ABODE March 2020

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ABODE THE HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE

www.haaonline.org

March 2020

Housing Trends From short-term rentals to design trends to student rentals, here’s the latest ideas and tips.

The 2020 Census Do you know what you are responsible for?

We See You

at the Installation & New Year Gala Presented by Camp Construction Services, Sponsorship Auction and much more!

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CONTENTS March 2020

ON THE COVER

FEATURES & PHOTOS

44

30 On the Scene – Photos from the January HAAPAC Luncheon.

Housing Trends – This issue is filled with a range of topics on housing trends, including Airbnbs and student housing, as well as interior design and amenity trends.

Also in this issue are photos from the “Build Your Brand” Sponsorship Auction, the State of the Industry Breakfast and the Installation Gala Presented By Camp Construction Services.

HAA is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

Turn to Page 50 for a look back in time.

Cover Image by Marko Bukorovic | Dreamstime.com

32 On the Scene – Photos from the January “Build Your Brand” Sponsorship Auction.

COLUMNS & MONTHLY UPDATES 7 President’s Corner – TAA and HAA are working to make sure our industry’s voice is heard in the media.

36 On the Scene – Photos from the State of the Industry Breakfast.

8 Patron of the Month – Meet and support Maintenance Supply Headquarters.

40 Your Role in Teamwork – Trust – The first breakout article in a follow-up series on Debbie Phillips’ four cornerstones for effective teamwork.

9 Legislative Update – Even though Houston lacks zoning, apartment communities are still protected from some incompatible neighbors.

44 2020 Design Trends – Update your apartment community’s leasing office, shared spaces and model units with the new decade’s top interior design trends.

11 It’s The Law – The 2020 Census is here. Do you know what you are responsible to provide as an apartment owner or manager?

48 Busting the Short-Term Rental Myth – Rockstar Capital shares its success with Airbnbs.

50 Remembering Shelly Goldstein – Honoring the life and volunteer work of a past HAA board member.

52 Trending Amenity Designs – In today’s amenity race, renters are after community-oriented amenities that cultivate social interaction.

54 Student Housing – What is considered a valuable amenity to a student?

It may not be what you think.

58 On the Scene – Photos from the Installation Gala Presented By Camp Construction Services.

66 Go-Getters – Recruit for HAA and become part of the Go-Getter Club.

72 On Site with ABODE – Learn more about City View Lofts, an apartment community that was once the Nabisco cookie factory.

14 Resident Relations – An applicant attempts to hide a pretty obvious eviction.

20 Calendar – HAA’s schedule of events for the next coming months.

26 NAA Update – Learn the latest from NAA. 28 On the Road with HAA – Photos from the January Northwest Chamber Lunch and Learn and the Baytown Region Meeting.

67 Welcome Mat – Meet the newest HAA members.

68 The Ambassador ONE Society – News from the HAA welcome wagon.

70 Portfolio Changes and In the News – Industry news clips from our members.

74 Index of Advertisers – See the supplier members who support this publication.

75 MarketLine – The latest area market numbers.

76 BackPage – News from around the community.

We welcome your comments. Email us at comm@haaonline.org.

www.haaonline.org

March 2020

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OFFICERS AND ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP JOHN BORIACK President-Elect

TINA CAVACO Vice President at Large

CLAY HICKS President

SCOTT DOUGLAS Vice President at Large

STEPHANIE GRAVES Vice President at Large CHRISTY RODRIGUEZ Secretary/Treasurer SHELLEY WATSON Vice President at Large

HOWARD BOOKSTAFF General Counsel

JEFF HALL Executive VP BOARD OF DIRECTORS Clay Hicks President Starla Turnbo Immediate Past President Mack Armstrong Jeff Blevins, CAS Jill Bounds, CAM Michelle Bridges, CAS Kyle Brown Joseph Bryson, CAM, IROP John Boriack Tina Cavaco Terri Clifton Michelle Croasmun Derek DeVries, CAS Ian Douglas Scott Douglas Gina Erwin Tamara Foster Israel Garza, CAS Diane Gilbert Monica Gracia Stephanie Graves Ira Gross, CAPS Bryan Head, CAM Melissa Herrera Deborah Holcombe Crystal Jackson, CAM, CAPS Debbie Kelm Jacob Kunath, CAS Barby Lake Laura Lestus, CAS David Lindley, CAS Robert Lopes, NALP, CAM, CAPS Sonia Lopez, CAM, CAPS Betsy Marshall, CAM, CAPS Kristin McLaughlin, CASE Candis Mohr, CAS Carlos Neto Dean O’Kelley, CAS Jenifer Paneral Mark Park, CAS Velissa Parmer Michelle Pawelek Loyal Proffitt Jackie Rhone Christy Rodriguez Kelly Scott Kurt Seidel Kelley Suess Debbie Sulzer Dana Tucker Shelley Watson Quintina Willis, CAM Tracie Yoder, CAPS

DIRECTORS EMERITUS Josh Allen Ken Bohan Gary Blumberg Kathy Clem Jack Dinerstein Jenard Gross Darlene Guidry David Hargrove Alison Hall Larry Hill Stacy Hunt Hap Hunnicutt David Jones Mel Kieke Mike Koch Dick LaMarche Tim Myers P David Onanian John Ridgway Kim Small Eileen Subinsky Steve Sweet Kirk Tate Suan Tinsley H J Tollett, Jr. Pat Tollett Vic Vacek, Jr. Beth Van Winkle Jerry Winograd ADVISORY DIRECTORS Billy Griffin Manu Gupta Cesar Lima Mary Lawler Patrick Magnuson Bruce McClenny Angelee Kumar Parikh Nikki Sekunda Penny Sprang Theri Tinelli Tony Whitaker GENERAL COUNSEL EMERITUS Joe Bax HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Claude Arnold Kenn Brown Tina Cavaco Terri Clifton Kevin Fenn Diane Gilbert Anita Harrison Dwayne Henson Mike Koch Merry Mount Monette Reynolds Sherry Stevenson Kirk Tate Suan Tinsley Sonny Unverzagt

Del Walmsley Nancé Wells H.P. Paul Young Jeanne Marie Zublin Dicks PRODUCT SERVICE COUNCIL OFFICERS Laura Lestus, CAS, President The Liberty Group David Lindley, CAS, Vice President FSI Construction Derek DeVries, CAS, Secretary Camp Construction Services Candis Mohr, CAS, Treasurer AAA Plumbers Jacob Kunath, CAS, Immediate Past President Century A/C Supply MEMBERS Marivel Bownds, CAS, Valet Living Dixie Caldwell, CAS, The Liberty Group Shaun Callaway, CAS, Earthworks Peggy Charles, CASE, Fidus Construction Services Neal Conant, CAS, Gemstar Construction Development Sean Cunningham, CAS, Flooring Warehouse Deborah DeRouen, CAS, Designs By Holmes Clark Gregg, CAS, Fidus Construction Dan James, CAS, Redevelopment Services Debra Knight, CAS, Fidus Construction Services Stephanie Krop, CASE, Poolsure Liz Levins, CAS, Rasa Floors Tracey Moore, CAS, Flooring Warehouse Karen Nelsen, CAS ALN Apartment Data

Matthew Nunn, CAS, Camp Construction Services Doug Oehl, CAS. Flooring Warehouse Joseph Rodriguez, CAS, The Urban Foresters Nikki Sekunda, CAS, The Liberty Group Blaise Spitaleri, CAS, Gemstar Construction Development Blake Subinsky, CAS, HD Supply Mat Tilley, CAS, WeDoTrash Alan Young, CAS, Dixie Carpet Installations PATRON MEMBERS 1961 CSC ServiceWorks 1986 Craven Carpet 1994 AAA Plumbers 1996 Houston Planned Energy Systems 1997 RentPath 1999 FSI Construction Inc. 2003 Cotton Commercial USA Inc. Dixie Carpet Installations 2006 Maintenance Supply Headquaters 2009 Camp Construction Services 2013 Interior Logic Group Property Services 2018 Apartments.com

SPONSOR MEMBERS 1968 Century A/C Supply Hoover Slovacek LLP Reliant 1973 Brady Chapman Holland & Assoc CORT Furniture 1974 Mueller Water Conditioning 1976 Great American Business Products 1977 Webb Pest Control 1978 The Liberty Group 1981 AmRent Marvin F Poer & Company 1983 Sherwin Williams Company 1984 RENCON 1985 Gemstar Construction Development Inc 1986 ApartmentData.com 1988 W Partnership 1992 Alexander-Rose Associates Saint Clair & Sons Inc 1998 AAA Staffing Ltd CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions 2000 Moveforfree.com Inc Pura Flo Corporation 2001 Apartment Life Inc 2002 American Fire Systems Southwest Painting Contractors Inc 2003 Sign-Ups & Banners 2005 Swain & Baldwin Insurance & Risk Management United Protective Services 2006 Bell’s Laundries CAD Restoration Services DoodyCalls Lopez Carpet Care & Painting Masonry Solutions Inc Roto-Rooter Services Co TXU Energy Multifamily Services Valet Living 2008 CRE Business Solutions LLC Flavor Finish Resurfacing HARCO Insurance Services Texas Turf Management 2009 Contractors Inc Moen Inc Redevelopment Services Storm Maintenance & Monitoring 2010 ALN Apartment Data Inc Belfor Property Restoration Believe, Achieve and Conquer, LLC Certified Termite and Pest Control FTK Construction Services 2011 Fantastic Floors Infinite Energy Inc Parking Management Company/PMC Towing 2012 ABC Supply Co Inc Accent Sign & Awning Co BGE/Brown & Gay Engineers Cantrell McCulloch Inc EnviroSmart Multifamily Pest Solutions Giordano Construction Inc Go-Staff Inc Maldonado Nursery & Landscaping Inc Nationwide Eviction Texas Concrete Professional Company 2013 ACTIV Answer by Audio Images Arbor Contract Carpet Inc ASAP Steamers Carpet Cleaning Comcast Gambit Construction Outdoor Elements Pool Works LLC Tidal Renovations LLC 2014 Adventure Playground Systems Inc Chadwell Supply Classic Same Day Blinds J National Jonah Digital Agency MX2 Commercial Paving Pathfinder Insurance Group Ram Jack Foundation Solutions Texas Apartment Pool Services

WCA Waste Corporation Zillow Rentals 2015 America Outdoor Furniture ASAP Personnel Inc BSI Cameras Onsite DeNyse Companies Gateman Inc Infinity Power Partners Kathy Andrews Interiors Notifii LLC Pace Mechanical Services The Allshouse Group LLC The Lane Law Firm Wilsonart 2016 Action Window Coverings Bath Fitter Cinch – Cabinet Refacing Kits Citi Fence & Concrete E-Systems Pest Management Inc Ecolo Environmental Inc Embark Services Fidus Construction Services Fun Abounds Green City Security LLC Guardian Chimney Sweep Halo Doors Inc JLL Johnstone Supply KONE Leah McVeigh Design and Consulting Liquid Waste Solutions Paul Davis Restoration North Houston RAM Construction Sparkle Wash Pressure Washing Texas Southwest Floors Inc WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems WellKept Whitmans Contracting and Roofing 2017 ACT Security Group All About Doody Pet Solutions LLC All American Mailboxes of Houston Inc Allegion BioTechs Crime & Trauma Scene Cleaning Cano Electric Inc Classic Towing Continental Adjusters Inc Cypress Landscaping & Irrigation, Inc Designs by Holmes Fast Forward Services LLC Frost Insurance Agency General Recon, LLC Lithotech Printed Products/Forms Center McMahan's Flooring Inc MPS Direct Norman Construction NorthMarq Capital On Site Towing LLC PCS Creative Surface SEAL Security Solutions LLC Secure Insurance Symmons Industries Texas Engineered Roofing & General Contracting USA Patrol Division Vima Decor Willbanks & Associates Inc 2018 A Homestead Specialist LLC AAdvantage Laundry Systems Apartment Lines Archcon Arizona Tile Benefits 4 Rent Brannan Designs LLC Architecture & Interior Design CashFlow Pros LLC Centex Construction Construction ECO Services Featherston Sign Partners Finish Factory Inc Green Garbology Guardian Gutters Higginbotham Kastle Systems Ledge Lounger Matrix Construction Services Merricks Company MirrorMate Frames O’Conor, Mason & Bone PC Penco Access Control PERQ LLC Phoenix Roofing & Construction Inc Platinum Enterprises LLC Preventive Pest Control Quatro Tax LLC Rent Debt Automated Collections RG Miller Engineers Saifee Signs & Graphics Signal 88 Security Spray and Play Surface Designers Remodeling Inc Swadley Roof Systems LLC Texas Steam - Laars Heating Systems Tropical Roofing Products Wildlife Removal Experts Windstorm Restoration

2019 3 Men Movers A + Infinity Blue Outdoors, AAA Texas Absolute Construction LLC Action Towing, Inc ACUTRAQ Background Screening, Inc Advance LED Solution Al Hicks & Associates / Allstate AmCap Insurance Anchor Roofing Inc Andrews Myers PC AppFolio ARC Solutions Atom4 Security Camera & Electronics August & Suttles Contractors Beekman Company LLC Beyond Contractors LLC Bio-One Houston South Builders Direct Depot Classic Touch Painting CLS Technology Inc Consolidated Communications Cougar USA CSI LED & Hardware D.A.M. Remodeling Group Dal-Tile Corporation DNM Contracting Inc Door Clearance Center Enforce Security Services Epic Air Conditioning Expertz Construction & Renovation LLC Granite Surfaces of Texas Green Faubourg Lawn & Landscaping LLC H.S. Services Harding & Carbone Inc Heritage Construction Co Hive Technology Howitzer Building Engineers Hurtado Roofing & Construction IGD Plumbing LLC In Service Security LLC Interior Logic Group Property Services IronEdge Group ITWS LLC J and B Carpet Services Kerely Towing Solutions King's Granite and Marble Knight Restoration Services, Ledtech Lexington Group International LP Building Solutions: Louisiana-Pacific Corporation LSR Multifamily Max Digital Printing McKenzie Drake Corporate Housing Morris Contracting Nations Roof Houston LLC Northwest Construction Group NSJ Painting & Flooring Odor-DeFence/BugDeFence One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating Onesource Moving Onyx Restoration LLC Opiniion PHR A/C & Heating Pool Knights Prime Texas Metal Roofs Prime Texas Surveys LLC Property Services Quick Roofing Reliable Roofing Service Master by Century Signal 88 Security of The Woodlands & East Houston Slime Busters Inc Smart Water Valve SOS-ASAP Softwashing Strata Roofing and Construction LLC Streamline Construction Houston LLC Structural Concrete Systems, LLC Surface Experts League City Target Restoration Services Texas Crime Prevention Agency Texas Management Group The Playwell Group Inc Three Amigos Texas LLC Total Renovation Services Turnage & Associates US Multifamily LLC Waterproof Solutions Window World Winhill Advisors Woodlands Water Restoration YottaReal 2020 ACM Contractors of Texas AM Conservation Group Electric Eel Mfg Hillco Building Service JAK Environmental, LLC DBA: Legacy Power Washing & Graffiti Removal On-Site Propety Services Wayfinder Tax Relief LLC Wickley Interactive

