CoastLINES

http://twitter.com/fcaaonline http://facebook.com/FirstCoastApartmentAssociation

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE FIRST COAST APARTMENT ASSOCIATION

www.fcaaonline.com January/February 2018

Once PICTURES PAGE 6

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Upon A Time...

…on Thursday, April 12th The 2018 FCAA Trade Show

“Celebrates the Magic of Property Management” From 5:30pm to 8:30pm See Page 7

PAGE 31

PLUS…

ONLINE PAPERLESS EVICTION PROCESS – Input and Go!

1.800.253.8428

FAX 1.800.367.9038 info@evict.com

EVICT.COM

Serving the Property Management Professional Since 1989 “The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertising. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience.” Available by Appointment: 37 N. Orange Avenue, Ste. 500, Orlando, FL 32801 • 17264 San Carlos Blvd., Ste. 308, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931 – Principal Office

351 NEEDS NEW CARPET. 517 NEEDS A REPAINT. AND 644 NEEDS, WELL, EVERYTHING. ALL YOU NEED IS THIS. We know managing a multifamily community isn’t easy. That’s why we’ve become a trusted partner to so many property managers who demand quality and value. Only Sherwin-Williams offers innovative coatings, flooring, color services, painting equipment and supplies backed by over 3,900 North American stores and 2,200 representatives. So we can help solve your challenges just as quickly as they arise.

Call 800-524-5979 to have a representative contact you or visit sherwin-williams.com ©2014 The Sherwin-Williams Company

No matter the season... @MSupplyHQ

Call 866-630-6747 • Español 888-281-0255 Fax 866-631-6747 • supplyHQ.com

we are always ready to serve you!

OFFICERS SHANNON GREGORY, President WRH Realty Services APRIL HUDSON, President Elect Milestone Management KEN FURTAW, Treasurer WRH Realty Services KATIE WRENN, Immediate Past President Finlay Management MELISSA LOHMEYER, Assoc. Vice President Apartments.com COMMUNITY DIRECTORS BRIAN CRON Oaks at Normandy BRIAN DAVIES WRH Realty Services

CoastLINES

CON­TENT

6

Ronnnie’s Race Pictures

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2018 FCAA Tradeshow Annoucement

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Put On Your Power Suit (Why I Wear Purple)

BETH LAKIN Terraces at Town Center

10-13 Holiday Party Pictures

JODY MAYOR Fort Family Investments

17-20 Industry Resource Guide

MICHELLE MURPHY MAA

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Legal or Not?

SHARON STEFFEN Mission Springs

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2018 Premier Sponsors

BRENDA SHERRILL 5 Thousand Town

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Get the Service Team Involved in the Budget Process

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Baby Boomers

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January Dinner Meeting Pictures

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Amazon vs. Walmart in the New Age

ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS RICK BIERMANN Redi Carpet HOLLY FOX ET&T Distributors JASON FROTTEN HD Supply DUSTIN HAWLEY RentPath JEFF JACKSON Sherwin-Williams

Calendar of Events!

2/2

Trade Show Committee Meeting

2/5

Maintenance Mania Committee Meeting

2/8

Maintenance Mania

2/12

COE Awards Committee Meeting

2/14

NALP (Day 1)

2/15

Lunch and Learn

DIRECTORS EMERITUS

2/21

NALP (Day 2)

DARLA ERDELYI Giglio Signs

2/22

Communications Committee Meeting

2/27

Maintenance Committee Meeting

2/28

NALP (Day 3)

3/18

March Dinner Meeting

TERRI JEFFRIES Cutting Edge Carpet GRACE MCCORD J&J Flooring MAINTENANCE LIAISON KRIS MILLERSCHONE Lakeside

JOHN GRAY NCC Business Services DALE PRITCHARD A Greener Image STEVE THOMAS Maintenance Supply Headquarters

JILL WRIGHT

CoastLINES is published by the First Coast Apartment As­so­ci­a­tion (FCAA) in the in­ter­est of all seg­ments of the apart­ment industry. Copies of the news­let­ter are in­clud­ed free with each mem­ber­ship. Dues, con­tri­bu­tions or gifts to the First Coast Apart­ment As­so­ci­a­tion (FCAA) are not deductible as charitable con­tri­bu­tions. For Federal Tax pur­pos­es how­ev­er, such dues, con­tri­bu­tions or gifts may be deductible under other sec­tions of the In­ter­nal Rev­e­nue Code. Please consult your tax ad­vi­sor. Opin­ions ex­pressed are those of the au­thors and do not reflect the opin­ions of the pub­lish­ers.

FCAA STAFF

CoastLINES: The Official Publication of

ERIN TRIAY ForRent.com

LINDSEY McCLAIN Executive Vice President TAYLOR TUCKER Director of Special Events CRYSTAL VERASTEGUI Director of Education & Membership

The First Coast Apartment Association 9456 Philips Highway, Suite 4 Jacksonville, Florida 32256 Phone: (904) 292-1345 • Fax: (904) 292-1291 E-Mail: info@fcaaonline.com Website: www.fcaaonline.com Executive Vice President & Editor: Lindsey McClain

Advertisers: AllWeather Contractors 16 Arbor Contract Carpet 21 Avalon Heating and Air 15 Bluewater Environmental of Florida, Inc. 34 BG Multifamily 14 Cutting Edge Carpet 36 D.M. Koehn Landscaping 34 House of Floors 4 Industry Resource Guide 17-20 Law Offices of Heist, Weisse & Wolk, P.A. 2 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC 9 Maintenance Supply Headquarters 3 Mitchell S. Ritchie Attorney at Law 34 NAA Click & Lease 14 Poolsure 35 Purple Heart Pools 27 Sherwin Williams 3 SOFITCO 25 Tobacco-Free St. Johns 29

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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Once

Upon A Time...

…on Thursday, April 12th The 2018 FCAA Trade Show

For more information please contact FCAA at (904) 292-1345.

“Celebrates the Magic of Property Management”

www.fcaaonline.com

From 5:30pm to 8:30pm Interact with colleages and vendors.

Visit thier booths then use your majic to vote on your favorites and win cash prizes!

510 Fairgrounds Place Jacksonville, FL 32202

PRE-PAID TICKETS

$10.00 Order Your Tickets On-line at fcaaonline.com

A dmit One

Thursday, April 12th from 5:30pm to 8:30pm Jacksonville Farigrounds

A dmit One

Thursday, Apri l 12th from Jacksonville Fa 5:30pm to 8:30pm rigrounds

Admission $15.00

After April 6th Cash/Check/Charge per person at the door.

