
Kevin Fenn, CAS
Pavecon
Michael Flores
Higher Standard Construction
James Gregory
Redi Carpet Sales
Lisa Grimes
D&C Contracting
Jimmie Hotz, CAS
HD Supply
Deona James, CAS
Resident Data
Alan Jones, CAS
ICI Paints
Susan Lee, CAS
Craven Carpet
James Lenhardt
Hire Priority Staffing & Executive Search
Karen Nelsen
Brenda Nite
J&L Distributors
Dean O’Kelley, CAS
Mindy Price
BG Personnel Services
Beth Rohani
Ameritex Movers
Nichole Williams, CAS
Apartment Guide
Andrea Winans
Bishop’s Office Needs
1976
Mueller Water Conditioning
2005
Apartment Appliance Leasing
Classic Touch Painting
First Advantage SafeRent Inc.
Lone Star Roofing of Texas
Regal General Contractors Inc.
United Protective Services
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ABODE, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, Texas 77041.
ABODE
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
5
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
2008
Hall of
Fame
The Houston Apartment Foundation cordially
invites you to a special luncheon honoring
Dick
LaMarche
Creative Property Management
By
JOHN RIDGWAY, 2008 HAA President
A Job Well Done
The annual Hall of Fame luncheon is a way for HAA members to thank
our industry leaders and celebrate a special individual.
We are pleased
to honor and
celebrate someone who has
given so much
to our association and our
business.
B
e sure to mark your calendar for
Wednesday, August 27, when the association comes together to honor our newest
member of the Hall of Fame, Dick
LaMarche, Creative Property Management.
Through decades of leadership in our industry,
Dick has left an indelible mark. Our association succeeds because members like him are involved and
take an active part in addressing the issues and trends
of our industry. We are fortunate to have so many
long-term, dedicated members who do so much for
the association and the industry.
Take a moment to read the interview with Dick
beginning on Page 31, then contact HAA to reserve
your seats at the luncheon. Thanks to sponsors
Maintenance Supply Headquarters and CORT
Furniture Rental, we can look forward to a first-class
celebration. For registration information, see Page 6
at left, or visit www.haaonline.org.
BOWLED OVER
As always, our annual bowling tournament was a
rocking success. Hundreds of members packed the
Palace Lanes for to bowl, boogie and benefit our association. Photos will appear in the September ABODE,
including tournament winners and winners in the
always-popular costume contest. Many thanks to
those who participated in the bowling tournament
and to sponsors Access Electric and Houston Pest for
helping to make the event such a success.
Wednesday, August 27
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
InterContinental Hotel
2222 West Loop South near San Felipe
$65/Person; $75 after August 22
Reserved tables of 10 available
with company name
Sponsored by
CORT Furniture Rental and
Maintenance Supply Headquarters
All proceeds benefit the Houston Apartment
Foundation and its educational programs. For more
information and to register, contact the Education &
Meetings Department at 713-595-0314, e-mail
educ@haaonline.org or visit www.haaonline.org.
Registration form on Page 25.
American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover are
accepted in person, over the phone and by fax. Notice
of cancellation is required two days prior to the event
for a refund, less a $10 administrative fee. All preregistered no-shows will be billed. Payment will be required
at the door if not received prior to the event.
The HAF is the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational
component of the Houston Apartment Association. If
unable to attend, donations are greatly appreciated.
6
AUGUST 2008
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ABODE
AUGUST 2008
7
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
PATRON OF THE MONTH
These companies have
generously supported the
Houston Apartment
Association with their
patron membership.
Please give them careful
consideration, whenever
possible, in your business.
Houston Planned Energy Systems
MAB Flooring Inc.
HAA Member since 1978
AAA Plumbers
Coinmach
Whirlpool Corporation
Texas Apartment Locators
Dixie Carpet Installations
WEB Intelligent Laundry Systems
Apartment Guide
BETH VAN WINKLE, CAM, CAPS, CPM, HAA Legislative Committee Chair
with ANDY TEAS, CAE, Vice President of Public Affairs
Changing Rules
Once again, the City looks to revise its sign code and attention-getting
Royal Plumbing Supply
device ordinance.
Many managers
have trouble
with the complexities and
inconsistencies
of the current
rules, and one
goal of revision
could be to
simply have
them make
more sense.
AUGUST’S PATRON
By
H
ouston Mayor Bill White has appointed a task force to look at Houston’s
sign code and attention-getting device
ordinance with the goal of finding
ways to reduce Houston’s sign clutter
while preserving the rights of businesses to advertise
and of consumers to find what they’re looking for.
It’s no small task.
Businesses and consumers have varied and often
competing interests. I want consumers to be able to
find my furniture store, and I want it to attract more
attention than your furniture store. At the same time,
we all have an interest in Houston’s overall economic
prosperity, which some believe is compromised by a
visitor’s drive into Houston from Bush Intercontinental
Airport past mile after mile of large signs, colored flags
and giant, inflatable gorillas.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Apartment properties, especially in lean markets,
rely on signs and banners to attract drive-by traffic,
especially when competing with other properties that
are doing the same. The real question for the industry
is this: If the sign war were de-escalated by tighter
restrictions, what would be the real effect?
One theory is that everybody suffers when the range
of promotional opportunities is restricted. The other
theory is that nobody loses from a level playing field.
If I can’t have banners, but my competition can’t
either, we can compete in other ways. Enforcement is
key. Lax or inconsistent enforcement will force properties to compete with those who are ignoring the rules.
Many managers have trouble with the complexities
and inconsistencies of the current rules, and one goal
of revision could be to simply have them make more
sense. The current code allows a small pawn shop on
a corner to have five large, bright yellow signs, while
a large apartment property on a long street frontage
with two entrances can have a nice granite monument sign at only one.
Here is a review of a few things you may not know
about the current sign code and attention-getting
device ordinance:
SIGN CODE
The sign code and attention-getting device ordinance are two different things. Houston’s sign code is
part of the building code. It regulates all permanent
signs and all temporary signs and banners that say
something specific about your business or what
you’re selling.
ATTENTION-GETTING DEVICE ORDINANCE
The attention-getting device ordinance is a separate
ordinance that governs things like balloons, streamers, colored flags and such that draw attention to
your business. If you have a banner with no words or
with generic words like “sale,” “leasing,” “special,”
etc., it’s an attention-getting device. Here’s where it
gets complicated: According to Sign Administration
Division Manager Susan Lucyx, a banner that says
“leasing” or “special” is an attention-getting device,
but a banner that says “leasing special” is a sign, governed by the sign code.
ATTENTION-GETTING OPPORTUNITIES
You can have all kinds of “attention-getting
devices.” With a permit that costs a measly 20 bucks a
year per property, you can do everything from colored
flags to a giant inflatable gorilla on the leasing office
roof for up to 104 days per year. Remember, though,
anything printed on your “attention-getting device”
has to be very generic – probably a single word like
“special” or “sale.” If you try to put “move-in special,”
“leasing-special,” “one month free,” or anything like
that, it’s no longer an attention-getting device.
ABSOLUTELY NO BANDIT SIGNS
Signs in the city’s right of way (bandit signs) are
illegal. Period. The city’s right of way includes the
median and some distance back from the curb,
depending on the street. Bandit signs are generally
prohibited by the sign code, even on your own property! The sign code allows certain types of signs, and
temporary signs are not among them.
See LEGISLATIVE, Page 18
8
AUGUST 2008
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AUGUST 2008
9
IT’S THE LAW
By
HOWARD BOOKSTAFF, Hoover Slovacek LLP , HAA General Counsel
Into Your Own Hands
Take care to follow every detail of the lease and applicable laws when
exercising a landlord’s lien.
If you pursue
landlord’s lien
rights, it is
imperative
that you dot
your i’s and
cross your t’s.
I
n tough economic times, more and more residents have difficulty paying rent. When a resident does not pay rent on time, you have a
number of options. The most conservative,
least risky and permanent option is to pursue
the eviction process. A more aggressive approach is to
exercise self-help remedies such as utility cutoffs,
lockouts and landlord’s liens.
Many owners have a policy of taking the path of
least exposure and thus pursue the eviction process,
thereby getting judicial blessing on the chosen remedy of terminating the resident’s right to possession.
Some have gone with the more risky route of a selfhelp remedy. If you pursue landlord’s lien rights, it is
imperative that you dot your i’s and cross your t’s.
Let’s review the landlord’s lien process:
WHEN DO YOU HAVE A LANDLORD’S LIEN?
Pursuant to both the standard TAA lease and the
Texas Property Code, an owner has a lien to secure
payment of delinquent rent. You do not have a lien
for late charges, damages or other charges that are
not considered to be rent under the lease.
However, keep in mind that, pursuant to Paragraph
34 of the standard TAA lease, you may apply money
received (other than sale proceeds under Paragraph 13
or utility payments for gas, water or electricity) first to
any of the resident’s unpaid obligations, then to current rent. Consequently, if there is any partial payment
made (except for utility payments), if you have a policy of applying money paid to non-rent items first,
then to unpaid rent, chances are that unpaid amounts
will consist of, at least in part, delinquent rent.
room. However, a lien does not attach to certain
exempt property which includes wearing apparel,
tools of a trade or profession, school books, one
couch, two living room chairs, a dining table and
chairs, bed and bedding, kitchen furniture and utensils, children’s toys and property that is known to be
owned by someone else.
WHEN CAN PROPERTY BE TAKEN
FROM A UNIT?
When rent is delinquent, the owner’s representative can peacefully enter the unit and remove and
store property that is subject to the lien.
WHAT TYPE OF NOTICE MUST BE LEFT
IN THE UNIT?
When exercising your lien, written notice of entry
must be left in the unit in a conspicuous place with an
itemized list of the items removed. The notice must
state the amount of delinquent rent and the name,
address and telephone number of the person the resident may contact regarding the amount owed. The
notice must also state that the property will be promptly returned on full payment of the delinquent rent.
WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH THE PROPERTY
AFTER REMOVAL?
Pursuant to the standard TAA lease, the owner
agrees to store the property removed under a contractual lien. The lease also provides that the resident
must pay reasonable charges for packing, moving,
storing and selling any property.
HOW CAN THE PROPERTY BE SOLD?
WHAT PROPERTY CAN BE TAKEN
WHEN EXERCISING THE LANDLORD’S LIEN?
The lien attaches to nonexempt property that is in
the unit or that the resident has stored in a storage
Before selling seized property, the owner must give
notice to the resident not later than the 30th day
before the date of the sale. The notice must be sent to
the resident by both first class mail and certified mail,
Looking for a previous version of this column or another ABODE article?
Members can log on to www.haaonline.org and visit the ABODE pages for access
to a downloadable archive. Currently all 2008 issues are available.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
11
IT’S THE LAW
While it is legal
to exercise
landlord’s lien
rights, often the
property seized
is not worth the
potential risk.
return receipt requested, at the resident’s last known
address. The notice must contain:
1. the date, time and place of the sale;
2. an itemized account of the amount owed by the
resident to the owner; and
3. the name, address and telephone number of the
person the resident may contact regarding the sale,
the amount owed and the right of the resident to
redeem the property under the landlord’s lien statute.
Any sale after exercising a landlord’s lien is subject
to the recorded rights of other creditors of the resident. The property is required to be sold to the highest cash bidder. Proceeds from the sale are to be
applied first to delinquent rents and, if authorized by
the lease, reasonable packing, moving, storage and
sale costs.
Any sale proceeds remaining after payment of the
amounts due and applicable costs are required to be
mailed to the resident at the resident’s last known
address not later than the 30th day after the date of
the sale. The owner is required to provide the resident
with an accounting of all proceeds of the sale not later
than the 30th day after the date on which the resident makes a written request for the accounting.
CAN THE RESIDENT REDEEM THE PROPERTY?
Yes. The resident may redeem the property at any
time before the property is sold by paying to the
12
AUGUST 2008
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owner or the owner’s agent all delinquent rents and,
if authorized in the lease, all reasonable packing,
moving, storage and sale costs.
WHAT IF THE OWNER IMPROPERLY EXERCISES
A LANDLORD’S LIEN?
If an owner or the owner’s agent willfully violates
statutory landlord’s lien obligations, the resident is
entitled to actual damages; return of any property
seized that has not been sold; return of the proceeds of
any sale of seized property; and one month’s rent or
$500, whichever is greater, less any amount for which
the resident is liable; and reasonable attorneys’ fees.
SHOULD I EXERCISE LANDLORD’S LIEN
RIGHTS?
Whether or not you exercise your landlord’s lien
rights is up to you. However, if you decide to exercise
landlord’s lien rights, you should understand the risks
associated with this self-help remedy. There are a
number of issues to recognize with respect to what
property is seized, the notice that is given and how
the property is stored and sold.
While it is legal to exercise landlord’s lien rights,
often the property seized is not worth the potential
risk of claims that may be raised by the resident if the
landlord’s lien is not exercised pursuant to the lease
and applicable law.
RESIDENT RELATIONS
From the
RESIDENT RELATIONS COMMITTEES
Make Up Your Mind
A resident repeatedly gives notice and changes her plans, ultimately moving out
without giving adequate notice as specified in her lease.
A
resident filed a complaint with
HAA to dispute a termination
fee, stating that she lived on the
property for 18 months and gave
notice to vacate.
MANAGEMENT’S RESPONSE
Management responded to HAA with
the explanation that the the resident gave
a notice to vacate on August 29, 2007 for a
move-out on October 31, 2007 but that
she informed management on October 26
that she needed more time to move out.
The resident was notified that she could
stay on a month-to-month lease at a higher rate until she could find a home. It was
explained to her that the cancelled moveout notice she gave would need to be ini-
14
AUGUST 2008
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tialed and that when she got ready to
move out again she would need to give
another notice. The resident indicated that
she understood these policies.
On December 1, the assistant manager
received a call from the resident, who said
she needed to stay a few more days due to
no electricity in her new home and that
she needed the pro-rated amount that
would be due. It was explained to her that
she needed to give another notice to
vacate. The resident did not agree to that
and was told she needed to call the manager. On December 6, the resident turned
in her keys and was told she would receive
a final account statement.
Management believed the resident was
charged according to the terms of the
lease. Enclosed were copies of the lease,
application, move-in condition form,
notice to vacate and deposit disposition.
THE COMMITTEE’S DECISION
The committee decided in favor of management and made some adjustments on
the charges owed. The committee believed
that the concession charge of $3,600
should be removed due to the resident
renting on a month-to-month basis. Since
the resident did not give another 30-day
notice to vacate, she could only be
charged the reletting charge of $845.75
plus all other charges. After the adjustment, the resident owes the property
$2,113.59.
STATE UPDATE
From the
TEXAS APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
We Care
TAA urges members to participate in its Neighbors CARE program to build relationships
and combat heat-related injuries.
N
ow that summer is in full swing,
it’s important to remember that
even moderate prolonged heat
can cause serious problems.
According to state experts, one of the most
important ways to fight heat-stress problems
is for neighbors to look out for their neighbors. In that spirit, and because apartment
communities offer the advantages of neighbors living in close proximity to each other,
the Texas Apartment Association is continuing the Neighbors CARE program originally
launched 10 years ago.
The Neighbors CARE program promotes
rental housing resident awareness of heat
stress and encourages residents to CARE for
their neighbors to help minimize the potential of someone suffering heat stress. We’re
asking you to participate in this program by
sharing the “Neighbors CARE” message
included in this article and the heat-stress
precaution tips and tips for residents (also
available in Spanish) available for download
from the TAA Web site at www.taa.org/
membersOnly/updates-2/updates-3. A tip sheet
for members is also available.
CHECK, PREVENT, REPORT, EDUCATE
The “Neighbors CARE” message is simple.
It encourages all rental housing residents to:
Check on your neighbors daily, especially the elderly, who may be more susceptible
to heat stress, and those on fixed incomes
who may be concerned about expensive
utility bills.
Always take precautions to prevent heat
stress. Remember, everyone is susceptible to
the effects of heat stress.
Report any concerns you have about the
health and safety of your neighbors to the
proper authorities. Report any problems
with air conditioning equipment promptly
to management.
Educate yourself, your friends and neighbors about the signs of heat stress, and steps
to prevent it.
UTILITY ASSISTANCE
Utility companies around the state will
work with customers on deferred billing
16
APRIL 2008
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arrangements and payment plans. Public
Utility Commission rules prohibit electric
companies from disconnecting electrical
service during extreme weather.
Disconnections also are prohibited in
many cases when ill or disabled residents are
involved, or if the resident receives emergency assistance to pay utility bills. PUC
rules limit disconnections in similar circumstances when electricity is submetered or
allocated. According to the PUC, most utilities go beyond the requirements of the rule
munity groups organize fan drives or other
programs to distribute air cooling equipment to low-income or elderly individuals.
We encourage you to participate in these
programs as well, and urge you to promote
participation in them to your residents.
Remember, if you do plan to disconnect
electricity in accordance with the PUC and
statutory rules, you must follow strict guidelines, and you must follow the same rules
regarding billing options and disconnections that apply to utilities in cases of
Heat-Stress Precautions
The Texas Department of State Health Services and TAA suggest these
precautions to reduce the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke:
• Never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle during hot weather.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid drinks containing alcohol, caffeine or sugar.
• Plan strenuous outdoor activity early or late in the day when it is cooler.
Take frequent breaks when working outdoors.
• Stay indoors and in an air-conditioned environment as much as possible
unless your heat tolerance is well-established.
• Eat more frequently but make sure meals are well-balanced and light.
• Avoid bundling babies in heavy blankets or heavy clothing.
• Check frequently on ill or elderly friends, relatives and neighbors who may
need help.
• At first signs of heat illness (dizziness, nausea, headaches, muscle cramps),
move to a cooler place, rest for a few minutes and slowly drink a cool beverage. Seek medical attention immediately if conditions do not improve.
by using their own more stringent criteria or
suspending disconnections altogether.
In light of that fact, and the health and
safety issues that could arise from utility disconnects during times of extreme temperatures, we strongly encourage our members
not to exercise any legal rights to disconnect
electricity until any heat emergency has
passed. (Statutory authority to disconnect
electricity is only applicable in limited situations.) We encourage our members to exercise other legal remedies to secure payment
of rent or other sums.
Most utility companies also sponsor bill
check-off programs that allow customers to
contribute to funds to assist elderly, ill and
low-income individuals with their utility
bills. Some utility companies or other com-
extreme weather. Water utilities may not be
cut off under any circumstances other than
for bona fide repairs, construction or emergency. See the 2006-2007 TAA Redbook,
pages 180, 185, 191 and 219.
AIR CONDITIONING
For the same reasons, we encourage members to respond sensitively to air conditioning
repair requests. While availability of labor
and materials may necessitate some delays,
we encourage you to respond to these repair
requests as promptly as the situation warrants
and is possible under the circumstances of
your particular property and location.
For more information, contact TAA at
512-479-6252.
OTHER SIGNS AND DEVICES
LEGISLATIVE, continued from Page 9
ON-PREMISE SIGNS
The sign code lets you have a total of four
on-premise roof signs, wall signs or a combination of the two, in addition to your
ground sign, for a total of five. You can have
one ground sign per frontage (that means
you can have a second ground sign if you’re
on a corner, instead of one of your wall or
roof signs). If you have an extremely long
frontage on a single street, you can have two
ground signs if they’re at least 350 feet apart.
Wall signs can cover up to 50 percent of the
wall surface. Roof signs have to be “architecturally compatible with the building.”
BANNERS
You get one “free banner” under Sec.
4605 (b)(6) of the sign code if it’s flat
against the wall of a building (not a fence),
is not larger than 40 square feet and you
only have it up seven consecutive days per
month. Remember, this is a “sign,” not an
attention-getting device, so it can say whatever you want – no permit required.
Here’s a trick on banners: If you hang a
banner on your wall, it’s your one “free
banner” which you can use only seven days
a month. If you mount the banner on plywood, buy a permit for it, and mount the
plywood on your wall (covering less than
50 percent of the wall), it’s now a “wall
sign,” and you can leave it up forever.
Here’s the cool part – You can change the
banner on the plywood as often as you
want and it’s still the same wall sign for permit purposes. Here’s the even cooler part –
as long as the plywood covers less than 50
percent of the wall, you can mount multiple banners on the plywood and it still
counts as only one permitted wall sign. You
could do up to four of these in addition to
your one ground sign to get to your property total of five.
In addition to everything else, you can
have a sign not larger than 40 square feet
“setting forth information concerning a
building or other structure under repair or
construction *or advertising the sale or
rental of the premises* (emphasis added).
This was meant to allow a “for sale” or “for
rent” sign for someone listing an entire
property, but they’ll allow a sign that says
“leasing” or “leasing office” under this
exception without a sign permit and without counting it against your total.
You can also have two “directional signs”
no larger than 6 square feet each at each
vehicle entrance directing traffic to your
leasing office. These have to be permanent
signs (think of the “drive through” sign
with the arrow at a fast-food restaurant),
but do not require a sign permit.
You can have all the “governmental entity flags” you want, and they don’t count as
signs or attention-getting devices. United
States and Texas flags are obvious choices,
but the flags of France, Mexico or New
Caledonia would also qualify (Seychelles’ is
an eye-catcher). You need a building permit
to put up the flagpole, however, so the city
knows it’s not going to fall on somebody.
There are wind-load requirements and such.
Don’t try to do it yourself.