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MARCH 2020 I VOLUME 43, ISSUE 3 Executive Vice President and Publisher JEFF HALL, CAE jhall@haaonline.org EDITORIAL AND DESIGN STAFF Director of Publications and Design DEBORAH NIX dnix@haaonline.org Managing Editor MORGAN TAYLOR mtaylor@haaonline.org ADVERTISING Vice President of Membership and Marketing AMANDA SHERBONDY, CAE asherbondy@haaonline.org CONTRIBUTING STAFF Vice President and General Manager SUSAN HINKLEY, CAE shinkley@haaonline.org Vice President of Professional Development EMILY HILTON, CPP, CAE ehilton@haaonline.org Vice President of Public Affairs ANDY TEAS, CAE ateas@haaonline.org Vice President of Finance NANCY LI LO, CPA nlo@haaonline.org Director of Information Technology ART EIDMAN aeidman@haaonline.org Director of Resident Relations MATILDE LUNA mluna@haaonline.org Director of Events and Meetings LAUREN WOLFSON, CMP lwolfson@haaonline.org Director of Rental Credit Reporting TINA DEFIORE tdefiore@haaonline.org Assistant Vice President – Outreach LAUREN TURNER, CAE, CMP lturner@haaonline.org Public Affairs Manager ALPA PATEL apatel@haaonline.org Education and Meetings Coordinator KAREN MITCHELL kmitchell@haaonline.org Membership and Marketing Manager KAYLON NEWCOMB knewcomb@haaonline.org Membership Engagement Assist. MONSERRAT BUFFINGTON mbuffington@haaonline.org Webmaster and IT Specialist WILL ALFARO walfaro@haaonline.org PRINTER TGI PRINTED www.tgiprinted.com

HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION COMMITTEES COMMITTEE CHAIR STAFF ADVISOR Executive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CLAY HICKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .JEFF HALL Program & Budget . . . . . . . . . . . .JOHN BORIACK . . . . . . . . . . . . .JEFF HALL Nominating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .STARLA TURNBO . . . . . . . . . . .JEFF HALL Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MICHELLE PAWELEK . . . . . . .JEFF HALL Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CHRISTY RODRIGUEZ . . . . . .JEFF HALL Fair Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MACK ARMSTRONG . . . . . . .JEFF HALL By-Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KYLE BROWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .JEFF HALL Past Presidents Council . . . . . . .KATHY CLEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .JEFF HALL Leadership Development . . . . .ALISON HALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SUSAN HINKLEY Product Service Council . . . . . . .LAURA LESTUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SUSAN HINKLEY Community Outreach . . . . . . . .TRACIE YODER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SUSAN HINKLEY Legislative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .JOHN BORIACK . . . . . . . . . . . . .ANDY TEAS HAA Political Action Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .STACY HUNT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ANDY TEAS Multifamily Fire Safety Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .JOHN BORIACK . . . . . . . . . . . . .ANDY TEAS Developers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TODD TRIGGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ANDY TEAS Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TERRI CLIFTON . . . . . . . . . . . . .AMANDA SHERBONDY Ambassador ONE Society . . . .MARIVEL BOWNDS/DEBORAH DEROUEN/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RYAN WEIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AMANDA SHERBONDY 2020 Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DAVID LINDLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . .AMANDA SHERBONDY Independent Owners Council .STEPHANIE BRYSON . . . . . . .AMANDA SHERBONDY Education Advisory Council . . .MONICA GRACIA/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BETSY MARSHALL . . . . . . . . . .EMILY HILTON Career/Community Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PENNY SPRANG . . . . . . . . . . . .EMILY HILTON NEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PATRICK MAGNUSON/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NIKKI SEKUNDA . . . . . . . . . . . .EMILY HILTON Strategic Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . .CHRISTY RODRIGUEZ . . . . . .LAUREN TURNER Century Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CANDIS MOHR . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ALPA PATEL PAC Fundraising . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GARY BLUMBERG . . . . . . . . . .ALPA PATEL Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MARK PARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ALPA PATEL Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . .NORMA ALVEAR/ . . . . . . . . . . .ALPA PATEL/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MARILYN ROMERO . . . . . . . . .LAUREN WOLFSON HAF Fundraiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DEBBIE ANDREOZZI/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MARK PARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LAUREN WOLFSON Resident Relations Appeals . . .DARLENE GUIDRY . . . . . . . . . .MATILDE LUNA Resident Relations A . . . . . . . . . .BEVERLY NORRIS . . . . . . . . . . .MATILDE LUNA Resident Relations B . . . . . . . . . .KEVIN HARTMAN . . . . . . . . . . .MATILDE LUNA Property Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SUSAN DEAR/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CRYSTAL JACKSON . . . . . . . .TINA DEFIORE IT Task Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .JOE BRYSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ART EIDMAN HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION MISSION AND VISION: HAA is the leading advocate, resource and community partner for quality rental housing providers in the Houston and surrounding area. HAA develops leadership in the multifamily industry by engaging broadly diverse membership, embracing effective technology and advocating for a geographically inclusive association. 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, MARCH 2020, VOLUME 43, ISSUE 3 ABODE (USPS 024-962) 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 © 2020 by HAA. Periodicals Postage Paid at Houston, Texas.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ABODE, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, Texas 77041.

www.haaonline.org

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2020 HAA Volleyball Tournament Dust of your skills, grab your coworkers and get ready to bump, set and spike your way to the top!

Festivities include a buffet and snacks, networking opportunities and checking out the HAA athletes.

Teams are registered on a first-come, first-served basis.

All players must be members of HAA.

Team SOLD s are Com e joi OUT! nt as a spec he fun tator !

Form your teams now (two per company).

Teams are not confirmed until payment has been received.

Friday, March 6 Gates open at 10:30 a.m.

Registration and Practice: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Tournament begins at 11:30 a.m. *Each team must have all players present by 11 a.m. to play.

Houston Sportsplex 12631 S Main St.

Entrance fee is $300 per team (6 players, 2 alternates).

Spectator fee is $35 per person.

Register online at www.haaonline.org.

Court Sponsors Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating Services Northwest Construction Group Lunch Sponsor HD Supply Snack Station Sponsor CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions

Requests for refunds must be received in writing by end of business day on February 28 and will be subject to a $50 cancellation fee.

No refunds will be granted after February 28 or for no shows.

No refunds will be given for individual tickets, but tickets arefully transferrable.

Questions? Contact the Meetings and Events Department at 713-595-0323, or email at events@haaonline.org.

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Letter from the President HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND RENTAL HOUSING ISSUES HAVE BECOME POPULAR TOPICS IN THE MEDIA AND POLITICAL CIRCLES AND IF TEXAS MEDIA OUTLETS FOLLOW NATIONAL TRENDS, IT COULD BE A SIGN OF WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE FUTURE. In response to a heightened focus on housing affordability and rental housing issues in the media and political groups, the Texas Apartment Association’s David Mintz, vice president of government affairs, posted an article in the January 2020 TAA Member Newsletter, informing its members and sister associations that they are working to ensure our industry’s perspective is heard.

A December series on evictions in the San Antonio Express-News (note that a subscription may be required) was one of the more extensive news series regarding residents’ rights in recent years. Mintz goes on to explain that national stories can reflect or inspire policy debates at either the local or state level, which is why it is doubly important that TAA, HAA and other affiliates are actively engaged with the media.

After TAA learned about these planned stories in July of 2019, TAA retained a public relations firm to prepare a response. TAA engaged HAA and the San Antonio Apartment Association to discuss the story and share local perspectives on the eviction issue. TAA staff and selected members also met with the reporters to discuss the eviction process in Texas and provide written resource materials. During TAA’s fall board of directors meeting in Arlington, members and local association leadership were briefed on the series.

Following publication of the series last month, the TAA staff met again with SAAA leadership and staff to discuss member reaction to the stories.

Here are a handful of things TAA has done as a result of the eviction series: 1. TAA developed background material and some suggested Q&As on eviction, and shared these with local affiliates to ensure the association and its members are speaking with one voice on this issue.

2. TAA has revised the notice to vacate forms to be more consistent and make clearer to residents that they may face eviction court filings.

3. As part of a broader data initiative, TAA is looking at what eviction-related data they should be tracking. The Texas Supreme Court Office of Court Administration publishes an annual report showing the cumulative numbers of landlord/tenant cases in justice of the peace courts and the numbers of appeals in such cases, but doesn’t break that information down regarding location, type of complaint or the resolution.

www.haaonline.org

By CLAY HICKS, 2020 HAA President

4. TAA will be revising the public-facing side of its website to provide clearer and easier-to-find impartial information for renters regarding the eviction process and Texas law.

5. TAA is developing position papers that respond to some of the common questions that came up in the eviction series and related media coverage. These will serve as a tool for both TAA and affiliates in responding to future media inquiries, as well as for use with policymakers.

The TAA Strategic Plan, to be considered by its board next month, includes a public relations objective to better tell the industry’s story.

TAA and its PAC will be exploring how they can strengthen our position as an industry thought-leader and continue to be viewed by the media and lawmakers as the go-to source for information about the rental housing industry.

Recent articles in the Houston Chronicle show how TAA and HAA are working with local media to accurately and fairly show our industry’s side.

On January 29, the Houston Chronicle published an article with the headline “Landlords see opportunity in shortage of workforce housing,” (note that a subscription may be required).The article opens with a single-parent teacher who can’t afford to rent in Houston. She and her daughter live at a friend’s house in the greater East End. Despite the article’s reference to an acute affordability crisis in Houston, it shows our industry’s side of the issue. The reporter talks to Houston apartment owners and developers, most who are HAA members, who are doing positive things to open up opportunities to Houston’s workforce, such as offering discounts to teachers, nurses, police officers, students and veterans.

Earlier in January, an article titled “Here’s what to do if you face an eviction,” (note that a subscription may be required) was also published by the Houston Chronicle. The article explains how the most common reason for eviction is nonpayment of rent.

“Unlike other states, there are no protections for Texas renters who want to withhold payments because of a lack of necessary repairs,” the article reads.

HAA’s Alpa Patel was quoted explaining how apartment owners don’t want to evict residents. “The misconception is they (residents) think owners want to evict. They don’t want to. It’s a process of a couple of months, and you have to end up going to court,” she said.

The article is full of valuable information for renters and fairly shows our industry’s side.

Both TAA, HAA and SAAA members should find comfort knowing their associations are working hard to respond to increased media attention and focus on housing issues, but they are items I believe will only continue to grow as our city continues its growth. We need to continue to stay proactive and stay in front of local media and legislators, to ensure our side of the story is heard.

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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

HAA Member since 1997

Cotton Commercial USA Inc.

Interior Logic Group Property Services

HAA Member since 1982

Maintenance Supply Headquarters HAA Member since 2006

CSC ServiceWorks

HAA Member since 1961

Craven Carpet

HAA Member since 1986

Camp Construction Services

HAA Member since 1994

March Patron of the Month

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Apartments.com

HAA Member since 1978

HAA Member since 1985

AAA Plumbers

HAA Member since 1984

FSI Construction Inc.

HAA Member since 1999

Dixie Carpet Installations

HAA Member since 1987

RentPath

HAA Member since 1979

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Legislative Update

By JOHN BORIACK, HAA Legislative Chair, with ANDY TEAS, CAE, Vice President of Public Affairs

HOW FAR AWAY?

Unzoned Houston still offers protection for apartments from some incompatible neighbors.

IN JANUARY, A LARGE explosion at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing on Gessner Road killed two people and caused extensive property damage in northwestern Spring Branch. Some nearby homes and businesses were destroyed, and the blast shattered dozens of windows and knocked doors off their hinges at several area apartment communities. The explosion even broke five windows at the Houston Apartment Association office nearly a mile away.

Houston has no zoning laws. In fact, Houston is the largest unzoned city in the United States. Interestingly, the second-largest unzoned city in the country is Pasadena, Texas, with a population of barely 150,000 people, which illustrates how unusual it is to have a large city where land use is determined largely by property owners.

Since the accident, property owners and policymakers have started asking whether Houston should do more to protect citizens from the hazards that can occur with industrial facilities. These questions are not new.

Zoning measures have been talked about since the late 1940s, and proponents became increasingly vocal during Houston’s boom years in the late 1970s and early '80s. Such concerns were part of what lead to an unsuccessful effort to enact a simplified “Houstonstyle” zoning in the early 1990s.

It is worth noting that Watson Grinding and Manufacturing has been doing business without incident since 1960 – the same year HAA was founded. As of press time, we do not know the cause of the accident nor if it had anything to do with the manufacturing process at the facility.

Houston, even without zoning, does have some specific protections for apartment communities and other land uses that prohibit certain things within various distances. Here’s a quick review of some of Houston’s distance protections for apartment properties. www.haaonline.org

Abattoirs – “Abattoir” is a Houston, even without zoning, does have some specific polite term for a slaughterprotections for apartment communities and other house. An abattoir has to be land uses that prohibit certain things within various at least 3,000 feet from a distances. Here’s a quick review of some of Houston’s long list of land uses including apartment properties. distance protections for apartment properties.

Correctional Facilities – Many jail and prison facilities to be located at least 3000 feet from an apartfor adults cannot be placed within 1,000 feet ment property. of any licensed day care center, public park, Sexually Oriented Businesses – Houston recreation facility or school. Single family won’t grant a permit for a strip club if 75% or homes and apartment properties are not more of the tracts within a 1,500-foot radius specifically included, but the ordinance of the proposed site are “residential in charwould exclude many sites near apartment acter.” Each one eighth acre of land an apartcommunities. ment property is located on counts as a Hazardous Enterprises – A Houston city separate tract. ordinance prohibits “hazardous enterprises” Towers – Houston prohibits cellular phone if a third or more of the tracts within 1,000 towers and other types of antenna towers in feet of the site are residential. In the case of residential neighborhoods, but – unlike most an apartment community, every eight units similar ordinances – apartment properties constitute one tract for the purpose of this are not counted as residential in this case. calculation. A hazardous enterprise is defined as anything qualifying as a Class H Occupancy in the Building Code. It’s a long and Keep in mind, the United States Constitucomplex definition but it’s basically what you tion frowns on ex post facto laws, meaning would expect – facilities that manufacture, the “we were here first” theory generally apstore or use significant amounts of toxic or plies. If one of these land uses was there behazardous substances. fore the distance ordinance was passed by Hotels – Houston has an ordinance inHouston City Council, or if they were there tended to restrict the proliferation of “hot before your apartment property was built, sheet” motels in and around residential they can probably stay. neighborhoods and apartment communities.