No invoicing after April 6th for this event

Cash Prizes!

Top Prize $500 We are unable to ensure delivery of your tickets after April 6th.

They must be pruchased and picked up at the FCAA office.

Put On Your Power Suit (Why I Wear Purple)

By Leah Brewer, NALP, CAM, The Leasing Queen

I don’t want to be nice to a resident today; I don’t want to talk to anyone; I don’t want to lease an apartment. Have you ever had those days you feel just one lost dog short of a Country and Western song?

If we are not at the top of our game daily, any interaction with colleagues or clients could result in missed opportunities and lost leases. We are in the sales business, the people business, the solution business… we are not allowed to bring our “bad day” to our workplace. Regardless of our mood or circumstances, when the golden opportunity of interaction occurs, it is time to pump up and perform. Get your game on; put on your game face.

Zig Ziglar says, “When your image improves, your performance improves.”

When I am in public, I am in purple. Purple is my company’s color to represent the “Be Purple” idea of being unique and different and standing out from the competition.

And, when I am in purple I have my game on. It is my Power Suit. Superman, Spiderman and Wonder Woman all had incredible speed, strength and strategy even as regular civilians. But when the situation called for peak performance, their Power Suits provided maximum output.

Athletes suit up, actors don their costumes, police and firefighters put on their uniforms and add their special equipment. These Power Suits contribute to superior results in their chosen roles. When you put on

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

your Power Suit: your special color, your career apparel or even special accessories like nametag, ring or special scent; you are dressing for your upcoming challenges and preparing to win.

We learned from the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes that it is not the physical layer that generates our internal energy; it is our reaction to our garments that produces our personal power. Each of us is responsible for our own daily motivation, setting our goals and tasks and implementing solutions. We are told success comes from the inside out but I think, sometimes, success can come from the outside in.

Leah Brewer, NALP, CAM, is known as The Leasing Queen for the creative and compelling leasing techniques she employs to fill apartment vacancies, with 30 years of battlefield experience in multifamily housing, from a leasing consultant to a consultant for leasing. Leah is an industry leader with results-oriented training and marketing solutions to apartment occupancy challenges. She presents fun, interactive and informational workshops nationally, designed to get immediate results. www.FullHouseMarketing. com.

A Full Service Contractor Providing Interior & Exterior Turnkey Construction Services.

New Construction o Build Outs o Renovation & Rehab o Flood, Mold & Fire Remediation o Fascia, Siding & Soffit o Amenities Rehab/Renovation o Carpentry o Drywall o Interior/Exterior Painting o Concrete o

Construction & Consulting, LLC Providing First Class Construction Services

5771 Mining Terrace, Suite 203 • Jacksonville, FL 32257

904.683.4468

WWW.LLOYDSCONSTRUCTIONANDCONSULTING.COM

CGC# 1520026

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ultifamily.com

ultifamily.com

ultifamily.com

ultifamily.com

TM

Exclusively Serving Multifamily

CELEBRATING 4 YEARS IN JACKSONVILLE Compliance Depot National Account • Fully Insured • On-Call Available

TEMPORARY • TEMP-TO-HIRE • SMART HIRE • DIRECT HIRE • RECRUITING

ON-SITE SERVICES • Certified & Lead Maintenance Technicians • Make Ready Technicians & Assistants • Porters, Groundskeepers & Housekeepers

• Experienced Leasing & Bilingual Consultants • Tomorrow's Talent™ Leasing Graduates • Community & Assistant Managers

• Administrative Support & Package Management • Student Housing Turn • Severe Weather Clean-up CELEBRATING

bgmultifamily.com

904.224.5000 jacksonville.orders@bgmultifamily.com

REWARD

Designed to maximize profit and mitigatie risk, NAA CLICK & LEASE provides the support and stability for leasing success.

Learn more WWW.NAAHQ.ORG/LEASE

RISK

STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN RISK AND REWARD

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YOU MANAGE THE PROPERTY. WE’LL MANAGE THE HVAC. We’ve been serving Jacksonville’s multi-family and new construction markets since 2005. Let Avalon take the effort out of buying, installing and maintaning HVAC systems for your properties.

WHY CHOOSE AVALON? Extremely competitive pricing. We offer a wholesale experience in a retail market.

No-pressure sales process. We don’t work on commission, so there’s no purchase pressure.

Highest-quality installation. We employ only the best. No subcontractors. Ever.

Streamlined service. Most installations take less than a day or faster, we prioritize property managers and can contact tenants directly.

Satisfaction guaranteed. Our labor is warrantied up to 10 years, and we stand firmly behind our work.

Count on us to keep you comfortable with pricing that works for you.

904.245.1818 | www.Cooling Jacksonville.com

2-TON AC SYSTEM Starting at

$1,850

(installed)

3-TON AC SYSTEM Starting at

$2,050

(installed)

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THE OFFICIAL RESOURCE GUIDE OF THE FIRST COAST APARTMENT ASSOCIATION

www.fcaaonline.com

twitter.com/fcaaonline facebook.com/FirstCoastApartment Association JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