A flag that says the name of your property or company counts as a ground sign, but
there’s an exception that you can have “one
flag sign per frontage, with a maximum of
two per business” that doesn’t require a
sign permit and doesn’t count against your
five-sign total.
Houston’s Sign Administration Division is
available to answer questions and help you
find solutions that fit the unique characteristics of your property. Call 713-218-5801
for more information.
Have a question? Call 713-595-0300 and
ask for Andy Teas or Aimee Arrington.
Form Sales
Back-to-School Special:
Buy One,
Get One Free!
Stock up on your forms today.
Call Frances in the HAA Form Sales Department at
713-595-0317 or e-mail forms@haaonline.org for details.
18
AUGUST 2008
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UPCOMING COURSES
S
chedule and fees are subject to change without prior notification.
Notice of cancellation is required two days in advance to receive a
refund, less a $10 administrative fee. Seats are guaranteed on a
first-come, first-served basis when payment and registration are received
in advance of the program. Unless otherwise indicated, courses are held
in either the Camden and Michael Stevens Interests Room or the Direct
Energy and Liberty Personnel & Executive Search Room at the Dinerstein
Reed Prokop Education Center, 4810 Westway Park Blvd. on the second
floor of the HAA Office Building. Seating is limited. You must pre-register.
August
Advanced Microsoft Excel
Wednesday, August 6
8:30 a.m. to noon
Program Fee: $55
Sponsored by FSI Construction
Do more than just get by in Excel.
This workshop is your ticket to
master every aspect of this software.
Rental Owners Course
Thursdays, August 7 – Sept. 18
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Program fee: $399/members;
$520/non-members
Sponsored by Best Plumbing
and Utility Advantage of Texas
The seven-week series from NAA is
specially designed to provide the
knowledge and skills needed by new
owners and managers of rental
properties. Topics include employee
relations, rent, applications and
screening, rental agreements and
leases, resident relations, evictions,
maintenance, and much more.
APPLE Marketing Session III:
Outrageous Outreach Marketing:
A Year Full of Ideas
With Amy Kosnikowski
Tuesday, August 12
8:30 a.m. to noon
$249 per property; $40 each for
non-enrolled property personnel
Sponsored by Ameritex Movers
Learn the importance of marketing
outreach in creating a steady flow of
quality leads to your community.
You will realize the vital role outreach
plays in a achieving the objective set
in a marketing plan plus uncover the
keys to a successful outreach visit.
Jumpstart your efforts with more
than 100 ready-to-implement ideas
and strategies.
8:30 a.m. to noon
Program Fee: $55
Sponsored by Munisteri Sprott
Rigby Newsom and Robbins PC
Do more than just get by in Excel.
This workshop is your ticket to
master every aspect of this software.
From the
A registration form for all courses and seminars listed here is on Page 25.
For more information, contact the Education & Meetings Department at
713-595-0319 or 713-595-0314 or register online at www.haaonline.org
(online registrations discounted).
Notice to Attendees: All pre-registered no-shows will be billed. For
admittance into HAA/HAF events, payments will be required at the door
if not received prior to the event. Start times listed below include a 30minute registration period. Notice of cancellation is required two days
prior to the event for a refund, less a $10 administrative fee.
counseling, legal implications of
contracts and using outside
contractors. The course also explores
conflict management and
resolution, including strategies for
handling lawsuits.
September
Leasing 101
Tuesday, August 19
8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
$65 if paid by August 18; $75 after
Sponsored by Liberty Personnel/
Executive Search
Learn more about the industry as a
career. Topics covered include
greeting and qualifying the
customer, presenting the lease, an
overview of Fair Housing and more.
APPLE: Maintenance Session III:
Electrify Electrical
With Don Willard
Tuesday, September 9
8:30 a.m. to noon
Sponsored by BG Personnel
Electricity is probably the most
important thing to know and
understand before attempting most
any other repair in maintenance.
Electricity is dangerous, and
electrical devices must be handled,
installed and maintained properly to
avoid injuries, loss of property or
even loss of life. Topics include
electrical safety, codes, lock out/tag
out, makeready repairs, GFCI
circuits, three-way switching circuits,
load calculations, finding shorts and
overloads. Note: Attendees will
receive a CD supplement.
CAPS: Legal Responsibilities
Thursday, August 21
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Program Cost: $1,120
Individual seminars: $160 each
Sponsored by AAA Plumbers
This module delves into standard
employment law as well as key
topics of personnel issues, including
performance reviews and
Blue Star Program
Wednesday, September 10
7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Braeswood Assembly of God
10611 Fondren
$35 if paid by September 7;
$45 after
Sponsored by Ameristar Screen &
Glass and Gexa Energy
The Blue Star Program is a joint
CAM Community Analysis Project
Workshop & Study Session
Friday, August 15
9 a.m. to noon
FREE to CAM students
Mandatory for those intending to
submit project to NAA for review.
HAA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
effort by the Houston Police
Department and HAA. Created for
rental properties of all sizes, the
program’s goal is to help law
enforcement officials and the
multifamily housing industry work
together to effectively reduce
criminal activity in rental properties.
SOAPS Luncheon Honoring
Maintenance and Managers
Friday, September 12
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Sponsored by Ameristar Screen
& Glass, HD Supply and Liberty
Personnel/Executive Search
Details will be mailed to SOAPS
members. For more information,
call Kirsten at 713-595-0314.
APPLE Core Session VII:
Leadership is NOT Being Macho:
Leaders that Deliver Results
en Español With Jimmy Cabrera
8:30 a.m. to noon
Sponsored by BG Personnel
In the second APPLE session to be
conducted entirely in Spanish,
participants will learn that leadership
is not about being “macho” – it is
about humility, character, values and
the desire to make a difference in
society and humanity. Come and
experience a positive, high-energy,
productive workshop.
Leasing 101
Thursday, September 18
8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
See EDUCATION, Page 25
For directions to the HAF Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center, visit Google Maps and enter 4810 Westway Park Blvd. 77041.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
19
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
AUGUST
S M T
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
W
T
3 4 5 6 7
10 11 12 13 14
17 18 19 20 21
24 25 26 27 28
31
F
1
8
15
22
29
August 2008
Events
Education
6
1-2
Recruitment Rally No. 2 –
Wednesday, August 6, 3:30 p.m.
at Los Tios, 9527 Westheimer (at
Tanglewilde). For details, contact
Lisa at lbutler@haaonline.org or
713-595-0322. Sponsored by
Builders Granite & Tile.
Extreme CAM/CAS, cont’d. –
August 1-2, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
6
Advanced Microsoft Excel –
Wednesday, August 6, 8:30 a.m.
to noon. See Page 24 for details.
Sponsored by FSI Construction.
19
Tuesday, August 19 at 3:30 p.m.
at Los Tios, 9527 Westheimer (at
Tanglewilde). For details, contact
Lisa at lbutler@haaonline.org or
713-595-0322. Sponsored by
Absolute Turn-Key.
7
Rental Owners Course –
Thursdays, August 7 through
September 18, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sponsored by Best Plumbing and
Utility Advantage of Texas.
Take 5 PSC Business Exchange –
to 10:30 a.m. Supplier companies
can take advantage of an exclusive
opportunity to meet property
management personnel who make
purchasing decisions. For details,
contact Susan at 713-595-0313 or
shinkley@haaonline.org.
27
Hall of Fame Luncheon –
Celebrate our 2008 honoree, Dick
LaMarche, Creative Property
Management, on Wednesday,
August 27, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
at the InterContinental Hotel,
2222 West Loop South (near
San Felipe). See Page 6 for details.
Sponsored by Maintenance
Supply Headquarters and
CORT Furniture Rental.
APPLE Marketing Session III:
Outrageous Outreach Marketing
with Amy Kosnikowski – Tuesday,
August 12, 8:30 a.m. to noon. See
Page 22 for details. Sponsored by
Ameritex Movers.
T
4
11
18
25
F
5
12
19
26
S
6
13
20
27
September 2008
Meetings
Events
Education
13
5
1
4, 11, 18
18
8
Advanced Microsoft Excel –
to noon. See Page 24 for details.
Sponsored by Munisteri Sprott
Rigby Newsom and Robbins PC.
Community Relations
Committee – Tuesday, August 5,
at 10 a.m.
Offices Closed – Monday,
Spetember 1. The HAA Offices will
be closed in observance of the
Labor Day holiday.
Rental Owners Course, cont’d. –
Thursdays through September 18,
6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sponsored by
Utility Advantage of Texas and
Best Plumbing.
Leasing 101 – Thursday,
September 18, 8:30 a.m. to
3 p.m. Sponsored by Hoffer
Furniture Rental & Sales.
Online Advisory Committee –
Monday, September 8, at 2 p.m.
15
CAM Community Analysis
Workshop & Study Session –
Friday, August 15, 9 a.m. to noon.
7
Chili Committee – Thursday,
August 7, at 3 p.m.
13
Leasing 101 – Tuesday, August
19, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sponsored
by Liberty Personnel/Executive
Search.
Ambassador Club – Wednesday,
August 13, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at
Amazon Grill, 9600 Westheimer
(at Gessner). All supplier members
are welcome. For details, contact
Lisa at 713-595-0322 or lbutler@
haaonline.org.
21
13, 27
CAPS: Legal Responsibilities –
Thursday, August 21, 8:30 a.m. to
5 p.m. Sponsored by AAA
Plumbers.
Resident Relations Committee –
Wednesdays, August 13 and 27, at
3 p.m.
19
12
20
SEPTEMBER
S M T W
1 2 3
7 8 9 10
14 15 16 17
21 22 23 24
28 29 30
S
2
9
16
23
30
Form Sales Backto-School Special:
Buy One,
Get One Free!
3
19
9
Wednesday, September 3,
3:30 p.m. at Los Tios, 9527
Westheimer (at Tanglewilde). For
details, contact Lisa at lbutler@
haaonline.org or 713-595-0322.
Sponsored by American Arches.
APPLE Maintenance Session III:
Electrify Electrical with Don
Willard – Tuesday, September 9,
8:30 a.m. to noon. See Page 22
for details. Sponsored by BG
Personnel.
22
10
Fall Golf Tournament – Monday,
September 22, 10 a.m. check-in
at the BraeBurn Country Club,
8101 Bissonnet. See Page 73
for details or contact Aimee at
aarrington@haaonline.org.
Blue Star – Wednesday, Sept. 10,
7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Braeswood
Assembly of God, 10611 Fondren.
Sponsored by Ameristar Screen &
Glass and Gexa Energy.
16
21
23
Better Government Fund
Luncheon – Thursday, August 21,
at noon. Featured speaker: Bill
King (potential 2009 mayoral
candidate). Contact Aimee at
aarrington@haaonline.org for
details and to RSVP.
Recruitment Rally Wrap-up –
Wednesday, September 23,
3:30 p.m. at Los Tios, 9527
Westheimer (at Tanglewilde). For
details, contact Lisa at lbutler@
haaonline.org or 713-595-0322.
Sponsored by Century Air
Conditioning and Resident Data.
Call Frances in the HAA
Form Sales Department at
713-595-0317 or e-mail
forms@haaonline.org
for details.
Meetings
APPLE Core Session IV:
Leadership is Not Being Macho
with Jimmy Cabrera – Tuesday,
September 16, 8:30 a.m. to noon.
See Page 22 for details. Sponsored
by BG Personnel.
IROC Breakfast – Friday,
September 19, 7:30 a.m.
Sponsored by CORT Furniture
Rental.
10
Luncheon – Wednesday,
September 10, at noon. Featured
speakers: candidates for Senate
District 17. Contact Aimee at
aarrington@haaonline.org for
details and to RSVP.
23
APPLE Leadership Session III:
Success Through Teamwork with
Rick Ellis – Tuesday, September
23, 8:30 a.m. to noon. See Page
22 for details. Sponsored by For
Rent Media Solutions.
Ambassador Club – Wednesday,
September 10, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at
Amazon Grill, 9600 Westheimer
(at Gessner). All supplier members
are welcome. For details, contact
Lisa at 713-595-0322 or lbutler@
haaonline.org.
25
CAPS: Finance – Thursday,
September 25, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sponsored by Best Plumbing.
Meetings located at the HAA Offices, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., first floor, will be held in the
Redi Carpet and Winograd Families/ Judwin Properties Conference Room.
10, 24
Resident Relations Committee –
Wednesdays, September 10 and
24, at 3 p.m.
23
Luncheon – Tuesday, September
23, at noon. Featured Speaker:
Peter Brown (potential 2009
mayoral candidate). Contact
Aimee at aarrington@haaonline.org
for details and to RSVP.
25
Get noticed in the most used
property management tool in Houston!
The deadline is September 30.
See Page 68 for details.
Legislative Committee –
Thursday, September 25,
3:30 p.m.
Board of Directors – Thursday,
September 25, 4:30 p.m.
Sponsored by Direct Energy.
Unless otherwise noted, all events meet at our Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., second floor, in
either the Direct Energy and Liberty Personnel & Executive Search Room or the Camden and Michael Stevens Interests Room.
20
AUGUST 2008
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AUGUST 2008
21
It’s not too late!
Half-Year Enrollment
Now Available!
EDUCATION UPDATE
Send your entire property staff
to any and all of the remaining
2008 sessions for only
By
KIRSTEN DEAGEN, HAA Education & Meetings Manager
Where Are You?
$249 per property!
Help HAA and NAA communicate with you by providing accurate
APPLE features some of the best nationally acclaimed speakers in the industry.
Enrollment is only $249 per property, and the fee includes unlimited attendance
by your entire property staff to any or all of the 10 workshops in four tracks:
• CORE • Maintenance • Leadership • Marketing
Registration for individual sessions by non-enrolled property personnel is $40 per person.
The 2008 series continues with the next four great workshops:
APPLE: Marketing – Session 3
Tuesday, August 12
Sponsored by
Outrageous Outreach Marketing:
A Whole Year Full of Ideas
with Amy Kosnikowski
Do you need to generate qualified traffic? Is your
phone ringing off the hook with future residents
calling? Is the leasing team surpassing sales goals?
If not, attend this seminar to learn the importance
of marketing outreach in creating a steady flow of
quality leads to your community. You will realize
the vital role outreach plays in achieving the
objective set in your marketing plan, plus uncover
the keys to a successful outreach visit. Find out
what’s hot and happening in outreach to jumpstart efforts. This session is jam-packed with more
than 100 ready-to-implement ideas and strategies
to fill your calendar for a whole year.
APPLE: Maintenance – Session 3
Sponsored by
Electrify Electrical
with Don Willard
Electricity is probably the most important thing to
know and understand before attempting any
other maintenance repair. Electricity is dangerous,
and electrical devices must be handled, installed
and maintained properly to avoid injuries, loss of
property or loss of life. Topics in this three-hour
session include:
• Electrical safety and electrical codes – lock/out
tag/out
• General electrical and makeready repairs
• Single and multiple GFCI circuits – three-way
switching circuits
• Load calculations – finding shorts and overloads
Take a bite out of APPLE…
It’s half off!
APPLE: Core – Session 7
Sponsored by
Leadership is Not Being Macho:
Leaders that Deliver Results en Español
with Jimmy Cabrera
The second APPLE session to be conducted entirely in Spanish, participants will come to learn that
leadership is not about being “macho” – leadership is about humility, character, values and the
desire to make a difference in society and humanity. Come and experience a positive, high-energy
and productive leadership workshop.
APPLE: Leadership – Session 3
Sponsored by
Success through Teamwork
with Rick Ellis
Coming together is beginning, staying together is
progress and working together as a team is success. Learn effective team leadership and membership concepts with the focus on communication,
conflict resolution, team diversity and team motivation as they relate to a group of human beings
working toward a common objective, goal or mission. Understand decision-making from a personal
standpoint; that is, how to decide to be an effective team member or leader.
AND MUCH MORE TO COME!
APPLE sessions are held at the HAF Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center, 4810 Westway Park Blvd.,
at Clay Road east of the Beltway. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., and programs run from 9 a.m. to noon.
For more information, contact the HAA Education Department at 713-595-0319, e-mail educ@haaonline.org
or look online at www.haaonline.org.
22
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
and current contact information.
Regardless of
being a designate
or not, it is
crucial that any
member of HAA
keep his or her
information
current in
our system.
I
t happens time and time again – a student vigilantly completes the course hours, projects and
exams to receive his or her hard-earned national
designation only to be found on the NAA “lapsed
designate” list a couple of years later.
Sadly, most of the time the person doesn’t realize
that he or she is no longer considered a designate and
is unaware that the designation has to be maintained
each year. NAA mails correspondence to each designate
on an annual basis informing them of what is needed
to maintain the designation, however, much of that
goes unseen as often designate records are not kept up
to date by the designate, which is an issue we also face
at the local level.
Regardless of being a designate or not, it is
crucial that any member of HAA keep his
or her information current in our system.
It is important to notify us if you change
companies or even if your title changes
with the same company – this is our link
to you. This affects many parties on
many levels, from the e-mails you receive
from us to the precision of our records
on site at an event. Also, now that we
offer online registration, the accuracy of
the company rosters greatly affects the
ease of the entire process.
It is quite simple to keep your contact
information up to date by using the HAA
Web site, www.haaonline.org. Once you
have logged in, click on “MyAccount” at
the top of the page and you will be directed to the Account Management page.
Here, you will be able to change all of your
contact information, as well as reset your
login and password.
Another handy feature of the Account
Management page is that you are able to
see the events and classes you have
attended by clicking on the “Orders” tab.
For designates, this tool will help you
track your Continuing Education Credits
that you must earn every year.
Remember, you can also update your
information by e-mail, phone or fax at any
time with any HAA staff member. You might choose
any of these options if you would like your news to be
announced in the ABODE magazine. Promotions,
staffing changes and other good news are highlighted
in the “In the News” section.
If you are a designate, it is also important that you
pass this information along to the National Apartment
Association so that they are able to correspond with
you about maintaining your designation. Contact the
NAA Education Department at education@naahq.org
with any changes.
If you have any questions on maintaining, reinstating or
earning your NAA designation, please contact Kirsten
Deagen, Education & Meetings Manager, at 713-595-0314
or kdeagen@haaonline.org.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
23
Register online at
Maximize your organization’s profitability and employee
performance by attending any of our information-packed,
highly cost-effective computer courses!
All Excel classes are conveniently located at the
HAF Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center,
4810 Westway Park Blvd., off Clay Road and the Beltway.
Each course is a great bargain at only $55 per person.
Wednesday, August 6
(sponsored by FSI Construction)
or
(sponsored by Munisteri Sprott Rigby Newsome
and Robbins PC)
8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. – Registration
9 a.m. to noon – Program
Conquer
the
Spreadsheet!
EDUCATION, Continued from Page 19
Coming
November 1
Stay tuned to ABODE
for all the details …
Learn to do more than just “get by” in Excel.
This outstanding workshop is your ticket to a faster,
more productive way to master every aspect of this
powerful software.
$65 if paid by September 17;
$75 after
Sponsored by Hoffer Furniture
Rental & Sales
Learn more about the industry as a
career. Topics covered include
greeting and qualifying the customer,
presenting the lease, an overview of
Fair Housing and more.
IROC Breakfast
Friday, September 19
7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
FREE/members; $25/non-members
Sponsored by CORT
Furniture Rental
APPLE Leadership Session III:
Success Through Teamwork
With Rick Ellis
8:30 a.m. to noon
Sponsored by For Rent Media
Solutions
Instructor Julie Marie Irvin is a national presenter and consultant specializing
in computer literacy and technical solutions for effective communication. Irvin,
president of Houston-based Keystone Resources, is a Microsoft Office User
Specialist with more than 10 years of experience. She combines creative and
technical talents to deliver solutions to a national and international client base.
REGISTRATION
Register online at
WWW.HAAONLINE.ORG and save!
How do you decide to be an effective
team member or leader? This
presentation teaches effective team
leadership and membership concepts
by focusing on communication,
conflict resolution, team diversity and
team motivation as they relate to a
group of human beings working
toward a common objective, goal or
mission. This is not just a leadership
seminar – it is a seminar for all
members of the team.
CAPS: Finance
Thursday, September 25
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Program Cost: $1,120
Individual seminars: $160 each
Sponsored by Best Plumbing
For supervisors, nothing matters
more than the bottom line! This
crucial module teaches students to
measure performance, determine
NOI, manage the budget process
and analyze financial statements, as
well as how to add value to an
investment. This course will show
you the money!
www.HAAonline.org
to receive a discount!
Enclosed is $ ___________ to register for the following event(s). Please make checks payable to the Houston Apartment Foundation. For courses and
events designated by an asterisk (*), please make checks payable to the Houston Apartment Association.
o MasterCard o Visa o American Express o Discover Card Number _________________________________________________________
Name as it appears on card _______________________________________________________________
Expiration Date __________/__________
Signature _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
o Advanced Microsoft Excel, Wednesday, August 6. $55.
o Rental Owners Course, Thursdays, August 7-Sept. 18.
$399/members; $520/non-members.
o APPLE Marketing Session III: Outrageous Outreach
Marketing, Tuesday, August 12. $249/property; $40/nonenrolled property personnel.
o Advanced Microsoft Excel, Wednesday, August 13. $55.
o CAM Community Analysis Workshop, Friday, August 15.
Free to CAM students.
o Leasing 101, Tuesday, August 19. $65 if paid by August 18;
$75 after.
o CAPS: Legal Responsibilities, Thursday, August 21.