Does Houston need to do more? Should we It restricts where smaller hotels can go, and place tougher restrictions on where certain generally requires hotels to take parking lot types of facilities can be located or do we access from major streets and highways, need to do a better job of regulating how porather than residential streets. tentially hazardous facilities are operated Junkyards – Houston prohibits junkyards, wherever they may be? Our elected officials salvage yards, auto parts recyclers and metal will be addressing these difficult questions recyclers within 300 feet of an apartment for a long time, and will be looking for our inproperty. dustry’s input.

Rendering Plants – A rendering plant is a If you have a regulatory problem or facility that processes “… any animal or parts question, call the HAA main line at thereof, or the proteins and fats …” for com713-595-0300 and ask for Public Affairs. mercial use – mostly grease. These also have March 2020

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It’s the Law

By HOWARD BOOKSTAFF, Hoover Slovacek LLP , HAA General Counsel

THE 2020 CENSUS Do you know what you are responsible for?

THE CENSUS COUNTS every person living in the 50 states, District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories once every 10 years.

This population count is mandated by the United States Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency.

The 2020 Census marks the 24th time that the country has counted its population since 1790. The Census does not only count persons in their homes, the Census requires the cooperation of apartment owners and managers.

Let’s take a look at some of the issues that may come up over the next few months.

Why is the Census important?

The Census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers and many others use to provide daily services, products and support for the community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads and other resources based on Census data.

The results of the Census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.

Is participation in the Census mandatory?

Yes. Participating in the Census is required by law, even if you recently completed another survey from the Census Bureau.

How does the Census work?

Last year, the Census Bureau opened more than 200-area census offices across the country.

Census takers visited areas that have experienced a lot of change and growth to ensure that the Census Bureau’s address list is up to date.

In January, the Census Bureau started counting the population in remote Alaska. In March, households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone www.haaonline.org

or by mail. From March 30 to April 1, the Census Bureau will count people who are experiencing homelessness.

By April 1, every home will have received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. In April, Census takers will begin visiting college students who live on campus, people living in senior centers and others who live among large groups of people.

In May through July, Census takers will begin visiting homes that haven’t responded to the 2020 Census to help make sure everyone is counted.

In December, the Census Bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the U.S. president and Congress as required by law.

tact-us/rcc.html) to speak with a Census Bureau representative.

What questions does the Census ask?

The official questionnaire available online asks for the following information: 1. How many people are living or staying in this apartment on April 1, 2020?

2. Were there any additional people staying here on April 1, 2020?

3. Is this house, apartment or mobile home owned, rented or occupied without payment of rent?

4. What is your telephone number?

5. The name, sex, age and race of persons that live in the home.

How will responses be colThe 2020 Census marks the 24th time that the lected? country has counted its population since 1790. The There are three ways the CenCensus does not only count persons in their sus Bureau will initially collect responses from people: online, homes, the Census requires the cooperation of by phone or by mail. By April 1, apartment owners and managers. everyone should have received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Starting in May, the Census Bu6. Whether the persons are of Hispanic, reau will begin following up in person with Latino or Spanish origin (the Census states that homes that have not responded to the Census.

Hispanic origins are not races).

The Census does not ask about a person’s soHow do you verify that a person is a valid cial security, money or donations, anything on Census taker? behalf of a political party or person’s bank or Census takers will visit homes in April to concredit card account numbers. duct quality check interviews and then in midMay to help collect responses.

Is the information a Census taker receives If someone visits your property to collect inconfidential? formation for the 2020 Census, you should Yes. The Census Bureau is bound by law to check to make sure that they have valid ID protect answers and keep them strictly confibadge that includes their photograph, a U.S. dential. Every employee of the Census Bureau Department of Commerce watermark and an takes an oath to protect the personal informaexpiration date. Census workers may also carry tion they receive.

Census Bureau bags and other equipment with By law, the Census Bureau cannot release any the Census Bureau logo. identifiable information about a respondent or If you are still have questions about their the respondent’s home or business, even to law identity, you can contact your Regional Cenenforcement agencies. The law ensures that prisus Center (https://2020census.gov/en/convate data is protected and that answers cannot March 2020

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be used against a respondent by any government agency or court.

What do property owners and management companies have to provide?

The law provides that an owner or manager (among others) who refuse or willfully neglect to furnish the names of the occupants of the property, give free ingress to and egress from the property to any Census taker to permit the collection of statistics with respect to any census, when requested by a Census taker shall be fined an amount that does not exceed more than $500.

In other words, your responsibility as an owner or manager of an apartment community is to: (i) furnish the names of the occupants of units; and (ii) give free ingress and egress to and from the property to the Census taker.

Who does the term “occupant” refer to?

The law does not define the term occupant, however, given the nature of the Census and its purpose (i.e., determining total population and associated statistics), the law likely refers to anyone living in an apartment. This could result in owners and managers facing an arduous task if requested to provide the names of occu-

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pants for several apartments. As a practical matter, Census takers are only interested in the apartments of those persons who did not return a completed survey, so the number of apartments at issue will vary from community to community. If requested, owners and managers will need to review leases for each apartment requested and provide the names of both the residents and other occupants indicated on the leases.

What should owners and managers do if a Census taker requests information other than the names of the occupants?

All that is required is the names of occupants as of April 1, 2020. If a Census taker requests any additional information, it’s up to the owner or manager to decide whether or not to provide it.

Depending on the request, particularly if the request is made in lieu of requesting the names of occupants, it may be easier to provide the requested information. For example, if a Census taker requests a list of vacancies as of April 1, 2020, this information may be easily provided and could save the owner or manager from the task of trying to gather all the names of every occupant of each apartment requested.

What if an owner or manager denies a Census taker access to the property, refuses to provide any information or provides incorrect information?

The law penalizes the “refusal” or “willful neglect” of owners and managers. As long as an owner or manager allows Census takers to enter the property and does not refuse to provide a Census taker with names of occupants, it is unlikely an owner or manager would be fined even if he or she unknowingly provided incorrect information. If, however, an owner or manager simply refuses to allow a Census taker onto the property or to provide any information or willfully neglects to provide accurate information, he or she can be fined an amount of up to $500.

Could an owner or manager be liable to an occupant or former occupant for disclosing information to a Census taker?

Probably not. If requested, owners and managers are under a duty to provide the names of occupants and cannot be held liable for complying with their statutory duty. Section 18 of the standard Texas Apartment Association lease provides that the owner may, but is not obligated to, share and use information related to / See Law, Page 73

www.haaonline.org

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Resident Relations from the RESIDENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE

REPEAT OFFENDER

If an applicant doesn’t include it on their application form, does it count?

AN APPLICANT FILED a complaint with HAA to receive a refund on the administrative fee she was charged when she applied to live at an apartment community.

Management of the community responded to the Houston Apartment Association and that response was forwarded to the applicant.

When the applicant applied to live at this property on Oct. 5, her background check revealed a four-year-old eviction from the property she was applying for and a second eviction from the apartment community she had been renting at that time.

When the property called to inform the applicant that she was denied, the applicant admitted to management that she didn’t include

one of the evictions and questioned management, saying over email, “I didn’t put that apartment down, why are you checking it?”

Management denied this applicant for multiple reasons. The first being the property’s criteria to deny applicants who were evicted from their property, even if the eviction is more than two years old, second being her current eviction and the third being she falisified her application.

According to the applicant, management was willing to work with her if the applicant would pay the remaining balance from her 2016 eviction and double the security deposit.

The resident stated she refused the offer and requested to cancel.

Management felt the resident was charged accordingly. Enclosed was a copy of the application form.

The committee decided in favor of management. Not only did the applicant cancel passed the 48-hour window (on Oct. 9, four days later), the applicant also falsified her application, allowing management to retain the administrative fee as liquidated damages.

If the applicant is not satisfied with the results of this case, the applicant may pursue this matter in small claims court.

If you are a manager with a resident relations issue, call HAA at 713-595-0300 for direct assistance.

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done or get it right, I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need recognition. As long as my resident and my management and the owner are happy, I’m happy. It was a good experience, though, feeling that way. I didn’t know that someone was watching!”

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done or get it right, I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need recognition. As long as my resident and my management and the owner are happy, I’m happy. It was a good experience, though, feeling that way. I didn’t know that someone was watching!”

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done or get it right, I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need recognition. As long as my resident and my management and the owner are happy, I’m happy. It was a good experience, though, feeling that way. I didn’t know that someone was watching!”

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I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done or get it right, I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need recognition. As long as my resident and my management and the owner are happy, I’m happy. It was a good experience, though, feeling that way. I didn’t know that someone was watching!”

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done or get it right, I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need recognition. As long as my resident and my management and the owner are happy, I’m happy. It was a good experience, though, feeling that way. I didn’t know that someone was watching!”

www.haaonline.org

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New Location!

Bayou City Event Center

Thursday, March 26 9401 Knight Road Houston, TX 77045

Show off your maintenance skills and cheer on your best!

National Presenting Sponsor HD Supply Competition Event Sponsors AAA Plumbers American Fire Systems Contractors Inc. Dixie Carpet Installations Ideal Towing Johnstone Supply Maintenance Supply Headquarters Race Car Competition Sponsors Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating Services PPG Paints Post-Competition Awards Ceremony Luncheon Sponsors Century A/C Supply Ideal Towing The Liberty Group

8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. – Registration, practice and breakfast 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Skills-based competition Noon to 1 p.m. – Awards luncheon Cash Prizes for Contestants! The following cash prizes will be given for achievement in Maintenance Mania competition events • $100 for First Place, Individual category • $200 for First Place, Overall • $100 for Second Place, Overall • $50 for Third Place, Overall Attendees will compete against other Maintenance Professionals in a series of skill-based competitions that challenges them to exhibit talents used on the job every day. Compete for a chance at the National Title – one participant from each region will compete at the National Event at the NAA Education Conference in Boston and will receive an all-expense paid trip to attend!

Maintenance Mania Competitors: $65 (Entry fee for competition, breakfast and awards lunch)

Spectators: $55 (Access to competition event as spectator, breakfast and awards lunch)

Register online today at www.haaonline.org

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It’s not golf – it’s TOPGOLF! Give it a shot “fore” a cause Thanks to our sponsors: "Top" Sponsor Hillco Building Service Northwest Construction Group Welcome Sponsor ApartmentData.com Best Team Spirit Sponsor Camp Construction Services Fidus Construction Services Hole In One Sponsor Green Mountain Energy Beverage Sponsor Century A/C Supply Cotton Commercial USA Inc.

It’s back for the PAC! Join us at Houston’s premiere golf entertainment complex for a fun-filled afternoon with the favorite twist to a traditional game, all while supporting the Houston Apartment Association Political Action Committee – your local PAC for the apartment industry.

Awards: Team Awards – 1st, 2nd, 3rd Best Male Best Female Last Place New! Best Team Spirit Sport your best golf attire as a team for a chance to win the best team spirit award!

Thursday, April 9 TopGolf Houston - Katy 1030 Memorial Brook Blvd. Houston, TX 77084

11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit www.haaonline.org and email topgolf@haaonline.org for details and registration. *Please note this event is open to sponsors and players only, no spectators.

Last Place Award Dixie Carpet Installations Inc Lunch Sponsors American Fire Systems CORT Furniture Best Male and Female Award Sponsors CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions Valet Living Team Awards Sponsors American Technologies Inc. Apartments.com Maintenance Supply Headquarters

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Calendar HAA Education, Events and Meetings SCHEDULE

MARCH S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

APRIL S M T

W 1 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29

T 2 9 16 23 30

F 3 10 17 24

S 4 11 18 25

MARCH 3 CAM: Orientation and Industry Math Tuesday, March 3 Noon

4 CAM: Industry Essentials and Resident Experience Wednesday, March 4 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sponsored by Best Plumbing New Supplier Member Orientation Wednesday, March 4 3 p.m.

Craft Republic 11470 Westheimer Road, 77077 All new supplier members welcome.

Contact Amanda at asherbondy@haaonline.org for details.

Ambassador ONE Society Meeting Wednesday, March 4 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Craft Republic 11470 Westheimer Road, 77077 Contact Amanda at asherbondy@haaonline.org for details.

5 CAM: Financial Management Thursday, March 5 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsored by ALN Apartment Data Steering Committee Thursday, March 5 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

6 2020 Volleyball Tournament Friday, March 6 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Houston Sportsplex 12631 S. Main St., 77035 Don't miss a chance to play in a friendly volleyball tournament with industry peers. Grab your coworkers, form your team and get ready for your chance to be crowned the 2020 HAA Volleyball champions!

See Page 6 for details.

Sponsored by Brandt Electrical A/C

& Heating Services, CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions, HD Supply and Northwest Construction Group

9 Avenues: Supplier Circle – Session 1 “Sensory Sales: Making the Sale Without Saying a Word” with Katie Rigsby Monday, March 9 8:30 a.m. to noon See Page 22 for details.

10 CAMT: HVAC Maintenance and Repair (two days) – Spanish Tuesday, March 10 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sponsored by Century A/C Supply

11 Northwest Lunch and Learn Wednesday, March 11 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

NAM, Second Floor 15702 Bammel Village Drive, 77068 Program fee: FREE To attend, you must RSVP to outreach@haaonline.org in order to guarantee lunch.

Join us for a discussion on pools.

With pool season approaching, there have been changes to pool inspections. Learn what you need to know onsite.

Resident Relations Committee A Wednesday, March 11 2 p.m.

12 CAMT: Appliances Maintenance and Repair (two days) – Spanish Thursday, March 12 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sponsored by Century A/C Supply Redbook Seminar: The Woodlands Thursday, March 12 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Woodlands Waterway Marriott 1601 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380 See Page 23 for details.

Sponsored by Earthworks and The Liberty Group

12

24

Go-Getter Spring Happy Hour Thursday, March 12 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Cadillac Bar 1802 Shepherd Drive, 77007 Join the Go-Getters and help strengthen your association with new members and new involvement. New and prospective members are welcome!

Visit the Go-Getters Corner at www.haaonline.org/gogetters for tips and tools for recruiting.

Sponsored by Best Plumbing and Redevelopment Services

CAM: Marketing Tuesday, March 24 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsored by Cotton Commercial USA

17 Mental Wellness Seminar Tuesday, March 17 8:30 a.m. to noon See Page 24 for details.

Sponsored by Century A/C Supply and Pavement Services Corporation

18 Leadership Lyceum Session 2 Wednesday, March 18 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Houston City Hall 901 Bagby St., 77002

19 Expo Committee Meeting Thursday, March 19 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Expo Committee members only.

HAAPAC Luncheon Thursday, March 19 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Program fee: $30 per HAAPAC member; $40 per non-HAAPAC member Registration starts at 11:30 a.m. The program and lunch begin at noon.

Contact Alpa at apatel@haaonline.org for registration and details.

Sponsored by Texscape Services

25 CAM: Property Maintenance Wednesday, March 25 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsored by American Technologies Lake Jackson Region Meeting Wednesday, March 25 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Registration starts at 11 a.m. The program and lunch begin at 11:30 a.m.