17

INDUSTRY ACCESS/CONTROL GATES Access Control Systems ...........................(904) 570-1695 Frattle Stairs and Rails.............................(904) 384-3495 ADVERTISING AGENCY mbpr .......................................................(904) 424-6641 JOE Design, Inc.........................................(904) 501-9526 ADVERTISING Apartment Finder....................................(904) 464-0709 Apartments.com...................................(904) 778-5118 ForRent.com.........................................(904) 296-7171 JOE Design, Inc.........................................(904) 501-9526 RentJax.com...................................................(904) 701-0302 RentPath................................................................(904) 262-0863 Zillow Rental Network................................ (541) 350-3620 AD TRACKING Apartment List......................................(985) 640-7703 ForRent.com.........................................(904) 296-7171 AIR CONDITIONING CONTRACTORS AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 781-7060 Avalon Heating and Air............................(904) 245-1818 David Gray Plumbing, Heating & Air........(904) 724-7211 Homee On Demand..................................(904) 705-4575 InVent, Inc................................................(904) 228-2263 AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT AllWeather Contractors.......................(904)-781-7060 Avalon Heating and Air............................(904) 245-1818 ARD Distributors, Inc................................(800) 654-7721 Chadwell Supply, Inc................................... (888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 InVent, Inc................................................(904) 228-2263 Maintenance Supply Headquarters..........(866) 630-6747 Marcone Supply.......................................(314) 241-1946 Rapco Supply...........................................(407) 933-4102 Wilmar Supply.........................................(800) 345-3000 ALARM SYSTEMS Agent Fire LLC..........................................(904) 687-3876 ANSWERING SERVICE/ON HOLD MESSAGING Audio Images...........................................(904) 247-8600 APARTMENT LOCATORS Apartment Finder....................................(904) 464-0709 Apartments.com...................................(904) 778-5118 ForRent.com.........................................(904) 296-7171 RentJax.com...................................................(904) 701-0302 RentPath................................................(904) 262-0863 APPLIANCES ARD Distributors, Inc................................(800) 654-7721 Chadwell Supply, Inc................................(888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters..........(866) 630-6747 Wilmar Supply.........................................(800) 345-3000 APPLIANCES (LEASING) Azuma Leasing.........................................(800) 707-1188 APPLIANCE PARTS Chadwell Supply, Inc................................(888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters..........(866) 630-6747 Marcone Supply.......................................(314) 241-1946 Rapco Supply...........................................(407) 933-4102 APPRAISAL SERVICES Complete General Contractors .................(850)-932-8720 AQUATIC MAINTENANCE BlueWater Environmental of FL...............(904) 880-1817 OneSource Water......................................(904) 638-2941

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RESOURCE

GUIDE

BANKING SERVICES Colliers International Northeast Florida ..(904) 861-1101 BATH & KITCHEN REFINISHING/REPAIRS AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Carter & Associates of NE FL.....................(904) 730-7440 Creative Multi Care, Inc. .........................(904) 384-1047 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Restore24.................................................(904) 737-8673 Contractors, LLC......................................(904) 219-9447 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance.............. (904) 332-6805 BIOHAZARD WASTE CLEANUP Bio-One....................................................(904) 910-8558 BROKERAGE Colliers International Northeast Florida...(904) 861-1101 CABINET REFACING Northern Contours ..................................(904) 449-4527 CABINETS AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Central Renovation Solutions ..................(469)-567-2400 Chadwell Supply, Inc................................(888) 341-2423 CRS Cabinets ...........................................(469) 567-2400 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters..........(866) 630-6747 Oxley Cabinet Warehouse Inc...................(904) 981-3011 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance.............. (904) 332-6805 CARPET CLEANING, DYEING, RESTORATION Aqua Restorations....................................(904) 683-6982 Creative Multi Care, Inc. .........................(904) 384-1047 MM Turnkey Services ...............................(904) 998-3608 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Restore24.................................................(904) 737-8673 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance.............. (904) 332-6805 CEILING FANS Chadwell Supply, Inc................................(888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters..........(866) 630-6747 Wilmar Supply.........................................(800) 345-3000 CERAMIC TILES AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Rolland Reash Plumbing..........................(904) 260-7059 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance.............. (904) 332-6805 CLEANING SERVICE AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 All Renew Services, LLC............................(904) 386-1762 Jean’s Maid Services.................................(904) 463-5704 Krystal Klean............................................(904) 309-3877 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Precision Cleaning Services .....................(904) 440-57 18 Restore24.................................................(904) 737-8673 Two Girls and a Sponge............................(904) 502-1460 You Got It Maid Cleaning Service.............(904) 290-1250 COLLECTIONS Arial Business Services Inc.......................(877) 231-6410 National Credit Systems...........................(407) 574-4927 NCC Business Services..............................(904) 733-3033 Professional Debt Mediation....................(904) 398-0286 COMMUNICATIONS TextBox ...................................................(850) 205-1111 CONCIERGE SERVICE Slingshot Life...........................................(251) 406-9257

CONCRETE REPAIRS AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Precision Sidewalk Safety Corp................(352) 401-9090 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 SweetWater Restoration.....................(904) 880-1919 COUNTERTOPS AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Central Renovation Solutions ..................(469)-567-2400 CRS Cabinets ...........................................(469) 567-2400 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Oxley Cabinet Warehouse Inc...................(904) 693-5554 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance.............. (904) 332-6805 CREDIT CARD PROCESSING RentPaidOnline........................................(904) 599-2794 Three Rivers Consulting Inc. ....................(855) 677-4048 CRIME-SCENE CLEANUP Bio-One....................................................(904) 910-8558 DESIGN/GRAPHICS JOE Design, Inc.........................................(904) 501-9526 DISC JOCKEY DJ Mario Entertainment...........................(904) 655-2518 DOG PARKS ET&T Distributors.....................................(888) 642-2226 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 DRY WALL REPAIR All Installation of Jax, Inc.........................(904) 514-8750 All Renew Services, LLC............................(904) 386-1762 AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Carter & Associates of NE FL.....................(904) 730-7440 Creative Multi Care, Inc. .........................(904) 384-1047 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Restore24.................................................(904) 737-8673 Rolland Reash Plumbing........................(904) 260-7059 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance.............. (904) 332-6805 SweetWater Restoration.....................(904) 880-1919 DRYER VENT CLEANING Jax Elite Home Services ...........................(904) 484-8288 Window Gang..........................................(904) 262-7300 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS Green Built Construction..........................(904) 683-0879 Homee On Demand..................................(904) 705-4575 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 EMERGENCY RESPONSE Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 445-0210 Restore24 ................................................(904) 737-8673 EQUIPMENT RENTAL Compact Power Equipment Rental ..........(904) 451-7585 EVICTION SERVICES Dale G. Westling, Sr., P.A...........................(904) 356-2341 Law Offices of Heist, Weisse & Wolk...........(800) 253-8428 Mitchell Ritchie........................................(904) 387-6100 FENCING/STAIR/RAIL INSTALLATION & REPAIR AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Frattle Stairs and Rails.............................(904) 384-3495 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 FIBER CEMENT SIDING Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468