$1,120/program; $160/seminar.
o APPLE Maintenance Session III: Electrify Electrical, Tuesday,
Sept. 9. $249/property; $40/non-enrolled property personnel.
o Blue Star Program, Wednesday, Sept. 10. $35 if paid by Sept. 7;
$45 after.
o APPLE Core Session VII: Leadership is NOT Being Macho
(en Español), Tuesday, Sept.16. $249/property; $40/non-enrolled
property personnel.
o Leasing 101, Thursday, Sept. 18. $65 if paid by Sept.17;
$75 after.
o IROC Breakfast, Friday, Sept. 19. Free/members; $25/
non-members.
o APPLE Leadership Session III: Success Through Teamwork,
Tuesday, Sept. 23. $249/property; $40/non-enrolled property
personnel.
o CAPS: Finance, Thursday, Sept. 25. $1,120/program;
$160/seminar.
Name(s) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Company _____________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________
City _________________________ State______ Zip ______________ Phone_________________________ Fax_______________________________
Mail to the Education and Meetings Department, Houston Apartment Foundation: 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, TX 77041; fax to HAF at 281-582-1508,
e-mail educ@haaonline.org or online at www.haaonline.org. Schedule and fees are subject to change without prior notification. Notice of cancellation is
required two days in advance to receive a refund less a $10 administrative fee per registration; payment will be considered nontransferable at this time.
Because of guarantees at hotels, restaurants and other venues, all pre-registered no-shows will be billed. For admittance into HAA/HAF events, payments will
be required at the door if not received prior to the event. The Houston Apartment Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex
or national origin in any of its education programs. Register online with a credit card at www.haaonline.org and save.
24
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
25
INDUSTRY UPDATE
From the
NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
and the
NATIONAL MULTI HOUSING COUNCIL
Fair Housing at 40
NAA and NMHC commemorate four decades of Fair Housing with a review of the law
and its implications.
T
his year marks the 40th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. The
measure was signed into law one
week after the assassination of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. This update uses the
anniversary as an opportunity to remind
apartment operators of their responsibilities
under the Act.
While NAA and NMHC recognize that our
members conduct extensive Fair Housing
training programs for their employees, the
increased level of court activity in this area,
including some involving non-traditional
forms of discrimination such as sexual
harassment and linguistic profiling, suggests
that it may be useful to review and update
company programs. It is especially important
that front-line staff are armed with the tools
necessary to identify and address the many
forms that housing discrimination can take.
On the surface, compliance with the Fair
Housing Act appears straightforward. It makes
it illegal to discriminate in the sale, rental and
financing of dwellings and in other housingrelated transactions, based on one or more of
the seven protected classes: race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, familial status
and disability. (Familial status and disability
were added to the list of protected classes by
the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988,
which also added enforcement mechanisms
via government and private action.)
While the law also covers transactions in
the single-family sector, most complaints
originate from the rental market. Common
housing discrimination complaints include:
• Imposing more restrictive rules on
minority residents than on others;
• Denying families with children or limiting the number of children in units to fewer
than two per-bedroom;
• Sexual harassment against residents
(HUD reports that the Bush Administration
has filed three times as many housing-related
sexual harassment cases than its predecessor);
• Failing to make reasonable accommodations for disabled residents, such as amending parking space location, unit location and
no-pets policies; and
26
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
• Failing to return telephone messages left
by African-Americans.
ACCESSIBILITY
Housing discrimination takes many forms
and is no longer dominated by instances of
minorities being denied an apartment or
steered to a less desirable location or unit.
Although this may still occur, for the last several years, discrimination due to a disability
has been the largest source of housing discrimination complaints. According to HUD,
more than 10,000 housing discrimination
complaints were filed with HUD and its state
and local government agencies in 2007. Of
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Apartment operators should note, however,
that this decision does not affect the
Department of Justice’s ability to bring a civil
action if a defendant has engaged in a “pattern or practice of resistance” to Fair Housing
rights. There is no statute of limitations for
those actions.
NON-TRADITIONAL DISCRIMINATION
In addition to the traditional forms of discrimination involving minorities and disabled
residents, plaintiffs’ attorneys are beginning
to turn their attention to some other forms of
discrimination. This is particularly the case at
It is especially important that front-line staff are armed
with the tools necessary to identify and address the many
forms that housing discrimination can take.
these, 43 percent alleged discrimination
against persons with disabilities.
The apartment industry is well aware of the
highly publicized cases filed against several
large multifamily developers alleging violation
of the Act’s design and construction requirements for accessibility. The apartment industry scored an important victory in May when
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
affirmed the statute of limitations governing
when “aggrieved persons” can file private civil
actions alleging violations of the Fair Housing
accessibility regulations. According to this ruling, such cases must be filed within two years
of when the last certificate of occupancy is
issued (Garcia v. Brockway, 503 F. 3d 1092
[Sept. 20, 2007]). NAA and NMHC submitted
a “friend of the court” brief arguing in support
of such a ruling.
The court rejected the plaintiffs’ argument
that private litigants could file civil actions
within two years of “encountering” an accessibility design violation (e.g., within two years
of leasing or trying to lease an apartment)
under the “continuing violation” theory.
The ruling applies to the states and regions
covered by the Ninth Circuit, which includes:
Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington,
the local level, where laws have been enacted
to expand the number of protected classes.
Common additions include source of income,
sexual identity and marital status. Attention is
also being paid to victims of domestic violence, local zoning restrictions and local
immigration ordinances as forms of discrimination. In addition, recent emphasis has been
placed on what has been described by the
DOJ as “the more hidden forms of discrimination,” such as a leasing consultant treating
minority applicants politely but falsely telling
them that no units are available.
“Source of Income” Discrimination: Advocates
seeking new ways to increase the amount of
affordable housing are pushing for state laws
that include “source of income” as a protected class, thus mandating that apartment
owners accept Section 8 vouchers. Currently
17 cities, including Los Angeles, New York,
Philadelphia, Seattle, St. Louis and
Washington have “source of income” antidiscrimination laws. Thirteen states also have
such laws: California, Connecticut, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New
Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin.
NAA and NMHC and others recently asked
the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on
whether states and localities can force a property owner to participate in the federal
Section 8 program by making it illegal to
deny a voucher holder based on their “source
of income.” We have long argued that when
Congress created the Section 8 program, it
explicitly made the program voluntary
because it recognized that there are costs and
burdens imposed on property owners who
choose to participate in it. We believe that by
altering the voluntary nature of the program,
local “source of income” laws contradict the
congressional intent and impose an unconstitutional burden on property owners.
Violence Against Women Act: This Act protects domestic violence victims by prohibiting apartment operators receiving federal
housing subsidies from evicting a resident
because of criminal activity committed by a
member of the victim’s household. When
the VAWA was reauthorized in 2005, NAA
and NMHC successfully opposed efforts to
create a new protected class under the Fair
Housing Act for victims of domestic violence. As a result, the final legislation instead
allows rental providers to evict an abuser and
leave the domestic violence victim in place.
Linguistic Profiling: Fair Housing groups are
also targeting their resources to identify
apartment operators that engage in what is
called “linguistic profiling,” or the practice of
discriminating against someone based on
how he or she sounds over the phone. Fair
Housing advocates say courts are taking linguistic profiling cases more seriously because
of research suggesting such discrimination
exists, and Harvard law professor Alan
Dershowitz called the research the “nuclear
weapon of plaintiffs’ discrimination lawsuits.” To hear an NPR story on the topic,
visit http://tinyurl.com/2ty2fc.
Exclusionary Zoning: In recent years, developers have employed the Fair Housing Act to
overcome opposition to new affordable housing. While the Act does not preempt local
zoning laws, it does prohibit municipalities
and other local government entities from
making zoning or land-use decisions or implementing land-use policies that exclude or otherwise discriminate against protected persons.
In a growing number of lawsuits, nonprofit
Fair Housing groups have sued local governments under the Fair Housing Act, arguing
that exclusionary zoning exacerbates the residential segregation patterns the Act was
designed to combat.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
27
MEDIA ROUNDUP
By
JENIFER PANERAL, CPM, Media Relations Committee Chair
with AIMEE BERTRAND, HAA Public Affairs Specialist
PHOTO ALBUM
Photos fromthe
HAABGF LUNCHEON
with
LT. GOV. DAVID DEWHURST
A Winning Idea
Are you looking for ways to get the word out about your property,
company or staff members? Try nominating one for an award!
Awards are great
ways to focus
attention on
your success
and share that
message with the
broader public.
A
s you know, HAA hosts the Industry
Achievement Awards on an annual basis.
In addition to the IAA, there are many
other opportunities to get the credit that
you deserve. Awards are great ways to
focus attention on your success and share that message with the broader public. When organizations,
companies or institutions give out awards they often
distribute the names of winners to local newspapers
and other media outlets.
These days, everyone from locators to Web sites
offer awards, so keep an eye out for your opportunity
to shine. Nomination processes are often very simple,
so a small amount of effort can often result in big
publicity for the winners!
HAA recently nominated longtime member Cesar
Lima of AAA Plumbers for the Mayor’s Hispanic
Heritage Awards. This was a good opportunity to garner attention for HAA members as a dedicated and
successful part of our community. We often look for
opportunities to support our members, and thus the
strength of HAA, through nominations like this one.
NEW FIRE SAFETY MAGNETS
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst speaks to
the Houston Apartment Association
Better Government Fund in May.
Lt. Gov. Dewhurst with HAA President John Ridgway
David Jones and Pat O’Connor
Kirk Tate and Jerry Winograd
Ernest Etuk and Tony Whitaker
HAA has ordered a new batch of fire safety magnets
featuring tips geared to apartment residents. Thanks
to generous sponsorships by Ameritex Movers, Direct
Energy and Liberty Personnel/Executive Search, we
are able to offer these magnets to you for FREE. More
than 30,000 free magnets were distributed over the
past several months to HAA member properties. If
you would like to obtain magnets for your property,
contact Aimee Arrington at AArrington@haaonline.org
or at 713-595-0302. We have a limited supply of
20,000 magnets to distribute, so reserve magnets for
your property quickly while supplies last.
Debra Knight, Kirk Tate and Theresa Lamar
SAFE IN MY PLACE, NOW EN ESPAÑOL!
If you tuned in to a talk radio station during the
summer, you may have heard HAA President John
Ridgway talking about water and fire safety. The ads
are part of HAA’s public education campaign called
“Safe in My Place.”
HAA is now expanding its reach to include Spanish
radio messages. Our thanks go to Houston City
Councilman James Rodriguez, who gave his time and
talent to voice these spots. We will be providing these
spots to Spanish radio stations as public service
announcements on a seasonal basis.
The spots can also be found on our one-stop renters’
safety information Web site, www.SafeInMyPlace.com.
We have also added hurricane preparedness tips to the
site and will continue to post new safety content on a
regular basis. Check the site out today to download
safety tips to distribute to your residents, to view our
recent fire safety television commercials or to listen to
the radio spots. HAA urges you to link your company’s
or community’s Web site to www.SafeInMyPlace.com.
28
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
Houston City Councilman James Rodriguez records a safety
message in Spanish for HAA’s “Safe in My Place” campaign.
Jenard Gross and Susan Lee
HAA Vice President of Public Affairs Andy Teas
and Mike Koch
Beth Rohani, Liz Berglund and Jeff Blevins
John Ridgway and Carol Dougherty
Texas Apartment Association Government Affairs
Director David Mintz
Larry Hill and Eileen Subinsky
For more information on getting involved with the HAA Better Government Fund PAC, contact Aimee Arrington at aarrington@haaonline.org.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
29
PHOTO ALBUM
Photos from the
JUNE SPONSORSHIP AUCTION
PHOTO ALBUM
Photos from the
PSC SUPPLIER EDUCATION PROGRAM
Thanks to our generous
sponsors, who broke all
records and helped us raise
more than $135,000 for
HAA and HAF programs:
CORT Furniture Rental
Resident Data, Direct Energy and Republic Waste
For Rent Media Solutions/Apartamentos Para Rentar
PSC President Tony Whitaker
and HAA Officer Kim Small
Cesar Lima, AAA Plumbers
Houston Pest
30
AUGUST 2008
Ameritex Movers
Certified Recovery Systems
Maintenance Supply Headquarters and Camp Construction Services
Auctioneer Mike Koch
ABODE
Apartment Guide
and Pavecon
Alison Hall
CORT Furniture Rental
Apartment Guide
Direct Energy
Houston Pest
Maintenance Supply Headquarters
Apple Termite & Pest Control
HD Supply
Best Plumbing
FSI Construction
Republic Services Inc.
Century A/C
Certified Recovery Systems Inc.
Dixie Carpet
Kwal Paint
Apartamentos Para Rentar
Pavecon
Gexa Energy
Apartments.com
Bishop’s Office Needs
Hoffer Furniture
Ameritex Movers
Apartment Data Services
Apartment Finder
Resident Data
ICI Paints
Sherwin Williams
Brandt Electrical Services
Gemstar Construction
Camp Construction Services
Penco Construction
Perfect Surface
Service Concepts
BG Personnel
Access Electric
Orkin Innovative Pest Control
Ameristar Screen & Glass
TXU Energy
AAA Plumbers
Utility Advantage of Texas
Craven Carpet
Ideal Towing
Coinmach
Munisteri Sprott Rigby Newsom
and Robbins PC
McBride Electric
PSC President Tony Whitaker, FSI
Construction, and Paul Marks, WaterLogic
Thanks to our panel members, Joe Kaye, Direct Energy; James Gregory,
Redi Carpet; Andrea Winans, Bishop’s Office Needs; Billy Griffin, Century A/C;
and Dean O’Kelley, Liberty Personnel/Executive Search.
Ambit Energy’s Joanna Devine and Debra Guerrero
Billy Griffin and Joshua Hari,
Space Center Systems
Apartment Inventory Management’s
Mandy Gasaway and Jodi Southwick
Rick Atwood, Absolute Turn-Key; Arrie Colca; and
Jo Ann Harmon, Gift Baskets and Parcels USA
Jon Bleyer and Tenya Du, Apartment Hunter Magazine,
and Amanda Frazier, DiPuma Printing
Event co-chair Arrie Colca,
Craven Carpet
Barbara Brett, McBride
Electric, and MJ Featherston,
Access Electric
Joan Miller, Ambit Energy, and Nancy
Romano, Bankers Life and Casualty
Suppliers: For your spot on the
waiting list, contact Susan at
shinkley@haaonline.org.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
31
PHOTO ALBUM
Photos from the 2008
HAA President John Ridgway, Pinnacle, congratulates Texas Apartment
Association Olin Steele nominees Tony Whitaker, FSI Construction; Jeff Blevins,
Camp Construction Services; and Cesar Lima, AAA Plumbers.
HAA INDUSTRY ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Owner/Management Executive of the Year Darlene Guidry, Hettig
Management, is presented her award by John Ridgway and Liberty’s
Dean O’Kelley and Apartment Guide’s Nichole Williams.
Photos by
MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography
Thanks to event co-sponsor Apartment Guide. On June 12, more than 700
members attended the annual awards ceremony at the Intercontinental Hotel.
Thanks to event co-sponsor Liberty Staffing/Executive Search.
Supplier of the Year Patrick Brothers, Century Air Conditioning
Lead Maintenance Technician of the Year Carl Hoehn, Milestone Management,
with John Ridgway, Liberty’s Laura Lester, Milestone’s Beth Van Winkle and
Apartment Guide’s Erin McCary
David Hargrove, Gary Blumberg, Theresa Lamar
and Mike Koch
32
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
Independent Rental Owner of the Year Emery Jakab, JAW Equity
Management
Manager of the Year, 200 to 499 units, Linda Belk, Greystar, with John
Ridgway, Liberty’s Debra Knight and Apartment Guide’s Erin McCary
Nominees and attendees from Greystone Asset
Management
Jerry Winograd, Gary Blumberg, Ed Subinsky,
Jackie Rhone, Eileen Subinsky and Ken Bohan
Maintenance Supervisor of the Year, 500+ units, Luis Garza, Archstone-Smith
Nora Krakower, Royal Plumbing Supply, is
presented an award honoring her as a Honorary
Lifetime Member of the Expo Exhibitor
Committee for her many years of service.
John Hettig with Ron and Darlene Guidry
Leasing Consultant of the Year Kim Buckalew, Greystar
Manager of the Year, 1 to 199 units,
Traci Henderson, Hettig Management
Bruce McClenny, Greg Douglas, Nora Krakower,
Cesar Lima, Marivel Villanueva and Karen Nelsen
Manager of the Year, 500+ units, Renee
Renobato, Archstone-Smith
Gloria Haney, Southhampton Management,
is announced as the Go-Getter of the Year.
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AUGUST 2008
33
PHOTO ALBUM
Leasing Consultant
Winner: Kim Buckalew, Greystar,
Stone Park I & II Apartments
Audrea Alexander, Oak Leaf
Management, Bay Meadows
Apartments
Santino Campese, Investment Realty,
Remington Park Apartments
Maricela Gomez, Archstone-Smith,
Archstone Westchase
Christina Gomez, Rockwell
Management, Castlewood
Apartments
Nicole Gramaski, Milestone
Management, Bar Harbor
Apartments
Lee Jaramillo, Rockwell Management,
The Palms on Westheimer
Josephine Lott, Archstone-Smith,
Archstone Medical Center
Michael Maddox, Camden, Camden
Whispering Oaks
Carolina Paneque, Archstone-Smith,
Archstone Memorial Heights
James Reed, Rockwell Management,
Brompton Court Apartments
Lead Maintenance Technician
Winner: Carl Hoehn, Milestone
Management, Bar Harbor
Apartments
Will Austin, Michael Stevens Interests,
Walnut Terrace Apartments
Julio Briones, Oak Leaf Management,
Woods of Greenbriar Apartments
Hilario Castillo, Oak Leaf
Management, Bay Meadows
Apartments
Jorge Castillo, AMLI Residential, AMLI
Towne Square
Esbin Garcia, Archstone-Smith,
Westchase Apartments
Jose Garcia, GFI Management, Bennett
at CityView
Roberto Gomez, Riverstone Residential
Group, The Carlton
Jairo Lara, TVO Groupe, Gramercy Park
Apartments
Cirilo Laves, Oak Leaf Management,
Savannah Place/Hunter’s Point
Apartments
Jesse Lott, Greystone Asset
Management, Catalina Village
Miguel Marquez, Greystone Asset
Management, Lakeview Apartments
Arturo Perez, Guardian Equity
Management, Spring Forest
Apartments
Omar Reyes, Oak Leaf Management,
Bay Meadows Apartments
Jose Raul Rivera, Greystone Asset
Management, Creekbend
Apartments
Jose Santoyo, Greystone Asset
Management, Crossview Court
Apartments
Winners and Nominees of the 2008
Regional Maintenance Supervisor
Winner: Carlos Alvarez, GFI
Management
Matt Anderson, Southhampton
Management
Mike Maniscalo, Alliance Residential
Management
Maintenance Supervisor
(500 units or more)
Winner: Luis Garza, Archstone-Smith,
Charles Castleberry, Montex Property
Management, Lantern Village
Apartments
Randy Casares, Greystar, Sierra Pines
Apartments
Juan Ramirez, Archstone-Smith,
John Vivola, Riverstone Residential
Group, Alexan Woods
Jose “Tony” Vasquez, Riverstone
Residential Group, The Belmont
Apartments
Assistant On-Site Manager
Winner: Larry Willms, Hettig
Management, Almeda Park
Apartments
Alex Garza, SPM Inc., Canal Place
Apartments
Evelyn Gonzalez, Oak Leaf
Management, Spring Lake
Apartments
Victoria Perez, Rockwell Management,
Gentry House Apartments
On-site Manager (500 units or more)
Winner: Renee Renobato, ArchstoneSmith, Archstone Memorial
Heights
Neri Perales, Realty Center
Management, Willow Creek
Apartments
Patricia Torres, Archstone-Smith,
On-Site Manager (1-199 units)
Winner: Traci Henderson, Hettig
Management, Almeda Park
Apartments
Erica Ayala, Oak Leaf Management,
Braeswood Plaza Apartments
Kathy Chaney, Greystone Asset
Management, Crossview Courts
Apartments
Kathy Pruner, JAW Equity
Management, Quarters on Red Bluff
Apartments
Rosa Torres, Oak Leaf Management,
Woods of Greenbriar Apartments
Melissa Watts, Oak Leaf Management,
Bay Meadows Apartments
Marketing/Training Director
Winner: Pat O’Shea, Greystar
Rebecca Carpentier, Rockwell
Management
On-Site Manager (200-499 units)
Winner: Linda Belk, Greystar,
Bellshire Apartments
Clarissa Balderas, Rockwell
Management, London Belle
Apartments
Cherie Benoit, Camden, Camden
Whispering Oaks
Janet Carey, Rockwell Management,
Reserve at the Fountains
Melissa Colin, Michael Stevens
Interests, Stafford Run/Carriage
Glen/Bayou Glen
Shannon Crumpler, Greystar, Oak
Grove Apartments
Susan Dear, Greystar, Estates at
Memorial Heights
Chris Harris, Riverstone Residential
Group, Wynhaven at Willowbrook
Carolyn Jackson, Archstone-Smith,
Archstone Westchase Apartments
Stacie Key, Milestone Management,
Bar Harbor Apartments
Angie Lavarack, Southhampton
Management, Ventura Lofts
Sherri Lopez, Riverstone Residential
Group, Alexan Gulf Pointe
Apartments
Cynthia Micyk, Hettig Management,
Fallbrook Ranch/Waterside Court
Apartments
James Montgomery, Alliance
Communities, Broadstone at Piney
Point
Elizabeth Oviedo, Michael Stevens
Interests, The Crest
Sonya Sampson, AMLI Residential,
AMLI Towne Square
Maria Roman, Guardian Equity
Management, Spring Forest
Apartments
Tami Telschow, JAW Equity
Management, Breckenridge Court
Apartments
Accounting Manager
Winner: Ken Thurmond, Rockwell
Management
Pam Dyer, Oak Leaf Management
Sheila Irvin, Greystone Asset
Management
Human Resources Director
Winner: Tony Wheeler, Greystar
Ruth Fort, Asset Plus Companies
Administrative Support
Winner: Bobbi Oliver, Oak Leaf
Management
Anna Aceves, Oak Leaf Management
Allison Culver, Greystone Asset
Management
Christy Fineberg, Oak Leaf
Management
Lenore Foreman, Greystar
Jesus Roque, Camden
Lupe Ybarra, Rockwell Management
Property Supervisor
Winner: Dawn Jakubik, Michael
Stevens Interests
Lisa Barajas, JAW Equity Management
Chris Barlow, Greystar
Cheryl Canova, GFI Management
Veronica Chavez, Guardian Equity
Management
Kristen DeVon, Greystar
Darlene Donovan, Greystar
Shawna DuPlantis, Greystone Asset
Management
Xandra Green, Greystone Asset
Management
Louis Haba, Asset Plus Companies
Earon Hunt, Greystar
Caroline Kane, Summit Asset
Management
Barby Lake, Westdale Asset
Management
Kathy Vandegear, Greystone Asset
Management
Photos by
Assistant On-Site Manager of the Year Larry Willms,
Hettig Management
Marketing/Training Director of the Year
Pat O’Shea, Greystar
Administrative Support of the Year Bobbi Oliver,
Oak Leaf Management
Accounting Manager of the Year Ken Thurmond,
Rockwell Management
HR Director of the Year Tony Wheeler, Greystar
Patrick Brothers, no longer the “Susan Lucci”
of the Industry Achievement Awards
Independent Owner
Winner: Emery Jakab, JAW Equity
Management
Ira Gross, Integrity Investors
Owner/Management Executive
Winner: Darlene Guidry, Hettig
Management
Julie Batche, Alliance Residential
Management
David Jones, Southhampton
Management
Kelly Scott, Riverstone Residential
Group
Debbie Webre, Greystar
Richard Wilson, The Property Group
Jerry Winograd, Judwin Properties
Michelle Ybarra, GFI Management
Services
Supplier
Winner: Patrick Brothers, Century Air
Conditioning
Casey Carson, Gemstar Construction
& Development
Peggy Charles, Brandt Electrical
Services
Kevin Fenn, Pavecon
Joe Kaye, Direct Energy
David Koenig, Valet Waste
Jan Maddux, Maintenance Supply
Headquarters
Dean O’Kelley, Liberty
Personnel/Executive Search
Tony Whitaker, FSI Construction
Alan Young, Redi Carpet Sales
Congratulations to the National Apartment Leasing Professional designates
Regional Maintenance Supervisor of the Year Carols Alvarez, GFI Management
Go-Getter of the Year
Gloria Haney, Southhampton
Management
Congratulations to the Certified Apartment Property Supervisor designates
34
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
Eileen Subinsky steps in to accept the Property Supervisor of the Year award
for Dawn Jakubik, Michael Stevens Interests.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
35
PHOTO ALBUM
Photos from the 2008
JAW Equity Management
Archstone-Smith
Greystar
Mary Estrada, Michelle Gates, Carlos Estrada,
Lori Lindley and Robert McDaniel
Dick LaMarche and Pat Tollett
Creative Property Management
Dean O’Kelley, Debbie Andreozzi, Chris Skrabanek,
Theresa Lamar and Cary Wright
Etan Mirwis and Audrey Ingram
36
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
Dick LaMarche, Nichole Curl and
David Koenig
Ray Carrasco, Jim Hauser and
Tony Whitaker
Carol Marple, Dwain Capodice and Mindy Price
Trey Stone
2008
Y
Leaders
2008 Hall of Fame recipient
Dick LaMarche takes on life
at full swing.