This event is free, but we kindly ask you to RSVP yourself and/or team members. More information to come. Visit www.haaonline.org/outreach meetings for up-to-date information. Contact outreach@haaonline.org to RSVP. Sponsored by Century A/C Supply

26 Maintenance Mania Thursday, March 26 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Bayou City Event Center 9401 Knight Road, 77045 Hands-on competition dedicated to the celebration of HAA's maintenance and service professionals.

From faucet repair to ceiling fan replacement, come cheer on your favorite maintenance technicians as HAA competes against the region for a chance to send a representative to the National Championship.

See Page 16 for details and a list of sponsors.

Nationally sponsored by HD Supply

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 or the Camden and Michael Stevens Interests Room. 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. See www.haaonline.org for an interactive calendar.

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www.haaonline.org

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Please note that dates and times are subject to change. Check the calendars at www.haaonline.org for the most up-to-date information.

APRIL 1

Ambassador ONE Society Crawfish Boil Wednesday, April 1 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Ragin’ Cajun 4302 Richmond Ave., 77027 Contact Amanda at asherbondy@haaonline.org for details.

2

Legislative Committee Thursday, April 2 3:30 p.m.

Board Meeting Thursday, April 2 4:30 p.m.

Sponsored by Gemstar Construction and Texscape Services

7

CAM: Legal Tuesday, April 7 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsored by Ideal Towing

8

Certified Pool Operator Course (two days) Wednesday, April 8 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Avenues: Mainstreet – Session 2 “Pot, Pit Bulls, Parking, Felons and other Fair Housing Pitfalls!” with Anne Sadovsky Wednesday, April 8 8:30 a.m. to noon See Page 22 for details.

Sponsored by CORT Furniture Resident Relations Committee B Wednesday, April 8 2 p.m.

9

Sugar Land Education Outreach – “Selling to the Consumer of the 21st Century…Not Your Father’s Chevy or Your Mother’s Jeans!” with Anne Sadvosky Thursday, April 9 8 a.m. to noon Visit www.haaonline.org/education outreach to register.

Sponsored by SouthCross Security Topgolf HAAPAC Fundraiser Thursday, April 9 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

1030 Memorial Brook Blvd., 77084 Email topgolf@haaonline.org for details and registration.

Top Topgolf sponsors are Hillco Building Service and Northwest Construction Group. Turn to Page 18 for a full list of sponsors and more information on the event.

10

HAA Closed Friday, April 10 HAA will be closed on Friday, April 10 for Good Friday.

14

CAM: Risk Management Tuesday, April 14 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsored by Texas Apartment Pool Services

15

CAM: Human Resources Wednesday, April 15 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsored by ApartmentData.com

16

Pasadena Region Meeting Thursday, April 16 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Registration starts at 11 a.m. The program and lunch begin at 11:30 a.m.

This event is free, but we kindly ask you to RSVP yourself and/or team members. More information to come. Visit www.haaonline.org/ outreach meetings for up-to-date information. Contact outreach@haaonline.org to RSVP. Sponsored by Texas Southwest Floors HAA NEXT: Mix N Mingle Thursday, April 16 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Location TBA Sponsored by Crestmark Construction Services

28

Leasing 101 (day and a half) Tuesday, April 28 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fort Bend Region Meeting Tuesday, April 28 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Registration starts at 11 a.m. The program and lunch begin at 11:30 a.m.

This event is free, but we kindly ask you to RSVP yourself and/or team members. More information to come. Visit www.haaonline.org/outreach meetings for up-to-date information. Contact outreach@haaonline.org to RSVP.

30

Avenues: Leadership Lane – Session 1 “The Power of Relational Leadership,” with Rommel Anacan Thursday, April 30 8:30 a.m. to noon See Page 22 for details.

Sponsored by Best Plumbing

Don’t miss the first Go-Getters Meeting for 2020 on March 12 4 p.m. at Cadillac Bar & Grill, 1802 Shepherd Drive, 77007 Join the club at our quarterly meetings and learn how you can recruit for HAA. Be the top recruiter for each quarter and win $500 cash!

Plus, for each new member you recruit, you’ll earn a chance to win gift cards ranging from $25 to $250!

JOIN A TEAM and build relationships with likeminded members. Get involved with Go-Getters and make lasting industry connections.

Visit www.haaonline.org/ gogetterscorner to get all the information you need.

Need a log in to register for our next event?

Email webreg@haaonline.org

www.haaonline.org

March 2020

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Follow a road that fits you career journey with Avenues. The Avenues series of seminars feature some of the best nationally-acclaimed speakers in the industry with learning sessions for every level of multifamily professional. There are five Avenues to choose from, follow just one path or pick and choose from all of the 15 great sessions:

Main

ST

Avenues: Main Street - 1 February 5 Once Upon A Time – Selling through Storytelling With Lisa Trosien Avenues: Main Street– 2 April 8 Pot, Pit Bulls, Parking, Felons and Other Fair Housing Pitfalls!With Anne Sadovsky

Leadership Avenues: Leadership Lane - 1 April 30 The Power of Relational Leadership With Rommel Anacan

Avenues: Leadership Lane - 2 July 14 Be A Coach Not A Boss: The Method to Support, Challenge and Lead Your Team Effectively With Amy Kosnikowski

Avenues: Main Street - 3 August 20 Leasing In a Saturated Market: Stand Out with Personal Branding With Lisa Trosien

Avenues : Leadership Lane - 3 October 22

Maintenance

Marketing

BLVD

Avenues: Maintenance Blvd - 1 February 12 Moisture and Indoor Air Quality With Nicole Curl

Avenues: Maintenance Blvd - 2 October 21 Crisis Response Management With Nicole Curl

Avenues: Maintenance Blvd - 3 November 18 Laying a Foundation (of knowledge) on Foundations With Nicole Curl

Are We No Longer User Friendly? With Anne Sadovsky

Avenues: Supplier Circle - 2 July 13 Are You Packing Too Much in Your Life’s Luggage? With Katie Rigsby

Sponsored by

PL

Avenues: Marketing Place - 1 May 27 Stop Selling-Start Attracting! The Keys to Relationship-Driven Selling With Rommel Anacan

Avenues: Marketing Place - 2 September 10 Reputation Management: A Winning Strategy in Response and Recovery To Bad Reviews With Amy Kosnikowski Dilisio Avenues: Marketing Place - 3 November 5 6 Strategies Your Competitors Are Not Using to Gain More Market Share With Patty Morgan Seager

Supplier Avenues: Supplier Circle - 1 March 9 Sensory Sales: Making the Sale without Saying a Word With Katie Rigsby

LN

CIR

Avenues: Supplier Circle - 3 October 12 Own Your Awesome . . . Delivering Exceptional Customer Service With Patty Morgan Seager

Need

Individua just one se per perso l sessions are pri minar? n, a real s c teal for q ed at only $50 Annual Property Subscriptions are uality edu available with unlimited attendance cation! for all on-site property staff to all sessions at discounted prices: • Only $199 per year per property for properties with fewer than 200 units • Only $399 per year per property for properties with 200 to 350 units.

• Only $450 per year per property for properties with more than 350 units.

If you need a single workshop, individual sessions are priced at only $50 per person, a real steal for quality education.

Sessions begin February 5. Enroll today. Contact the HAA Education Department at education@haaonline.org or register online at www.haaonline.org.

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2020

SEMINAR

Learn about the new 2020 Redbook

March 12 in The Woodlands Location – The Woodlands Waterway Marriott 1601 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380 Registration – 8:30 a.m.

Program – 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Program Fee (includes lunch) – $145 prepay; $180 invoice Sharpen your knowledge of your legal rights and responsibilities as a rental housing owner or manager by participating in one of the REDBOOK seminars being offered around the state.

Seminars emphasize changes in management practices required by new laws passed during the last legislative session as well as updates on key regulatory issues that affect property management.

Each section will include an interactive exercise to help you learn how to apply the law to your job. Full of videos and interactive tools, the 2020 REDBOOK seminar will deliver the quality legal instruction you expect from TAA. Here’s your chance to hear from the experts and get answers to your questions. Learn the major changes to TAA’s Rental Application, Lease and other major forms. Understand major operational issues and get comfortable with the newly updated REDBOOK.

Presented by Howard Bookstaff, HAA General Counsel

For more information and to register, see online at www.haaonline.org.

Sponsored by Earthworks Inc. and The Liberty Group

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Conquer Your Stress:

Go from Worrier to Warrior with Dr. Kathy Gruver

Onsite Property Management is Stressful! In any given month onsite professionals can deal with violence, natural disasters, resident trauma and more. Is it any wonder that stress can negatively impact job satisfaction and performance in this industry? It’s estimated that stress is responsible for 60 to 90% of doctor’s visits and, one million workers miss work each day because of stress, costing companies $602 per employee per year, according the American Institute of Stress.

It is imperative that we recognize that stress is not the problem - it’s our reaction to our stress and we can learn to control it. Acquire cutting edge self-care techniques – affirmations, visualization, mindfulness techniques and mini-meditations – that staff can do on their own for better health. A stress-free staff is a productive, healthy and happy staff. Dr. Gruver will share her decades of experience and you will walk away inspired to make positive changes in your life, your company and your staff.

Objective Points: · What is stress? · How stress is impacting your bottom line and your health · Stress indicators · How we relate to stress is the key · Cutting edge stress reduction techniques · Vital health and well being · Learn to meditate even if you think you can’t · Master practical techniques that you can do in the moment to stop stress Kathy Gruver, PhD, has graced stages on four continents (including TEDx), three cruise ships and a handful of islands. Her combination of humor, performance background, real life experience and formal education makes her a well-rounded, in-demand speaker. She hosts the TV show based on her first book, The Alternative Medicine Cabinet, and has earned her PhD in Natural Health. Dr. Gruver is the twelve-time award-winning author of seven books, including Conquer Your Stress, Workplace Wellness, Conquer your Stress at Work and Journey of Healing.

Mental Wellness Seminar Tuesday, March 17 Houston Apartment Association HAF Training Center, 4810 Westway Park Blvd. off Clay Road and Beltway 8 8:30 a.m. – Registration 9 a.m. to Noon – Program Program Fee: $75 online; $95 invoiced or at the door

Sponsored by Century A/C Supply and Pavement Services Corp.

Register online at www.haaonline.org

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Industry Update from the NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION and the NATIONAL MULTIHOUSING COUNCIL

GUIDANCE ALERT An update on the HUD Emotional Support Animal Guidance.

ON JANUARY 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released new guidance to clarify the responsibilities of both rental housing providers and renters concerning reasonable accommodation requests for emotional support animals (ESAs) in housing. NAA staff has reviewed the guidance and is working with industry experts to update NAA’s ESA products accordingly, including NAA’s ESA Toolkit (https://www.naahq.org/advocacy/policy-issues/emotional-support-animals) and NAAEI's ESA course. In light of the revised guidance, you are strongly advised to consult your legal counsel before taking any action regarding emotional support animal requests. The guideance can be found at https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PA/documents/HUDAsstAnimalNC1-28-2020.pdf.

NY Problems Curtail Apartment Deals The apartment industry set records in deal volume and pricing but rent control laws stifled Q4 sales.

The apartment industry reached record highs in both deal volume and pricing in 2019, according to Real Capital Analytics. But things would have been even better in the fourth quarter if the New York transaction market had not collapsed.

"New rent control regulations have put owners and potential buyers on the sidelines in the Manhattan and NYC Boroughs markets," RCA said in its "Capital Trends U.S. Apartment" report. "Deal activity in New York City fell 64 percent from a year earlier in Q4'19 and was down 44 percent for the year.

The big unknown is whether the trends un-

derway here will remain a local issue or if the burgeoning calls for various forms of rent control in other markets will begin to change investor perceptions of opportunities across numerous U.S. markets."

With Brookfield buying two companies and Greystar acquiring EdR, entity-level transactions accounted for 5 percent of total volume in 2018. In 2019, those entity-transactions only accounted for 1 percent of deal volume. Single-assets sales, which are the bedrock of the market as investors underwrite single assets, rose 10 percent in 2019. If you take out New York City, deal volume rose 13 percent for the year.

"If it wasn't for the pullback in rent control markets and expensive markets, it was a great year overall," says Jim Costello, Senior Vice President at RCA. When rents are capped, Costello says those investors who buy an apartment community make upgrades and look to leave the market.

"They know the returns from that kind of activity won't be as great because they can't count on a rent increase," he says.

Costello says these investors will look to smaller and secondary markets for apartments that can earn high returns. "They will go to cities and metros where there is less of a call for rent control," he says.

There will still be a class of investors who purchase assets in rent control markets, but they have a very specific investment goal. "It is a smaller group of investors who are just focused on real estate as a bond equivalent over the long-term," Costello says.

Garden apartments had the strongest increase in deal volume in 2019, increasing 7

percent. The issues in New York weighed on sales of mid-and high-rise apartments, which fell 1 percent from 2018 to 2019.

As deal volume increased, prices rose. The RCA CPPI, which measures price, climbed 9.6 percent for the year, with the strongest coming late in 2019. Total cap rates have been flat in the sector, with the 30-basis point increase in large markets and 30-basis point decline in smaller markets.

The 2010s were a good decade for the apartment industry. The sector's prices climbed 163 percent, while prices in the office sector only increased 73 percent. Starting in 2015, the apartment sector's deal volume outpaced that of the office segment.

"For the apartment sector to be smaller than the office sector at this point, annual deal volume would have to fall by $50 billion," Costello says. "It would have to be a complete devastation of deal activity. That would probably be triggered by some broader microeconomic thing that would affect everyone."

Brad Dillman, the Chief Economist at Cortland, doesn't expect that type of devastation to occur anytime in the near future. He thinks the multifamily transaction market should remain strong as the 2020s start. "I expect that transaction volume is going to be pretty consistent as it had essentially been the last couple of years," Dillman says. "It has held up remarkably well. I think it is a reflection that this space is becoming more institutional and it's becoming more liquid."

– By Les Shaver

Did you know you have access to more member benefits than just the lease contracts and forms? If you’re receiving this magazine, your company has joined and made your company and YOU part of the largest local apartment association in the nation! Every employee of your team is a member of HAA and also a member of the TAA and NAA. Check us out online at www.haaonline.org. This is YOUR HAA!

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On the Road with HAA

Northwest Chamber Lunch & Learn Wednesday, January 8 at Northwest Assistance Ministries The Northwest Chamber Lunch & Learn kicked off 2020 with a market report for local apartment managers. Steve Spillette from CDS Community Development Strategies gave an overview on job growth, the economy and the area apartment market. The Harris County Sheriff's Office gave an update on what is happening in the area.

HAA IS REACHING OUT to better serve our members by bringing targeted networking and educational events to different parts of our 12-county service area. Contact Assistant Vice PresidentOutreach Lauren Turner at lturner@haaonline.org to sign up for these FREE, management-only events where you can learn about issues affecting your area and network with your fellow managers. Want to host an event? We are looking for member properties to host a Region Meeting. Contact lturner@haaonline.org.

