the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 1
BROWNLEE WHITLOW & PRAET, PLLC
NEW TAX ASSESSMENTS ARE OUT AND THEY ARE NOT GOOD!
We assist multifamily communities and other commercial properties with the resolution of incorrect and burdensome tax reappraisals. In Wake County, real property reappraisals are performed every four years. You should have recently received a reappraisal for your community. Property Tax Deadlines:
Formal Appeal Filing Period to Board of Equalization:March 2, 2020 through May 28, 2020 Appeal Period of Board of Equalization to the NC Property Tax Commission:30 days after Board of Equalization Decision
If you feel your property was reappraised in excess of its worth, contact us:
4020 Westchase Blvd. Suite 530 Raleigh, NC 27607 www.bwpf-law.com | Follow us at: @brownleewhitlow&praet *This is a legal advertisement the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 2
Triangle Apartment Association 7920 ACC Blvd., Suite 220 Raleigh, NC 27617 919.782.1165 • 919.782.1169 FAX www.triangleaptassn.org TAA Office Hours Monday through Friday 8:30am-5:00pm TAA Mission Statement The leading resource committed to the advancement of the rental housing industry through advocacy, engagement, and innovation.
@TriangleAptAssn
CONTENTS 4
President’s Pen
13 Keeping Residents Engaged
7
Legal Issues: COVID -19
15 Legal Issues: Affordable Housing
9
Keep Your Culture Thriving
16 New Members 18 TAA Calendar
11 Upcoming Education
OFFICERS President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Rita Zepeda CPM, CAPS, CAM, ARM PRG Real Estate Management, Inc.
Craig Nardi CPM, CAPS Willow Creek Properties, LLC
Rob Boggs CAM Berkshire Cameron Village
Immediate Past President
@nctaa
Affiliated with:
Kelli Lea CAM, NAAEI Faculty Greystar
April Vasta CAPS, CAM Blue Ridge Companies
DIRECTORS TAA STAFF MEMBERS Josie H. Eatmon, Executive Director jeatmon@triangleaptassn.org Suzanne Pratt, Director of Professional Development spratt@triangleaptassn.org
Katy Boone CAPS, CAM CrossTimbers Apartments
Berry Craven CAMT Ginkgo Residential, LLC
Cindy Nitschke CAS Response Team 1
Franklin Rodriguez CAPS, CAMT Blue Ridge Companies
Chris Fortune Rachel Garavito Young Becki Hale CAS Loebsack & CAM Red Rhino Group Brownlee, PLLC Camden Carolinian
Natalie Hart CAS The Liberty Group
Vicki Franciosi, Meetings & Events Director vfranciosi@triangleaptassn.org Dustin Engelken, Government Affairs Director dengelken@triangleaptassn.org Susan Williams, Finance Director swilliams@triangleaptassn.org Meg Palumbo, Communications Manager mpalumbo@triangleaptassn.org Jennifer Creech, Membership & Marketing Manager jcreech@triangleaptassn.org Dan Pauley, Staff Accountant dpauley@triangleaptassn.org
Amy Timocko CAPS Hawthorne Residential Partners, Inc.
Judy Wade CAPS, CAM TradeMark Property Services, Inc.
Norm Praet General Counsel Brownlee Whitlow & Praet, PLLC
COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS Education:
GiGi Ghanayem Tara Gerberich
Government Affairs:
Alyssa Clair, Education Coordinator aclair@triangleaptassn.org
Katy Boone Kelly Goehl
Jessica Esposito, Events Coordinator jesposito@triangleaptassn.org
Dena Daniels
IRO:
Membership:
Chelsea Bell Natalie Cook-Wooters
This issue of the ApartMentor is designed and published by Moonstone Studio, LLC, proud member of the Triangle Apartment Association.
Chris Smith Greystar
PR & Community Outreach:
Jessica Lei Akeshia Thomas
Products & Services: Chris Fortune Rachel Garavito Young
Special Events: Cindy Nitschke Judy Wade
XCEL:
Heather Arndt Carson Woodell
Total Members: 1,094 Total Units: 147,753 Apartment Communities: 618 Suppliers: 265 Management Companie s: 152 IRO: 59
TAA Snapshot as of 4/1/2020 the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 3
President’s Pen When it came time to write this article, I spent so much time deciding what to write about. There is so much going on in the world right now that has completely changed the way we conduct our daily business. Months ago, I had planned to take this opportunity to discuss upcoming events within in our association, and how we’re in the “busy season” so time to produce those leases! My, how my agenda and focuses have shifted. As of Monday, March 30 when the “Shelter in Place” order became official, our lives changed. Some companies made adjustments prior to this date, but never did I think the words “essential,” “social distancing,” and “quarantine” would be the topic of most of my daily operations. As many of our supplier partners and most all owner/operators are considered essential employees, we are still doing our jobs to the fullest extent we can. For those of us with children, we may also be sprinkling in homeschooling in the small snippets between conference calls and financial reporting. As we all are figuring out this new normal and not knowing how long this will last, it’s important for us to focus on the positive and sustainable impacts to our communities, our companies, our employees, and our families. How many of you have video conferenced more in the last few weeks than you have in the last few years?
