How to Write a Killer Rental Ad

Sometimes it’s hard to stand out, and not follow the crowd. That’s never more true than with writing ad copy. Somehow all rental ads morph into one another in an alphabetized symphony of sameness.

To make matters worse, it’s also hard to overcome the temptation to use the same rental ad again and again.  That’s not a such a problem if your ad works. 

How do you compete with all of the others when time, and every letter, is money?

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Posted by Kim Ezzell on 04.25.2008. CLICK to Leave a Comment »

Filed under: AAOA Forum

Why Landlords Need Liability Insurance

by Janet Portman

Inman News

Q: I manage a single-family home for an out-of-state owner. A branch from a tree on the front lawn fell on the tenant’s car, which was properly parked in the driveway. The owner’s insurance carrier refused to pay for the damage to the tenant’s car, claiming no damage was done to the actual home. So, the tenant had the work done on her own, and filed a claim with her car insurance company, who paid the bill ($3,000) except for the $1,000 deductible. She wants the owner to cover the deductible, and I agree. What do you think? –Will G.

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Posted by Kim Ezzell on 04.25.2008. 1 Comment »

Filed under: AAOA Forum, Insurance

Get Good Bids for Asphalt Projects

by Brian Pike, General Manager Rocky Mountain Pavement

(as appeared in Colorado Real Estate Journal)

Many old adages, like “comparing apples to apples” or “you get what you pay for” certainly are applicable when considering asphalt installation or repair projects.

As you begin to solicit proposals for your work, how can you make sure you get quality bids and select the best contractor for your project? It all begins with the collection of thorough proposals from reputable contractors, for the same scope of work. Consider the following when developing your requests for proposals.

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Posted by Kim Ezzell on 04.25.2008. 2 Comments »

Filed under: AAOA Forum

Don’t Ignore Your New Potholes

by Brian Pike, General Manager, Rocky Mountain Pavement Maintenance, Inc.

(as appeared in Colorado Real Estate Journal)

After one of Denver’s most severe winters in years, potholes are everywhere.  The abundance of snow, which covered the Denver metro area from mid-December through February, has created a perfect scenario for the development of potholes. 

Moisture, from the snow, penetrates into the cracks in the asphalt and works its way into the subgrade beneath. Then, when temperatures drop below 32 degrees, the moisture freezes, causing it to expand and create a heaving or buckling effect to the asphalt. As the freeze-thaw cycle continues, the damage to the asphalt increases.  Any of us who drive our area roadways sees the effects of this damage every day.

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Posted by Kim Ezzell on 04.25.2008. 2 Comments »

Filed under: AAOA Forum

Know Your Pavement Options

by Brian Pike, General Manager, Rocky Mountain Pavement Maintenance, Inc.

(as appeared in Colorado Real Estate Journal)

Often, pavement maintenance can take a backseat to seemingly more important issues.  However,the cost savings of not maintaining your paved surfaces can drive long-term repair costs through the ceiling, particularly in a state that has significant freeze-thaw cycles.

Moisture penetrating beneath the paved surface, through cracks and potholes, will cause damage to the subgrade that is expensive to repair.  Preventive maintenance, such as crack sealing, pothole patching and seal coating, can save big money in the long run.

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Posted by Kim Ezzell on 04.25.2008. 2 Comments »

Filed under: AAOA Forum

New Zoning Law Would Hurt College-Town Rentals

by Janet Portman

Inman News  

Q: We own a four-bedroom, single-family home in a university town, which we rent to students. Our neighbors have been complaining about noise and traffic. There’s a movement now afoot to change the zoning laws to provide that a “family” be defined as prohibiting more than two unrelated occupants from living together in a single-family neighborhood. This will make it very hard for us to keep the property (we’ll have to drop the rent if we can’t rent to more than two unrelated students). Any suggestions? –Sharon and Matt D.

A: When large universities rely substantially on the local town to house their students, it’s common to hear neighbors complain of noise, traffic and diminution of property values. Zoning ordinances like the one you describe are a likely response, and none other than the U.S. Supreme Court has blessed them.

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Posted by Kim Ezzell on 04.25.2008. CLICK to Leave a Comment »

Filed under: AAOA Forum

Don’t Refinance for the Wrong Reasons

by Ilyce Glink

Inman News

The economy is going through a rough patch, and the stock market is well below its all-time high. Mortgage rates have been dropping since the end of last year.

For homeowners, that can mean only one thing: It’s time to think about refinancing your mortgage.

“If you can save on the interest you’re paying, then it’s time to do a mortgage refinance,” explains Fred Glick, managing member of US Loans Mortgage LLC, a Philadelphia-based mortgage broker.