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Baytown Region Meeting Wednesday, January 29 Sponsored by 1 Redevelopment Services The Outreach Department hit the road to Baytown for our first region meeting of 2020. Local managers heard from the City of Baytown regarding inspections and the Multi-Family Registration Program.

Thank you to Nicole and her team at Sapphire Bay Apartments for hosting the meeting.

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On the Scene with the HAAPAC HAAPAC Luncheon Monday, January 27 at the HAF Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center Sponsored by Flooring Warehouse At this HAA Political Action Committee Luncheon, new councilmembers Sallie Alcorn, At-Large Position 5, and Letitia Plummer, At-Large Position 4, spoke about city issues and ways HAA can help strengthen Houston.

WE’RE ALL ABOUT BETTER GOVERNMENT Threats from government are coming at the apartment industry at a rapid pace. The HAAPAC, the political action committee of the Houston Apartment Association, needs your help to fight bad legislation. HAA members can participate in the HAAPAC on several levels. Applications are available! To join, renew or learn how to become involved with the HAAPAC, see online at www.haaonline.org/haapac or contact Alpa Patel at apatel@haaonline.org.

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On the Scene Photos by HAA STAFF “Build Your Brand” Sponsorship Auction Thursday, January 30 at the HAF Education Center Suppliers made some “Home Improvements” to their marketing efforts, and raised more than $180,350 for HAA’s education, events and meetings by sponsoring. A big thanks to our auctioneers Mack Armstrong, Greystar, and Billy Griffin, Camp Construction Services.

Visit the HAA website at www.haaonline.org/sponsor for more.

Thank you to our generous supplier sponsors: The Liberty Group Contractors Inc CORT Furniture Northwest Construction Group Apartments.com Crestmark Construction Services AAA Plumbers Century A/C Supply FSI Construction Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating Services LLC McMahan's Flooring Inc Maintenance Supply Headquarters Green Mountain Energy Hillco Building Service Matrix Construction Services American Technologies Inc HD Supply Cotton Commercial USA Inc SentriForce Gemstar Construction Development Inc CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions Earthworks Inc Johnstone Supply Camp Construction Services Ideal Towing Texas Southwest Floors Inc ApartmentData.com American Fire Systems Fidus Construction Services Dixie Carpet Installations Inc PPG Paints Flooring Warehouse On Site Towing LLC TXU Energy Multifamily Services Texas Apartment Pool Services Pavement Services Corporation Best Plumbing LLC ALN Apartment Data Inc Redevelopment Services SouthCross Security Hire Priority Staffing & Executive Search Secure Insurance Texscape Services Interstate Restoration LLC Hoffer Furniture Rental & Sales Valet Living 32

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On the Scene Photos by HAA STAFF “Build Your Brand” Sponsorship Auction

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On the Scene Photos by MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography State of the Industry Breakfast Sponsored by 1 CORT Furniture and 2 FSI Construction Inc. Tuesday, January 28 at the Westin Houston Medical Center This HAA event featured a comprehensive look at what's happening in the Houston apartment market with moderator Stacy Hunt, Greystar, and panelists Cyrus Bahrami, Alliance Residential; Patrick Jankowski, Greater Houston Partnership; Stan Levy, MORGAN; Loyal Proffitt, Allied Orion; and Bruce McClenny, Apartment Data Services. Topics included economic trends, job growth, forecasts, rental rate and occupancy trends, new construction developments and more.

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On the Scene Photos by MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography State of the Industry Breakfast

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The first in a follow-up series on Debbie Phillips’ four cornerstones for effective teamwork.

By

DEBBIE PHILLIPS, Ph.D, CPM, The Quadrillion

Your Role in Teamwork –

Trust If you are anything like me, self-doubt can rear its head in almost any situation.

Henry Ford reminded us, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” Trust is the same way. The level of trust in ourselves determines how we approach situations and accomplish our goals.

I

n my last article titled “Your Role in Teamwork,” I introduced trust as one of the four cornerstones that is essential to high performing teams. As we continue to move our personal and professional needle, I encourage all of us to assess the quality of our relationships based on the vital element of trust. In my humble opinion, trust is the foundation on which sustainable business and friendship are built. It’s the glue that binds relationships in the most authentic way in times of crises and in times of triumph. Trust is like glass, once it’s broken, it’s hard to repair. In this article, I’ll attempt to explore trust in three distinct areas: trust in ourselves, trust in others and trust in the workplace.

If you are anything like me, self-doubt can rear its head in almost any situation. Henry Ford reminded us, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” Trust is the same way. The level of trust in ourselves determines how we approach situations and accomplish our goals. Whether we learn to trust our own instincts or, at the very least, honor the commitments we make to ourselves, our mental muscle strengthens every time we are true to ourselves. This strength is what fuels us to continue to push through even when the going gets tough.

Trust in Ourselves Self-trust isn’t something that is always constant. It can be impacted by those in our circle of influence and many other factors. Our level of self-trust comes in waves depending on what season of life we are in. For example, in

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Self-trust isn’t something that is always constant. It can be impacted by those in our circle of influence and many other factors. Our level of self-trust comes in waves depending on what season of life we are in. the early years of our career, we might have higher self-trust in our ability to get a job right out of college, particularly when unemployment is low. Contrarily, our level of selftrust may wane in our ability to keep our current position with a potential merger that may be looming.

In teaching college classes, I would often experience students with high degrees of self-confidence. When I inquired about how they developed self-confidence, my students would often reference a parent, mentor or coach. Speaking possibility into someone’s life offers encouragement, promotes trust and inspires people to reach higher. My students would also say their parents didn’t place a lot of rules on them, they placed trust. You may be asking by now, what does self-confidence and belief in one’s abilities have to do with trusting yourself?

Everything. How likely are you to stand up for yourself when you have been taken advantage of? How often do you set commitments and honor them by following through with the promises you make with yourself?

How likely are you to keep your commitment to yourself to turn the alarm off and get to the early morning exercise class, rather than hit the snooze button?

When I’m coaching others and the topic of self-doubt arises, I encourage them to look

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at their past experiences and examine their personal track record. When people look at the correlation between the times when they trusted themselves and experienced favorable outcomes, they generally conclude times of self-trust produced more positive experiences than negative experiences. The more a person takes risks, makes mistakes and learns from those lessons, they can deepen their own self-trust.

I’ll ask you right now, “What do you say when you talk to yourself?” Coincidentally, the title of one of my favorite books is “What to Say When You Talk to Yourself” by Shad Helmstetter. In the book, Helmstetter explains how imperative it is to pay close attention to what you say to yourself and teaches readers how to reverse negative selftalk. Wayne Dyer, a world-renowned performance coach, said when a negative thought enters your mind, create a visual image of placing that thought back on the conveyor belt and saying to yourself, “That thought doesn’t serve me well.” Learning to trust yourself can only come through practice, vulnerablity and accepting that you don’t have to have all the answers.

Trust in Others We judge ourselves by our intentions and we judge others by their behaviors. My

mother used to say, when someone shows you who they are, believe them. Trust is built one interaction at a time. Even little things can tell you a lot. For example, I once went on a business trip with a senior executive.

He always observed what people ordered off the menu at dinner. He said it wasn’t that he minded the cost of their entrée, it was if they were modest and mindful of the cost of their meal. He observed that this was often a good indication of the care and stewardship they took in handling money in other categories of the company.

Trust in others can be powerful and inspiring. When people know you trust them, they will go the extra mile to make you proud.

They will show up for you with their hearts, not just their heads. Stephen R. Covey wrote in his book “The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything,” that when trust and cooperation are high, the results are always a win-win. When people trust each other, the speed at which decisions get made and the quality of the outcomes rise significantly. This trust factor has a ripple effect on the bottom line.

When we think of the bottom line, trust shows up big time in the workplace. If you are baby boomer reading this article, you may recall the highly publicized scandals involving Enron, WorldCom and Tyco. The

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We judge ourselves by our intentions and we judge others by their behaviors. My mother used to say, when someone shows you who they are, believe them. Trust is built one interaction at a time.

Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, commonly referred to as SOX, was the result of corporate accounting scandals. It reviews their internal financial controls, and their financial reporting audit procedures as performed by external auditing firms. This protects investors by improving accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures. It shouldn’t take a federal act to remind us of the consequences of a low trust work environment. We see it all the time in turf guarding, silos and interdepartmental conflict. When there is a lack of trust, projects and people slump or come to a screeching halt. On the other hand, when there is high trust, people seem to move like a rushing powerful river. There is hardly a substitute for a harmonious work environment where people care about their co-workers and enjoy accomplishing meaningful work.

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Trust is the great equalizer that sets the foundation for performance and collaboration. It alters the trajectory of every aspect of your life. You can’t have success without trust.

The Chief Talent Officer at Netflix and author, Patty McCord, explained in her book “Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility” how building a culture of freedom and responsibility results in record breaking profits. When people feel trusted and valued, they don’t need rules and regulations. They take ownership in decision making and they resolve conflicts on their own without procedural intervention. Whether you’re learning how to trust yourself, trust others or improve trust in the workplace, it starts with one interaction at a time. As an educator, I always believe that people learn through acronyms. TRUST. Take

Responsibility, Understand and Spend Time investing in the relationship, especially the one you have with yourself.

Debbie Phillips is an internationally recognized industry thought leader, educator, career coach, author and speaker who holds a doctorate degree. She has dedicated her life’s work to educating and connecting high potential talent to opportunities in the real estate industry. Phillips can be reached at debbie@thequadrillion.com or 404-787-4409.

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Update your apartment community’s leasing office, shared spaces and model units with 2020’s top design trends.

By

SAMANTHA HOFFER, CAS, Hoffer Furniture

2020 DESIGN

TRENDS A

s a new decade begins, we are welcoming fresh design trends. Instead of cool tones, grays, distressed woods and clean lines, bold statements such as pops of color and curved shapes are trending statements for the future. We’re evolving from cookie-cutter signature looks that were common in the 2010s to individual expression. In this decade, anything goes in interior design. Let’s take a look at last decade’s most popular design trends.

Farmhouse The farmhouse trend took the world by storm in the 2010s with the help of HGTV and a certain Fixer Upper.

This look denoted by shiplap walls, neutral linen upholstery and distressed wood became the preeminent style of the past decade. Everywhere you looked, people were duplicating this style that brought a cozy, charming, relaxed vibe. Some of the statement features of this trend were exposed wooden beams, apron sinks, subway tile, slipcovers, and weathered finishes. While this trend is still going strong, we’re seeing a refinement in this space as we move into 2020. Here are a few ways to update your farmhouse, according to Southern Living: use chicken wire sparingly, add a few sprigs of cotton into your flower arrangements and use one to two metal pieces per room.

The biggest farmhouse “don’t” in 2020 is “farmhouse” signs.

Cooler Tones In the last ten years, the design community drastically shunned the warm tones in favor of cool shades and a lot of gray. Renovations today typically involve ripping up orange-tinted flooring and cabinetry, replacing them with

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whites and grays. Still ever appealing to the mass-market, gray and cool tones will remain popular, but we are starting to see the design pendulum has swing back to warm tones.

Signature Style Decorating over the past decade meant sticking to a signature style. Whether it was mid-century modern, traditional, Scandinavian or anywhere in between, a lot of design over the last few years was based around fitting your space into a certain style mold. While these designs are all beautiful in their own right, we’re breaking away being stuck into one style toward a blending of designs. You can combine antiques with mod pieces, sharp lines with comfortable textures, weaving together a look of your own.

All-White Kitchens As design trends shifted toward cooler tones and away from the pine and cherry cabinetry of the late 1990s, the early-aughts claimed all-white kitchens as the stalwart demonstration of an updated space. This bright, inviting look gives a great backdrop, whether you’re entertaining, cooking for the family or shooting photos for your food blog.

This trend isn’t going anywhere, but after

years of dominance, the all-white kitchen trend is fading to make way for dramatic, colored cabinets and two-toned looks.

None of these trends are completely going away anytime soon, but we are starting to see new trends enter the interior design world. After the great race to gray of the past decade, color and warm tones are becoming popular. In an almost outright reaction to the cool monotone look that we have been trying to achieve for so long, designers are finding inpsiration from fun new trends.

Here are new design trends we will see in 2020 and beyond.

Animalia Animal prints and patterns came on strong in the past few months and will continue to dominate the design world in 2020.

We will see bold prints with large jungle cats, subtle fawn patterns in updated colors like pinks and grays, and striking jaguar and leopard patterned pieces. Incorporating fun prints into design offers a fresh take on the muted botanicals and subtle patterns that reigned over the past few years.

Color Color is by far the most distinct design feature in the new decade. After so many years

of creating gray spaces, we’re seeing color incorporated in all sorts of ways, from punchy, jewel toned velvets to muted, dusty pastels. Color will pop in little ways such as in pillows and artwork, but also in bigger, bolder ways such as entire seating sets in saturated colors like sapphire, mustard and emerald.

Blue When talking about the new color moment we’re seeing in design, the color blue deserves its own category. Named as the 2020 Pantone Color of the year, blue is the new neutral in design. For years we have seen many shades of blue, from rich navy to pastel sky blue, to offer color that is subtle to pair with the neutral palettes of the last decade. Now, blue has become the star of the show.

Curved Lines In interiors, we’re starting to see forms take a much more abstract shape than the linear formats that ruled the past decade.

Harkening back to the design of the 1980s, curves are making a comeback in all the right places. We’re seeing designers take liberties with shape and movement in new ways such as arched doorways and smooth, bulbous shaped sofas, which command a room as an architectural element.

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Natural, Woven Elements Natural is a big word in the design world these days. How do we make a space feel natural and not manufactured? By incorporating natural textures such woven jute and sisal rugs, braided seagrass baskets, wicker cane chairs and headboards and bamboo seating, we’re able to soften our spaces. Natural elements incorporated with structural pieces brings a layer of dimension that breathes raw details into each space.

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Warm Tones This is one of the biggest design trends we’ll see in 2020 and beyond. In the last decade of cool tones, we found finishes installed almost exclusively in whites and grays, design is shifting back toward warm tones when it comes to wood finishes and cabinetry. Gray www.haaonline.org

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meets brown undertones in the new neutral called “greige.” It can shift a whole space into a neutral territory where it could take on warmer tones, if you’re moving in that direction, while still allowing you to incorporate cool colors.

While we will see all these trends in 2020 and beyond, the biggest trend we will see is individual expressionism, allowing you to blend styles in a way that uniquely fits you and the way you express yourself.

That being said, in multifamily design, our job is to appeal to a wide variety of demographics, which is why it is important to keep up with the trends. We want our apartment communities to stand out as fresh and appealing, as we know that an outdated look can affect marketability. In a time when most people are browsing online to view apartments before ever walking in the front door, it is more important than ever to put our best visual foot forward.

Model units are an easy place to give your community a fresh update. As residential trends are what tend to change the fastest, this is where you’ll want to start to play with

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new looks to show that your property is on its A-game.