What about FaceTime with your family? Dare I ask the last time a handwritten note or card was mailed that wasn’t for an occasion? The power of connection is so impactful! My hope is that this yearning for connection doesn’t fade out as we get back to our old habits in the upcoming months. Anyone interested in having virtual happy hours on a regular basis?! Speaking of going virtual, I’ve got to give credit to the incredible staff at TAA who has been working around the clock and seamlessly created ways to be available, resourceful, and meet the needs of our members. We’ve held 7 webinars (Plus many more being scheduled!) that had over 1,037 attendees combined in the last few weeks. Not only was the delivery approach new, but the content was hand crafted based on what we, the members, were asking for. I’m incredibly grateful to work with these people and commend them for their hard work! The events and courses on the calendar may look different, but it doesn’t change the fact that the community we have created within TAA runs deep. I do still believe that my charge to you from the night I was inducted as your 2020 TAA President can be achieved. As a reminder, I’m looking for 20% more attendance to our meetings. Maybe you couldn’t get off site before or leave the office to attend a committee meeting. Well, you’re in luck as those have gone virtual too! Please consider joining and listening in.
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I’ve been wondering what it would be like if I had a crystal ball and could look forward three months. My inner psychic tells me that we WILL change some of our operations. We will move to more virtual tours, educational offerings, and sales. We will run our operations more efficiently through all of the expense saving exercises we’ve run in the last few weeks. Most importantly, we will get through this together. While things feel uncertain and even scary at times, the power of this Association and its members is that we are going through this together and will come out of this together. I leave you with this, “Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won’t have a title until much later” — Bob Goff Until we meet again and I hug your necks, here’s a virtual high five to you! I hope to see you on the next virtual happy hour to give you a proper cheers.
Kelli Lea CAM, NAAEI Faculty TAA President Greystar taapresident@triangleaptassn.org
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the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 6
Legal legal Issues Issues
Property Operations in the Time of COVID-19 By Brownlee Whitlow & Praet, PLLC We are going to address questions that we are regularly receiving, in light of the continually changing multifamily community landscape caused by COVID-19 and all of the federal, state, and local efforts to address it. As always, this is not legal advice and you should check with your attorney. This is particularly important these days as the rules are changing rapidly and portions of this article may be outdated by the time you read it. Should I notify the entire community if I know that a resident has or had COVID-19? Yes, it will be a best practice to do so, but without identifying the individual to the community. This falls under general property liability law requiring you to warn of any known risks. COVID-19 is very contagious, and so, if you know someone in the community is or was infected, you should notify the other residents. We also suggest that you advise the residents to follow all CDC protocols, and advise them of the efforts you are taking to clean the common areas of the community. You may have different duties to your employees also, particularly those who may be asked to perform services in an infected resident’s home, but that topic is beyond this article. Must we provide any sort of refund of rent or fees because we have closed down amenities? If you have an amenity fee, then the residents are probably due a prorated refund based on the portion of the amenities no longer in service and the number of days when the amenities were closed in the month. Also, you should refrain from charging a corresponding portion of any future amenity fees until they are re-opened. If you do not have a separate amenity fee, then hopefully your lease provides that the rent is solely for use of the rental home and all amenities are terminable by the landlord at any time. This language in
found in the AANC lease and the Community Policy Rules and Regulations addendum to the NAA lease. If you do not have this or similar language, then there is a chance that a resident could successfully argue that the amenity is part of what their rent covers and that a portion of rent should be returned to them. What if a resident wants to terminate their lease for a reason related to COVID-19? Many community providers, particularly those in student housing, have asked this question. Neither the NAA, nor the AANC lease have provisions that would allow a resident to terminate the lease if the rental home is still habitable. This includes student leases. These provisions in contracts are usually called “force majeure” provisions. There are two potential other theories people use to try to terminate the contract in this type of case and they are “impossibility” and “frustration of purpose.” Impossibility only applies if the parties cannot perform their obligations; however, currently, the communities are still open and presumably performing their duties under the lease. So, this does not apply. “Frustration of purpose” is a broader legal theory that applies when performance of the contract is not impossible, but is instead pointless. We do not believe frustration of purpose should apply, even if a resident’s school is closed, because the resident still needs to reside somewhere. So, even though it may not be the resident’s preference, a contract for housing is not pointless. Can I go to work in light of the Shelter in Place Orders? In every Shelter in Place Order that we have seen for the State of North Carolina, including the Order issued by the Governor, multifamily management and service employees should be considered essential employees and should be able to go to work as long as they the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 7
follow the social distancing guidelines to the maximum extent possible. The federal Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), to whom most government bodies look to determine who is essential, provided clearly in their March 28, 2020 memorandum that multifamily management and service employees are essential. The two most questionable orders that we have seen were issued by the City of Durham and by Orange County, but we have not heard of any problems for multifamily employees going to work, which would indicate that these local governments are properly interpreting their orders and treating multifamily employees as essential. When will the Courts Re-open? The courts throughout North Carolina are currently open for filings and for emergency hearings for things like bail or domestic violence matters. Provided that you are not precluded from filing by the federal CARES Act, you may file your eviction actions in most or all counties, but you will not have a hearing scheduled prior to June 1, 2020, as per the North Carolina Chief Justice’s Order of April 2, 2020. There is much uncertainty under the CARES Act presently. Apartment association members and staff at local, state, and national levels are working to get clarity from the federal government, probably in the form of additional legislation. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to any requests that you receive from NAA, AANC, or TAA to contact your legislators. Remember that we, as individuals and as an industry, will get through this. We will experience a few bumps and bruises along the way, but we will get through to the other side! This is not legal advice and should not be relied on as such. You should consult your legal counsel with your specific questions.