INDUSTRY FIRE & SAFETY EQUIPMENT Agent Fire LLC..........................................(904) 687-3876 Aegis Fire & Integrated Services...............(904) 233-7930 Apartment Fire Extinguisher Service............... (904) 398-2030 Boyle Hydrant & Utilities..........................(904) 386-2881 Cintas Fire Protection...............................(904) 562-7000 Cox Fire Protection...................................(904) 781-8227 First Coast Fire & Safety...........................(904) 346-0111 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, Inc. ..................(904) 553-4222 Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers.............(904) 268-3030 FIRE HYDRANT SERVICE Boyle Hydrant & Utilities..........................(904) 386-2881 FIRE RESTORATION AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 445-0210 Restore24 ................................................(904) 737-8673 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance.............. (904) 332-6805 SweetWater Restoration.....................(904) 880-1919 FITNESS & EXERCISE EQUIPMENT Advantage Sport & Fitness, Inc................(904) 437-6343 First Place Fitness Equipment...................(904) 998-0738 Fitness Pro ...............................................(850) 523-8882 SOFITCO....................................................(850) 259-5946 FLOORING Arbor Contract Carpet............................(904) 781-2003 Cutting Edge Carpet.................................(904) 475-9300 Expressions Carpet and Flooring.........(904) 739-2885 House of Floors.....................................(904) 262-6989 Integrity Restoration................................(904) 644-7878 J+J Flooring Group .................................(800) 241-4586 Lifestyle Flooring...................................(877) 383-1062 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Mohawk Industries..................................(321) 287-3572 Redi Carpet............................................(904) 781-4300 Sherwin Williams.................................(904) 448-8109 Southeast Floors ................................(407) 888-8008 FOUNTAINS BlueWater Environmental of FL...............(904) 880-1817 FURNITURE Cort Furniture Rental...............................(904) 396-9000 Southern Furniture Leasing......................(866) 736-8481 GENERAL CONTRACTORS AAPCO Florida..........................................(800) 728-2690 AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Building Innovations ...............................(904) 400-0421 Coastal Reconstruction Group, Inc. .........(407)-644-1800 Complete General Contractors .................(850) 932-8720 FSI Construction.......................................(904) 703-3762 Green Built Construction..........................(904) 683-0879 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 SweetWater Restoration.....................(904) 880-1919 GOLF CARTS Mid Florida Golf Cars..........................(800) 803-8420 GUTTER INSTALLATION AND SERVICES AAPCO Florida..........................................(800) 728-2690 AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Jax Elite Home Services ...........................(904) 484-8288 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 Window Gang..........................................(904) 262-7300

RESOURCE

HOUSEWARES Cort Furniture Rental...............................(904) 396-9000 Southern Furniture Leasing......................(866) 736-8481 HOARDING SERVICES Bio-One....................................................(904) 910-8558 INSURANCE Brown & Brown Insurance.......................(904) 565-8304 Roderick Crabbe Insurance, Inc................(904) 215-2121 INTERNET SERVICES Apartment Finder....................................(904) 464-0709 Apartments.com..............................................(904) 778-5118 ForRent.com.........................................(904) 296-7171 RentPath................................................................(904) 262-0863 IRRIGATION DM Koehn Landscaping...........................(904) 716-0683 Duval Landscape Maintenance.................(904) 233-3388 Trimac Outdoor........................................(904) 589-8768 JANITORIAL SUPPLIES Chadwell Supply, Inc................................(888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters..........(866) 630-6747 Wilmar Supply.........................................(800) 345-3000 LAKE MAINTENANCE BlueWater Environmental of FL...............(904) 880-1817 LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE Beach River Landscapes ............................(904) 962-8721 Core Outdoor, Inc .......................................(904) 215-6866 Davey Commercial Grounds Maintenance......(904) 768-8733 DM Koehn Landscaping...........................(904) 716-0683 Duval Landscape Maintenance.................(904) 233-3388 Landscape Professionals..........................(904) 880-6165 Mulch Masters, LLC ..................................(904) 727-1100 TLC Total Lawn Care..................................(904) 699-0046 Trimac Outdoor........................................(904) 589-8768 ValleyCrest Landscape Companies...........(904) 292-0716 Yellowstone Landscape............................(904) 268.2626 LAUNDRY SERVICE & EQUIPMENT CSC Service Works....................................(321) 696-1241 Southeastern Laundry .............................(904) 524-0088 Washco Laundry Equipment....................(904) 724-2622 LEAK DETECTION American Leak Detection.........................(904) 519-5700 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 LEGAL SERVICES Dale G. Westling, Sr., P.A............................. (904) 356-2341 Law Offices of Heist, Weisse & Wolk...........(800) 253-8428 Mitchell S. Ritchie, PA..............................(904) 387-6100 Wilkins Law Firm......................................(904) 374-9430 LIGHTING & LIGHTING SUPPLIES Chadwell Supply, Inc................................(888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters..........(866) 630-6747 Wilmar Supply.........................................(800) 345-3000 LOCKSMITHS The Flying Locksmiths .............................(904) 512-0699 LODGING/MEETING FACILITY Four Points by Sheraton...........................(904) 562-4920 MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES Chadwell Supply, Inc................................(888) 341-2423 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters..........(866) 630-6747 Marcone Supply.......................................(341) 241-1946 Rapco Supply...........................................(407) 933-4102 Wilmar Supply.........................................(800) 345-3000

GUIDE

MARKETING Apartment Finder....................................(904) 464-0709 ForRent.com.........................................(904) 296-7171 JOE Design, Inc.........................................(904) 501-9526 mbpr .......................................................(904) 424-6641 RentPath................................................................(904) 262-0863 MARKETING & TEXT SERVICES TextBox ...................................................(850) 205-1111 MOLD REMEDIATION Coastal Reconstruction Group, Inc. .........(407)-644-1800 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 445-0210 Property360, LLC......................................(855) 932-3784 Restore24 ................................................(904) 737-8673 SweetWater Restoration.....................(904) 880-1919 MOSQUITO CONTROL BlueWater Environmental of FL...............(904) 880-1817 NEWSLETTERS / RESIDENT NEWS Resident News.........................................(800) 961-1916 ODOR ELIMINATION Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 PAINT SUPPLIES Ace Painting ............................................(904) 714-3717 BLP Mobile Paints....................................(904) 355-5678 Florida Paints...........................................(904) 385-9242 PPG Paints..............................................(904) 737-6474 Sherwin Williams.................................(904) 448-8109 PAINTING CONTRACTORS AAPCO Florida..........................................(800) 728-2690 Ace Painting ............................................(904) 714-3717 All Installation of Jax, Inc.........................(904) 514-8750 AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Carter & Associates of NE FL.....................(904) 730-7440 Creative Multi Care, Inc. .........................(904) 384-1047 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 MM Turnkey Services ...............................(904) 998-3608 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Precision Cleaning Services .....................(904) 440-5718 Restore24.................................................(904) 737-8673 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance.............. (904) 332-6805 SweetWater Restoration.....................(904) 880-1919 PARKING LOT MAINTENANCE Duval Asphalt...........................................(904) 296-2020 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 PET WASTE STATIONS ET&T Distributors.....................................(888) 642-2226 First Coast Scoopers.................................(904) 338-4236 PEST CONTROL/TERMITES A Greener Image.....................................(904) 739-8090 A.R.T Pest Control.....................................(888) 926-6488 DM Koehn Landscaping...........................(904) 716-0683 Massey Services Inc..................................(800) 881-8861 Property360, LLC......................................(855) 932-3784 Terminix...................................................(904) 945-4788 Zenpura Pest Solutions............................(904) 257-0090