Commercial furniture outfitting leasing offices tends to have a longer shelf life than residential pieces, but you’ll want to update this space every 5 to 7 years. Technology is constantly changing in the commercial world, so where we used to live in a space of cherry and mahogany large wood desks with lots of file storage, we now lean toward sleek grey or walnut laminate style desks that give an open and airy vibe, while offering greater durability.

As the design world trends back toward warm colors, for anyone doing a design update this year, I would suggest looking closer at the greige and walnut tones than grays.

Renting furniture in your model makes keeping up with trends easy. You can call your stylist and have the items swapped out every year or so, keeping your community up to date and appealing to prospective residents.

It would be a lot easier if design trends stayed constant, but the only thing constant about design trends is that they come and go just like the tides, flowing in and out for months, years or decades at a time. The trends we will see come on strong in 2020 are

here to bring new life into what has otherwise been a fairly monotonous world over the last decade. The decade to come should see an incorporation of bold colors, natural textures and fun shapes working to create thoughtful, curated spaces.

Samantha Hoffer, CAS, is the vice president of Hoffer Furniture, a family-owned and operated premier furniture rental and retail store in Houston. Established in 1977, Hoffer is the third-generation leader at Hoffer Furniture, and the fifth generation to have furniture industry experience.

Hoffer completed her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Austin in 2013 and has the Certified Apartment Supplier credential. Hoffer can be reached at samanthah@hofferfurniture.com.

You can view Hoffer Furniture’s selection of furniture by visiting them online at www.hofferfurniture.com

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Busting the Short-Term Rental Myth The benefits of listing apartment units on Airbnb from an NOI perspective.

L

By

ast year, a resident requested the installation of granite countertops at their expense. Because this was such an unusual request, our Chief Operations Officer, Malissa Alvarado, and I investigated this request.

Acting on a hunch, we searched the unit’s address on the mobile Airbnb app. Sure enough, this unit was listed on the app and it was almost completely booked for the coming month. After more research, we discovered this resident was short-term renting their unit consistently and at a higher price than the per-day rate of their own monthly rent.

Of course, renting their unit on Airbnb was a violation of this resident’s lease, but it provided us with valuable proof that the Airbnb

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business model works in multifamily apartments just as much as it does with single-family houses. Airbnb is a service that is seeping into our industry and the likelihood that it will it will become a permanent element is strong, whether you like the idea or not. Hotels and condos across the nation are using rooms, even entire floors, as Airbnbs.

To increase NOI, we’re always looking for ways to add income and supplement rent.

Sometimes that means adding covered parking and garages, including pet fees or valet trash, but what if instead of supplementing rent, we could simply put a premium on it?

That’s where Airbnb and the short-term lease comes in. Short-term rentals allow you to put a premium on rent while staying at a

ROBERT MARTINEZ, Rockstar Capital

competitive per-night price that beats the best of hotels. The key is to stay consistently leased, and that’s where a lot of the fear and adversity to short-term renting comes in. The reason our rogue Airbnb host has been successful is because our property is located by the airport, where demand for short-term lodging is high.

Where should I Airbnb?

As a rule of thumb, Airbnb rentals will more than likely do well in areas with high concentrations of hotels. Hotels are built strategically to satiate demand for short-term rentals; they have already done all of your market research for you and proven that there is demand in that immediate area. As an apartment owner, www.haaonline.org

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you have the unique opportunity to undercut hotel prices while still increasing the value from those units compared to a 12-month lease by listing some of your apartment units on Airbnb.

In the multifamily industry, we have to keep up with technology and innovations. Short-term renting isn’t something to be afraid of, it’s something to be mastered. It isn’t easy, either, but you can find a way to make it work for you. In fact, if you do the math, there’s no reason not to give short-term leasing a chance. If your valuation equals an increase in NOI, divided by your cap rate, any amount of NOI increase represents a major improvement in valuation. In our case, we are often able to lease our units on Airbnb for more than twice the usual rate.

Renting a single unit on Airbnb for a full 12 months can add $160,000 to $200,000 in valuation depending on asset class. That’s the “magic formula.” Now, if you take that and implement it across more units and multiple properties, you’re looking at a major increase in valuation for your property. All you need is the willingness to take on the extra work to execute a new business model.

Before you list on Airbnb Before you start renting your units on Airbnb, you need to be aware of the setup costs associated with Airbnb and short-term rentals. All of our short-term units are fully furnished with internet and smart TVs ready to use. Some residents will expect in-unit amenities (which you have to provide if you want to stay competitive), such as coffee and filtered water.

Those are costs you don’t have to incur, but they are all worthwhile investments in order to grow your property’s flexibility and profitability. You have to offer amenities to stay competitive with hotels and other offerings, but don’t forget that every amenity at your property is a weapon to use against hotels and traditional Airbnb rentals. Your pool, your gym and your clubhouse will all make a difference to the prospect who is looking for a place to stay. With short-term rentals, that unit may not be leased for a full 12 months, but the amount you can charge per day will help cover the few days out of the month that your unit sits vacant.

Whether you lease through Airbnb or find an opportunity to shortterm rent on your own, it won’t be easy. There aren’t processes written yet and it will take a couple of iterations before you nail down a method that works. This is uncharted territory in the multifamily industry, but streaming wasn’t a staple until Netflix and online shopping wasn’t a part of everyday life until Amazon.

It’s imperative to be willing to take that leap when you see change coming. If you don’t adapt and overcome, you may end up like Blockbuster or a Sears. I truly believe that Airbnb is here to stay. The concept is proven, and it is shaking up the short-term stay market significantly. If hotels are adapting, multifamily is next. Make sure you get ahead of the curve and you’ll be sailing smooth when everyone else is scrambling to catch up. It’s already being utilized; make sure it’s being utilized by you, too.

Robert Martinez is the CEO and founding principal of Rockstar Capital and a two-time NAA Independent Rental Owner of the Year award recipient. Rockstar Capital is a multifamily real estate management company and investing firm consisting of 21 properties and 3,762 units. www.haaonline.org

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REMEMBERING SHELLY

By Howard M. Bookstaff, General Counsel

THE 60-YEAR HISTORY of the Houston Apartment Association is comprised of a number of stories, events and momentous occasions. More than anything else, HAA has flourished over the years because of the people who have volunteered to serve and lead the organization. The people who lead, support and dedicate themselves to the various causes and endeavors of HAA have sustained the association as a remarkable, vibrant and longstanding organization.

On December 28, 2019, HAA lost a part of its history with the passing of Sheldon Irwin Goldstein. Shelly was a board member from 1987 to 1992. During Shelly’s board service, HAA dealt with passage of the Fair Housing Amendments Act, which implemented familial status discrimination and strengthened the rules regarding disability discrimination, the HAA Education Conference and Expo was held at the George R. Brown for the first time, HAA hired Andy Teas as head of governmental affairs and the first annual HAA Chili Cook-off was born. HAA presidents when Shelly served included Jack Dinerstein, Dick LaMarche and Stacy Hunt.

As an owner of Republic Management Company, Shelly dedicated himself to the apartment industry and providing affordable housing. Remembering Shelly, Kelley Rightmire Suess, director of real estate with Greystar wrote the following: Sheldon Goldstein may have had the smallest stature in the room but his passion and heart for the industry stood taller than life. One of Shelly’s main missions was to provide the less fortunate and under-privileged residents affordable housing they could be proud to call home. I value the years I worked with Shelly. He was an inspiration and mentor in my early career, which helped tremendously to fuel my love for the industry. Thank you, Shelly Goldstein, may you rest in peace.

HAA thanks Shelly for his years of service and dedication to the apartment industry.

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Content is King

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king n.

3) a person or thing preeminent in its class.

e! l u R n a You C

your h t i w t Connec d showcase n clients a pany's your com by writing e expertis E. D for ABO

Pushing content as a marketing technique is on the rise. There are big opportunities for companies that supply content to ABODE magazine. Content informs, educates, entertains and offers utility. Your expertise attracts people rather than interrupts them. Content is centered around the customer, rather than the company.

You don’t need to be a good writer to write a good article. If you’re experienced in your field, the right words will come easily.

What is trending in multifamily right now? What are your customers asking you all the time?

What are you having to explain to your customers time and time again?

These are questions you can ask yourself to easily come up with an article topic.

ABODE magazine’s managing editor can also help you brainstorm a topic and edit your article!

You can work for a property and/or management company or a supplier partner to write for ABODE. Credential holders can earn one CEC credit by writing one short article!

If you’re interested, contact Morgan Taylor at mtaylor@haaonline.org for more information.

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Trending Amenity Designs

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I

n Houston, there is a noticeable amount of Class A apartments, especially inside the loop. These apartments offer amenities that mirror the hospitality-driven, high-end designs and amenities seen in luxury hotels. While the City of Houston, and its renters, are in need of workforce housing, Class A construction is still going strong and the number of high-income renters who make more than continues to climb.

According to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard’s study on rental housing titled “University’s America’s Rental Housing 2020,” households with real incomes of at least $75,000 accounted for over three-quarters of the growth in renters (3.2 million) from 2010 to 2018, while the number earning less than $30,000 fell by nearly 1 million. This is a reversal of trends in the 2000s, when lowincome households drove 93% of renter growth. According to ApartmentData.com, there are 20,2999 Class A apartment units under construction.

With the number of Class A apartments already in Houston and in the pipeline, the amenity race is still going, but amenities today go further than being the newest and most luxurious. Younger generations entering the multifamily market are more lifestylesavvy and seek both a place to call home and a living experience that will reflect their personality. As design boundaries blur, amenity trends that used to be exclusive to the hotel and hospitality industry are now being expected of renters. Below you will find a few top amenity trends in 2020 and throughout the decade.

Cultivating Community in Amenities Community-oriented spaces found in hotels, such as fitness centers, rooftop lounges and business centers have been incorporated into apartments for some time now. Today, co-working and open spaces are increasingly desired among renters.

According to research by Humphrey’s & Partners Architects, 84% of residents are more motivated and 69% feel more successful working within an open concept structure.

From the same study by Humphrey’s & Partners Architects, this crafted social connection has led to 82% of respondents learning new skills and expanding their networks. www.haaonline.org

In today’s amenity race, renters are after community-oriented amenities that cultivate social interaction.

By

A shared, communal atmosphere that cultivates authentic social connections are appealing to renters. A design trend that satisfies this desire is multiple functional spaces within one large area. As more individuals are working from home, there is a growing need to create spaces that adopt an open concept with flexible seating while simultaneously providing dedicated workspaces that offer quiet areas for focused workplaces. This design gives residents a sense of community and connection with their apartment home neighbors residents.

Amenities with Some Substance Another amenity design trend for 2020 is substance within amenities. Let’s take a look at fitness centers and outdoor living areas.

Apartment developers are building bigger, larger fitness centers. Fitness centers are also becoming more robust. Gone are the days of the sad, old and small apartment gym that only had a few treadmills and a small free weights rack. In 2020, there is a desire for dedicated spaces for the latest fitness trends, such as yoga, suspension training, cycling and virtual fitness.

Exterior amenities are no longer an afterthought. For today’s renters, it is no longer enough to offer a grill area or a dog park anymore. In 2020, design is trending toward capturing the outdoors and creating an extension of the inside living space. Because renters want spaces that cultivate community and social interaction, space such as meticulously crafted dog parks, outdoor kitchens and firepits around manicured landscapes that provide remarkable areas for residents to gather.

Interior Design Trends It can often be challenging to predict which interior trends are a flash trend – popular today and gone tomorrow – and which trends that can sustain 10 years or more. The objective of interior design in multifamily is to create a space that won’t look dated in just a few years by incorporating timeless details.

Interiors are inevitably going to experience multiple facelifts as trends in color change over the years. We’re shifting away from grays cool tones and toward warm tones pops of color being introduced to spaces through

CONNOR ROBERTS, Iconstrux Design+Build decorative accents, artwork and furnishings, for example. With designers and residents alike embracing industrial design, it is important to also acknowledge the use of more raw, natural and organic materials within spaces — elements such as brick, wood and concrete. Concrete, in particular, once considered as some nondescript material, is now taking on a new significance. These seemingly unfinished or imperfect surfaces anchored with more refined luminaires, artwork and furnishings are creating an attractive urban ambiance. All of the aforementioned provides the upscale look communities are looking for in this decade, but ultimately, the intent in apartment design needs to be flexible and adaptive to a constant change in interests and needs.

While high-income renters expect luxurious hotel-level amenities, the design and amenities listed in this article aren’t exclusive to Class A development. The study mentioned above by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard, shows renting is becoming more common people of all ages and family types are choosing to rent. Today, apartment owners and developers must think prudently about what creates a cohesive community because rental housing is becoming more of a long-term choice of living for people of all ages and incomes.

Thus, amenities are all the more imperative to the success of all multifamily assets regarding value-add redevelopment. Today, valueadd redevelopment is more about creating intentional, community-oriented amenities.

Conner Roberts is a sales manager for Iconstrux Design+Build. Iconstrux Design+Build’s mission is to create beautiful spaces and cultivate lasting relationships. It strives to craft a better construction experience, committed to providing every project the quality and unparalleled craftsmanship it deserves no matter how large or small. For more information, you can contact Roberts at 713-812-1500 or by email at croberts@iconstruxdb.com. You may also visit Iconstrux Design+Build’s website at www.iconstruxdb.com.

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The library at Sterling Heights

The pool deck at Aspire College Station

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What do students consider a valuable amenity?

Does it help or hurt to be close to class?

By

JACOB KOSIOR, The Dinerstein Companies

Student Housing Images supplied by The Dinerstein Companies

“I

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wish my apartment looked like this when I was in college,” is a comment we hear a lot from parents when touring apartments for their college-bound student or during our annual, mass move-in days. The sentiment has never been more true. Those who haven’t seen some of the industry’s newest Class A purpose-built student housing communities may be surprised to find that they rival the finishes, amenity offerings and resident programming found in most luxury market rate properties.

Today’s college students have more choices than ever for their off-campus apartments. Gone are the days of being limited to the sprawling garden-style walk-ups located three miles from campus. Now, students can do their morning yoga in the fitness studio, pick up a package from the onsite package lockers, grab a Starbucks coffee from the resident lounge and walk across the street to class. It’s a great time to be a college student, and an increasingly competitive time for student management companies.

For those unfamiliar with the student housing industry, purpose-built student housing communities rent their apartments by-the-bed on individual leases. The lease is usually in the student’s name, with a parent or family member serving as the financial guarantor. Unit types are more plentiful than in the conventional multifamily industry, sometimes reaching six bedroom, six bath apartment homes. The size of a community also varies much more than in the conventional market. Park West, an off-campus student housing community at Texas A&M University, is March 2020

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Today’s college students have more choices than ever for their offcampus apartments. Gone are the days of being limited to the sprawling garden-style walk-ups located three miles from campus. one of the nation’s largest at 3,400 beds, but the typical community ranges from 400 to 800 beds.

Most properties in the student housing industry lease all beds for a set 12-month lease term, usually running from midAugust through the end of the following July.