On behalf of the Triangle Apartment Association Education Foundation (TAAEF) Board of Directors, thank you for your generosity and support as a 2020 Gold Partner to the TAAEF Education Scholarship Fund.
Gold Partners Brownlee Whitlow & Praet, PLLC Loebsack & Brownlee, PLLC The TAA/TAAEF Education Scholarship Fund was established in 2001 to provide qualifying candidates the opportunity to further their career development. Your investment will help to enhance the skills of apartment industry personnel, resulting in better managed and more confident future decision makers of the apartment industry. Since its inception, 77 scholarships have been awarded. Funds from the Education Scholarship Fund underwrite scholarships for TAA members to enroll in the NAAEI (National Apartment Association Education Institute) Credential programs such as Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS), Certified Apartment Manager (CAM), Certified Apartment Supplier (CAS), National Apartment Leasing Professional (NALP) and the Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technicians (CAMT).
Congratulations go out to the following individuals who are scholarship recipients of the Triangle Apartment Association Education Foundation (TAAEF) Education Scholarship Fund for the NAAEI, TAA 2020 CAM/CAS credential programs.
CAM Full - Scholarships Selena Curtis – Brampton Moors Apartments Susan DeGiralamo
CAS Full Scholarship Betsy Petruccelli – RentPath, LLC
NAAEI CERTIFICATE FOR APARTMENT MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS (CAMT) CREDENTIAL Congratulations go out to the following individuals who have earned the Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technician (CAMT) credential from the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI). Christopher Adams-Easkold – Notting Hill Apartments Donald Blake Compton – Croasdaile Apartment Homes Anthony Gales – Washington Housing Authority Joe Holt – CrossTimbers Apartments Jim Howard – Clarion Crossing Apartment Homes Matt Ierardi – The Apartments at Westgrove Nicholas Jedrzej – Elevate Brier Creek
Danny McLeod – Meridian at Broad Street Market Rick Picquet – Bell Partners, Inc. Franklin Rivera-Zepeda – Stanhope Student Apartments Nathan Weeks – CWS Associates Roanoke Ricky Weeks – CWS Associates Roanoke Nicholas Young – Station Nine Apartments
the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 8
10 Ways to Keep Your Culture Thriving Remotely in the Face of COVID-19 By Stephanie Anderson
Overnight, many companies have changed their operations from in-office to work-from-home in response to the spread of COVID-19. Remote work arrangements are not new, but because they may be unfamiliar to some employers and managers, there is an adjustment period as teams begin navigating this new way of conducting business. While some employees expect to thrive working remotely, others fear they’ll feel isolated or unmotivated to work in their own homes. Managers worry about keeping a team motivated and effective without daily face time in the office. Following are 10 recommendations to assist your company with recommendations for shifting culture that will have your employees successfully thriving in their new roles.
1
Host a virtual happy hour. Drinks are optional but the web camera is not. Use this event as an opportunity to connect and let your hair down with your colleagues. If using Zoom, ask attendees to click on gallery view to see everyone and not just those who are speaking. Consider including an icebreaker activity or trivia to engage everyone in conversation. Consider use of additional technology like Poll Anywhere or Swift to ask attendees questions and track live results as a group. Engagement and fun are two key elements this event is sure to provide.
2
Plan a fun-filled spirit week. This adds a fun twist when using video for meetings. Take it a step further by changing your background on zoom or adding themed décor each day. Besides, everyone is probably wearing pajamas so let’s give them a reason to get excited about their workday attire. This event is a welcome distraction from the mundane isolation.
3
Create a virtual kudos jar. It’s important to spread joy and say thanks during this uniquely challenging time. Virtual kudos are like hugs but without touching. Kudos are public recognition of a colleague for something they have contributed to the team. There is no better way to motivate employees while also building comradery between colleagues and showing genuine appreciation for someone’s contributions. Make this fun by sending all kudos to one email and the host of the email will write them on paper, fill up a jar and draw each kudos on camera to read aloud to the group.
4
Embrace flexibility, distractions and all. Don’t shun employees for a barking dog or crying child in the background. Many are not set up for remote working to begin with, much less adding on the stress and new circumstances created by this pandemic.
Embrace the chaos and support your team members as they navigate this new normal.
5
Set up coffee breaks and lunch dates. Virtually that is! Take time to connect and talk about things other than work. You’ll be surprised how much you have in common with others. It’s natural to pause your work, change your scenery and gather with colleagues over coffee or lunch at the office. To simulate office behavior, try doing the same only virtually. Create a channel on Slack, Microsoft teams or other communication platform of your choosing and call it something fun like ‘Lunch Bunch’ or ‘Coffee Chat.’ Intentionally create small groups allowing for deeper conversation where all voices are heard.