By
DEBORAH NIX, HAA Staff
Photo by
fo
rt
he
Par
Course
38
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
the newly-built Post Oak Lane Townhomes
on Memorial Drive and Town Plaza.
During his 14 years with Hill & White,
LaMarche wore many caps in both management and construction and learned a lot.
“I was still a young whippersnapper back
then, and it was a very good learning experience because I learned the construction
aspects of it and I was managing large numbers of properties,“ LaMarche says, “so I was
on the loading docks, so to speak. That’s a
term Greg (Douglas, his partner in Creative
Property Management) likes to use. We both
grew up on the loading docks.
“We did the jobs that we expect our managers to do now, and we know what their
problems are because we’ve been there.
In April 1978, LaMarche’s fraternity brother and HAA General Counsel Joe Bax incorporated Creative Property Management.
LaMarche and Douglas set up shop in
LaMarche’s dining room and got to work.
“We had nothing,” LaMarche says. “I had
to borrow money from my mother-in-law.
Greg went to work for Brinkmann Roofing,
because Brinkmann was one of his best
friends. He was driving a little orange
Volkswagen Beetle. I mean, we were poor.
And we were just trying to get by. We didn’t
have a single property, and we worked hard
and we contacted brokers and anyone else
connected to the apartment industry.”
It was truly a grassroots effort.
“The funny thing is we had a Sheltie, and
whenever the mailman came, that
damn dog attacked the mailman
“It’
s
been
a
real
joy
working
with
Dick.
He’
s
a
really
good
barking,” LaMarche says, laughCAREER IN FULL SWING
person.
He’
s
,
as
a
partner,
very
diligent
on
doing
what
ing. “I was on the phone talking
Born in Manchester, N.H.,
to clients and trying to get busiLaMarche spent his early years movneeds to be done, I don’t ever have to worry. … I know
ness, and here’s this dog barking
ing from place to place with his famthat it’s going to be done and done well. He takes pride
and I’d say ‘Well I’m sorry, but
ily, following his father’s career
in that. Dick’s been my business partner for 30 years,
we’re located next to a kennel.’”
designing aircraft, including the
It didn’t take long for Creative
Cutlass jet. Due to the growing space and I can’t think of anybody I’d rather have as a partner.”
to outgrow its humble beginnings
program, his father’s career brought
– Greg Douglas, Creative Property Management at the dining room table, moving
them to Texas.
six months later to its current
LaMarche attended Dallas Jesuit
location off the Southwest Freeway.
I had to manage all the people and the
High School then continued on to Notre
“We were the first ones to move into this
maintenance men, and it was a big job. But I
Dame University, where a lack of funding
building,” LaMarche says. The company
love it. I loved the development of it.”
brought him back to Texas and night school
started out leasing 600 square feet and grew
at the University of Houston. There, luck led
from there.
him to the apartment industry.
ON THE GREEN
“I was in accounting, and our teacher said
completed
and
managed
several
LaMarche
they had an opening for a job. It was actually
more 900-plus unit properties before leaving
STRAIGHT SHOT
with Hill & White, building houses in Walnut
Hill & White to strike out on his own with
LaMarche knows what works in his busiBend,” he says. “Walnut Bend was nothing
Greg Douglas.
ness and knows his niche.
back then. … I worked for them during the
“I worked for Hill & White. Greg worked
“Everything Greg and I do is fee manageday, and then I went to school at night.”
for Landmark, which had 20,000 units,”
ment. We don’t own any properties,” he
In 1964, Hill & White asked LaMarche to
LaMarche says. “He was a property supervimeet the electrician at a new multifamily
sor for them, and he and I met through the
site, which is now Georgetown Townhomes.
apartment association.
“I was a punch-out construction superin“We had lunch one day at Steak & Ale and
tendent,“ LaMarche says. “I was 20 years old,
said, ‘You know, let’s start our own deal.’ We
and they made me the first manager. It’s a
worked all these years for somebody else. …
Presidential
454-unit property. Back then that was huge.”
Had they offered ownership positions or partABODE cover,
January 1989
While managing Georgetown, LaMarche
nership it would have been different, that wasacted as a property supervisor, managing both n’t the way it was done, back then anyway.”
ou would be hard-pressed
to find anyone who has
been as actively involved in
the Houston Apartment
Association as Creative
Property Management’s
Dick LaMarche. An active member since
1965, LaMarche has volunteered for every
major association committee and club: He is
an active Go-Getter with 36 members
recruited, a staunch supporter of the HAA
Better Government Fund and was HAA
president in 1989. You will not find a more
outspoken cheerleader for the multifamily
industry, nor a more deserving recipient
of the 2008 HAA Hall of Fame award.
It’s a hole in one for this avid golfer
and industry leader.
Carol and Dick LaMarche
at the 2006 HAA Gala
Mike Biggs, Dick LaMarche, Robin Reed and
Jack Dinerstein, HAA Business Meeting, 1988
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
39
2008
ties that they feel are priced right, but they inflate the market
says. “There’s no conflicts of interest. We
because they will pay more than what we feel that particular properalways tell our owners we’re fee-paid and
ty is worth. So it’s affected the industry by inflating sales prices, and
that’s it. We work for you, we want to be
therefore the numbers … don’t work, there’s no cash flow. There’s
your partner.
no way to make them work when you pay too much for a building
“We’re up to 5,000 to 6,000 units. Back in
and have a large debt service payment to make each month.”
’89 we only had 1,800 units. We don’t really want to get any bigger.
We’re not a REIT or a big company like Kirk (Tate of Orion Real Estate
Services) and them. That’s a whole different operation.
THE LONGEST DRIVE FOR HAA
“We manage all types of properties, A, B and C. We also take over
Jimmy Hill of Hill & White got LaMarche involved in HAA.
30-, 40-, 50-year-old properties that have a lot of deferred maintenance,
“I was just 20-something, and he would send me to HAA events
and we enjoy turning them around.
for him,” LaMarche says. “I was
“And we've got a niche in the mar“I am very proud of Dick for being elected to the Hall of sort of his go-fer, and so that’s
ket. We’ve got the C-type, blue-collar,
how I started getting involved.”
Fame. It’s been an interesting journey building a successthe hard properties. … I don’t mean
And his involvement has conthey’re not nice, they’re C-type prop- ful business with Dick and Greg. Working with your
tinued for more than 40 years,
erties. … Our rents are 69 cents a
including board member positions
spouse is not for everyone. It took a while, but once
foot as opposed to the new construcfor HAA, the Texas Apartment
Dick learned who was boss, it made working together a Association and the National
tion that’s $1.60 and up.
LaMarche gets great satisfaction
little easier.”
– Carol LaMarche Apartment Association.
from the rehab work Creative
LaMarche and Douglas both
Property Management has perknew the importance of memberformed in the community.
ship for their company.
“Richard (I like to call him that because it really agitates
“Thanks to our vice president, Bill
“Greg was on the board for
Elsbree, we have done a lot of HUD
three
years before I got on the
him) is a great guy, and I consider myself lucky to have
rehabs and taken over low-income
board. We wanted one of us to be
him as a friend – even though he is old enough to be my so we could keep up with what
properties,” he says. “We have, I
father. And I call him that from time to time, ‘Dad’ –
think, 14 HUD properties. We have
was going on,” he says, “especially
some difficult properties, but HUD
I mean, because that agitates him as well. But he’s got a with the laws and the changes
has given us a lot of their properties
and everything else that goes on
great sense of humor and takes it well. We have had a lot in this industry. It was absolutely
that were more troublesome to turn
around, and we’ve done that, so they of fun together. I am thrilled that he is receiving this
necessary for one of us to be really
are very pleased. … We take pride in
involved if we were going to do
wonderful honor. He certainly deserves it.”
it because we can do it – I don’t want
the proper job for our clients.”
– Roger Camp, Camp Construction Services He can recount many stories to
to say cheaply, we do it inexpensively – and we know how to do it with
illustrate the importance of
very limited funds. Greg is an expert at that.”
involvement in HAA, such as a recent effort at City Hall:
LaMarche spoke during the recent 2008 Economic Trends seminar,
“We got the franchise fee repealed on the trash bill,” he says.
discussing 1031 exchanges and their effects on the local multifamily
“That’s a small thing, but why should we be treated different than
market and property taxes.
residential? I found out a lot of companies were paying it. They
“We’ve had a lot of experience with people doing 1031
weren’t aware of this change. We watch every penny. We’re very fruexchanges,” he says. “They do it for various reasons, but mostly to
gal. Greg and I have always tried to do the best thing for the propersave taxes on capital gains. … In California, it’s my understanding
ty and the client.”
that with all the
Recruitment also has been very important to LaMarche.
taxes there, they
“I got involved in membership because I believed that we needed
come to a place
to grow, and I was membership chairman for two to three years, Golike Houston …
Getter of the Year in ’81,” he says. “The lifeblood of the association
Dick LaMarche and
they
find
properis membership, and you’ve got to keep growing or you’re going to
the Go-Getters, 1988
Leaders
die. … It’s like running a business, if we lose some properties, we’ve
got to replace them.”
He was instrumental in creating membership drives and promoting them to other local associations.
“We were always the pioneers,” LaMarche says. “This association
has more creativity and spunk than any other association. … We are
more proactive than reactive. We try to lead rather than follow.”
Another committee important to LaMarche is the Resident
Relations Committee, which he chaired in 1985.
“The committee was formed to resolve differences between residents and owners,” LaMarche says. “We wanted to be able to arbitrate the situation in-house without either party having to take legal
action. It was very satisfying to review the documents and evidence
presented by each party and coming to a fair and unbiased resolution. And we tried to resolve and solve our own problems without
them having to go anywhere else. I loved it. I liked it better than
anything else I did, even membership, because it was satisfying to sit
there and look and make sure the owners got the proper documentation and got everything signed properly, and if they didn’t then they
should pay the penalty or they should refund the deposit or whatever the problem was.”
LaMarche also remembers the beginnings of HAA’s Resident Credit
Reporting, a service created to fill a need.
“I know a lot of us wanted some way to check on the residents
and how they paid and whether they were evicted or broke their
lease,” he says. “None of that would show up on a credit report. So
how do you get that information? That’s what the purpose of RCR
was, to give the members this very important information so you
didn’t have a resident breaking his lease at one property and moving
in another, or getting his free rent and skipping out. We had to put a
stop to that, and RCR was the answer.”
BRINGING HIS “A” GAME
Though he has served on many other committees throughout the
years, the ones that have been nearest and dearest to LaMarche are
the HAA Better Government Fund and its fundraising arm, the Golf
Committee. He has been a trustee since 1986.
“Back when I was president,” LaMarche says, “Bill Dinerstein, who
I admired – I thought he was one of the greatest men in our industry, I really felt he was like a mentor – he was a proponent that the
best thing the apartment association could do for the industry was
legislation. He was an avid golfer so he said, ‘Let’s have a golf tournament to raise money for the Better Government Fund,’ and we’ve
been doing it ever since. It’s been so successful that other associations copied us.
“… Bill was so adamant about it. He said, “If we have money, don’t
let it sit around, get it out there to the politicians who can help us.”
See LAMARCHE, Page 52
Roger Camp, Dick LaMarche, Alison Hall
and Mike Koch during the 2006
Membership Campaign
Kirk Tate gives
LaMarche a
“Superior Golfer”
Award in 1988
40
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
LaMarche with Norma Ledbetter,
Nora Krakower, Suan Tinsley
and H.P. Young in 2005
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
41
2008
“You’re always learning a new market, because
every day the market changes. But that’s exciting.
You learn something new every single day.”
– Dawn Jakubik
Leaders
A solid Foundation
late ’80s. It was, “Oh, I’m sorry you didn’t like that $30 increase.
Where are you going to move?” … It’s just a different market.
Our managers and supervisor of the year attribute their success in part to the people
who have supported them along the way.
ABODE invited our managers and supervisor of
the year to sit down for lunch and conversation to
talk about how they got into the business, the people who have helped them along the way and
what motivates them to go above and beyond day
after day.
How did you get started in this business?
Dawn Jakubik: I had a girlfriend that was a
leasing consultant. I was in the market for a
new job, and I picked up the newspaper to
look for a leasing consultant position. I
applied for it on a whim, and I got hired.
I was a leasing consultant for 10 years, and
then I was assistant manager for Wilson
(Management). I then went to work for
Michael Stevens, and I’ve been there for 13
years. I have been a supervisor for eight years.
It’s been exciting, it’s been fun. I’ve learned a
lot from Michael (Stevens), learned a lot from
Eileen (Subinsky). I work with a bunch of really great people.
Renée Renobato: I’ve been in the industry
since 1992. I interviewed with Trammell Crow
at the suggestion of a friend of mine who was
in the industry in Austin. I had just graduated
from college, and I didn’t really know what I
wanted to do, but I knew I didn’t want to go
into journalism. It made me very nervous. …
I had gotten a couple of interviews with a
public relations firm, and then this, and I didn’t really think I wanted to get on with that
particular firm, because when they talked
about my job responsibilities, essentially, since
I was fresh out of college, they were going to
have me making copies and filing and making
coffee and running errands. That’s not what I
wanted to spend my time doing. So I decided
that this other job would be better suited for
me because there was paperwork, and you got
to deal with people, and it was going to be a
learning experience. So I figured I would start
doing that and figure out what I wanted to
really do. And how many years later? (laughs)
I’m still in the industry.
42
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
“There’s a little bit of a rush
when you’re faced with an issue
or a problem and you are the
person who can make it better.
I love that.” – Renée Renobato
Larry Willms: I started in the industry back
in August of ’99. It was about that time that I
wanted to get away from theater. I had just
finished taking a couple of summer classes,
and I needed a break. One of my real close
friends that I’ve known since elementary
school was working at a property in Pasadena.
… She was having fun doing it, and that kind
of got me interested in it. …
There was an opening for a part-time leasing consultant at Brandywood Apartments,
right next to where she was. I applied for the
leasing consultant position, but I actually got
hired on part-time doing data entry assisting
their compliance monitor. We got everything
caught up in a quick amount of time, and the
leasing consultant that they had actually hired
never showed up. They offered it to me
because I had done several weeks in the office,
and I had already learned all the stuff with the
tax credits. I’ve been doing it ever since.
So you were all drawn into the industry by
friends, then gave it a try and stuck with it –
what do you love about this work that keeps
you coming back?
Renobato: I get bored very easily with singular tasks. I am a multitasker – I like to do
not the same thing every single day. I want to
do a variety of things. I think that I am a
quick thinker, and I get a – I don’t want to say
a thrill, but there’s a little bit of a rush when
you’re faced with an issue or a problem and
you are the person who can make it better. I
love that. That’s how I got sucked in – there’s
always something going on!
Jakubik: Yes, there’s never a dull moment,
and that’s the energy of it all. This business is
either you love it or you hate it. … Working
for Michael is – was – just a whole different
experience within itself – his thought process
and the loyalty that’s within the company is
unique. It’s just always been fun and it’s exhilarating when you go in and accomplish your
goals and make a difference.
I guess my greatest joy is watching my people grow. I love to help them meet their
potential. I grew within the company. … I
bring people on as leasing consultants and
train them and bring them all the way up to
managers and supervisors. It’s just a thrill, and
there’s always a new challenge – every day,
every month, every year. And just when you
think it’s going to get better, something falls
out of the bottom, and you’re there keeping
your wheels in motion. You’ve got to always
be on top of it all, thinking, “Oh Lord, what
am I going to do next?” (laughter)
Willms: I’m like them – I’m always having
to do something because I get bored very easily also. I’m to the point where I will read two
books at a time. … I’ll bring work home.
That’s just how I am – I always want to learn
something new. I just can’t stand to, you
know, sit. … If there’s something new out
there, I want to learn it.
Renobato: One of the things that has kept
me engaged, as well, is the fact that regardless
of how long you’ve been in the industry,
there’s always a new twist. There is something
that has been modified or altered, the laws
have changed. You’ve got to stay on top of so
much, and it gives you the opportunity to be
a perpetual student, if you will, in a lot of different fields. You have to know about electrical work. You have to know about plumbing.
You have to know about construction. You
have to know about pest control – as well as
the management aspect and the customer
service aspect and personnel. It’s a fabulous
thing to have someone start with you and
Supervisor of the Year:
Dawn Jakubik, Michael Stevens Interests
Manager of the Year, 500+ units:
Renée Renobato, Archstone-Smith
Assistant Manager of the Year:
Larry Willms, CAM, Hettig Management
teach them, show them the ropes and enable them to expand their
horizons, because the things that you learn in this industry can be
taken and applied to just about any other type of business.
Willms: It’s true, because you’re going to have to learn a little bit of
this, little bit of that. I’ve taken computer classes in college, Excel – I’d
gotten very familiar with Excel when I was working on my CAM project, and now just about everything I do when it comes to auditing residents’ ledgers is on Excel. … I’m interested in learning new accounting
programs in the industry, Yardi, stuff like that, eSite.
What are some of the things that challenge you constantly?