The term covers the Fall and Spring semesters, leaving a two-week period in early August – ominously known as “turn” – to turn all vacant bed spaces for the next round of residents. The cycle amounts to a new lease-up every year, with renewal rollouts starting shortly after students return in the fall semester and a rush in the market to fill beds before school lets out for the summer and the cycle begins all over again.

The conventional multifamily housing market experiences booms and downturns based on population growth, the health of the local economy and housing supply. The health of an off-campus student housing

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market is driven almost entirely by enrollment growth and new developments in the market. College Station has been one of the most volatile markets in the country in recent years, with the addition of 7,437 new off-campus beds from fall 2016 to fall 2018 and enrollment growth of only 3,228 students. As enrollment growth at many tierone and tier-two universities has slowed, the competition among management companies for prospective renters has increased, resulting in amenity offerings, finish packages and building types the industry hasn’t seen before.

The Off-Campus Amenities Race As in the conventional multifamily market, the amenity race among student housing properties has been active for some time.

New developments continue to raise the bar on amenity offerings to lure students into leasing at the newest property in town. But

unlike most conventional communities, student amenity spaces need to be designed to accommodate hundreds of residents using them at once. Pool decks, fitness centers, study rooms, package rooms, even leasing offices, need to be designed for mass usage at peak times. This has required a more thoughtful approach to amenity programming in order to differentiate new developments from established communities in the student housing market.

Fitness rooms need to include unique equipment pieces they cannot find at another off-campus community and match those being offered in the university gym. Study areas need to have a variety of seating options and spaces to accommodate both individual and group study, ideally with some presentation capabilities. Even premium upgrades demand dedicated amenity programming for the increased rent being charged. At The Dinerstein Companies’ new

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development at Texas State University, Aspire San Marcos, residents of the 13th floor penthouse level have exclusive access to a penthouse lounge and outdoor terrace, in addition to living on the highest residential floor in the City of San Marcos.

When They’re Close to Class, They Go to Class In recent years, as the development of offcampus student apartments have inched closer and closer to campus, location has been as big an amenity as any in the student housing industry. The families of some college students will pay a significant premium to be adjacent to campus to ensure the academic success of their students. The Dinerstein Companies’ 15-story high-rise at Texas A&M University, Aspire College Station, demands some of the highest rents in the market due to its location on University Drive, across the street from Texas A&M’s engineering and sciences buildings.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, for the 2019 to 2020 academic year, 42.7% of residents at Aspire College Station are majoring in an engineering-related field.

Even smaller markets like Huntsville are seeing an influx of infill development close to campus that limit the need for cars and oncampus parking for students to get to class.

Students still need the onsite parking for weekend trips home or running errands but being able to skip the semester parking pass and walk to class has become one of the top selling points of new developments competing for residents in increasingly competitive student housing markets. Location has become the one amenity that’s truly 24/7 and speaks to the need of all college students.

Student Housing in Urban areas, Near Commuter Schools As the cost of higher education continues to increase and universities invest in new oncampus housing options, the off-campus student housing industry is grappling to prove the value of all the amenity-filled communities we operate across the country. In recent years our teams have noticed a significant increase in the number of students who are actively shopping the market to determine the best value community for their needs.

Being the newest, nicest, or the closest to campus isn’t enough anymore when students have lots of options and the ability to pick a community that best aligns with their individual needs. This is an even bigger factor for www.haaonline.org

student housing communities in urban areas, near commuter schools, or in tier-three and tier-four university markets where the demographic of renters is more cost-conscious and can look to the conventional market as an alternative to more costly purpose-built student properties.

This trend has certainly been the case for The Dinerstein Companies’ recent delivery at The University of Texas in San Antonio, Sterling Heights. The property struggled in its first year to gain traction in the market given the demographic of students and multitude of other conventional apartments students have to choose from in San Antonio, outside the purpose-built student market. In these types of markets, and increasingly across the industry as a whole, management teams are differentiating themselves through improved customer service and online reputation efforts to prove the value of their community.

Online reviews are a tool for students and parents in shopping for an off-campus apartment, especially when parents are not able to tour the apartments with their student and are guaranteeing the lease from afar. This space has become increasingly competitive within the student housing industry. In the 2018 ranking of the top student housing properties in online reputation by J Turner, 13 communities in Texas made the top 100 properties in the country, including three in Austin and two in College Station. Texas had more properties in the top 100 than any other state in the country.

Whatever the future holds for the industry, in student housing you always have another chance to try again when the next cycle starts. A property’s success or failure to adapt to market changes, prove the value of their community, and drive online reviews is reset every August when the lease-up starts all over again. It’s a grueling cycle that’s not for the faint of heart, but most of us in the industry wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jacob Kosior is the national director of student development for The Dinerstein Companies, a nationwide developer, owner and operator of conventional and student housing communities. Kosior holds a Bachelor of Arts in politics from Princeton University and a master’s in Urban Planning & Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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On the Scene Photos by MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography Installation & New Year Gala Friday, January 17 at Revention Music Center

Presenting Sponsor Camp Construction Services Premier Sponsors Century A/C Supply, Crestmark Construction Services, Maintenance Supply Headquarters and Reliant More than 850 members filled Revention Music Center for HAA’s gala celebration installing incoming 2020 President Clay Hicks, the Executive Committee, board of directors and Product Service Council officers.

For more photos, visit www.haaonline.org.

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On the Scene Photos by MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography Installation & New Year Gala

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The Go-Getters HAA’s MEMBERSHIP RECRUITERS

MEMBERSHIP: ENGAGE! Recruit for HAA and become part of the Go-Getter Club.

What is a Go-Getter?

The Go-Getter Club is a year-round membership recruitment group comprised of individual HAA members who work for owner/management and supplier companies.

Join our Quarterly Meetings!

Be the top recruiter for each quarter and win $500 cash!

Plus, for each new member you recruit, you’ll earn a chance to win gift cards ranging from $25 to $250!

JOIN A TEAM and build relationships with likeminded members.

Get involved with Go-Getters and make lasting industry connections.

Visit www.haaonline.org/gogetterscorner to get all the information you need.

Recruit all year long!

Go-Getter meetings are quarterly: Thursday, March 12 Thursday, July 9 Thursday, September 10 Thursday, December 10 All meetings start at 4 p.m. at Cadillac Bar & Grill.

Visit www.haaonline.org/gogetters for details.

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Members who have recruited more than 100 companies Monette Reynolds Claude Arnold Sherry Stevenson Kenn Brown Kirk Tate Tina Cavaco Suan Tinsley Terri Clifton Sonny Unverzagt Kevin Fenn Del Walmsley Diane Gilbert Nancé Wells Anita Harrison H.P. Paul Young Dwayne Henson Jeanne Marie Zublin Dicks Mike Koch Merry Mount

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.

To join the club and get going on recruitment, see online at www.haaonline.org or contact Amanda and Kaylon in the Membership Department at members@haaonline.org.

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Welcome Mat

Introducing HAA’s NEW MEMBERS

OWNERS

SUPPLIERS

Damion and Veonda Emholtz Damion Emholtz 4634 Still Springs Drive Humble, TX 77346 832-413-1918 Villas of Westadore

ACM Contractors of Texas Armando Cruz Martinez P.O. Box 692232 Houston, TX 77070 734-330-1363 General Contractors, Roofing Contractors Referred by Ryan Weis

S & N Electric Services Inc. Elvin Hernandez 828 Evergreen St. Fresno, TX 77545 832-983-2456 Electric Contractors, Lighting - Outdoor Referred by Erick Portillo

Electric Eel Mfg Mark Speranza 501 W. Leffel Lane Springfield, OH 45506 800-833-1212 Plumbing Equip & Supplies, Sewer Cleaning Equipment

South Texas Apartment Services LLC Justin Painter P.O. Box 16929 Galveston, TX 77552 832-622-5782 Carpet Cleaning, Floor Laying, Refinishing & Resurfacing, Janitorial Services, Painting Contractors

Daniel & Cherrie Ellinwood Cherri Ellinwood 17807 Haven Forest Court Cypress, TX 77433 281-799-6674 Various Locations Referred by Todd Russo Dave McCullough Dave McCullough 3507 Veasco Court Missouri City, TX 77459 713-292-3200 Dean Capital Corporation Hal McWhorter 811 Sul Ross St. #1 Houston, TX 77006-6537 713-829-1404 Dean Capital Corp. Property Golden Door Properties Brian Bagent P.O. Box 18109 Sugar Land, TX 77496 713-927-1186 Various Locations Green Real Estate Group LLC Leon Green 2500 Tanglewilde St. #306 Houston, TX 77063 713-701-7719 1906 Binz St. 4921 Crawford St. Wentworth Park Apartments 1821 Marshall St. 1023 Lyndon St. 1701 Johanna Drive Jackson Park Apartments 1110 W. Patton St. 4102 Caroline St. 4108 Caroline St. MPM Management LLC Kim McLean P.O. Box 4709 Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657 Referred by Terri Clifton Tranquility Capital Clayton Bownds 12479 Shady Woods Trail Montgomery, TX 77316 832-647-2574 Referred by Claudia P. Rubio Virtu Gulf Point Associates LP Debbie Evans 12055 Sabo Road Houston, TX 77059 281-922-7670 Mirabella Apartments

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Hillco Building Service Zachary Kent 1109 Hub St. Houston, TX 77023-3313 346-203-0229 Painting Contractors, Roofing Contractors, Remodeling & Repair-Building Contractors Maggie Kirk/Kirk Cleaning Solutions/ Financial Planning Maggie Kirk 9386 Livernois Road Houston, TX 77080 713-423-5325 Commercial Lending, Banks, Insurance, Janitorial Services

Task Force Security Frank Sanders 12406 Atwell Drive Houston, TX 77035 281-743-1138 Security Guard/Patrol Service, Courtesy Patrol Referred by Annique Hogan Texas Forged Metal LLC Ryan Olvera 24214 Prairie Glen Lane Katy, TX 77493 832-836-8361 Carports, Concrete Repair, Fences, Gates & GateOperating Devices Referred by Shaun Callaway, CAS

OnPoint for Business LLC Brian 12335 Kingsride Lane #173 Houston, TX 77024 866-839-6740 Computer Networking, Computers - Service & Repairs, Computers - Software & Service Referred by Terri Clifton

The Luxe Design Group Marissa Sorola 6230 Evergreen #G Houston, TX 77081 832-922-8968 Decorators - Interior, Furniture Renting & Leasing Referred by Shera Lehman

Paragon Services Inc. Brandon MacMeekin 1820 N. Greenville Ave. Richardson, TX 75081 214-642-2977 Remodeling & Repair-Building Contractors, Waterproofing Contractors Referred by Jeffrey Randolph

Wayfinder Tax Relief LLC William Ryan 67 S. Highley Road #103-295 Gilbert, AZ 85296 480-616-1025 Tax Consultants-Ad Valorem, Taxes - Consultants & Representatives Referred by Donna Farthing

PERITUS Construction Luke Frazier 12400 W. Highway 71 Austin, TX 78738 215-478-3932 General Contractors, Roofing Contractors

Yellow Bird Technology Consultants Daphne Barrica 3814 Minglewood Blvd.

Houston, TX 77023 646-201-6337 Communications Consultants, Communications Services, Telecommunications Consultants, Telecommunications Services, Telephone & Television Cable Contractors, Telephone Equipment & Repairs Referred by Terri Clifton

Rent Dynamics Andy Jankowski U.S. 91 & E. 700 S. Logan, UT 84321 435-227-2139 Call Center - Leasing Service, Credit Reporting Agencies, Marketing Products Referred by Clay Hicks

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The Ambassador ONE Society HAA’s WELCOMING COMMITTEE

GETTING OUR “BEARINGS”

The Ambassadors connect with members and the community by collecting bears for first responders.

Mark your calendars and join us! Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at Craft Republic, 11470 Westheimber:

March 4 April 1 Crawfish Boil May 6 • June 3 • July 1 August 5 • September 2 October 7 • November 4

1. “ONE of the Month” Giovanna Gone, Century A/C Supply, with 95 points.

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Ambassador ONE Society members with at least 10 points, ranked by points earned: Giovanna Gone Samantha Hernandez Janell Richter Shawnte Thomas Darlene Addison Deborah DeRouen

Century A/C Supply Houston Waste Services JMI Contractors Hoffer Furniture McElvy Media Group Designs by Holmes Interior Design

95 37 34 29 29 17

Ambassadors earn points by sharing leads, making introductions and visiting communities to promote HAA events and news.

THE AMBASSADOR ONE SOCIETY is an organized network exchange that helps supplier partners build their business contacts within HAA. It’s the perfect way for new suppliers to get started with the association. Group members share leads, make introductions and support HAA and its members. For details on how to join and for meeting dates, visit www.haaonline.org/ambassadors or contact Amanda in the Membership Department at 713-595-0316, or email asherbondy@haaonline.org.

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2. First Place Team “The Bomb Squad” with 252 points 3. Second Place Team “Green Machine” with 106 points 4. Third Place Team “Stay Classy” with 85 points www.haaonline.org

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Portfolio Changes The following owner/management companies have added the listed properties to their portfolios: • 20330 Whitewood LLC: Park 45 Apartments, 150 units at 20330 Whitewood Drive, Spring.

• Allied Orion Group: 1300 North Post Oak, 247 units at 1300 N. Post Oak Road and North Post Oak. • American Landmark: Finley West, 224 units at 9940 Richmond Ave. • Asset Living: 99 at Southwinds, 279 units at 2100 Kilgore Road, Baytown and Redemption Square, 32 units at 202 W. Cole St., Webster.

• Aura Property Management LLC: 1301 S. Hood LLC, 19 units at 1301 S. Hood St., Alvin.

• Blue Magma Residential: The Park at Winslow, 180 units at 1744 Jenkins Road, Pasadena; The Park at Leyton, 190 units at 3602 Burke Road, Pasadena; and The Park at Ferryhill, 111 units at 111 Queens Road, Pasadena.

• CLEAR Property Management: Lundren Park Apartments, 320 units at 12101 Fondren Road.

• The Conerly Group: The Spring of Lake Jackson Apartments, 153 units at 905 E. Highway 332, Lake Jackson.

• Damion and Veonda Emholtz: Villas of Westadore, one unit at 17401 Red Oak Drive #83.

• Daniel & Cherrie Ellinwood: various locations, two units.

• Dominium Management Services: Vermillion Apartments, 260 units at 3360 Alice St. and Pinewood Apartments, 240 units at 5900 Greens Road, Humble.

• Falls Apartment Group: Falls of Westpark, 356 units at 6130 Southwest Freeway.

• Green Real Estate Group LLC: 4108 Caroline St., eight units at 4108 Caroline St.; 4102 Caroline St., eight units at 4102 Caroline St.; 1110 W. Patton St., six units at 1110 W. Patton St.; Jackson Park Apartments, 40 units at 5603 through 5611 Jackson St.; 1821 Marshall St., six units at 1821 Marshall; Wentworth Park Apartments, seven units at 1615 Wentworth; 1701 Johanna Drive, 24 units at 1701 Johanna; 1023 Lyndon St.; 14 units at 1023 Lyndon; 1906 Binz St., eight units at 1906 Binz; and 4921 Crawford St., 26 units at 4921 Crawford.