6
Provide the best tech platform. Provide employees with technology tools that allow for collaboration and fun. A typical office environment develops its own personality through inside jokes, shared experiences and a collaborative environment. A remote team needs to develop something similar but in a virtual format. The easiest way to do this is with your day-to-day toolset.
initiatives. Investing in professional development for your employees will assist in their skill set, confidence and overall performance in the future when this pandemic is over. The National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI) offers an assortment of online courses and recorded webinars on Visto, available 24 hours a day. There is no better time than now to make the investment in your career by completing an industry credential program.
9
Play music together. Music can enhance any mood, providing a positive experience while also increasing productivity. Create a shared music list on Spotify where everyone can add their favorite work music to share. Take this a step further by creating multiple playlists that assist with difficult projects, intense deadlines or even the day of the week.
10
It’s all about balance. Encourage and promote balance whenever possible. Separating work from play can be difficult for many when both worlds occur in the same space. Encourage employees to take lunch breaks, long walks, disconnect after hours and even exercise. Underscore the importance of self-care during this time. It’s now more Be transparent in all communication. This important than ever for maintaining good mental and physical health, so leaders should is a scary time for most as we navigate continue to support and encouraging healthy uncharted territory. Having leaders in place that clearly and effectively communicate com- habits. Offer meditation or yoga as a group pany updates and changes consistently helps on video chat. Challenge team members to unplug during off business hours. Create a employees to alleviate unnecessary work-recommunication channel where tips can be lated stress. Set clear expectations to include shared for healthy snacks, easy exercising and changes in policies and new work duties. mind relaxation. Remind employees that change is inevitable but that you are there to support them during This article was written by Stephanie Anderson this time. and originally posted on the National Apartment Association’s website. (www.naahq.org/news Continue the investment. Investing in publications/10-ways-keep-your-culture-thriving your employee’s education doesn’t stop remotely-face-covid-19) during this time. In fact, now is a great time to introduce or reinforce self-paced training
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the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 9
Strategic Spotlight
BluSky Restoration and Roofing offers mitigation, restoration, renovation, and roofing replacement services. Founded in 1996, they have 24 offices across the country and 5 offices in NC; Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, Fayetteville, and Wilmington. While they are most known for the large loss and fire restoration, clients might be surprised to learn they handle small jobs for water damage too. Their philosophy is to respond immediately, because quick response to the scene can make the difference between damage that costs a few thousand dollars and damage that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. BluSky gives back to the communities they serve. In December 2019, they held a fundraiser with the Clays for Kids foundation and donated $100,000 to the Boys and Girls Club. BluSky recognizes their employees for outstanding work. Each year they take a different group of employees, who made a significant contribution to a client, on a tropical vacation. The BluSky employee is able to bring a spouse or family member too.
Mission: We pledge to create an exceptional BluSky Customer Experience through our actions, teamwork, and genuine caring for the customers’ personal needs. Core Values: Excellence, Teamwork, Integrity, Innovation, Empathy, Passion and Fun
Year Founded: 1996 TAA Member Since: 2009 NC Areas Served: Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, Fayetteville and Wilmington Hashtags: #wefixbrokenbuildings #remediation #waterloss #restoration #moldremediation
Want more info? Contact: Business Development Manager – Kelly Goehl | kgoehl@goblusky.com | 919-576-3108
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education classes Please visit TAA’s website for full details about each class and to register online for courses and seminars: www.TriangleAptAssn.org
Fair Housing Webinar: Emotional Support Animals April 21, 2020 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM $79 Members 1 Continuing Education Credit (CEC) Instructor: Heather Blume, CAS, NAAEI Faculty, Owner of Behind the Leasing Desk Training and Consulting Services
Service Animal? Assistive Animal? Emotional Support Animal? Regular old pet? Some properties seem to rent to more animals than humans, whether they want to or not, creating questions, confusion, and, in some, a bit of resentment. Let Heather help you decode the differences in working animals, and how those differences apply to the work we do at our communities, so you can provide customer service and an attitude to animals that helps us all win!
Leasing 101 Webinar Begins May 5, 2020 (Course spans four consecutive Tuesdays.) 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM $169 Members 4 Continuing Education Credits (CECs)
This 4-part webinar series is ideal for team members who are new to the apartment industry and need industry training, as well as managers, assistant managers, and leasing veterans who want to brush up on their leasing/sales skills.
Instructor: Rebecca Rosario-Bueno, CAM, NALP, NAAEI Faculty, ApartMentor, Owner of Full House Marketing
Generational ABZs Webinar May 7, 2020 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM $109 Members 1 Continuing Education Credit (CEC) Instructor: Denise Ryan, CSP, Owner of FireStar Speaking
Generation Z is in the house! Turning 23 this year, they are entering the tightest job market in years and you need them! This webinar is designed to help all the generations understand each other, but the focus is on Z. You’ll learn how to recruit them, how to motivate them, how to communicate with them and much more. We’ll also discuss three things that will tell you more about a person than simply when they were born. It’s the next generation invasion - get ready!