Jakubik: My biggest struggle is probably dealing with something you
don’t necessarily have complete control over. That is, meeting budgeted revenue and staying under in expenses. When the market goes
afoul, what decision do you make? For the owner, we need to continue
to make money. But how do you make that decision? … The hardest
part is when you didn’t budget for all those upgrades that your nextdoor neighbor is doing, but now we need to squeeze all those items
into our budget so we can continue to stay competitive and excel in
our revenue while remaining within our budget. It’s very creative
sometimes, figuring out what’s best for that property so that you can
continue have our revenue growth and maintain the controllable operating income that is expected.
It’s a crazy market out there. There’s nothing simple about it these
days, that’s for sure. It’s not like in the ’80s when I got into the business. We face increased challenges… the competition, the economy,
the choices, the selection. People didn’t have as many options in the
Are the gas prices and the accelerating cost of everything else adding
to that challenge?
Jakubik: Absolutely. Everything has gone up, up, up. The cost of all
of the supplies to do make-readies, to maintain the units, to get people
back and forth to work, to do the marketing – I mean, it is affecting
everything, because everything is increasing exponentially. Just Freon
alone is a gazillion dollars now! It’s tripled over the last couple of years
in price, and now we have the new A/C units that the maintenance
men are having to go to school and learn proper installation and maintenance. Then we find they’re not nearly as cost effective because we
might have to buy both an interior unit and an exterior unit. This
means even more training.
Willms: With gas going up as well as everything else, traffic slows
down a lot. This month alone – last month I thought we were dying
because we only had 18. This month, we’ve only had nine pieces of
traffic, and it’s starting to become a challenge getting people to sign a
lease because nobody wants to move. And again, if people are going to
come out, they want to move, but they’re kind of wary because it’s
expensive. Moving is expensive, and not everybody … has the money
to put down for a deposit and application fee.
Renobato: Archstone is very tuned in to customer service. We know
that it’s a business, but if your customers are not happy and you’re not
taking care of them, then the business is going to suffer in the long
run. We know that, we practice it every day. We are constantly re-evaluating ourselves or doing self-evaluations, and in addition to that, we
also give our customers the opportunity to evaluate us because we
think sometimes that we’re working so hard, we’re doing so well, but
what do our customers actually – what is their perception? … If we’re
taking care of them and anticipating their needs or meeting their needs
before they have them, that means that we stay just a little ahead. …
Focusing on all of them simultaneously is next to impossible, but
fortunately we work with good people that are incredibly dedicated.
Being able to rely on someone as a teammate, regardless of their position – if the groundskeepers are not doing their job to the best of their
ability, something’s going to suffer. If the housekeepers are not ensuring that every turn is as near perfect as it can possibly be, the residents
aren’t going to be happy. We all know that if there’s something, any little thing, that goes wrong at move-in, regardless of how long they stay,
that’s going to stick in their minds, and it just takes so long to try to
recover from that, and you never may.
How have things changed in the industry since you started?
Jakubik: When I started in the business, reporting was all manual.
There were no computers for the day-to-day activity, and posting the
rent, you were doing it manually on ledgers. (laughter) There are so
many things that have changed. I find myself telling new employees,
“Y’all just have no idea how lucky you are, really.” …
It’s kind of interesting when I think back about applications, the processing of applications – we didn’t do criminal background checks back
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
43
Manager of the Year, 200-499 units:
Linda Belk, Greystar
What has been your greatest professional challenge in the past
year? To bring my property’s Real Estate Assessment Center score
above 90.
What did you learn from the experience? I learned that time management is an absolute necessity when trying to work REAC into an already
busy schedule of maintaining and managing a very diverse property of
more than 300 units.
How do you challenge yourself on the job? I don’t have to – it is a
challenge every day, although a very rewarding one.
What is something you think people don’t know about your job
that you wish they did? Just exactly how demanding it is, and there
are a lot of people in this world that are disadvantaged in one way or
another that need our help. However, there aren’t enough of us in a
position to help those in need in this industry.
Who are your heroes, at work and in life? My hero at work and in life
is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, first and foremost. Other heroes in
my life are my mother and father, Sue and Ken Pace.
Manager of the Year, 1-199 units:
Traci Henderson, CAM, Hettig Management
What has been your greatest professional challenge in the past
year? Occupancy and delinquency. With people returning to New
Orleans and the DHAP program making evacuees responsible for a portion of their rent, it is a monthly struggle to achieve stability.
How did you meet that challenge? What did you learn from the
experience? We have worked together to stay on top of the situation.
We now send three or four notices to people instead of one. We have
started outside marketing in a wider area than we were before. We have
learned that even though we benefited by making the best of a bad situation, there will be effects further down the line based on the decisions
you make, and you need to be prepared for them.
How do you challenge yourself on the job? Every day is a new day. In
this business, you never know what you will be faced with from one day
to the next. My challenge is to arrive at the best result for everyone
involved – the residents, the employees, the owners, the investors. I am
constantly evaluating how to get to that place.
Who are your heroes, at work and in life? At work, it would be
Darlene Guidry. Her knowledge and drive are an inspiration to me. I
have learned so much from her in regards to this career. She always listens and makes her decisions after she has all the facts. She never forgets what it is like to be on site.
In life, it would be my mom and my husband. She has always found a
way to make life special, for me and now for my children. I depend on
her a lot for guidance and support. My husband battled cancer last year.
His outlook was optimistic and strong. He never thought he would lose
that battle. He had some unexpected complications after surgery that
were very trying, but he persevered and is now cancer-free.
We always invite managers to share some “war stories” of unusual
encounters with residents. What are some of your favorites? I had a
resident who told me she was going to pay her rent when she received
the money she won. When I questioned her about it, she brought in the
letter from Publisher’s Clearing House that says “You may already be a
winner of $10,000,000.” When I tried to explain to her what it was, she
proceeded to curse me out and slam out of my office. After I finished
laughing, I contacted her daughter and explained that she might need
to take her mom to be evaluated. This went on for months. The last I
heard, she was hiring an attorney to get her money!
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then. You worked with RCR and you did credit, but for the longest
time, the first couple of years I was in the business no one looked into
criminal background. It was a different world back then, and you didn’t do that kind of thing. I would say that those are the biggest differences, and have made the biggest changes.
Renobato: I think that there has been a shift in the industry as a
whole. I think that all of the companies are becoming more in tune
with the customers. Customer service has just blossomed, and the
things that we do today, back in the ’80s I don’t think it would have
been classified as customer service. It would have been probably classified as, I don’t know, maybe compassion? I think the industry as a
whole has become more compassionate, more understanding. It’s not
just business – it’s a partnership. We have to work with our residents.
Jakubik: We’re all interested now in providing a home for someone
instead of just an apartment.
Willms: When I first started, we had two computers, and we had to
fax off for our credit reports and wait for that to come back. Answering
services were just a voicemail system, and now it’s live. … It used to be
where even the market-rent, all-conventional properties would take
about two or three days to process an application. Now it’s (snaps fingers) instant. I remember you used to have to call into RCR and be put
on hold sometimes, and now it’s just online, boom.
Who are some of the people – whether at work or in general – who
have helped you do what you do and do it better?
Jakubik: Mine would be Michael Stevens and Eileen Subinksy.
Michael – I started working for him 13 years ago. Michael would go
through phases when he … would be in a lot and then be gone a lot,
but it was always very important to him to have personal interaction
with his employees. When we were at the office, we saw him. When
we were at our managers’ meetings, he came and spoke to us.
It was not uncommon for us to be working on a Saturday at a property and for Michael Stevens to pop in and just sit there and talk to me
and explain what he wanted or teach you something new that day that
you just didn’t know. I learned so many things from him, just listening, because he actually took the time out to do that. It was really
important to him to spend time within his organization and have people understand what he wanted. I think he enjoyed teaching us.
Obviously, because I went up through the ranks with him, he was definitely my biggest superhero. …
Eileen taught me a whole other side of things. … You have these situations with your residents or with your employees and she has shown
me the best way to deal with them and what the legalities are and how
to deal with unusual situations legally. She just is a person full of
knowledge. Anytime you talk to her, you’re always learning something
new, and she just has that ability to teach and share. We all just kind of
grow up together, and she kind of lays the tools out on the table, and
she leads everyone and directs them. She helps push and encourage,
and she wants you to continue your education. She’s constantly pushing that, for you to take additional classes.
Renobato: I should give my parents credit, as they instilled in me such
a strong sense of honesty and ethics – Archstone core values – not to
mention the level of commitment and dedication they have for any
undertaking. … The thing that I think is admirable in all of the people
that have allowed me the opportunity to, I guess, demonstrate my abilities for them in order to benefit the company and the community or the
staff … they are all excellent teachers. They are extremely dedicated individuals. They have an appreciation for the efforts that you make. You’re
not necessarily always successful, but they understand the hard work that
is behind it, and they recognize you for small victories, because I think
“I got really excited, because
(the award) just made me feel
like everything that I had done
since I’ve been in the industry
was being recognized.”
– Larry Willms
success is just a series of small victories, and
continuing to give you the opportunity to do
more so that you can broaden your own horizons and your own perspective.
Willms: One person, not industry-wise but
on my educational side, was my philosophy
teacher at San Jac, because I did learn a lot
about thinking outside the box and looking
at situations from different perspectives.
When a resident comes in and says, “I can’t
pay rent,” instead of thinking, “Oh, well,
move out,” you have to think about how
they might have a situation that I have no
idea what’s going on. Basically I guess the
best thing that I’ve learned out of that class
and from him was that you can’t really judge
a book by its cover, because every person is
different, and like I said, you don’t really
know what’s going on in their life. …
I’ve worked in the past with companies
that, if you’re not getting it, they’re going to
get you out the door. Darlene (Guidry) actually literally came out to our property when she
took over as our supervisor and pulled out
her battery-powered tape machine and her
big eraser and literally walked me through
how to do it. I gained a lot of respect for her,
because most company presidents are not
going to do that. And I’ve learned a lot from
Traci (Henderson). … She’s constantly showing me new things that I never had thought
even a manager would do.
Jakubik: That’s what you’ve got to do –
have that “I can do” attitude. It’s OK to make
a mistake. That’s how you learn.
Tell me about the experience of winning
the award.
Willms: It took me a second, and I even
actually looked back at Traci, and Traci was
crying, and I was like, “No, they didn’t call
my name.” … And then I got really excited,
because it just made me feel like everything
that I had done since I’ve been in the industry
was being recognized, and to be recognized
throughout the whole Houston Apartment
Association, that was a lot. I’m very proud of
my award. I think it took my award about a
week for it to actually make it to my desk
See MANAGERS, Page 66
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AUGUST 2008
45
2008
A/C tickets, your residents are cooler with lower
electric bills and more likely to renew, plus you
free up a lot of maintenance capacity so that
your maintenance crew can spend more time
filling other work orders more quickly.
We strive to close every day with no open
work orders. This improves resident satisfaction
and retention and also reduces your payroll
cost. I strongly believe that once your occupancy exceeds 90 percent, resident turnover has a
much bigger impact on NOI than additional
occupancy. Thus we focus heavily on capital
improvements that increase resident satisfaction and decrease turnover.
Leaders
Building for the Best
Questions and answers with Independent Owner of the Year
Emery Jakab, president and CEO of JAW Equity Management.
What types of properties do you own and
manage? We target distressed B and C class
properties in otherwise good locations.
Typically these properties are owned by outof-state owners who are focused projects
other than Houston. Over the past two
years, we have focused exclusively on portfolios of properties owned by single owners
where we can normally achieve much lower
pricing than we could get on one-off deals.
We immediately renovate and re-position
the properties and their resident profiles and
seek to be the best properties in the neighborhood in terms of staff, product offering
and amenities. We strive to create the best
apartment living experience that our residents have ever had. We really improve the
quality of lives of our residents while delivering a superior return to our partners.
How did you become involved in the multifamily industry? Before getting into multifamily, I
was a CPA and served as the managing partner
of the Arthur Andersen office in Budapest,
Hungary with more than 350 employees.
Arthur Andersen was the auditor of Enron and
was forced out of business when Enron imploded. I moved back to the United States in the
summer of 2003 with an offer to work for Ernst
& Young in Dallas but decided to start my own
business in Houston.
How did you become involved in HAA? I joined
HAA in January 2004 right at that same time I
joined Lifestyles Unlimited Inc. I immediately
enrolled in CAM, CAPS and IROC and completed all three courses simultaneously. Not
only did I find the courses extremely educational but I also made contact with a large
number of extremely talented professionals
who had a profound impact on the development of my business. In particular, Stacie Key, a
community director at Milestone, had a profound impact on the development of my business model. See details on her contribution
46
AUGUST 2008
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“We really improve the quality
of lives of our residents while
delivering superior return to
our partners.”
later in this interview.
I require my district supervisors to become
CAM certified and also encourage my community directors to participate as well. I provide
paid time off and cover all course costs for anyone who wants to attend HAA training.
What is your favorite part of your job/company? My job now in JAW Equity Management
LLC largely consists of identifying acquisition
candidates, getting deals under contract, raising
private equity, securing debt financing and getting deals done and closed.
My favorite part of my job is looking for the
new acquisitions, the diamonds in the rough. I
like looking through superficial deficiencies and
trying to imagine what a distressed property
could look like with some care and attention.
How do you motivate your employees? I am
fortunate in that my employees are also my
close friends. They are well compensated and
have a lot of fun on the job.
On the site level, the primary motivation is
working on a property that is well funded, successful and ultimately profitable, which means
that there is money available to pay vendors on
time and to do all the necessary repairs the
right way, the first time. My on-site staff are
very proud of their properties and never have
to hide from residents or vendors. Our properties are always leaders in their submarkets.
On the corporate level, my staff are motivated by the rapid growth of the company. Plus
they really like the hand’s-on, owner-operator
approach. We hate red tape and we make decisions quickly, often over the telephone.
My corporate-level employees also enjoy our
unique employee ownership program whereby
I intend to purchase one apartment community per year and give much of my ownership
percentage to my corporate employees in lieu
of cash bonus payments. My corporate staff
have lofty bonus targets and were given the
choice between cash and ownership in an
apartment community, and they unanimously
chose the ownership route.
Do you have any great tricks for stretching
your budgets? We firmly believe in making the
upfront capital improvements during renovation to save money and create NOI in the long
run. My favorite such trick is to hire a third
party water conservation firm to go through
every apartment immediately after acquisition
and change out equipment in the toilets and
shower heads to low-flow and also fix all leaks.
The impact on NOI can be very dramatic. At
Boardwalk of Baytown, we spent $22,300 to
reduce our water bill from $18,000 per month
to $8,000 per month. In other words, a $22,000
capital expenditure added $120,000 of annual
NOI to the deal.
Another personal favorite trick that defies all
conventional wisdom is to change all out
HVAC equipment that is more than five years
old immediately after acquisition. Many longtime apartment people think this is a little
crazy because most of the equipment is still
working. Our logic is that the old equipment is
probably not very efficient and probably breaks
down frequently. The No. 1 (and probably No.
2 and 3) source of maintenance tickets at
almost all B or C class communities is A/C
repairs. This is also the No.1 one source of resident dissatisfaction. If you all but eliminate
7777 Blankenship Drive • Houston, Texas • 77055
What are some of the most interesting changes
that you have seen in the industry? I have only
been in this business for about four years and
the most interesting change has been the sudden tightening of bridge or short-term loans for
repositioning apartment deals as a result of the
subprime crisis. I find it strange that lenders are
shying away from apartments when in fact the
subprime crisis is probably one of the best
things that has happened recently to our business. Overnight, the number of people moving
out of our apartments to buy homes has been
cut dramatically.
As I noted earlier, we tend to quickly to get
to 100% and the biggest challenge is keeping
turnover low. The subprime crisis has really
helped us to close the back door and decrease
turnover. We have not seen much of a wave
of foreclosed people coming back to apartments, but I expect that will happen over the
next year.
Do you have a mentor or peer you would like
to acknowledge? I owe my start in the apartment business to Del Walmsley, president and
founder of Lifestyles Unlimited Inc.
Much of the credit for the development of
my actual business model goes to Stacie Key, a
community director at Milestone Management.
I met Stacie at CAM in early 2004 and invited
her to tour my first deal (Alief Square) even
before I closed on it. She toured that property
and rattled off a list of suggestions that to this
day are the key ingredients in my business
plan. Her suggestions included: replace every
A/C inside and out, build out a class A office
and Class A club room, keep the pools clean
and open year-round, erect the biggest sign possible and include a marquee sign and make sure
it is lit from the inside, install a new schoolquality playground, massively upgrade exterior
lighting, immediately power-wash everything
See JAKAB, Page 69
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AUGUST 2008
47
2008
coming on line, but I think we will fare much
better than most cities.
Leaders
Talk about Success
2008 Owner/Management Executive of the Year
Darlene Guidry, president of Hettig Management
Corp., answers our questions.
Job responsibilities: Overall responsibility for
the operations and management of the company’s property management division.
Types of properties managed: Over the years,
we have managed condominiums, office buildings and retail centers, along with conventional
and Section 42 Tax Credit apartment properties. The majority of our experience has been
multifamily property management.
How did you become involved in the multifamily industry? Shortly after my daughter was
born, the manager of our property asked me if I
would be interested in managing a small property for a rent discount. Like most young couples, we were struggling financially, and managing was a way to contribute while allowing me
to stay home and raise my daughter. It never
occurred to me that managing 12 units would
lead to a productive career. For the first three
years in this business I spent more time cleaning apartments, hallways and laundry rooms
than I did managing anything. The company
saw my potential and promoted me several
times to larger properties, and so started my
career in the property management industry.
How did you become involved in HAA? I
became involved in HAA shortly after joining
Hettig Management Corp. in 1980. John Hettig
chaired a membership drive, and I was on his
team. After the drive he asked that one of his
supervisors become active in HAA, knowing the
importance of our involvement as a company. I
was the only one who volunteered, and it
turned out to be one of my better decisions.
Over the years I have served on and chaired
numerous committees and attended most functions. It has been a fun 28 years and an incredibly rewarding experience.
Your biggest challenges? Moving from on-site
manager to property supervisor was quite a
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challenge. At the time I was working for
Johnstown Properties, the nation’s largest REIT,
and I was just 26 years old. Although I was one
of their shining stars in the Houston area, there
were other more tenured managers, and my
young age didn’t help. By volunteering to do
extra assignments, such as assisting supervisors
with audits, training classes and writing budgets, while still managing my 346-unit property,
I was promoted to property supervisor. The
transition was difficult because my managers
had been peers and I was not used to the corporate politics. With perseverance and hard
work I was able to overcome the obstacles and
successfully supervise multiple sites.
My biggest challenge, however, was raising
two children as a single parent while working
an extremely demanding and stressful job. I
really had to fine tune my organizational skills
to fit it all in and be successful professionally, as
well as personally.
Your biggest success? My promotion from
supervisor to VP of operations for Hettig. After
years of watching other management organizations I was put in charge of structuring and
forming the policies and procedures of a management company. John Hettig and Barry Kahn
have been the best of employers. They allowed
me to grow with the company and gave me
the freedom to make my own decisions concerning the management operations. Because
of their trust in me and my abilities I continue
to find my career challenging and rewarding.
What is your favorite part of your job? My
favorite part of the job, and also the most difficult, is managing the employees. I have always
enjoyed training, and it’s very rewarding to
watch people advance in their careers knowing
you may have helped along the way. Although
employees have disappointed me more times
than I’d like to admit, there have been many
successes as well.
How do you motivate your employees?
Employees are the backbone of our business
and keeping them happy and motivated makes
or breaks the bottom-line performance. Money
is still a huge motivator, but there are many
other things just as important to keeping satisfied, long-term employees. My philosophy has
always been to empower the managers with
enough authority to operate their properties
without requiring approval for every move they
make. The more freedom they are given to
solve their own problems, the more initiative
they have to do so, and the quicker they learn
and grow. Middle management is there to help
guide them, not dictate from the ivory tower.
Being treated fairly and respectfully, as well
as being told when they are not performing is
also very high on the list of things employees
expect from an employer. The heavy handed
style used years ago causes considerable
turnover in today’s generation of employees.
Good employees want to feel like they are part
of the process.
What do you think about the Houston market
as it stands now? I think Houston has one of
the most sophisticated apartment markets in
the nation. Living through the 1980s, we had
no choice but to sharpen our management and
marketing skills just to survive the economic
downturn and overbuilding. Today with almost
half of Houston’s population living in apartments we continue to be on the cutting edge of
multifamily property management. Even
though we are presently overbuilding multifamily units, Houston is one of the few cities in
the nation that still has job and population
growth. It may take a while to absorb the units
What are some of the most interesting
changes that you have seen in the industry?
The evolution of educating the on-site personnel. When I started in the industry most companies did not have in-house training programs
and there were not seminars or courses to learn
how to lease, market or manage an apartment
community. I used whatever systems, if any, in
place or implemented my own. It wasn’t until
the early 1980s that education became a focal
point for the apartment associations around
the country, and HAA has been one of the leaders in the industry in education and training.
Today we have numerous training opportunities, certification courses and even college
degree programs. The product itself has also
changed dramatically since I started in the
industry. Today’s property amenities are endless, and developers are continuously looking
for ways to further upgrade the communities.
Form Sales
Back-to-School Special:
Buy One,
Get One Free!