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INDUSTRY PHOTOGRAPHY Art & Alex Photography...........................(904) 273-4442 PLAYGROUNDS ET&T Distributors.....................................(888) 642-2226 PLUMBERS AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 David Gray Plumbing, Heating & Air........(904) 724-7211 Green Built Construction..........................(904) 683-0879 Homee On Demand..................................(904) 705-4575 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Rolland Reash Plumbing.......................(904) 260-7059 Roto-Rooter...........................................(904) 354-7321 PLUMBING SUPPLIES Moen Inc.................................................. (407) 340-3249 POOL & PATIO FURNITURE Admiral Outdoor Furniture.......................(800) 999-2589 ET&T Distributors.....................................(888) 642-2226 Frattle Stairs and Rails.............................(904) 384-3495 Horizon Casual, Inc...................................(866) 657-8731 Taylor & Associates Pool and Patio Furniture, Inc. ...............................................................(855) 734-3580 POOL SERVICE, REPAIRS & RENOVATIONS ASP of Jax America’s Swimming Pool Co. .(904) 710-4204 Henderson Pool Services, Inc. ..................(904) 241-7665 Poolsure...................................................(800) 858-7665 Rolland Reash Plumbing.......................(904) 260-7059 The B.A.P Company, Inc............................(904) 614-1879 POOL SUPPLIES Chadwell Supply, Inc................................(888) 341-2423 Henderson Pool Services, Inc. ..................(904) 241-7665 HD Supply....................................................... (800) 431-3000 Maintenance Supply Headquarters..........(866) 630-6747 Poolsure...................................................(800) 858-7665 Professional Pool Care..............................(904) 312-4828 POWDER COATING Frattle Stairs and Rails.............................(904) 384-3495 PRESSURE WASHING AAPCO Florida..........................................(800) 728-2690 AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 American Softwash..................................(386) 761-2987 Krystal Klean............................................(904) 309-3877 Jax Elite Home Services ...........................(904) 484-8288 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 Window Gang..........................................(904) 262-7300 Window Washing & Pressure Washing.....(904) 885-7840 PRINTING JOE Design, Inc.........................................(904) 501-9526 PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Property Solutions International, Inc. ............. (801) 375-5522 PUBLIC RELATIONS mbpr .......................................................(904) 424-6641 PUMPS Rolland Reash Plumbing .........................(904) 260-7059 Weeks Utility Service, Inc.........................(904) 726-5869 REALTOR SERVICES Florida Homes Realty & Mortgage ..........(904) 732-7053 RECRUITMENT, JOB LISTINGS MSB Resources.........................................(215) 661-8834 RECYCLING City Recycling Group ...............................(866) 732-5559 Conex Recycling.......................................(866) 879-2663 Residential Disposal Services, LLC ...........(904) 226-5191 Waste Management.................................(904) 370-1907

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RPaul Davis E Restoration S Oof North UFlorida R...(904) C 739-6047 E GUIDE RENOVATIONS AAPCO Florida..........................................(800) 728-2690 AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Integrity Restoration................................(904) 644-7878 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 SweetWater Restoration.....................(904) 880-1919 RENTAL RELOCATION Apartment Finder....................................(904) 464-0709 Apartments.com.....................................(904) 778-5118 ForRent.com.........................................(904) 296-7171 RentPath..................................................(904) 262-0863 RESEARCH/PLANNING Real Data.................................................(704) 369-2345 RESTORATION/REHAB AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Aqua Restorations....................................(904) 683-6982 AAPCO Florida..........................................(800) 728-2690 Coastal Reconstruction Group, Inc. .........(407)-644-1800 Green Built Construction..........................(904) 683-0879 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Oxbuilt Construction................................(678) 702-7308 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Moen Inc..................................................(407) 340-3249 SweetWater Restoration.....................(904) 880-1919 ROOFING AAPCO Florida..........................................(800) 728-2690 All Pro Roofing.........................................(904) 337-1082 AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Green Built Construction..........................(904) 683-0879 Oak Crest Roofing.....................................(913) 205-6849 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida....(904) 739-6047 Performance Roofing..........................(904) 224-3628 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 SRG Roofing.............................................(904) 377-0866 Superior Roofing & Restoration, Inc.........(904) 250-5053 SweetWater Restoration.....................(904) 880-1919 Tillman Building Services.........................(904) 845-8280 SECURE ON-LINE RENTAL PAY RentPaidOnline........................................(904) 599-2794 SECURITY, COURTESY OFFICER Arrow Security.........................................(904) 945-2769 S3 Security ..............................................(904) 449-6104 SIDING AAPCO Florida..........................................(800) 728-2690 AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Green Built Construction..........................(904) 683-0879 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 SIGNS, BANNERS & FLAGS Giglio Signs..............................................(904) 396-9046 STAFFING BG Staffing ..............................................(904) 224-5000 MSB Resources.........................................(215) 661-8834 Career Strategies....................................(904) 757-3456