Upcoming Webinars TAA is excited to announce we’re hosting a “Speedy Sessions” webinar series brought to you by the same multi-family rockstars that bring you the Apartment All-Stars! Learn more and register for each topic individually on our website.
• Mental Well Being: Respond, Support and Care as A Leader with Amy Kosnikowski-Dilisio | Thursday, April 16 • Strengthening Your Workplace Culture with Jen Picotti and Kara Rice | Thursday, April 23 • Social Messaging in Today’s Market with Kate Good | Tuesday, April 28 • Closing Leases with Virtual Tours with Lisa Trosien | Thursday, April 30 • Maximizing Leads in Today’s Market with Lisa Trosien | Thursday, May 14 • Keeping Your Teams Motivated with Jackie Ramstedt | Thursday, May 28 the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 11
Live Webinar Training Now Available
Job Seekers are still searching for their career... ...and you’re still hiring! 30 day job posting starts at $99! Visit careers.triangleaptassn.org for more info. the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 12
10 Ways to Keep Residents Engaged During COVID-19 By Stephanie Anderson
The recent outbreak of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, has caused immediate need for social distancing to stop the spread of this highly contagious virus. Apartment communities are a peopledriven business, which makes it more difficult to cut off face-to-face communication abruptly. The use of technology is our greatest tool in this situation. Due to recent information surrounding COVID-19, apartment offices, amenity spaces and resident events are being shut down as a result. Now more than ever, apartment owners and operators have a real opportunity to make a difference in how we respond to these challenges by moving resident events and communication online to further engage residents in a different manner. Allowing residents to see continued effort is key to satisfaction. Apartment professionals can provide value while also helping people to feel connected and combat loneliness and depression in the weeks and months to come.
1
Host an online book club. Let resi- idents vote on a book to read online or listen to on a platform like Audible. Then create a Facebook group to discuss the book virtually once a month. You can host separate clubs for different age groups or book choices.
2
Utilize the power of technology with daily or weekly check-ins. Use social platforms, such as Instagram or Face book Live, for example. People love to feel important and a part of their community. Check in on how everyone is doing and keep them updated on current events and neighborhood information.
3
Consider gifting subscriptions to Disney+ or Netflix. This will assist with the boredom your residents may enter while being confined to their apartment homes. Take it a step further with recommendations about great movies and shows to watch and even start a discussion online for neighbors to comment their favorites.
4
Encourage healthy competition at an online game center; nothing beats a competitive game of neighborhood scrabble! There are thousands of games your residents could play together online. You can play chess, find all sorts of virtual reality games or find card and other puzzle games. Get creative and make your own crossword puzzle using words from your community.
5
If your fitness center is closed, en courage your residents to continue putting their health at the forefront of their confinement by recommending online fitness apps, such as Peloton and Beachbody, to name a couple. Consider paying for the first month of their subscription in substitute of that month’s resident event.
6
Create a photo scavenger hunt online. List missions in different categories to allow residents to post pictures of objects they find inside their apartment homes. Residents can also solve riddles and complete fun photo challenges to share with neighbors.
7
Design your own community potluck cookbook. This is an awesome twist on a classic resident event. Have residents submit recipes for their the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 13
favorite dinner. Then, compile the recipes into a community cookbook and share all recipes on Dropbox or Google Drive.
8
Send out daily trivia to residents. Random trivia can productively kill time by teaching residents new facts. You can make this into a competition among neighbors by publishing a weekly leader scoreboard. Take this a step further by giving out prizes such as e-gift cards for winners.
9
Make a music playlist on a platform, such as Spotify, to share with resi dents. Energetic music will help moti vate residents to exercise, clean, and even dance around their house. You can even ask residents to make suggestions for music to add to the list to increase community participation.
10
Share online learning websites designed for children from preschool to middle school that encourage positive distant learning while schools are closed. Age of Learning and Scholastic Magazine are just two examples of online programs providing free home access. Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys and parents will appreciate the help while they navigate the balance of work and childcare. This article was written by Stephanie Anderson and originally posted on the National Apartment Association’s website. (www.naahq.org/news-publications/10ways-keep-residents-engaged-duringcovid-19)
Education l Advocacy l Networking
AANC is a statewide organization dedicated to supporting its members through meaningful advocacy, education, and services.