• Greystar: Eighteen25, 242 units at 1825 San Jacinto St. and Ascend at Tamarron, 351 units at 3230 Farm-to-Market Road 1463, Katy.

• Harbor Group Management Company: Reserve at Windmill Lakes, 392 units at 9988 Windmill Lakes Blvd.; Villages at Meyerland, 714 units at 8900 Chimney Rock Road; and Walden Pond, 556 units at 12850 Whittington Drive.

• Heritage Gulf Coast LLC: Constitution Square Apartments, 80 units at 3015 Greenridge Drive.

• Hilltop Residential Management: Grand Reserve Katy, 291 units at 22101 Grand Corner Drive, Katy.

• Luxliving Management: Wyndham Garden at Willowbrook, 45 units at 18818 Tomball Parkway.

• Martin Fein Interests Ltd: Reveri at River Hollow, 304 units at 1317 Post Oak Park Drive.

• Monument Property Management: Pineforest Place, 143 units at 5353 Deep Forest Drive and Pineforest Park, 200 units at 5353 Pinemont Drive.

• The Morgan Group: Beacon at Buffalo Pointe, 281 units at 10301 Buffalo Speedway.

• Oak Leaf Management Co.: Pelican Reef, 89 units at 3802 Nasa Road 1, Seabrook; The Bammel, 132 units at 13222 Bammel N. Houston Road; and West Lodge, 198 units at 4219 W. Baker Road, Baytown.

• Portico Property Management: Haven at Main, 256 units at 8700 Main St. • Roscoe Properties: Woodglen Village, 250 units at 1111 W. Montgomery Road.

• Sheng-Raamco Management Inc.: Trails at Lake Houston, 304 units at 13922 Woodson Park Drive and Clear Lake Place, 216 units at 18707 Egret Bay Blvd.

• Southern Star Partners LLC: 300 Pecore Apartments, 30 units at 300 Pecore St. • SunRidge Management Group Inc.: Villa Toscana Apartments, 504 units at 9125 Highway 6 N. • Temenos Community: Temenos CDC III, 15 units at 1703 Gray St. • Development Corporation TM1 Inc.: Shadow Bay Apartments, 232 units at 1700 Baywood Drive, Bay City.

• TriPro Management Inc.: Magnolia Grove Apartments, 268 units at 12601 S. Green Drive.

• ZRS Management LLC: West Creek Apartments, 228 units at 2211 Montgomery Park Blvd., Conroe.

Want to see current and previous issues of ABODE online?

Go to http://issuu.com/haa_abode 70

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In the News J Turner Research announces the hiring of Chelsea Kneeland as a national sales executive.

Kneeland

Jessica Cantu is now with Cinch – Cabinet Refacing Kits in regional sales.

Gary Kiker joins Norman Construction as director of business development.

Kiker

Have big news to report? Email us at comm@haaonline.org.

The Houston Apartment Association’s committees and clubs are some of the most productive tools we have to ensure that we remain the nation’s largest and most effective apartment association. Committee and club members face the challenge of getting involved to carry out the duties and purpose of each club and committee.

Some general responsibilities of committee and club members include a commitment to attend all meetings and help develop marketing strategies (i.e. telemarketing, developing handouts, fliers, articles).

To serve on any of these committees and clubs, please contact the HAA office at 713-595-0300, online at www.haaonline.org or email the departments listed below.

Education education@haaonline.org Education Advisory Council Career and Community Development Committee Government Affairs govaffairs@haaonline.org HAAPAC* Fair Housing Committee Strategic Growth Committee Membership members@haaonline.org Ambassador ONE Society Go-Getter Membership Recruitment Club Expo Exhibitor Committee* Community Outreach shinkley@haaonline.org Community Outreach Committee Product Service Council* Resident Relations resrel@haaonline.org Resident Relations Committee *Note: These committees have specific requirements for membership. Contact HAA for details. www.haaonline.org

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On Site with ABODE

Photos provided by Morgan Taylor, HAA Staff

CITY VIEW LOFTS

A historic building transformed into apartment communities sits across from Minute Maid Park.

Property: City View Lofts Owner/Management: Allied Orion Group Location: 15 N. Chenevert St. Units: 57 Built: 2011 Web: www.liveatcityviewlofts.com Interesting features: Located directly across the street from Minute Maid Park in Downtown, Houston, this five-story apartment community holds a lot of history.

This 100-year-old building was once the Nabisco, or National Biscuit Company, cookie factory. The factory was bought in 2004 out of bankruptcy. At the time, it was going to be converted into condominiums. The building’s current owner purchased it in 2011, when it was transformed into an apartment community.

Today, City View Lofts has 57 apartment homes with original exposed bricks and pipes, vaulted ceilings, large factory windows and original maple floors. It has studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and penthouse apartment homes. City View Lofts has a gym, a movie theatre room, two game rooms and a kitchen and with a seating area. It doesn’t have a pool like other traditional apartment communities, but this community doesn’t need to enter the amenity race with its evident rich history and close proximity to Minute Maid Park.

City View Lofts is expanding to offer more apartment homes. The green area in shown in the photo above with Minute Maid Park in the background will soon hold one-bedroom apartment homes.

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I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done or get it right, I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need recognition. As long as my resident and my management and the owner are happy, I’m happy. It was a good experience, though, feeling that way. I didn’t know that someone was watching!”

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done or get it right, I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need recognition. As long as my resident and my management and the owner are happy, I’m happy. It was a good experience, though, feeling that way. I didn’t know that someone was watching!”

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done

www.haaonline.org

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done or get it right, I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need recognition. As long as my resident and my management and the owner are happy, I’m happy. It was a good experience, though, feeling that way. I didn’t know that someone was watching!”

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done

law pg 11,12,73.qxp_Layout 1 2/18/20 1:36 PM Page 3

Law, continued from Page 12 the lease for law-enforcement, governmental or business purposes. Consequently, the TAA lease would allow an owner or manager to disclose information to a properly credentialed Census taker. As long as an owner or manager confirms that an individual is in fact with the Census Bureau (i.e., check for identification), you should be able to defend a claim by residents that you gave more information than required. To be as cautious as possible, you may want to develop a policy now with respect to how you will respond to a Census taker asking for more than the names of occupants.

Can a Census taker disclose information received from the manager to someone else?

As indicated above, there are very specific confidentiality requirements that all Census takers must abide by. The Census law provides that if a Census taker publishes or communicates any information that is prohibited to be disclosed, and which come into the Census taker’s possession by reason of his being a Census taker, the Census taker shall be fined an amount that does not exceed $5,000 or imprisoned for at most five years or both. Consequently, a Census taker is under strict requirements to keep any information received in the scope of his or her employment confidential.

Census takers should be taken seriously.

By knowing your rights and responsibilities, you should be able to avoid any unnecessary hassles associated with cooperating with the Census taker that may visit your property.

Want more “It’s the Law?” Want to see current and previous issues of ABODE online?

Go to http://issuu.com/haa_abode.

FIND QUALIFIED LEADS www.haaonline.org www.haaonline.org

Do you need to find a product or service for your property on the go?

Visit the Buyer’s Guide is online at www.haabuyersguide.com Simply search for a member by name or category to find the most up-to-date HAA supplier member listings.

You can contact the companies directly or use our “Request for Information” tool. It's quick and easy!

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Index of Advertisers By CATEGORY

A/C Supplies

Landscape Contractors

Trash Hauling

Century A/C Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 281-530-2859 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.centuryac.com

Outdoor Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 713-955-0990 . . . . . .www.outdoorelementstx.com

Waste Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 713-354-5230 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.thinkgreen.com

Texscape Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 281-846-3779 . . . . . . . . . .www.texscapeservices.com

Answering Service On Hold USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 800-755-4142 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.onholdusa.com

Locks & Locksmiths

HAA Products & Services Rental Credit Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 713-595-0300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.haaonline.org/rcr

CKI Wholesale Lock Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 713-462-0704 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ckilock.com

Carpet Installation Dixie Carpet Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 281-261-6334 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.dixiecarpet.com Texas Southwest Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 800-719-4321 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.texasswfloors.com

Maintenance Supplies HD Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 800-431-3000 . . . . . . .www.hdsupplysolutions.com

HAA reserves the right to reject any advertising if its content is inappropriate or inconsistent with HAA’s standards for publication or HAA’s business interests, in HAA’s sole opinion.

Maintenance Supply Headquarters . . . . . . . . . .14 281-530-6300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.supplyhq.com Collection Agencies Alexander-Rose Associates Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 713-644-4441 . . . . . . . . . . .www.alexanderrose-inc.com

Management Companies Rockwell Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 713-957-8994 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rockwellmgmt.com

Electric Contractors Affordable Quality Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 713-695-5992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.acuityelectric.com Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating Services . . . .27 281-693-3383 . . . . . . . . . . .www.brandtelectrical.com

Outdoor Furniture Texacraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 800-327-1541 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.texacraft.com

Personnel Agency

Foundation Repair Church Foundation Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 713-468-8400 . . .www.churchfoundationrepair.com

ASAP Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 972-432-6667 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.asapdo.com

General Contractors

Plumbing Contractors

Camp Construction Services . . . . . . . .Back Cover 713-413-2267 . . . . . . . .www.campconstruction.com

AAA Plumbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 713-462-4753 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.aaaplumbers.com

Cotton Commercial USA Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 877-511-2962 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cottongds.com

Resident Screening Service

FSI Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 832-767-1115 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.fsiconstruction.com Gemstar Construction & Development . . . . . .25 281-821-1195 . . . . . .www.gemstarconstruction.com Guardian Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 832-672-4196 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.guardianconst.com MultiFamily Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 713-266-9100

CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover 888-297-8821 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.corelogic.com

Resurfacing Surface Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 832-744-3388 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.surfacedesigners.us

RENCON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover 713-666-3636 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rencon.com

Screens

TPI Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 713-668-7986 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.tpiinc.com

Ameristar Screen and Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 713-683-6767 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ameristarglass.com

Glass – Plate, Window, Etc.

Security Control Equipment/Systems

Ameristar Screen and Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 713-683-6767 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ameristarglass.com

SentriForce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 888-671-2202 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.sentriforce.com

Insurance

Swimming Pool Service

Harco Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 713-681-2500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.harco-ins.com

Poolsure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 800-858-POOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.poolsure.com

www.haaonline.org/rcr

Want to see current and previous issues of ABODE online? Go to http://issuu.com/haa_abode.

Or view this issue on your computer, iPad or smartphone at http://issuu.com/haa_abode/docs/abode_jan2020.

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MarketLine By BRUCE MCCLENNY, President, ApartmentData.com

HOUSTON

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1025 – •

1050 –

Snapshot

Past 12 Months: 2.6% rental rate growth 14,016 units absorbed

Recently Opened (12 months): 65 communities 17,591 units

1000 – – 90.0 975 –

– 89.0

– 88.0

Under Construction: 76 communities 21,984 units

Occupancy (%)

Operating Supply: 2,838 communities 665,871 units

Rental Rate (¢/sq.ft./mo.)

89.5% $1,052/mo. $1.19/sq.ft./mo.

884 sq.ft.

•

Occupancy: Price: Rental Rate: Size:

• • • • • • •

Jan 20

Dec 19

Oct 19

Nov 19

Sep 19

Aug 19

Jul 19

Jun 19

May 19

Apr 19

Mar 19

Jan 19

Feb 19

Dec 18

Nov 18

Oct 18

Sep 18

Aug 18

Jul 18

Jun 18

Apr 18

May 18

Proposed Construction: 91 communities 28,266 units

Mar 18

Feb 18

– 87.0

History of Effective Rental Rate & Occupancy for All Units

Hottest Submarkets Over the Past Three Months

Concessions

Annualized % of Market Rank Submarket Absorbed 1 Lake Houston/Kingwood 4.4% 2 Richmond/Rosenberg 9.5% 3 Northeast Houston/Crosby 3.1% 4 FM 1960 East/IAH Airport 4.6% 5 Highland Village/Upper Kirby/West U 10.3%

Rental Rate Growth % 1.4% 0.5% 1.6% 0.6% 0.3%

Total Units Class w/Concessions All 297,284 A 77,166 B 114,557 C 91,983 D 13,578

% of Total Units 45% 50% 44% 45% 29%

Average Special -2.9% -4.1% -2.2% -2.4% -1.6%

Citywide Effect -6.1% -7.8% -5.0% -5.4% -5.3%

One Month Free = -8.33%

THE FIRST TABLE ABOVE GIVES 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 42 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.

TEXAS

Dallas/Ft. Worth

San Antonio

Austin

Occupancy: Price: Rental Rate: Size:

Occupancy: Price: Rental Rate: Size:

Occupancy: Price: Rental Rate: Size:

91.1% $1,162/mo. $1.33/sq.ft./mo.

876 sq.ft.

89.5% $976/mo. $1.14/sq.ft./mo.

853 sq.ft.

91.3% $1,307/mo. $1.49¢/sq.ft./mo.

875 sq.ft.

Past 12 Months: 4.5% rental rate growth 22,799 units absorbed

Past 12 Months: 3.4% rental rate growth 5,079 units absorbed

Past 12 Months: 6.1% rental rate growth 8,971 units absorbed

Operating Supply: 3,160 communities 746,067 units

Operating Supply: 927 communities 197,601 units

Operating Supply: 1,013 communities 236,580 units

www.haaonline.org

ApartmentData.com has been providing apartment data and marketing products since 1986.

ApartmentData.com provides real-time access for property specific information, market surveys and historic submarket data for more than 3.5 million apartment units in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina and Tennessee.

For more information, contact Bruce McClenny at 800-595-8730. © 2020 ApartmentData.com March 2020

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Back Page

with News from around the COMMUNITY

Join the Houston Apartment Association to raise funds for Crimestoppers and Camp Hope. The event returns to the Houston Sportsplex, 12631 South Main (just south of Post Oak).

Recruit and register your team today. Each team consists of three men and three women with an option of one male and one female alternate. Each team will compete in six field events, and team players must work for HAA member companies. Events include Corn Hole, Giant Pong, Football Toss, Buddy Walk, Soccer Ball Blitz, Basketball Shoot-Out and Tug of War. The top three teams, based on scores for the field events, will be awarded medals after the final competition.

Friday, May 8 9 a.m. – Registration 10 a.m. – Tug of War/Kickoff 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Competition 1 p.m. – Lunch 1:30 p.m. – Medal Presentations

Camp Hope

Team of Six: $400 (includes lunch) $20 Spectator fee (includes lunch) Advance registration and payment are required. The deadline is Tuesday, May 5.

Register online at www.haaonline.org/sportschallenge. For more information, contact Susan at shinkley@haaonline.org.

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Houston Apartment Association 4810 Westway Park Blvd.

Houston, Texas 77041

Return Service Requested