TOWING Adkison Towing........................................(904) 260-3000 ASAP Towing & Storage Co., Inc.................(904) 771-7111 Sky Towing and Recovery.........................(904) 695-0202 TRADESHOW EVENT SERVICES Cort Furniture Rental...............................(904) 396-9000 TRAINING / EDUCATION ForRent.com.........................................(904) 296-7171 TREE TRIMMING & REMOVAL Bold City Tree Service...............................(904) 285-1417 Davey Commercial Grounds Maintenance......(904) 768-8733 Duval Landscape Maintenance.................(904) 233-3388 Rescue Construction Solutions, Inc...........(919) 615-1759 Roberts Tree Service, Inc..........................(904) 777-4793 Trimac Outdoor........................................(904) 589-8768 TURNKEY OPERATIONS All Renew Services, LLC............................(904) 386-1762 AllWeather Contractors.......................(904) 379-4614 Carter & Associates of NE FL.....................(904) 730-7440 Creative Multi Care, Inc. .........................(904) 384-1047 Lloyd’s Construction & Consulting, LLC ..(904) 683-4468 MM Turnkey Services ...............................(904) 998-3608 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 739-6047 Restore24 ................................................(904) 737-8673 Steve’s Painting & Maintenance.............. (904) 332-6805 UTILITY SUBMETERING Minol USA................................................(972) 386-6611 NWP Services...........................................(678) 612-8094 VALET TRASH SERVICE Affinity Waste Solutions...........................(407) 808-0550 Invisible Waste Services...........................(407) 509-1293 Skinner Waste Solutions ...................(904) 239-7222 Tide Valet Waste, LLC................................(803) 216-0063 Valet Waste..............................................(813) 248-1327 WASTE REMOVAL Advanced Disposal Services.....................(904) 783-7000 Affinity Waste Solutions...........................(404) 808-0550 Residential Disposal Services, LLC ...........(904) 226-5191 Skinner Waste Solutions ...................(904) 239-7222 Tide Valet Waste, LLC................................(803) 216-0063 Waste Management Inc. of Florida..........(904) 894-4516 WATER MITIGATION Aqua Restorations....................................(904) 683-6982 Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida ...(904) 445-0210 SweetWater Restoration.....................(904) 880-1919 WEB SITE DESIGN JOE Design, Inc.........................................(904) 501-9526 WINDOW CLEANING Jax Elite Home Services ...........................(904) 484-8288 Window Gang..........................................(904) 262-7300

Please contact FCAA at 904-292-1345 to make any changes to your company information that appears in this Guide and may also appear online.

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21

LEGAL OR NOT?

by Brian Wolk, The Law Offices of Heist, Weisse & Wolk, PA

We are experiencing huge problems with one of our residents, including playing loud music, an unauthorized pet cat and an unauthorized occupant. We prepared a Seven-Day Notice of Noncompliance with Opportunity to Cure. As we expected, the lease noncompliances were not cured. We sent the Seven-Day Notice and lease to our attorney, and she is saying the notice is “defective”. It appears that we worded the notice incorrectly by copying and pasting the exact wording from our lease that pertains to occupancy, pets and disturbances. Now she says we have to start all over again. This problem has been going on for a long time, and we are going to lose great residents. How do we do this correctly?

The fact that “this has been going on for a long time” points out a serious flaw in your approach.

The moment a resident is in noncompliance, that person needs to be served a Seven-Day Notice of Noncompliance with Opportunity to Cure: no letters, no discussion and no delays. Too many property managers sit back and feel that a conversation with the resident or letter to the resident will cure a problem, and sometimes it does, BUT if it does not, you MUST serve a proper Seven-Day Notice of Noncompliance with Opportunity to Cure. Now, you are facing greater delay. A proper Seven-Day Notice should never parrot the lease. The Seven-Day Notice is not a means to tell a resident what the lease provides; it is meant to convey to the resident what he or she needs to stop doing or start doing so to be in compliance with the lease. Quoting the pet clause or the occupant clause simply tells the resident what the lease provides. It is often useless, as the resident’s particular noncompliance is buried within the lease clauses. You must describe the noncompliance in enough detail on the Seven-Day Notice so the resident will know the actual noncompliances. Your attorney should assist you with the wording on each SevenDay Notice. Some noncompliances that are not dealt with immediately can become almost impossible to rectify later due to waiver, based upon you continuing to accept rent knowing that the resident is in noncompliance.

Sometimes our older residents pass away either in the apartment, or they go to a nursing home or hospital and die shortly thereafter. The moment a resident dies, we are often hounded with phone calls by relatives who want to get into the apartment. Some even have a power of attorney and try to say that we must let them have access because of this. We were wondering if there is some way that the resident can sign a lease addendum at move-in that will allow a friend or relative access to the apartment to clean it out or get needed items if the resident dies. Is that possible?

Continued on Page 30

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MultiCare, Inc.

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2018 PREMIER SPONSORS

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A Creative Commitment

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

23

Get the Service Team Involved in the Budget Process

By Mark Cukro, CAMT, CAMTII, CAPS

If you want to really get a better idea of how much things cost and help reduce or avoid the all too common surprises that result in unexpected expenditures, get the Service Team involved in the process.

Very often the main reference for the upcoming budget is the historical data from the last year of spending and while that can be helpful, it can also eliminate the ability to accurately adjust expenses that match the quality of work that you want to achieve on site. You may want to try sitting with the Service Team or Service Manager to create a budget with no historical references and then compare it to previous expenses and see what you can decide based on the contrast and similarities in the projections. It may help you notice something that has been overlooked or spark a new innovative idea that is beneficial. Trying new approaches to improve everything on site is the only way to really get out of the old habits and patterns you find yourself in.

Cheaper is rarely ever better, it usually leads to frustration and disappointment. You have to consider the level of service you want to deliver and find the balance between the quality of workmanship, the time you expect to invest for each goal along with the cost required to do so. The formula for each changes from property to property and also year to year depending on so many factors, why not get the input from the team that does the work.

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If the Service Team members do not have much experience with budgeting and you want them to know more about the costs associated with running the Service Department this is an effective way to et them involved and understand the roles of everyone on site better. Teams that take on challenges together will become stronger, work better together and be more respectful of each other since everyone understands the perspective from everyone on the team.

Get the Service Team involved with budgeting and you will get better results and they will deliver better service. Everyone on the Service Team wants to work in a place where their voice is heard, their expertise is utilized and where they feel involved and appreciated. Be the example of how it should be in our industry and everyone will appreciate how you get such good results.

Mark Cukro, CAMT, CAMTII, CAPS, is the President of Plus One Consulting, Inc. and founder of ServiceTeamTraining.com. Prior to starting his own company, he was the Director of Service Team Development for a national management company with over 48,000 apartment homes. Mark is a national speaker and a leading resource in the field of service team development and training. He can be reached at mark@serviceteamtraining.com or 704-363-6236.

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Baby Boomers

By Erica Campbell Byrum, Assistant VP of Social Media, ForRent.com®

The current trends in apartment development are suddenly attracting a new kind of renter, Baby Boomer renters over age 55 who want to live in apartments in the suburbs, according to a new study.