www.AANCOnline.org
SAVE THE DATE
AANC Education & Legislative Conference May 24 - 26, 2021 the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 14
Legal legal Issues Issues
AFFORDABLE HOUSING: WHAT IS IT & HOW DO WE GET MORE OF IT? By Brownlee Whitlow & Praet, PLLC What is affordable housing? The initial answer to the question changes depending on whether the word “affordable” begins with a big “A” or a little “a.” “Affordable” housing likely refers to housing with a component of government assistance, such as Section 8 or tax credits. In contrast, “affordable” housing likely refers to housing that is affordable to people at or below the median income for a particular area without specific government support tied to the housing. When reviewing multifamily housing, development has been compared to a dumbbell. On the left end of the dumbbell, you have the market rate higher-priced housing that is not subsidized and can be profitably rented to higher-income renters. The other end of the dumbbell is big “A” Affordable Housing where the government subsidizes the costs of development, allowing for set number of multifamily communities to be developed for lower income renters. The two ends of the dumbbell, higher-priced developed communities and government subsidized community developments, are theoretically both fairly large. Then, you have the slender middle of the dumbbell where you find the little “a” affordable housing. There are fewer communities developed in this area. Because you have many of the same fixed costs as the higher-priced communities, you do not have substantial government assistance to defray the costs and allow you to charge lower rents. The method for increasing the big “A” Affordable Housing communities is to place more tax dollars into the existing government programs for developing
these communities and/or add new government programs. This approach is often accomplished through direct “funding incentives” whereby developers receive reduced development fees, tax incentives, public funding, the ability to develop public lands, or some combination of these programs. Usually, these funding incentives are in exchange for a requirement that they agree that the community will have rents at a lower portion of market rent, and that the community will rent all or a portion of the rental homes to residents below the median income. This approach benefits renters who can qualify for the established criteria, but what about renters who do not qualify but still struggle to pay their rent? An additional, and less favored approach by many multifamily developers, is inclusionary zoning. Under inclusionary zoning, the developer is required to include a certain percentage or number of rental homes with reduced rents for qualifying residents, but the incentive received by the developer is usually just the approval of the development plan, rather than any other specific financial benefit. This method can drive up rents in the non-reduced rent homes to make up for the homes with required reduced rents. For little or no costs, governments can provide developers with “regulatory incentives” such as: 1) allowing greater density to developments, like allowing taller buildings which can contain more rental homes, or decreasing the minimum unit size; 2) allowing flexible design standards which includes reducing minimum lot size, reducing setbacks, and increasing buildable area; 3) reducing parking requirements by looking at what the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 15
parking is actually necessary, taking into consideration factors such as whether frequent transit is available; 4) accelerating approvals to decrease delay and therefore cost of developments; and 5) allowing “by-right” rather than “discretionary” zoning so that it will be clearer earlier what can be developed, reducing the delay in development as well as the additional costs associated with zoning approval, including that of consults. Using some combination of these “regulatory incentives” would allow for quicker and less expensive development of new multifamily communities. This could make for more affordable communities as it would allow the communities to reduce rents since the development costs are lower, likely necessitating a reduction of rents due to the greater supply. Ultimately, in politics and in society at large, there are many solutions to making housing more affordable that the government could pursue if and when it has the desire and gumption to so. If you desire to know more about these strategies, the National Multifamily Housing Counsel has published a toolkit that can be found at: https://housingtoolkit. nmhc.org/. The solutions addressed above and many others are available there. Additionally, the Apartment Association of North Carolina is in the process of putting together a toolkit specifically for use in North Carolina. This article is not legal advice and should not be relied on as such. You should speak to your attorney regarding your specific facts if you require a legal opinion.
New Members MANAGEMENT COMPANIES Bond Home Services, Inc.
200 Powell Drive Suite 119 Raleigh, NC 27606 Contact: Sade Stokes pm@bondhomeservices.com (919)578-9058
Incore Residential 6200 North Hills Drive Raleigh, NC 27609 Contact: Shana Simcox lynnwoodpm@incoreresidential.com (919)847-0349
1406 Brookside Drive Raleigh, NC 27604 Contact: Ashley Pourron ashley.pourron@wellingtonadvisors.com (919)259-0611 Units: 16
Chapel View
2701 Homestead Road Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Contact: Haadiyah Davis chapelviewmgr@pinnacleliving.com (919)942-2800 Units: 224
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13200 Strickland Road #114-292 Raleigh, NC 27613 Contact: Jennifer Ward 919homerentals@gmail.com (919)995-0967 Units: 2
Blue Oak Investing, LLC
7608 Gold Mine Court Raleigh, NC 27615 Contact: Wesley Trenholme-Pihl wes@blueoakinvesting.com (919)943-3498 Units: 1
Ehmann Inc.