Call Frances in the HAA Form Sales Department at
713-595-0317 or e-mail forms@haaonline.org for details.
Do you have a mentor or peer you would like
to acknowledge? There are so many HAA
members that I would like to acknowledge but
not near enough space here to do so. One of
the most valuable benefits of my involvement
in HAA has been the people I’ve met and come
to know. To be successful in this industry you
need to keep up with the trends, laws and
industry norms. The networking with industry
peers, which HAA makes possible, has played a
big part in my career and success. It has also
given me a huge bonus: so many good friends.
What advice would you give to a first-time or
aspiring apartment professional? Research the
company and its reputation before accepting a
job. Talk with some of the current employees, if
possible. Make sure they are an organization
that promotes personal growth and continuing
education, and then give it your all. Show the
company you’re committed by going the extra
mile to get the job done right. Do over and
above what is expected, and more times than
not, you will be rewarded for your effort.
What do you see in your future, professionally
or personally? I hope to continue helping operate Hettig Management Corp.’s portfolio successfully for years to come, developing property
management professionals and growing professionally and personally in an industry that has
given me so much. Other than that I hope to
have many more years of fun with my grandchildren, one of life’s biggest joys.
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2008
Leaders
Shining the Spotlight
Learn more about the inner workings of our industry from four 2008
Houston Apartment Association Industry Achievement Award recipients.
Kim Buckalew
Greystar
Leasing Consultant of the Year
What is your title? Please
describe your job duties. As
leasing manager on a two-phase community,
phase one being stabilized and phase two in
lease-up mode, I have the unique opportunity
to assist those who have lived at a Greystar
community who have come to accept and
expect star service and those joining our community in phase two who are experiencing our
rising star service for the first time here at Stone
Park. It’s quite a concert to both maintain and
lease up at the same time.
As team leader I enjoy motivating my team
by example, arriving to work no later than 15
minutes early to greet the new day and map
out our target marketing for the day, because if
the clients are in the door we need to have our
feet on the street to meet and greet our next
great resident. With the help of my team we
create a working theme to set us apart and be
the leaders in our area.
In addition I do assist in the training of our
new leasing agents on site, monitor our Web
sites – updating as needed with “wow specials”
– create our work schedules, and most of all, I
and we as a team have many opportunities
every day to assist our residents, giving them
the neighborhood community they call home.
What has been your greatest professional challenge in the past year? I have to go back to the
fact we are a two-phase community, making us
our own competition, so to maintain an average occupancy of 93 percent in phase one,
heading into the home stretch in phase two
has been quite a challenge and one that I am
extremely proud to be a part of.
How did you meet that challenge? What did
you learn from the experience? With the input
and assistance of our team we have become the
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marketing team. We do not let moss grow
under our feet. If we are having a slow day, we
go out to meet the public and brag about our
community. I have learned that people do
want to know where to go, that employers do
want to have a place to send their employees
when relocating into our city, and I have
learned marketing and sales professionals are a
must in our industry as it continues to change.
“I think in every job we can
forget that we are not super
human and sometimes something falls through the cracks.”
– Kim Buckalew
How do you challenge yourself on the job?
When I took on the leasing manager duties, I
knew I did not want my own closing ratio to
falter, so I challenged everyone to beat me. So
far I am still the leader on my team.
What is something you think people don’t
know about your job that you wish they did? I
think in every job we can forget that we are
not super human and sometimes something
falls through the cracks. When it does our team
takes it personally. The last thing we want is for
someone not to have star service.
Who are your heroes, at work and in life? At
work I would say our regional property manager, Darlene Donovan. She has shown so much
trust, loyalty, leadership and guidance to me
and to all who work under her. She is a person
to admire and has truly been inspirational in
bringing my career to a new level. In my personal life, that person would be my mother.
She brought me and my siblings up to know
right from wrong, good from evil, demonstrated a strong work ethic and gave each of us
wings to soar.
Pat O’Shea
know about your job that you wish they did?
That it is often more challenging than it looks
and way more fun than it appears.
know about your job that you wish they did?
How time consuming it is when things are
done right/correctly the first time.
you learn from the experience? I worked closely with Pat to gain a comprehensive understanding of the industry.
work, my previous boss of 25 years, Gary
Blumberg, showed me the value in pursuing all
means to an end that you wish to attain. He
brought Dinerstein Management Company
into the 21st century with technology and
advanced thinking before many management
companies dreamed about it. In life, my father,
Joe Wade, taught me the work ethic I possess
today that drives me to achieve excellence
where I can and accept the gifts that God has
given me.
“The challenge is to keep your
eye on the objective and at
the same time think outside
the box.”
– Tony Wheeler
How do you challenge yourself on the job? I
try to never turn away a task due to the lack of
knowledge. If I don’t know how to do, it I
learn. I always try to figure a way to get the job
done quickly and accurately.
Greystar
Marketing/Training Director
of the Year
describe your job duties. As software training manager, I am primarily responsible for
all software training. I handle software support with other team members around our
Greystar region, and I assist a team in the creation of training materials.
What has been your greatest professional challenge in the past year? Maintaining multiple
sessions of software training each month in an
ever-changing, ever-growing portfolio of properties.
you learn from the experience? Planning and
organization and a bit of juggling as class size
and make-up often change. I learned that I am
always capable of gathering additional strength
from those that I am training as they often
have more chaos going in their world even
than I do.
“I learned that I am always
capable of gathering additional strength from those that I
am training as they often have
more chaos going in their
world even than I do.”
– Pat O’Shea
How do you challenge yourself on the job? To
make software training fun and inviting for the
individuals that come to my class in the hopes
that they take away a level of excitement that
they will convey to others in Greystar.
Tony Wheeler
Greystar
Human Resources Director
of the Year
describe your job duties. As managing director
of human resources, I am responsible on a
national basis for human resources, benefits
and payroll.
work it would the associates on site that we
continually ask to do more with less. They
deal with many challenges on a daily basis –
everything thing from a leaking faucet to a
three-alarm fire to a hurricane. To a person,
they are always sensitive to the fact that they
are the guardians of people’s homes. Outside
of work, the list would be too long, however,
they all have a common thread of putting
others ahead of themselves or not allowing
adversity to stand in their way. The members
of our armed forces are the very symbols of
what I consider heroes.
know about your job that you wish they did? I
come to work every day eager and blessed to be
able to work in a field that I love with people
that I love. My position is more than just a job
– it’s a blessing. The people I work with are
more than just coworkers – they are my family.
I do the best I can every second of every day.
“I come to work every day
eager and blessed to be able
to work in a field that I love
with the people that I love.”
– Bobbi Oliver
Bobbi Oliver
What has been your greatest professional challenge in the past year? It is the same challenge
every year: Providing meaningful and affordable benefits to all associates.
you learn from the experience? Sitting down
with our associates and finding out what is
important to them. Making sure everyone
understand their benefits and how to access
them. There is absolutely no substitute for faceto -ace communication.
How do you challenge yourself on the job? The
challenge is to keep your eye on the objective
and at the same time think outside of the box.
Frequently there is more than one way to reach
the objective, and it may not be the one that
seems to be the most apparent.
Oak Leaf Management
Administrative Support Person
of the Year
describe your job duties. I am the executive
assistant to the president. I provide support for
Pat Tollett in the management of a multifamily
portfolio of 1,022 units, including managing
commercial draws for construction funding,
assisting in capital improvement scheduling,
overseeing and managing insurance placement
for the company’s multifamily portfolio
under Pat’s supervision and direction and
much more.
What has been your greatest professional challenge in the past year? Learning the insurance
industry for multifamily/commercial coverage.
Who are your heroes, at work and in life? I
must say that the one person I have come in
contact with who has taught me the most
about hard work, always treating people fairly
and who always strives to do his best no matter
what the task is my boss and friend, Patrick J.
Tollett. He is my hero in both my professional
and personal life. He is always eager to learn
and grow, treats everyone the way he would
hope to be treated and gives 110 percent every
day in everything that he does.
Congratulations again to all our
2008 Industry Achievement Award
winners! See Page 32 for photos from
the event.
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51
LAMARCHE, Continued from Page 41
LaMarche cannot emphasize enough the importance of the
HAABGF’s role in getting the industry’s message out to the City
Council and the politicians so they can hear our side of the issues.
“They’re always trying to pass ordinances which on the surface
probably seem good to them because it’s what the people want, but
it’s just not practical,” he says.
He is also acutely aware of the tight squeeze many properties face
due to inflated sales prices and their effect on property tax appraisals.
“HCAD will use that sales price so their taxes are higher than they
should be, and we have to protest the taxes on every one of these
properties and show them they are not justified,” LaMarche says.
“The evaluations that HCAD sets are just not justified. This is a big
issue. … I know TAA is working on legislation, and I know I’ve
talked to several of our politicians about this issue. Something needs
to be done. … There’s no way a property doubles the valuation in a
year when the rents don’t change.”
SHOOTING “BIRDIE” IN LIFE
LaMarche is proud of what he, his partner Greg Douglas, and
Creative Property Management have accomplished.
“I know it sounds corny, but it’s sort of like the American dream
of hard work and if you really put your mind to it and work hard
you can really become successful,” he says. “That’s one of the great
things in this country, and I mean, having started with nothing … I
take a lot of satisfaction in the fact that I am able to grow this company – of course with my partner Greg, I couldn’t do it without him
– and the people that work for us. … The on-site managers are the
keystone, the foundation of this whole industry, and they don’t get
enough credit. That’s who is the most important person, I think, on
any property.”
Family, friendships and peers are also very important to LaMarche.
“I’ve made so many friends in this association, it’s like a big family,” he says. “When Jack Dinerstein was president and I was vice
president, I learned from him because of his enthusiasm and his
dynamic leadership. … He just has that charisma … And then H.J.
Tollett and all the hard work he puts in. There’s so many good people. Pat Tollett is a good friend. … You know, we are all friendly
competitors: Kirk Tate, Gary Blumberg, Stacy Hunt, Suan Tinsley,
Darlene Guidry, Eileen Subinsky, and I could go on and on. There’s
no animosity in this business. We’re all friends. We play golf together and we socialize together.
“I look up to people who started this industry, back to the Harry
Reeds and the Bill Dinersteins and the Lester Prokops, and they are
some of the finest people in the world. … I learned a lot from them.”
2008
Talk turns to his family, and his wife, Carol.
JOINING “THE MASTERS”
“Carol came to work for me at Hill & White as a leasing agent in
When asked how he feels about receiving
September of 1973. She was the best leasing agent we ever had and
the Hall of Fame award, LaMarche turns quiet.
just as lovely as she is now” LaMarche says, smiling. “So we got
“I am humbled of course, very honored,
engaged that Thanksgiving and were married in December. We’ve
and to be in that select group is beyond my
been married almost 35 years. And when we started Creative in
wildest dreams,” he says. “I just never thought that I would succeed
1978, she was instrumental in every
to that level. I think it is an
facet of the organization. So it can
achievement and the highest
“I could not be happier that Dick LaMarche was given
work – working together and living
honor that this association can
together. As long as I remember
bestow upon a member.”
this honor. He is not only a fantastic customer, but a
that she’s the boss.
He doesn’t see any major
dear friend as well. Throughout our many years of histo“I have three daughters from my
changes in his future.
previous marriage who I love dearly ry working together, Dick has proved to be loyal and
“I’m going to continue workand am close to, and then I have
ing.
I don’t think age has anyhonest with his vendors. More importantly, Dick is a
two stepsons from Carol who are
thing
to do with this. I love what
loyal and honest friend. He has been extremely dedicatlike my own sons. Together, we are
I do,” he says, “… I don’t know
ed to HAA, and it warms my heart to see him recognized what’s going to make me stop, but
blessed to have nine wonderful
grandchildren. Aren’t grand kids
I don’t see it in the near future.
for his hard work and determination.”
great? You can spoil them, then
– Marie Bell, MAB Flooring and MAB Design LaMarche isn’t stopping when it
send them home to their parents.”
comes to his favorite pastime,
He credits Roger Camp with
either. When we spoke with him,
showing him how to take each day as it comes and savor the
a dream trip with three old friends was about to get under way.
moment. LaMarche looks forward to a Labor Day trip the two men
“I’m leaving Sunday for Ireland on a golf trip with the guys. We
are planning with their families. LaMarche clearly relishes
are going to play five days of golf on Ireland courses,” he said. ...
family outings.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime deal. … I get enjoyment out of playing
“One of the most important things in my life is just being able to
golf. I wish I could play better, but I know my limitations. But it is a
share with the grandkids and the kids,” he says. “You can spend
great outlet. I need this outlet, because this business is stressful, to
time with them. Life is great!”
say the least.”
Leaders
Dick LaMarche and the winning Houston team for
the 2007 For Rent Challenge Cup Golf Tournament
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AUGUST 2008
53
A FINAL PUTT
When it comes to training the future leaders of the multifamily industry, LaMarche is
looking to keep it in the family. LaMarche
and Greg Douglas are in the process of training Douglas’s son, Scott, for a career with
Creative Property Management. Scott is
working on his NAA designations and his
college degree.
“I’m getting him involved more and more
in the apartment association,” LaMarche
says, “but I want him to finish school. … I
think that it’s very important for anybody in
the industry to become educated. On-the-job
training is wonderful, and you learn a lot,
but you need that education. We’ve become
a much, much more professional industry
than we were 20, 30 years ago. Thirty years
ago, I don’t think very many managers had
their designations. Now it’s just wonderful to
see so many of them get certified.”
It’s also wonderful to see a deserving
industry professional get the recognition he
deserves. Congratulations to Dick LaMarche
on receiving HAA’s Hall of Fame award.
Come join HAA in honoring
Dick LaMarche at the 2008
Hall of Fame Luncheon to be
held at the Intercontinental
Hotel on Wednesday, August
27. See Page 6 for details.
Did you miss
an issue of
ABODE?
HAA members can access
complete issues online.
See the HAA Web site at
www.haaonline.org and click
on “ABODE Magazine.”
Look for the “ABODE
Archives” link for details
and download instructions.
54
AUGUST 2008
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DESIGNATE OF THE MONTH
By
RACHEL ZOCH, HAA STAFF
Build on the Basics
Education helps refresh and reinforce everyday fundamentals
for CAM designate and CAPS candidate Pam Lupercio.
It’s so helpful
for everyone
to know what
each of us does
in the office.
Y
ou might say that Milestone’s Pam
Lupercio got into the property management business for love. She got her start
in the industry when she and her husband moved from a small town to San
Antonio and took jobs with a company that recruited
husband-and-wife teams to handle leasing and maintenance duties on multifamily properties.
Enticed by free rent and bolstered by her husband’s
experience working in hotel maintenance, they
answered an ad in the paper. After a few years, the
company moved them to Portland, Ore.
“We started from the bottom up,” she said. “We
were in Portland for five years, then I had two kids,
got homesick, and we moved to Houston.”
Lupercio and her husband parted ways professionally a number of years ago; he now works in
commercial property management.
“At the beginning, I think because it was new
to us, it was fine. After a while, I was surprised
that we were still married,” she said, laughing.
“The second management company that we
worked for wasn’t big on the husband-and-wife
teams, and that’s where we were able to go our
separate ways. They were actually big in commercial … so they offered him a position to start off
at entry level in the commercial business, and
that’s where he’s been. He loves it, and wants me
to go to the other side, and I refuse to go!”
‘LONG TIME COMING’
People – both coworkers and customers – keep
Lupercio engaged in the multifamily business.
“I like what I do. I like working with people,”
she said. “You have to have a great staff, and you
know, for as many years as I’ve been in the business, I’ve only worked with three management
companies. I’ve been with Milestone the longest.
I’ve been with Milestone for 10 years, and I think
that’s another reason why I’m still where I’m at.”
She credits Beth Van Winkle and Kyle Brown,
her supervisors at Milestone, with encouraging
her to become a Certified Apartment Manager.
“It’s been a long time coming,” she said. “I’ve
been in the business for gosh, since1990 … and
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AUGUST 2008
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with Beth (Van Winkle) being very active with HAA,
she encourages it, and so I thought, ‘Well, I’ve been
doing it for so long, I’ll start getting the credentials
behind me.’”
The CAM course refreshed the fundamentals of the
business, she says, as well as reinforcing her own
belief in training her employees across the board on
everything from leasing to Fair Housing to financials.
“I feel very comfortable leaving for a length of time
and knowing that my property is going to be taken
care of because they’re all cross-trained,” she said,
“and I’ve always been a big believer in that, even
before my CAM, just because it’s so helpful for everyone to know what each of us does in the office, especially the financial aspect of it. It’s so easy for leasing
agents to want to give away everything so that they
can make the commission, but they don’t
know how it affects the bottom line as far
as financials and our budget and our NOI,
and once I show them, especially the one I
have with me now, it’s like she hates giving
away specials.”
Lupercio says the designation courses
drive home the desire to improve operations and inspire her to implement changes
quickly. Her staff now teases her about what
new tasks she’ll have for them when she
returns from a class.
“I have given my maintenance supervisor
a lot more responsibility … a lot of assignments, as well as my girls in the office,” she
said, laughing. “I come back and they’re
like, ‘Oh, what do you want us to do?’ …
You know that you have to do it, but taking
the class and really seeing the importance
makes you want to delegate it a little faster
or implement it faster.”
Whenever there are
leasing seminars, I always
encourage them and sign
them up to go because it is
such a refresher.
ONWARD AND UPWARD
She and her supervisors also encourage
the other on-site employees to take advantage of educational opportunities, in particular the National Apartment Leasing
Professional and APPLE courses.
“This year I’m hoping that my leasing
agent and my assistant manager now will
take their NALP,” she said. “… Whenever
there are leasing seminars, I always encourage them and sign them up to go because it
is such a refresher, and that’s what the classes do. It’s like it reminds them, ‘Oh yeah,
we need to do that!’ They come pumped
and ready to go.”
Lupercio is now working to earn her
Certified Apartment Property Supervisor
credentials within the year so that she can
move up to a supervisory position.
“Milestone is growing, and I’m hoping
that they will open up positions at a higher
level,” she said. “ … I’m taking my CAPS is
so that I’m ready for it, because from what I
understand, it’s going to happen soon. …
“I know that I can probably go somewhere else, even commercial, because I have
friends in the industry as well who have
offered me positions, but I really like who I
work for. I like the company, I like the people I work with, and that’s what keeps me.
That’s why I’m comfortable where I’m at,
and it’s why I stay.”
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57
GO-GETTERS
Time to Rally!
Join the HAA Recruitment Rally: Recruit, renew and reap the rewards.
More dates, more cash prizes!
HAA is Your Network: Recruit, renew
Join us for a Recruitment Rally and invite any new,
prospective or renewing members to the upcoming
Go-Getter Meetings:
July 29, 3:30 p.m. at the Amazon Grill, 9600 Westheimer
(Gessner and Westheimer)
August 6, 3:30 p.m. – Los Tios, 9527 Westheimer
(Tanglewilde and Westheimer)
August 19, 3:30 p.m. – Los Tios, 9527 Westheimer
September 3, 3:30 p.m. – Los Tios, 9527 Westheimer
September 23, 3:30 p.m. – Los Tios, 9527 Westheimer
To RSVP for the Recruitment Rally contact Lisa Butler
at lbutler@haaonline.org or 713-595-0322.
Show Me the Money!
Recruit one new member or renew two members to be
entered into our cash drawings. The more members
you recruit, the more times your name will be entered
in the drawings!
One drawing for $2,000
Two drawings for $1,000
Three drawings for $500
Seven drawings for $250
Can’t make the meetings? That’s OK, you can still
recruit for HAA and be able to win the cash incentives.
Party Cruise with your HAA Network of Friends
Qualifying recruiters will be invited to join us for a
party cruise on Galveston Bay featuring food, drinks,
karaoke and more. You must RSVP to Lisa Butler at
713-595-0322 to join the fun.
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AUGUST 2008
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HAA President John Ridgway, Dean
O’Kelley and Nichole Williams present
Gloria Haney with the Go-Getter of
the Year award.
Congratulations, Go-Getter of the Year!
Congratulations to Gloria Haney, Southhampton Management, who was
named Go-Getter of the Year during the 2008 Industry Achievement Awards.
So why is Gloria a Go-Getter?
“I recruit because I truly believe being a member can help grow a business,”
Gloris says. “Membership is important because I think we should support businesses that support the association. I explain to prospective members how
long many businesses have been members, introduce them, and they can hear
first-hand how beneficial it is to be a member. I encourage people to recruit by
showing them how relationships that are formed between fellow members
and those at the association can become much more than just business.”
The Go-Getters are the backbone of the Houston Apartment Association. By recruiting
new members, the Go-Getter Club helps both new management and supplier companies
and the association grow for the future. For more information on the club, contact Lisa
Butler at 713-595-0322 or e-mail lbutler@haaonline.org.
AMBASSADORS
Get What You Need
Ambassadors use your questionnaires to find out how HAA can help you.
Top producers at the June meeting. From left are Co-chair Kevin Fenn,
Pavecon; Pete Lopez, HD Supply; Alan Jones, ICI Paints; John Hill, Asset
Resource; and Co-chair Michelle Pahl, Century Air Conditioning.
New Ambassadors at the June meeting
AMBASSADOR VIPS
This list reflects the number of questionnaires completed by each Ambassador.
Ambassadors listed in bold reached new achievement levels at press time.