These potential new tenants are highly educated and have no children in the household.

“Whether driven by a change in lifestyle, a consequence of the housing crash, or an inability to downsize due to lack of affordable homes, senior households are embracing renting in droves,” according to RentCafe.com.

Some highlights of the Baby Boomer renters report: Between 2009 and 2015, the percentage of the renting population over 55 years old increased by a whopping 28% (vs. 3% increase in renters 34 or younger).

By education, the biggest changes came from renters holding a bachelor degree or higher: up by 23% (vs. 17% increase in college graduates).

Renter households with no children saw the most significant percentage increase when looking at family type: up by 21% (vs. 14% increase in families with children).

Nationwide, the number of senior renter households saw a 2.5 million gain between 2009 and 2015, the largest net increase by age group, according to the study.

Baby Boomer renters choosing suburban lifestyle Since 2009, 39% more Baby Boomer renters over 55 have chosen the suburban lifestyle for their rental housing.

Among the 20 largest metros in the US, Riverside boasts the highest percentage increase in terms of senior renter-occupied households (63%), while Los Angeles posts the biggest gain (approx. 134,000).

Comprised mostly of Baby Boomers, this generation has lived a big part of its life in the suburbs, essentially being responsible for the launch and prosperity of the consumer suburb. Owning a home and raising a family in a suburban community truly defined this age group. Now it finds itself in a big empty house, with too much space to keep up and high property taxes to pay. They are not moving into the city in an urban environment.

“Lowering living expenses, looking for a different lifestyle, less house-related work and overall less responsibility can be achieved by downsizing, so a lot of retirees opt to rent,” Continued on Page 28

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www.purpleheartpools.com

Veteran Owned & Operated After September 11th, I felt an obligation to serve my country and fight to protect our country’s, freedoms, flag and everything the United States stands for.

I joined the United States Army in August of 2002, After two years of training to become an Airborne MP (Military Policeman).

During my first tour duty I was stationed in Iraq where I received multiple medals and awards, among them; the Army Commendation Medal with Valor and the Purple Heart.

The things I saw, learned and experienced from my time in the US Military and Iraq shaped me into the man I am today.

Honest, hardworking and dedicated. I am grateful to be alive and to be an American. The pride, discipline, work ethic and values I learned in the military are the same traits I bring to my business today.

I am proud to serve my country, and I will be just as proud to serve you.

Chad

BEFORE

SERVICES u u u u u

Pool Maintenance Pool Repairs Acid Washes Chemical Delivery Pool School

(We can teach your maintenance personal tips and tricks from the trade)

u Pool Maintenance Advisor(A complete support system for communities that do in house pool maintenance)

u Free estimates for FCAA Members Contact : Chad (904)-312-4828 purpleheartpools@gmail.com www.purpleheartpools.com

TESTIMONIALS Chad did a great job cleaning the pool out I was very satisfied with it. I would recommend him to my friends.

PROJECT: Clean Or Maintain A Swimming Pool MARGARET B Came same day I called to give estimate and came to do job three days later. Completed job fast and left no mess.

PROJECT: Service A Swimming Pool For Opening Or Closing AFTER

JACK D Chad is THE BEST. I’ve used other pool companies and the acted like they were doing me a favor to service the pool. Chad cares about his customers, is easy to work with, very honest, does great work, explains things clearly and is reasonable in his charges.

PROJECT: Service A Swimming Pool For Opening Or Closing SUSAN S

Baby Boomers Continued from Page 26

By Erica Campbell Byrum, Assistant VP of Social Media, ForRent.com®

Simona Solomie, a real estate broker with Remax Masters of Morton Grove, Illinois, who works with home sellers, buyers, and renters in the western and northwestern suburbs of Chicago, told RentCafe in the study.

Baby boomers also account for the highest increase in renters in urban areas, but the spike in numbers is much higher in the suburbs (21% vs 39%). The second highest increase comes from renters aged 35-54, 27% in the suburbs and 8% in the city.

Cities with largest increase in Baby Boomer renters

 In all 20 largest U.S. metros in the study, without exception, the rate of increase in senior renters greatly surpasses that of younger renters.

The two largest gains were in the Los Angeles metro and New York metro.

The Los Angeles metro gained 134,000 new senior renter-occupied households and lost 26,000 renter households under 34 years of age.

New York City gained an additional 124,000 renter households over 55 during this time period and about 54,000 under 34.

While Los Angeles and New York had the biggest numbers, the fastest growing areas Phoenix, Riverside and Tampa showed the biggest increases in Baby Boomer renters.

Here are the top 10: 1. Riverside, CA – 63% 2. Tampa, FL – 61% 3. Phoenix, AZ ­– 59% 4. Dallas – 46% 5. Seattle – 45% 6. Atlanta – 44% 7. Washington -44% 8. Denver – 43% 9. Minneapolis – 38% 10. San Diego – 33%

This Baby Boomer renter is interested to live in a place that offers a convenient, quality lifestyle, a comfortable living space, a place to exercise, and a place to socialize all-in-one.

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SMOKE-FREE HOUSING IS

76% of renters prefer

88.1% of adults in St. Johns County do NOT smoke

Only 11.9% of adults in St. Johns County smoke

Smoke-free housing reduces the risk of fires, and reduces insurance premiums

Smokers cost more money Source: Smoke-Free Environments Law Project

Average cost to clean a smoker’s apartment: $3,509

Most residents do NOT smoke

Average cost fo clean a non-smoker’s apartment: $558

smoke-free housing

Smoke-free

GOOD FOR BUSINESS

For more information on smoke-free housing, visit www.tobaccofreestjohns.com J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

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LEGAL OR NOT?

by Brian Wolk, The Law Offices of Heist, Weisse & Wolk, PA

Continued from Page 22 That “simple fix� seems like a great idea, and it certainly would be easy enough to do, but it is not legal at all. When a person dies, no one has authority to do anything on behalf of the deceased individual until a court decides that a person can act. Any person designated before death will have no power to do anything once the person dies. A power of attorney is only valid when a person is alive or incapacitated. A power of attorney ceases to convey any authority the moment a person dies. Until such time as an estate is opened up in probate court, and a personal representative (also called an executor in many states) is appointed, everything stops. The probate court must approve and validate the will and appoint the personal representative. Many residents who die in apartments do not have significant assets justifying the formation of an estate, so the relatives do not bother hiring an attorney to open up a probate estate and spending a lot of money when there may be not much there. When no estate is formed, this can leave you with a mess. Simply put, no one can be given access until the sooner of one of two events take place. The relatives must open up a probate estate and a personal representative gets appointed, who then can do anything the resident could do, and you can deal with the personal representative directly, OR you must wait 60 days from the date of death. If a probate estate is not opened in that time, and no one else is occupying the apartment, the unit becomes yours. Under the law, all the contents will become abandoned property subject to disposition as you see fit if you have the proper abandoned property wording in your lease agreement.