Hawthorne at Parkside
5000 Green Landing Way Cary, NC 27519 Contact: Laurie Melton hparksidemgr@hrpliving.com (919)448-6371 Units: 200
Peace Raleigh Apartments 417 West Peace Street Raleigh, NC 27603 Contact: Ciara Hitchcock chitchcock@kanerealtycorp.com (919)504-5529 Units: 417
15 Shepard Springs Court Durham, NC 27713 Contact: Stephen Ehmann sehmann@gmail.com (919)407-8110 Units: 34
Faye McGrath
1313 Four Winds Drive Raleigh, NC 27615 Contact: Faye McGrath glendowerroad@aol.com (919)669-9070 Units: 5
M & R Properties
1400 Niagara Avenue Claremont, CA 91711 Contact: Mario Gottuso memo2mario@gmail.com (909)240-0076 Units: 1
Sanctuary at Powell Place
579-501 Millbrook Drive Pittsboro, NC 27312 Contact: Jennifer Mason jennifermason@rampart-us.com (919)356-6457 Units: 264
M Street Properties, LLC 114 West Main Street, Suite 102 Clayton, NC 27520 Contact: Joan Johnston joan@jaclynsmithproperties.com (919)813-0123 Units: 82
Signature 1505
2100 Mcandrew Drive Raleigh, NC 27610 Contact: Cody Gonzalez cdsumerlyn@liverangewater.com (919)758-8227 Units: 124
University Apartments (Raleigh)
700 Ryan Court Raleigh, NC 27606 Contact: Pamela Cornelisse pcornelisse@pinnacleliving.com (919)833-5588 Units: 199
919 Home Buyers, LLC
1000 Mills Street
Sumerlyn Luxury Apartments
Sandra & Terry Dangler
600 South Churton Street Hillsborough, NC 27278 Contact: Phillip Bowman pbowman@firstcommunities.com (919)732-8418 Units: 166
INDEPENDENT RENTAL OWNERS
COMMUNITIES
1505 Hillsborough Street Raleigh, NC 27605 Contact: Dayvon Taliaferro dayvon.taliaferro@tpco.com (984)269-4351 Units: 150
The Lory of Hillsborough
Raleigh Communities, LLC
PO Box 2286 Rincon, GA 31326 Contact: Heather Milliken hmilliken@marketstreetgroupllc.com (912)295-2941 Units: 56
the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 16
6517 Truxton Lane Raleigh, NC 27616 Contact: Terry Dangler tdawg4evr@gmail.com (814)204-0276 Units: 1
Absolute Construction Services
2664 Timber Drive Unit 306 Garner, NC 27529 Contact: Seif Seif reachabsolutenc@gmail.com (919)233-7773 Carpentry Contractors | Cleaning: Interior Cleaner Services | Painting Contractors
Alcove
111 West Parrish Street Unit C Durham, NC 27701 Contact: Steven Smith partner@alcoverooms.com (984)205-4171 Corporate Housing | Lease Guaranty Online Leasing | Real Estate Appraiser/ Brokers | Relocation Services
American Waste Services
1214 Kingwood Drive Raleigh, NC 27609 Contact: Brock McAdams brock@americanwasteservices.org (919)230-6258 Trash or Recycling: Doorstep Collection
ApartmentRatings & Satisfacts 909 North Pacific Coast Highway 11th Floor El Segundo, CA 90245 Contact: Amy Chiu marketing@satisfacts.com (310)280-5545 Apartment Locator Service & Online Reputation | Market Research & Surveys Carey Roofing and Construction 237 Medical Drive Angier, NC 27501 Contact: Nick Carey nick@careyroof.com (919)817-3108 General Contractors | Roofing | Roofing Vent Repair Contractors Carolina Roof Restore, LLC 219 Furches Street Raleigh, NC 27607 Contact: Allen Wells awells@roofmaxx.com (919)995-5755 Roofing FESS Fire Protection
131 International Drive Morrisville, NC 27560 Contact: Chris Villanova cvillanova@fessinc.net (919)469-1672 Fire & Safety Equipment Supplies
Fetch Package 367 Moreland Avenue Northeast Unit 2 Atlanta, GA 30307 Contact: Alan Waugh awaugh@fetchpackage.com (404)718-9788 Mailboxes/Package Management
Green Harbor Land Management
5000 Centregreen Way Cary, NC 27513 Contact: Adam Betts greenharbornc@gmail.com (919)502-0799 Concrete Service Contractors | Landscapers/ Landscaping Contractors | Masonry/Stone/ Pavers | Parking Lot Contractors | Snow Removal Contractors | Tree Service
HaulMi
3717 National Drive Suite 212 Raleigh, NC 27612 Contact: Lina Hooker lina@haulmi.com (919)480-5060 Moving & Storage | Relocation Services Trash or Recycling: Bulk Removal/ Apartment Clean Out
Junkluggers of The Triangle
2508 Reliance Avenue Apex, NC 27539 Contact: Jon Miller jon.miller@junkluggers.com (919)244-6914 Trash or Recycling: Bulk Removal/ Apartment Clean Out
Karen Boone–State Farm Insurance Agent 4112 Pleasant Valley Road Suite 128 Raleigh, NC 27612 Contact: Karen Boone Karen@kareninsuresme.com (919)782-6666 Insurance & Risk Management
LeaseLock
480 Washington Boulevard Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Contact: Jonathan Rodriguez Jonathan@leaselock.com (310)906-2900 Insurance & Risk Management
Neal Construction and Consulting, Inc. 2064 Walden Way Clayton, NC 27527 Contact: Ken Neal Neal.ConstructandConsult@gmail.com (919)320-6744 Consultation Services | Emergency Service/Restoration Contractors | General Contractors | Plumbing Contractors Renovation & Capital Improvement Contractors | Utility Management & Sub-Metering
8628 Barefoot Industrial Road Raleigh, NC 27617 Contact: Scott Flor scott@pearlpools.net (919)746-7011 Pool Service: Repairs & Supplies
ResMan
2901 Dallas Parkway Suite 200 Plano, TX 75093 Contact: Hannah Wood marketing@myresman.com (972)349-1406 Property Management Software
Respage
One Team Restoration 5533 US Highway 42 Unit C70 Garner, NC 27529 Contact: Kayla Gilbert office@OneTeamRestoration.com (919)909-1096 Emergency Service/Restoration Contractors | General Contractors | Mold Remediation Contractors | Roofing Pearl Pool Plastering, LLC
Progressive Service Company 821 Purser Drive Raleigh, NC 27603 Contact: Tanya Eney teney@callprogressive.com (919)325-0180 Electric Contractors | HVAC Contractors Plumbing Contractors
917 Beechwood Drive Lansdale, PA 19446 Contact: Jamie Steinheiser jamies@respage.com (800)390-1776 Advertising | Apartment Locator Service & Online Reputation | Market Research & Surveys | Online Leasing | Property Management Software
Scro’s Roofing Company
112 South Ellington Street Clayton, NC 27520 Contact: Danny McLaughlin danny@scrosroofingcompany.com (919)461-0937 Roofing | Roofing Vent Repair Contractors
Triangle Painting
1340 Southeast Maynard Road Suite 101 Cary, NC 27511 Contact: Brad Jackson brad@paintthetriangle.com (919)805-1970 Painting Contractors
Beat the heat this summer and join us for
T Wild W 6
TAA held its first After Work Networking event of 2020 on Tuesday, March 10 at Wild Wing Cafe in Brier Creek. Over 135 members came out to enjoy a relaxing evening full of fun and networking with colleagues and friends. This event was an awesome kick off to our 2020 After Work Networking events.