HALL OF FAME
700
Patrick Sheahan
500
Julio Garcia
150
Mary Estrada
Kevin Fenn
Amy Mauer
Tony Montemarano
Jimmy Renteria
Randy Rowles
400
Rashann Fontenot
Ambassadors reaching new levels for June. From left are Co-chair
Michelle Pahl, Century Air Conditioning; Josh Carter, Kwal Paint; Glenda
Vargas, BG Personnel Services; Co-chair Kevin Fenn, Pavecon LTD.
AMBASSADOR OF THE MONTH
300
Barbara Brett
Peggy Charles
David Hardwick
Jimmie Hotz
Alan Jones
Nancé Wells
250
Patrick Brothers
Michael Flores
Billy Griffin
Michelle Pahl
Peggy Charles
Brandt Electrical
Services
369 Questionnaires
Glenda Vargas
BG Personnel
Services
25 Questionnaires
Josh Carter
Kwal Paint
10 Questionnaires
200
NORA KRAKOWER
LIFETIME AWARD
Laura Collins
Lisa Grimes
Kathy Smith
Donald Sweitzer
Andrea Winans
100
CHRISTINE MOHEB
MEMORIAL AWARD
Debbie Andreozzi
M.J. Featherston
Fernando Gomez
Billie Johnson
Nora Krakower
Brenda Nite
Sandra Parker
Pablo Paz
Karin ChurchfieldTyson
James Wagner
75
Karl Heinrich
John Hill
Norma Ledbetter
Joe Slaughter
Roland Silas
Todd Smith
25
Stephen Abila
Jessica Baker
Jeff Blevins
Janet Dorsett
Darlene Dow
Andrea Dunlop
Kimberly Flores
Israel Garza
James Gregory
Erica Hallmark
Dallas Hardwick
Trisha Hunter
Dan James
Glenda Jeffcoat
Dean O’Kelley
Chuck Littlepage
Mark Park
Beth Rohani
Mike Romano
Shawn Royer
Preston Sams
Carlos Sanchez
Glenda Vargas
10
Greg Baughman
Ronnie Beavers
Josh Carter
Grant Crowell
Aimee Ferrini
Travis Fowler
Lisa Godwin
Laura Hancock
Jason Henley
Philip Jones
Jacob Kunath
Laura Lestus
Chuck Littlepage
Erin McCary
Deana Miller
Krista Oliver
Michelle Opalewski
Wendy Pearson
Robert Pfunder
Mindy Price
Carlos Sanchez
Crystal Sepulveda
Jodi Southwick
Wayne Trusty
Beth Varney
Marivel Villanueva
Kevin Wendt
Heather Wiesner
Angie Wilganowski
Brandy Williams
Ron Winans
Producers from Charles, Collins and
Estrada team, The Legends. In back
from left are Keith Licciardo and
Jimmie Hotz, HD Supply; Sandra
Parker, Apartment Finder; Wendy
Pearson, AmRent; Co-captain Laura
Collins, Classic Touch Painting;
Marivel Villanueva, For Rent Media
Solutions; Josh Carter, Kwal Paint;
Dean O’Kelley, Liberty Personnel/
Executive Search; Alan Jones, ICI
Paints; Co-captain Mary Estrada,
Certified Recovery/Verification Plus;
John Hill, Asset Resource and Patrick
Sheahan, Sherwin Williams Co.
Seated are Co-chair Michelle Pahl,
Century Air Conditioning; Co-captain
Peggy Charles, Brandt Electrical
Services; Barbara Brett, McBride
Electric; Co-chair Kevin Fenn,
Pavecon; and Andrea Winans,
Bishop’s Office Needs.
Producers from Gomez, Grimes and
Featherston team, The HAA Idols. In the
back row are Edward Rios, ICI Paints; Pete
Lopez, HD Supply; Ronnie Beavers, Presto
Maintenance Supply; Aimee Ferrini, Scott
Equipment; Patrick Brothers, Century Air
Conditioning; Crystal Sanchez, Apartment
Home Living; Kenyon Carroll, Maintenance
Supply Headquarters; Laura Lestus, Liberty
Personnel/Executive Search; and Fernando
Gomez and Andre Gonzalez, Century Air
Conditioning. In front are Rick Kraft, Hoffer
Furniture; Co-chair Michelle Pahl, Century
Air Conditioning; Co-chair Kevin Fenn,
Pavecon; Karl Heinrich, Higher Standard
Construction; Co-captain M.J. Featherston,
Access Electric; Co-captain Lisa Grimes,
D&C Contracting; Glenda Vargas, BG
Personnel Services; Joan Miller, Ambit
Energy; Jacob Kunath, Century Air
Conditioning; and Israel Garza, ICI Paints.
The Ambassadors are the eyes and ears of HAA, surveying members on
their wants and needs. If you would like to be a part of the Ambassador
Club, contact Lisa Butler at 713-595-0322 or lbutler@haaonline.org.
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61
PROPERTY UPDATE
NEW CONSTRUCTION
Greystone Asset Management opened the
Oak Creek Apartments, 176 units at 2213 North
Frazier in Conroe, in May.
Alpha-Barnes opened the Mansions at
Hastings Green, 252 units at 11950 FM 1960
West, in June.
In July, DMC Management opened The
Millennium Greenway, 309 units at 1400
Southwest Fwy.
Davis Development is opening Villas at
Edgewater, 514 units at 200 Water St. in Webster.
PROPERTY CHANGES
Myan Management Group now operates the
Falcon Ridge Apartments, 234 units at 4603
Cypresswood Drive in Spring.
The Riverstone Residential portfolio now
includes Alexan Sterling Ridge, 310 units at
10851 Montfair in The Woodlands.
Concierge Asset Management now operates
the Ashwood Park Apartments, 144 units at 3520
Burke Road in Pasadena, and Waterstone Place,
168 units at 516 Stafford Springs Ave. in Stafford.
Francis Property Management has purchased
Harbor Walk, 4630 Magnolia Cove Drive in
Kingwood, and changed the 300-unit property’s
name to Harbor Cove.
Archstone-Smith now operates the Lofts at
the Ballpark, 375 units at 610 St. Emanuel.
The Sumar portfolio now includes Asbury Park,
200 units at 6200 W. Tidwell, and North Oak
Apartments, 256 units at 225 Aldine Bender.
Asset Plus has assumed management of Oaks
of Woodforest, 536 units at 250 Uvalde Road.
Granite Asset Management now operates
Dakota Woods, 91 units at 5414 Elm St.
The Palms of Lake Jackson LLC has taken over
operations at the property of the same name,
184 units at 440 Hwy. 332 in Lake Jackson.
Tarantino now operates Woodstone Manor,
144 units at 10250 Lands End, and Westview
Forest, 346 units at 10110 Westview.
Greystar has assumed management of the following properties:
Tanglewood at Voss, 376 units at 7510
Burgoyne
Tradewinds, 222 units at 11303 S. Wilcrest
Wilshire Park, 180 units at 2686 Murworth
Chateaux Normandie, 122 units at 333
Normandy
Equinox, 330 units at 2950 Old Spanish Trail
Alta Crossing, 258 units at 6464 E. Sam
Houston Pkwy. N.
Eclipse, 304 units at 1725 Crescent Plaza.
Pinnacle now operates Canfield Lakes, 454
units at 12255 Northborough Drive.
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AUGUST 2008
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TVO Groupe has purchased City West, 510
units at 2828 Hayes Road.
NAME CHANGES
Chestnut Park is now known as Seasons at
Cypress Station, 484 units at 505 Cypress Station.
COMPANY CHANGES
RentGrow Inc. has doubled its office space to
accommodate for its 30 percent increase in staff.
The company’s new headquarters is located at
307 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, MA, 02452.
Centra Asset Partners LLC is now known as
Centra Partners LLC.
7777 Blankenship Drive • Houston, Texas • 77055
IN THE NEWS
Small
Blumberg
Tate
Tran
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Kim Small, HAA board secretary, is now senior
vice president/director of national operations for
The Morgan Group.
HAA Past President Gary Blumberg has joined
Guardian Equity Management as the company’s chief investment officer.
Denise Hurt has joined Landmark as the company’s vice president of marketing and training.
Misti Morales is now a marketing director
with Greystar.
GFI Management Services welcomes and
thanks the company’s 30 new employees.
John Gosslee and Richard Ley have joined
Sierra Utility Billing Services as national
account executives.
After almost 14 years of service to HAA, our
own Mildred Tate has retired from the accounting department. We wish her the best and welcome Lan Tran to the HAA accounting staff.
NEW ARRIVALS
Mr. and Mrs. Fernando Garcia, Liberty
Personnel/Executive Search, welcome Thomas
Alejandro Garcia, born May 1.
Angie Wilganowski and her husband proudly announce the arrival
of Grace Faye Wilganowski, born
Baby Grace March 18.
CONGRATULATIONS
Rockwell’s Metro Midtown Apartments have
been voted among Houston’s top luxury apartments by users of ApartmentWIZ.com.
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AUGUST 2008
63
WELCOME MAT
OWNER MEMBERS
Richard & Narcisa Arizaga
19203 S Piper Grove Drive
Katy, TX 77449
281-398-0755
Ricardo & Narcisa Arizaga Properties
Equity Development
Hap Hunnicutt
807 S. Post Oak Lane #214
Houston, TX 77056-2200
713-627-0101
Post Oak Hills Apts.
SUPPLIER MEMBERS
ACEQUIA LP
Kenneth Cook
8701 Cross Park Drive #110
Austin, TX 78754-4566
512-637-5172
Irrigation Systems & Equipment
Referred by Anita Harrison
ACS Partners LLC
Jim Brown
312 S. Atlanta St.
Roswell, GA 30075-4902
832-327-9322
Carpenters
General Contractors
Painting Contractors
American Arches
Troy King
11255 Windfern Road #A
281-955-6779
Blinds-Specialty Shaped
Window Treatments-Specialty Shaped
American Patriot Industries Inc.
Mike Rossi
P.O. Box 621
Waller, TX 77484-0621
936-931-2451
Chemicals
Cleaning Compounds
Referred by Jessica Kuo
Buy the Staff Inc.
Anani Romo
7010 Champions Plaza Drive
Houston, TX 77069
281-440-4949
Employment Agencies
Telephone Answering Service
Referred by Paige Gilbeaux
Corporate Gift Baskets USA
JoAnn Harmon
8815 Solon Road #F10
281-477-8400
Gift Baskets & Parcels
Welcome Baskets
Referred by Shannon Crumpler
64
AUGUST 2008
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Introducing
MAY
and
JUNE new members
JSB Resources
Vicki Bowman
14838 Tilley St.
Houston, TX 77084
281-222-4852
JSB Resources Property
Patton Apartments & Investments
Liz Patton
P.O. Box 22211
713-524-1522
Patton Apts. & Investment Properties
LNC Yorkshire Village LLC
Lee Carroll
P.O. Box 17021
Sugar Land, TX 77496
281-667-3667
Yorkshire Village Apts.
Tom Rockwell
114 Ashburne Glen Lane
Red Oak, TX 75154
817-336-8321
Tom Rockwell Properties
Referred by Del Walmsley
Hugh M. Cunningham Inc.
Kevin Winslow
13755 Benchmark Drive
Dallas, TX 75234
800-339-0190
Manufacturers Agents & Reps.
Plumbing Equip. & Supplies
Securatech Security Systems
Will Maddox
2426 Cunningham Road
Wallis, TX 77485-9196
713-922-7657
Security Control Equipment/Systems
Security Systems Consultants
Referred by Sherri Corte
Texas Protection Services Inc.
Gary Marroquin
731 East 12th St.
Houston, TX 77008
713-863-1687
Courtesy Patrol
Security Guard/Patrol Service
Referred by Claudia Schnebly
Security Coordinator,
Harris County Sheriff’s Office
Roy Lee
32622 Riverwood
Magnolia, TX 77354
281-541-9434
Security Guard/Patrol Service
Referred by Earon Hunt
Turner Electrical Services Co.
John Ferguson
P.O. Box 430354
Houston, TX 77243
281-332-8659
Electric Contractors
Remodeling & Repair-Building
Contractors
Referred by Susan Lee
Demeris Catering
George Demeris
2911 S. Shepherd
713-529-7326
Caterers
Referred by Jacob Kunath
ML Deer Construction Co. LP
Todd Riedel
7720 Westview
713-681-1100
General Contractors
Painting Contractors
Referred by Byron Plant
Matrix Paving Services LLC
James Alami
6 Shell Port Square
Spring, TX 77380
832-482-5240
Asphalt & Asphalt Products
Concrete Repair
Sandblasting
Parking Area Maint. & Marking
Paving Contractors
Referred by Gloria Haney
Mobile Mix DJ & Home Theater
Alan Blair
12035 Huffmeister Road #735
Cypress, TX 77429-4678
832-331-3690
Sound Systems & Equipment
Disc Jockey
Referred by Summer Koon
Sabas Roofing
Paul Denmond
5811 Song Ridge
832-423-7961
Roofing Contractors
Roofing Cleaning
Spring Branch Towing Inc.
Judith Gallegos
8341 Hammerly Blvd.
Houston, TX 77055
713-690-5700
Wrecker Service
Stop & Print Inc.
dba Dipuma Printinting Co.
4025 Willowbend Blvd. #305
713-667-5400
T-Shirts
Printers
Student Movers Inc.
Donna Dickerson
P.O. Box 630847
713-728-4900
Moving Supplies
Movers
Referred by Earon Hunt
Tejas Underground Utilities LLC
Ricky K. Stutts
P.O. Box 1419
Magnolia, TX 77353-1419
281-356-6960
Drainage Contractors
Sewer Contractors
Referred by Sherri Corte
Royal Sapphire Holdings Ltd. Co.
Andrea Todaro
1404 Cypress Cove
La Porte, TX 77571
281-658-3610
Crew Quarters Apts.
Referred by Del Walmsley
Welcome to HAA!
Call 713-595-0300
for event details
and to register.
Shed some
light
on bad debt.
Help RCR help you by reporting
residents who leave owing you money.
Consumer retail debt and eviction filings are on the rise. You can’t
tell from a prospective resident’s face whether he or she will skip on
your lease, but we have the solution: Know your customers with RCR.
Subscribe today to boost your bottom line and greatly increase your
collection of bad debt. For more information, call 713-595-0345
or send an e-mail to rcr@haaonline.org.
Ultimate Landscaping
Jody Huffmeister
P.O. Box 692268
Houston, TX 77269
281-444-4473
Lawn Maintenance
Landscape Contractors
Referred by Beth Davis
Universal Plumbing Supply Co. Inc.
Melvin Cweren
2301 Congress
713-225-2800
Water Heaters & Boilers
Plumbing Fixtures/Parts/Supply
Referred by Jimmie Hotz
Warner Pool Service
Danny Warner
7714 Fairdale
Houston, TX 77063
713-781-1534
Swimming Pool Service &
Maintenance
Swimming Pool Contractors
Referred by Beth Davis
Welcome to HAA!
See Pages 20 and 21
and www.haaonline.org
for upcoming events.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
65
MANAGERS, Continued from Page 45
Take a seat at our
table to support
your business and
our industry
66
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
The Houston Apartment Association Better
Government Fund is the political action committee
of the Houston Apartment Association. The HAABGF
participates in local and state political campaigns,
helping candidates who support the apartment
industry and its supplier businesses. You can
participate in the HAABGF on several levels:
• The Steering Committee sets the agenda for the
HAABGF, making recommendations to the group on
which candidates to endorse. Steering Committee
membership is $1,500.
• Trustees have an individual vote on HAABGF
decisions. An investment of $500 is required for
Trustees.
• Century Club Members can attend all regular
HAABGF functions. Though club members cannot
vote individually, they have a collective vote through
the Century Club Representative. Century Club
Membership is only $100.
For more information, contact Andy Teas or
Aimee Arrington at govaffairs@haaonline.org.
because it would come to work, then it would
go home with me because I want to show it to
this person. (laughter) … When Traci won, too
… I was very proud of that. I was the one who
nominated her, because, like I said, I have
learned a lot from her. …
Jakubik: I was in a wedding in Mexico (during the awards dinner), when I started getting
text messages from my employees, stating
“Congratulations! Congratulations!” Well,
when you go to Mexico, you kind of lose sight
of what time it is. … We were at dinner, and I
could hear my phone vibrating and I thought,
“I wonder if there’s something wrong with the
house.” I checked and responded, “What are
you talking about, congratulations on what?”
They said, “You won! You won!” It was just
not registering, initially, and then I said, “Oh
my gosh, I WON!” (laughter) …
So then I had to call them back – which
cost me a gazillion dollars, I’m sure, I have
yet to get the international bill. It was a double reward that my managers were all so
excited for me. But in reality, they did it.
They do all the work. I couldn’t have done it
without them. … I was just thrilled. I started
crying. We were there for a wedding, a happy
occasion, but my mom walked out, and
became concerned when she saw me in tears.
When she asked what was wrong, I said, “Oh
nothing, I just won an award and I’m not
even there!”
Renobato: When it came to our category
for the community managers, one of my
coworkers was also nominated. It was
thrilling just seeing your name up there, but
when they start talking about accomplishments, at first, I did not know that it was me.
When they started talking about our numbers, I thought, “That sounds like my numbers. I did that.” So it was like, “Oh my goodness,” and I felt a shortness of breath immediately prior to my name being called, and then
it was just kind of fuzzy. Everything was
fuzzy. It’s a feeling of just, exhilaration, I suppose, disbelief, shock, and just then trying to
make it a reality. It just wasn’t tangible until I
went up there and touched it. (laughs) And
then I kind of did what Larry did – I wanted
to show it off. … It’s just a huge honor.
It has become a bit of a tradition to close the
discussion by swapping stories of the off-thewall things you’ve seen over the years. What
are some of your favorite stories?
Jakubik: The thing that horrified me probably the most was the front page of the (Fort
Bend) Herald-Coaster. “Pecan Park
Apartments, Woman and mother murdered
in apartment and cut into pieces and stuck in
freezer by maintenance man.” I immediately
called my manager and I asked, “What are
they talking about?!” We found out that they
finally closed a 20-year-old cold case. The
horrible incident did happen. The maintenance man was married to the daughter of
the mother. He apparently murdered both of
them in an apartment, and then he dismembered them and put them in the freezer.
Well, for 20 years, they couldn’t figure this
out. However, with new forensic technology
they were able to prove up their suspicion and
arrested him in Illinois. But the worst occurred
when the police went over to the apartment
and asked the current resident, “Excuse me,
can we see your refrigerator?” They relayed the
story to the resident, who came immediately
to the office for confirmation. At the time we
had no earthly idea what they were talking
about. To make a long story short, that’s now
our model at that property. (laughs)
Willms: We had a resident that … would fill
up his bathtub and throw his television in
there because he was afraid the government
was watching, listening in. He put a computer
in there one time, saying that it was a nuclear
bomb. Every time this happened, and it started
to become on a weekly basis, he was flooding
his downstairs neighbor’s apartment. I didn’t
feel really threatened by him, and I don’t think
anybody in the office did, but the neighbors
were really starting to, because it was starting
to escalate to a weekly basis. We had to locate
his parents and see if they could help him.
That’s what he did, and he actually came back
about six months later and apologized to us
for everything, so I guess they got him help.
What do you do in those situations, especially
when neighbors become involved, given the
Fair Housing Act’s protections for residents
with disabilities of various kinds?
Renobato: Well, I think when they start
flooding the downstairs apartment every single week, that’s a problem, and your primary
concern is damages.
Willms: We didn’t know what was next.
I mean, he could have burned the apartment
down.
Renobato: It’s interesting how much control
I think our residents believe that we have over
the behavior of the people that live there, and
it’s just really not in our control. They think
that we’re supposed to be able to control
absolutely. … It’s constantly surprising how
much control they think we have. (laughs) …
We’re in a constant state of learning.
Congratulations again to all our winners!
Photos from the awards dinner begin on Page 32.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
67
Get Noticed!
68
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
JAKAB, Continued from Page 47
and restripe the parking lot, have one golf cart
for the office and one for maintenance and
many other ideas. Many of these suggestions
were rather radical for a C (or even a B) class
property but are among the main reasons that
we get to near to 100 percent occupancy with
low turnover and delinquency on all our properties within a year of acquisition. In fact,
many of my protégés at Lifestyles owe a debt of
gratitude to Stacie as they have been copying
my business model.
I also have to point out that my corporate
staff know a lot more about the operational
aspects of this business than I will ever know.
In particular, my first corporate employee, Lisa
Barajas (district manager), joined me one and a
half years ago and really cleaned up my operations. David Trusty, my construction supervisor,
has saved me millions in capital expenditures
and produces a much higher-quality product
than I could ever dream of doing my own.
Another key person in my business is Trey
Stone, CEO of Guardian Equity. When we met,
Trey was working for Del Walmsley at
Lifestyles. Trey, along with his parents, invested
in my second deal in early 2005, and in late
2005, I helped him buy first apartment community. I also helped him on his second and
third deals, and then he really took off on his
own and now has his own large portfolio. Over
the past two years, he has pioneered a lot of
innovative and bold ideas that have jump started and helped shape my company. I am
extremely proud to say that he won HAA’s
Independent Owner of the Year last year and
won the same award on a national level from
the NAA this year.
Get noticed in the most used
property management tool in Houston!