Our property is now virtually 100% smoke-free. For the most part, it has been working well until recently, and we proudly advertise our property as smoke-free. We have a nice designated covered smoking area a good distance from the buildings, and smoking is totally prohibited in the apartments, common areas and within 200 feet of the apartments. Unfortunately, we are receiving resident complaints that other residents are smoking in the hallways, their cars and sometimes on the balcony. One resident is actually threatening to break her lease, as she said that because of allergies, she picked our apartment community specifically because we prohibited smoking, and she sees people violating the rules. We cannot be everywhere at once, and people do what they want, but how are we going to enforce our rules? Should we let the complaining resident out of the lease? She is threatening a lawyer on us.

When a property decides to go smoke-free, management is usually in for a surprise. You are now undertaking a legal obligation to make sure that the residents abide by the terms of the lease agreement and the smoke-free policies. Enforcing your smoke-free rules need to be done like enforcing any other lease clause. If you receive a complaint or witness a noncompliance, you must take immediate action just like you would if you saw that someone had an unauthorized pet or occupant. You should not hesitate to act, since any delay could result in you being accused of not providing a smoke-free environment, thus you breaching the contract. The moment you get a credible complaint about another resident, you should serve your Seven-Day Notice to Cure. You must then follow up vigorously, and like any other noncompliance, prepare to gather proof. The words, emails or other written complaints of another resident will not be enough to win a case in court. That resident must come to court and testify, and a judge will oftentimes require testimony from more than one complaining neighbor. You need solid proof that the resident is actually smoking in violation of your rules and the lease. This may mean you need actual video surveillance, photos, residents who will come into court and testify they saw another resident smoking, and also possibly staff members who witnessed the smoking. If a resident is complaining about another resident smoking, and you are not able to rectify the situation or gather the needed proof, but you are convinced that the resident is in fact smoking, we recommend you give the complaining resident the ability to break the lease without penalty.

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31

PERSONAL COMPUTING:

Amazon vs. Walmart in the New Age

By Reid Goldsborough The biggest battle in the retail world these days is online veteran Amazon, the most financially successful online shopping venue, versus big box store veteran Walmart, the largest brick and mortar retailer.

Over the past few years Amazon has been experimenting with physical stores, to give shopper a feel for what some of their items look like in person. And Walmart has been beefing up its online presence. The stakes soared higher this past summer with Amazon’s acquisition of the Whole Foods chain of upscale healthfood supermarkets, which would let it better compete with Walmart’s ever increasing presence in the grocery foods sector.

Recently I did an experiment testing for myself old-school retail shopping versus new-fangled online shopping. This is anecdotal, with one item being investigated, picture frames.

I was looking to buy frames for nine computer-generated prints, two 20 x 30 and seven 16 x 24. I wanted composite moulding, which to me looks better than metal and as good as more expensive wood. I wanted acrylic facing, not more expensive glass. And I wanted to be able to attach hanging rings on the back sides of each picture through which I’d stretch picture wire, then balance the wire from a picture hanger on the wall, making it easy keep each picture level.

A local independent frame shop would have been the easiest option, doing everything for you. But they had available only wood and metal moulding and glass facing. The cost for this custom work would have been about $150 for each print, a total of $1350. Ouch.

A local Michaels arts and craft superstore sold do-it-yourself frames of the type I wanted. The cost would have been about $50 each, a total of $450.

A local Walmart superstore didn’t have the types of frames in the sizes that I wanted. I went to Walmart.com, its online component, which has a larger selection than the already large selection of its

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vs superstores. It had what I wanted from Craigs Frames, do-it-yourself frames in which the mouldings are constructed but you have to insert the picture, slide in the facing, screw in the hanging rings, and stretch across the picture wire.

Investigating this further, I discovered that Craigs Frames is a Chinese supplier, which I have mixed feelings about. I would prefer to buy locally, helping my neighbors, but I know that international trade is an integral part of the world economy, ultimately benefiting many.

From Walmart.com the nine frames, including shipping, would have cost me about $25 each, a total of $220.

Looking further I found that Amazon.com had the exact same Craigs Frames in the whitecolored moulding and sizes I wanted. The cost including shipping was about $20 each, a total of $180. It took a few hours to put everything together, but it was worth it. They look great.

Retail is always changing. The first retail stores may have sprung up in Lydia, Asia Minor, present-day Turkey, around 600 B.C., with those involved no longer selling out of their homes or by going to others.

No doubt this caused complaints, same as more recently when department stores opened selling many different kinds of merchandise and threatening specialty stores, same as when mail-order merchants came into business, same as when big-box stores, superstores, and hyperstores opened up, same as when Internet merchants began selling their wares.

The “wheel of retailing� is a concept introduced in 1958 by Harvard business professor Malcolm McNair describing a cycle in which a retailing innovation allows the businesses that adopt it to offer customers lower prices for the same goods. These businesses attract more and more customers, which lets them raise prices, increase their profit margins, and expand. Eventually, however, their higher prices make them vulnerable to the next innovation in retailing, which undercuts old-school pricing and restarts the cycle.

Walmart and Amazon both get criticized for the way they treat employees, paying them too little or working them too hard, and for hurting downtown retail districts.

Walmart opened for business in 1962, the same year that Kmart and Target opened as well. Amazon launched in 1994 with the name Cadabra before it renamed itself to Amazon. com the following year.

Sears used to be the country’s biggest retailer, opening for business in 1886. The last Sears Catalog offering general merchandise went out in 1993. The first Sears retail store opened in 1925, and many are now closing.

The only stable thing about retailing is the

Reid Goldsborough is a syndicated columnist and author of the book way it changes over time.

Straight Talk About the Information Superhighway. He can be reached at reidgoldsborough@gmail.com or reidgold.com.

Reid Goldsborough is a syndicated columnist and author of the book Straight Talk About the Information Superhighway. He can be reached at reidgoldsborough@gmail.com or reidgold.com.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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