TAA
Thank You!
Join us for one of our most popular events, and the first one this year! After Work and provides an easy way to network after hours. With appetizers being provided you is for individually purchased food and beverage. Come out and enjoy a relax See you there!
Thank you to our March After Work Networking sponsors, who helped us make this event such an incredible success! Thanks to Speedy Enrichment the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 17
Contractor, LLC and Turner Asphalt, Inc. – we could not have done it without you!
April
2020
Due to the uncertainty of dates for in-person classes and events, the following are all virtual meetings or webinars. Please visit our website for the most up-to-date listing of TAA classes, events, and meetings.
16
21
20
23
30
Speedy Session: Mental Well-Being
Fair Housing: Emotional Support Animals
Virtual Happy Half Hour
28
28
27
Executive/Board of Directors Meeting
Speedy Session: Social Messaging in Today’s Market
Virtual Happy Half Hour
Speedy Session: Strengthening Your Workplace Culture
Speedy Session: Closing Leases with Virtual Tours
May
5
Leasing 101 (4-part series beginning May 5)
Generational ABZs
28
28
Executive/Board of Directors Meeting
14
7
Speedy Session: Maximizing Leads in Today’s Market
Speedy Session: Keeping Your Teams Motivated
Advertiser’s Index
PAGE
Apartment Association of North Carolina _______________ 14 Brownlee Whitlow & Praet, PLLC _______________________ 2 Full House Marketing ________________________________ 12 Loebsack & Brownlee, PLLC __________________________ 20 RestorePro Reconstruction, Inc. _________________________ 6 Tidal Electrical Services, Inc. ____________________________ 5 Advertising space available! Contact Meg Palumbo for availability and pricing at mpalumbo@triangleaptassn.org or 919.782.1165 ext 1. the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 18
25
TAA Office Closed – Memorial Day
Strategic Spotlight
Tidal Electrical Services offers 24/7 service for all your electrical needs. They handle routine maintenance, safety upgrades like aluminum wire mitigation and Federal Pacific Panel replacements, and property enhancements such as electric car charging stations. They can help your property retain residents and save money in the long run! Founded in 1948 under the name Canter, they underwent a restructure in 2013 to become Tidal Electrical Services and currently serve Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, High Point, WinstonSalem and Charlotte areas in North Carolina. They are also licensed in Virginia, Maryland and South Carolina. Did you know they are one of the first true electrical service companies in North Carolina? Before they established their first service-only Triangle location, electrical companies were construction focused and typically didn’t perform electrical service/repair work too. Tidal Electrical was also the first to offer upfront pricing to their electrical service customers. You might be surprised to learn about the variety of work that they perform. When it comes to multi-family properties they can add lighting in outdoor or indoor common areas, help you stand out by installing electric car chargers, provide pool inspections, save you thousands in insurance cost through their aluminum wire mitigation and Federal Pacific Panel replacement, plus, they always respond to you quickly during electrical emergencies. Tidal Electrical has at least one employee appreciation event every year. Typically, a team building event in a fun atmosphere. Last year, they took all of their employees to the Whitewater Rafting Center in Charlotte. They also recently became involved in Habitat for Humanity of Wake and Johnston counties. Their employees can sign up to volunteer during the weekend, on their own in time, and in exchange for giving back to the community, they are awarded with an additional paid time off (PTO) day.
Mission: To be the best provider of Prompt, Quality Electrical Services Representing Excellent Value for Every Customer while Maintaining a Fair Profit and an Outstanding Employment Environment. Core Value: Expedited quality electrical services for all customers.
Year Founded: 1948 TAA Member Since: 2013 NC Areas Served: Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem and Charlotte Hashtags: #tidalelectrical #catchthewave #upfrontpricing #freeestimates
Want more info? Contact: David Martin | dmartin@tidalnc.com | 919-782-3278 the ApartMentor 2020 | Issue 2 19
7920 ACC Blvd, Suite 220 Raleigh, NC 27617