Why should you advertise in the
2009 HAA Directory & Buyer’s Guide?
• Buyers are already looking for your service.
• It’s the “yellow pages” of the multifamily industry.
• Your ad explains why the buyer should choose you.
• More than 4,000 copies get your ad into buyers’ hands.
• It works for your company all year long, no vacations!
• It’s cost effective – You can’t afford NOT to advertise.
Credit cards accepted!
Deadline for ad order and camera-ready art is September 30.
For more information, call Amanda at 713-595-0316, e-mail
asherbondy@haaonline.org or go online to www.haaonline.org.
What advice would you give to a first-time or
aspiring independent owner? Join HAA and
Lifestyles Unlimited Inc. Enroll in CAM, CAPS
and IROC and complete all coursework as soon
as possible. Treat your education as a full time
job and spend three to six months learning as
much as possible before you even think about
looking at deals.
Most importantly, seek out qualified and
experienced mentors to help guide you. I was
lucky to find Del Walmsley, Trey Stone, David
Fantin and the experienced community directors that I met at HAA classes like Stacie Key
and others to help guide me, and I know that I
would have failed without them.
Conserve your energy for May 20,
when everyone in the multifamily
industry will be “Green” with envy!
Watch upcoming ABODEs for all the details.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
69
HAA RESOURCES
Standard Lease Contracts, Forms & Books*
HAA members can access the most comprehensive
lease available in the industry, along with more than
30 different forms. Also available to members is the TAA Redbook
containing state and federal statutes and governmental rules that
affect all rental housing in Texas. For more information, contact
Form Sales at 713-595-0317, e-mail forms@haaonline.org or order
online at www.haaonline.org.
Information for
OWNER/MANAGEMENT COMPANY MEMBERS
Committees & Clubs
Members volunteer to work side by side with industry
peers in more than 20 activities that help the association
accomplish its goals and objectives. Pictures of volunteers are featured in
ABODE magazine every month. For more information, contact Member
Services at 713-595-0322 or e-mail members@haaonline.org.
Legislative Information
Continual updates that keep our members apprised
of pending legislation. Staff members are available
to answer questions about the state and federal laws and city
ordinances. Contact the Government Affairs Department at
713-595-0303 or 713-595-0302 or e-mail govtaff@haaonline.org.
ABODE Magazine
HAA’s premier monthly publication – 80 pages of
interesting, informative articles from industry
insiders covering rental housing trends and tips to help reduce the
expense of day-to-day operations. A regular bi-annual report on rental
rates and occupancy statistics is published in the spring and fall.
For more information, contact the Communications Department at
713-595-0333 or 713-595-0334 or e-mail comm@haaonline.org.
Resident Relations Department and Helplines
Free assistance to all member apartment personnel
who have questions or need advice when dealing
with residents. Community service for residents to help resolve
misunderstandings concerning the lease, application and security
deposits. For assistance, contact Resident Relations at
713-595-0300 or e-mail resrel@haaonline.org.
Directory & Buyer’s Guide
An annual listing of all member owner/management
companies, properties and companies that supply
products and services to the rental housing industry is available to HAA
members only. One copy is mailed to each member, including each
property, in January. For more information, contact the Special Services
Department at 713-595-0306 or specserv@haaonline.org.
Surveys/Statistical Data*
An annual salary survey is downloadable from
the HAA Web site and available only to members.
A leasing and occupancy survey is published twice a year in
ABODE magazine for spring and fall.
HAA Online
Online form sales, event calendar and registration and
job listings provide members with a direct connection to
HAA services. All member company Web site addresses have hyperlinks
where permission has been granted. This offer is free to all members.
713-595-0300 or e-mail webmaster@haaonline.org.
Education Programs*
From entry-level leasing and sales technique, to
executive-level training in human resources and
marketing, there is truly something for every multi-family professional
through the Education Department. Ranging from three hours to six
months in duration, training programs are available throughout the year
and cover every discipline. Additionally, the six designation programs
from the National Apartment Association are also offered for those
professionals looking to set themselves apart in a competitive industry.
Education grants are also available for certain programs. For more
information, contact the Education and Meetings Department at
713-595-0319 or 713-595-0314, e-mail educ@haaonline.org, or register
for programs online at www.haaonline.org.
Resident Credit Reporting Service (RCR)*
Powered by First Advantage SafeRent
This is an optional service for an additional charge.
RCR has partnered with First Advantage SafeRent, the nation’s leading
and most innovative provider of screening services, to expand its suite
of resident screening services currently available as an exclusive HAA
membership benefit. RCR partnered with First Advantage SafeRent to
provide leasing staff more screening resources to make consistent,
accurate, and Fair Housing compliant leasing decisions. Local rental
history (including evictions, skips and move-in and move-out data),
nationwide rental history and landlord-tenant records, broader criminal
data and retail credit reports are available in a quick and easy-to-use
Web-based application with instantly delivered results. For more
information, contact Resident Credit Reporting at 713-595-0330 or
713-595-0329 or e-mail rcr@haaonline.org.
*These benefits are in addition to your membership fee.
The Houston Apartment Association is the largest local apartment association in the U.S., representing more than 1,600 companies. We represent
2,300 apartment communities with more than 444,000 units – 90 percent of the Greater Houston market. Exposure is the key to your business
success in HAA. Your membership is only the first step. After joining, take the next step and become involved. In time, you will see results.
70
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
HAA RESOURCES
General Membership Meetings*
Supplier members can take part in face-to-face
contact in a social setting with apartment industry
personnel. Bi-monthly meetings vary from chili cook-offs and volleyball
tournaments to dinner awards presentations and gala events.
Average attendance is more than 250 people. For more information,
contact the Education and Meetings Department at 713-595-0319 or
713-595-0314 or e-mail educ@haaonline.org.
Committees & Clubs
Supplier members can volunteer to work side by side
with industry peers in more than 20 activities that help
the association accomplish its goals and objectives. Pictures of volunteers
are featured in ABODE magazine every month and could help you and
your sales staff get recognized regularly by on-site personnel. For more
information, contact Member Services at 713-595-0322 or e-mail
members@haaonline.org.
ABODE Magazine
This award-winning monthly publication contains local,
state and national news to keep our members on top of
their profession. ABODE has a circulation of 4,000 copies every month.
Advertising in ABODE will give you the consistent exposure to the Houston multifamily housing market and reinforce the efforts of your sales
people. Writing an article can show expertise in your field. For more
information on advertising, contact Supplier Services at 713-595-0316
or e-mail suppsrv@haaonline.org. To find out more about writing for
ABODE, contact the Communications Department at 713-595-0333,
713-595-0334 or e-mail comm@haaonline.org.
Directory & Buyer’s Guide
The “yellow pages” of HAA, one copy is mailed to all
members, including each property, in January. This
is the primary reference source used by apartment personnel to
contact HAA supplier members. Supplier members have one
alphabetical and two categorical listings, with more available for a
small fee. The book lists each property by address and by name
and the owners or management companies. Deadline to advertise
or be listed in the 2009 Directory is October 1, 2008. For more
information, contact Supplier Services at 713-595-0316 or e-mail
suppsrvc@haaonline.org.
Information for
SUPPLIER COMPANY MEMBERS
Sponsorships*
Have your company name promoted by sponsoring
an event. More than 120 events are up for auction
twice a year allowing you the opportunity to target specific property
management personnel. Auctions are held in January and June.
For more information, contact Supplier Services at 713-595-0316 or
e-mail suppsrv@haaonline.org.
Mailing Labels*
Continually updated, preprinted adhesive labels
can increase the efficiency of mass mailings. Available
in three membership categories (owners, properties and suppliers)
for a nominal fee. For more information, contact Form Sales at
713-595-0317 or e-mail forms@haaonline.org.
HAA Online
Online form sales, event calendar and registration and
job listings provide members with a direct connection to
HAA services. All member company Web site addresses have hyperlinks
where permission has been granted. This offer is free to all members.
713-595-0300 or e-mail webmaster@haaonline.org.
Get the HAA
member logo
Highlight your company’s
$145/player if payment is received by September 12; $165 after September 12.
Price includes golf fees, lunch, beverages during play and dinner.
Register now: tournament space is limited.
Note: Only sponsors and paid players may attend this event.
membership with HAA.
cards, letterhead, publications,
company Web site and any
other communications tools
and marketing collateral.
Show your alliance with
your local advocate for
HAA at 713-595-0333
Download the logo at www.haaonline.org
ABODE
Check-in begins at 10 a.m. followed by the Putting Contest ($5 per entry) and lunch.
Shotgun scramble starts at noon. Prizes for: • Putting Contest • Closest To Pin • Longest Drive
• Tournament prizes awarded in two flights, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place, net scores.
*These benefits are in addition to your membership fee.
For more information call
AUGUST 2008
Monday, September 22
BraeBurn Country Club
CAS
quality rental housing.
72
for the HAABGF 2008 Fall Golf Tournament
8101 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074
Certified Apartment Supplier*
A certification program designed to educate suppliers
on the multifamily industry and the day-to-day
operations of an apartment property. For more information, contact
the Education and Meetings Department at 713-595-0319 or
713-595-0314 or e-mail educ@haaonline.org.
Use the logo on your business
Education Conference & Expo*
Market your company at this annual event with more
than 295 exhibitor booths and 4,000 potential clients.
The show is free to all apartment community personnel and will be held
at the Reliant Center. The next show is scheduled for May 2008.
For more information on the 2008 Expo, contact Supplier
Services at 713-595-0316 or e-mail suppsrvc@haaonline.org.
Hit the greens
while raising
green for
political action
Payment must be made by personal check payable to HAABGF or personal Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover.
Credit card registrations may be faxed to 281-582-1520. Payment must accompany registration.
Name ______________________________________________________
____________
Company______________________________________________________________ Phone (_________)_________________________
MC____ Visa____ AmEx____ Discv_______ Credit Card #____________________________________________________________
Expiration Date____________________ Name on Card________________________________________________________________
Number of players paid for_____________ @ $145 ($165 after September 12) each = $_______________ (total amount paid)
Foursome/special pairing requested:
Name_________________________________________________________
Name_________________________________________________________
Name_________________________________________________________
Name_________________________________________________________
Handicap___________
Handicap___________
Handicap___________
Handicap___________
In the event of rain, your contribution
will go to the HAA Better Government
Fund. Contributions are not tax
deductible as charitable contributions
under the Internal Revenue Code.
Paid for by HAA Better Government
Fund, Stacy Hunt, Treasurer.
Mail completed form and payment to: HAABGF PAC, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, Texas 77041.
For additional information, contact Aimee Arrington at 713-595-0302 or e-mail aarrington@haaonline.org.
Video Monthly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
713-880-3333 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.videomonthly.com
Apartment Finder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
800-422-8300 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.apartmentfinder.com
Hamilton-Steele Outdoor Accents . . . . . . . . . . .55
713-533-9059 . . . . . . . . . . .www.hamilton-steele.com
Video Rental Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
800-475-5184 . . . . . . . .www.videorentalservices.com
Apartment Guide . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover, 53
713-960-8292 . . . . . . . . . .www.apartmentguide.com
Hiebert Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
281-961-3014 . . . . . . .www.hiebertphotography.com
Waste Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
713-423-1749 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.wm.com
Apartment Video Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
281-480-0742
Integrity Interiors & Exteriors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
832-212-4214 .www.integrityinteriorsandexteriors.com
Webb Pest Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
800-243-6303
Appliance Warehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
800-693-4343 . . . . . . . . . . .www.appliancewhse.com
Magic Ladder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.magicladder.com
BG Personnel Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
713-781-8367 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.bgpersonnel.com
Meyer Smith Inc. (Houston Gate) . . . . . . . . . . .54
713-862-7339 . . . . . . . . . . .www.meyersmithinc.com
Brandt Electrical Services Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
281-693-3383 . . . . . . . . . . .www.brandtelectrical.com
Namco Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
800-634-5816 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.namcomfg.com
CKI Wholesale Lock Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
713-462-0704 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ckilock.com
PWS-The Laundry Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
713-681-8811 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.pwslaundry.com
Camp Construction Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
713-413-2267 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.camprecon.com
Perfect Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
713-952-0202
Need forms? Call us today!
Contact our Form Sales department directly
at 713-595-0317, or send
an e-mail to forms@haaonline.org.
History of Effective Rental Rate & Occupancy for All Units
SNAPSHOT
Occupancy:
Price:
Rental Rate:
Size:
86.9%
$706/mo.
81.9¢/sq.ft./mo.
862 sq.ft.
Past 12 Months:
3.2% rental rate growth
6,201 units absorbed
Operating Supply:
2,784 communities
546,548 units
Recently Opened (12 months):
52 communities
15,584 units
• – 91.0
82.0 –
•
80.0 –
•
• •
• • •
•
Under Construction:
60 communities
16,927 units
• •
• •
•
– 89.0
•
– 88.0
•
•
•
•
– 87.0
– 86.0
Jul 06
76.0 –
HOTTEST SUBMARKETS Over the Past Three Months
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
•
•
78.0 –
Proposed Construction:
62 communities
19,215 units
– 90.0
•
• •
Submarket
Bear Creek/Copperfield
Clear Lake
Inner Loop West/Greenway Plaza
Galleria
Friendswood/Pearland
% of Market
Absorbed
2.9%
1.9%
1.5%
1.3%
1.6%
Annualized
Rental Rate
Growth %
12.3%
11.1%
12.9%
15.1%
9.5%
Jun 08
FSI Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
713-690-5330 . . . . . . . . .www.foundationexperts.com
Apr 08
Apartment Data Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
281-759-2200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.apartmentdata.com
May 08
Texas Apartment Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
800-493-5406
Mar 08
For Rent Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
281-281-1800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.forrent.com
Jan 08
Ameritex Apartment Movers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
713-484-8400 . . . . . . . . . .www.ameritexhouston.com
Feb 08
Service Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
936-441-2121 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.serviceconcepts.us
Dec 07
First Advantage-SafeRent . . . . . .Inside Back Cover
972-612-2420 . . . . . . . . . .www.registry-saferent.com
Oct 07
Ameristar Screen and Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . .47, 63
713-683-6767 . . . . . . . . . . .www.ameristarglass.com
T
Nov 07
Scott Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
713-686-7268 . . . . . . . . . .www.scott-equipment.com
Sep 07
Dixie Carpet Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
281-261-6334 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.dixiecarpet.com
39 submarkets, and the ranking is based on the best combination of
rental rate growth and absorption over the past three months. The third
table distributes and analyzes concessions (specials) by classification.
Concessions generally are represented by three types of specials:
move-in, months free or floor plans. The effect of these specials is
captured and prorated over a lease term to arrive at a percentage
reduction in market or street rents.
Jul 07
Alexander-Rose Associates Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
713-644-4441
he first table below displays a snapshot of the current market
conditions. The graph displays the overall occupancy and
effective rental rates over the past 24 months. These statistics
are derived from a continuous survey of all apartment communities in
the Houston region. The effective rental rates are the calculated net of
concessions and utility adjustments. The second table lists the five
hottest submarkets in the Greater Houston area. There are a total of
Aug 07
Resident Credit Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
713-595-0345 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.haaonline.org
Jun 07
D&C Contracting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
713-460-9394 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.dccontracting.com
May 07
Advalorem Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
281-474-2300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.advaloremtax.net
Apr 07
RENCON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
713-666-3636 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rencon.cc
Feb 07
Compliance Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
832-607-7800 .www.compliancemonitoringagency.com
Mar 07
Advanced Foundation Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
713-464-5561 . . . . . .www.advancedfoundationrepair.com
BRUCE McCLENNY, President, Apartment Data Services
HOUSTON
Jan 07
Reliant Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
800-894-6678 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.reliant.com
Dec 06
Comcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
713-341-1000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.comcast.com
Nov 06
Access Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
281-489-7755 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.access-electric.com
Oct 06
Rasa Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover
713-660-7777 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rasafloors.com
Aug 06
Certified Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
713-464-8219 . . . . . . . . . .www.certifiedrecovery.com
By
Sep 06
AAA Plumbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
713-462-4753 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.aaaplumbers.cc
MARKET LINE
Rental Rate (¢/sq.ft./mo.)
Marvin Poer & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
713-460-4500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.mfpoer.com
•
Century Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
281-530-2859 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.centuryac.com
Occupancy (%)
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
CONCESSIONS
Class
All
A
B
C
D
Total Units
w/Concessions
290,667
57,504
108,718
114,591
9,854
% of
Total Units
53%
60%
49%
60%
29%
Average
Special
-7.0%
-6.4%
-7.2%
-7.1%
-8.7%
Citywide
Effect
-4.1%
-3.8%
-3.9%
-4.6%
-4.9%
One Month Free = -8.33%
TEXAS
74
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
DALLAS/FT. WORTH
SAN ANTONIO
AUSTIN
Occupancy:
Price:
Rental Rate:
Size:
Occupancy:
Price:
Rental Rate:
Size:
Occupancy:
Price:
Rental Rate:
Size:
90.1%
$741/mo.
86.3¢/sq.ft./mo.
859 sq.ft.
89.9%
$678/mo.
81.8¢/sq.ft./mo.
829 sq.ft.
89.8%
$834/mo.
97.2¢/sq.ft./mo.
858 sq.ft.
Past 12 Months:
Past 12 Months:
Past 12 Months:
Operating Supply:
2,486 communities
551,265 units
Operating Supply:
685 communities
135,839 units
Operating Supply:
689 communities
148,632 units
Apartment Data Services Inc. has
been providing apartment data and
marketing products since 1986.
ADS Online covers Texas’ four
largest metro areas and provides
real-time access for property specific
information, market surveys and
historic submarket data for more
than 1.3 million apartment units.
For more information, contact
McClenny at 800-595-8730.
© 2008 Apartment Data Services Inc.
ABODE
AUGUST 2008
75
BACK PAGE
News from around the
COMMUNITY
It’s fund-raising season and HAA needs your donations and support for these worthy causes:
Donations are still
desperately needed
HAA is asking for your help. The Mission of Yahweh,
a shelter for abused women and children, needs
donations of the following items:
• Disposable diapers sizes 2, 3, 4, 5 and pull-ups
• Baby wipes
• Diaper rash cream
• Laundry detergent
• Bleach
• Pine-Sol
• Dish detergent
• Yard garbage bags (size 60 lbs.)
• Paper towels
• Sugar, Sweet & Low, Splenda
• Creamer
• Cooking oil
• Coffee
• Odor Ban
Clothing needs:
• Large, X-large, 2X, and 3X size suits and separates
for interviews
• Walking shoes and close-toed shoes
• Nice handbags and accessories
Sam’s Club items needed:
• Styrofoam 10 oz. cups (1,000/per box)
• Styrofoam 12 oz. cups (1,000/per box)
• Plastic forks, knives and spoons (1,000/per box)
• Detergent
• In lieu of goods, a Wal-Mart gift card would be
appreciated to buy products needed at Sam’s Club.
Please give a copy of receipt with gift card to
ensure value.
Taking Strokes Against Breast Cancer
7th Annual
Get in the pink and the green!
Pink Ladies needs lady golfers who can bring in the
big bucks for breast cancer research! Raise muchneeded funds for the American Cancer Society by
asking your family, friends and peers to donate in
support of your game and this worthy cause.
Hey individuals, suppliers and property management
companies: Sponsor pink with your green! Pink
Ladies needs your help and your sponsorship dollars.
Are you a breast cancer survivor? We want to hear
your story and honor you during the event.
Thursday, October 9
Longwood Golf Club, 13300 Longwood Trace
• Registration – 7:30 a.m.
Contact Susan at
• Tee Time – 10:30 a.m.
shinkley@haaonline.org
• Lunch and Auction – 12:30 p.m.
Please contact Susan Hinkley at 713-595-0313 or
e-mail shinkley@haaonline.org for more information.
or 713-595-0313
for more information.
Kidney Walk
Spend a Sunday morning in the park
to help fight chronic kidney disease
Myra Rega, Concierge Asset Management,
Arrie Colca, Craven Carpet, and the
Community Relations Committee need your
help to make the 2008 Kidney Walk another
great success. We are seeking teams of walkers for the September 21 event.
The Kidney Walk is a non-competitive
pledge event focusing on education and prevention of kidney and urinary tract disease
and raising awareness of the need for organ
donation. The Walk features three designated
routes of one, three and five miles.
To participate, register as a Team Captain
to Walk online at www.kidneywalk.org, then
76
AUGUST 2008
ABODE
recruit four or five more people to join your
team and walk with you. You can raise
money for the National Kidney
Foundation by asking friends, family,
neighbors and coworkers to support you
as you walk to increase awareness of
chronic kidney disease. See www.nkfset.org
or www.kidney.org for more information.
Volunteers will also be needed to help
with event parking, logistics, registration,
hospitality, refreshments and more.
Special thank-yous to sponsors at press
time, including Direct Energy, MAB
Flooring, Concierge Asset Management,
J&L Distributors and Rasa Floors.
For more information on being a walker,
volunteer or sponsor, contact:
Myra Rega
Arrie Colca
713-439-1773
or
713-725-0309
myra@drever.net
arrie@swbell.net
You can also contact the local office of the
National Kidney Foundation of Southeast
Texas at 713-952-5499 or register to walk
online at www.kidneywalk.org.
Houston Apartment Association
10815 Fallstone Road
Houston, Texas 77099-3496
Return Service Requested

Leaders Leaders - Houston Apartment Association

Transcription

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