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Posted by Kim Ezzell on 04.25.2008. CLICK to Leave a Comment »

Filed under: AAOA Forum, Financing

Friday Murder Mystery Game

Dear Readers,

Our crime has been solved, thanks to your clever detective work.  After months of watching in horror, I’m afraid Louisa May finally snapped when Shawn refused to recycle, on Earth Day of all days! 

Congratulations, Keith, on your winning guess. 

Honorable Mention goes out to Clint for his astute (but unappetizing) guess.  How did he know that the boss’s wife is in fact from a small town in Switzerland where her family runs a famous restaurant.  Coincidence?  I wonder.

Thanks to Shawn and Louisa for playing along.  No hard feelings, right guys? 

(Note to self:  Consider hiring a food taster.)

________________________________________________________

POLICE REPORT

Last Tuesday, 22 April, received report that janitor found the body of AAOA tech support employee Shawn slumped in his chair in front of his computer.  Co-workers interviewed reported that Shawn always looked  like that when he was working so no one noticed that he was stone-cold dead. When officers arrived at 1900 hrs, the room had grown dark, but an officer noticed the light switch was on. The janitor told officers that he came into the room as he does every weekday to empty the trash can, but it is missing from the office.  Janitor reports typical contents for this office trash can include: eight 6 oz. plastic water bottles, two empty cans Red Bull, newspaper sections typically folded origamically, as in a pirate’s hat configuration. Victim had typed out an interoffice email near the estimated time of death, but it appears to be in some kind of geek-speak that is of yet indiscernible. It has been forwarded to NASA for further analysis. Meanwhile, the only other lead at this time, aside from victim’s unexplained sticky fingers, is a trail of windows he left open on his computer screen.  These are the last three pages he visited:

Link One

Link Two

Link Three

What was Shawn trying to tell us? 

Be the first to guess correctly and win a $25 Gift Certificate (to your choice of Starbucks, Target, Office Max, Lowe’s or Home Depot.)

The correct answer MUST include:  

WHO

HOW, and

WHY this crime was committed.

YOUR ANSWER MUST BE SPECIFIC. Details are everything when it comes to solving a crime.

CONTEST RULES

BY COMMENTING BELOW, YOU ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YOU HAVE READ THESE RULES

1.  There can be only one winner per contest.  Our winner is determined as the first person to guess the correct answer.

2.  You must place guesses in the comments section of THIS blog entry. Do not call or email – it doesn’t count.

3.  Each comment can only contain one possible answer. You can comment any number of times.

4.  We have designated the correct answer in advance. That is the only answer that will be accepted. Competing answers that fit some or all of the clues will not be considered. It is in the sole discretion of the blog editor to determine the winner.

5.  You cannot cheat. If you cheat, you will be disqualified. Cheating is any device you come up with that gives you an unfair advantage over other participants.  This includes, but is not limited to, loading your comments with piles of data that may also include the correct answer buried inside, like the phone book or city name directory, use of some superstatistical computer or program, any form of hacking, spying or other devious means. It is solely up to the discretion of the blog editor to determine if you cheated.    

6.  We must be able to mail you your prize. Once you have been identified as a winner, we will contact you via email to obtain your mailing address.  If we cannot contact you, or you do not provide the address or other information required by law within thirty days of request, the prize will be forfeited.  No other winner will be chosen.

7.  If you knew the answer before this posting, or are an AAOA insider, you are disqualified.

8.  If your guess gets caught in the spam filter, or is otherwise lost in Internet limbo, that guess is disqualified.  Check the comment section to insure that your guess landed on the page.

9. This contest will terminate no later than thirty days from the date the last clue is posted.

10 This contest is void anywhere and under any circumstances that it is illegal.

11.  This contest is terminated if computer or Internet glitches render it impossible.

American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services related to your commercial housing investment, including real estate forms, tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, insurance and financing.  Find out more at www.joinaaoa.org.

To subscribe to our blog, click here.

Posted by Kim Ezzell on 04.24.2008. 8 Comments »

Filed under: AAOA Forum

City Roofs Are in Blossom, Corporate Buildings Abloom

Submitted by Louisa May

The cities of Chicago, Atlanta, Portland, and Seattle have something in common these days, and this commonality embraces not only civic responsibility for improving the environment but the idea that small effects can lead to big changes. 

This idea is known as the “butterfly effect,” or the beginning of chaos theory. A scientific concept proposed by MIT professor Edward Lorenz in the 1960’s, this example illustrates sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Something as minuscule as a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil changes the constantly moving atmosphere in ways that could trigger a tornado in Oklahoma.  

So, too with rooftops. A green rooftop in Argentina can affect the quality of life for swallows returning to the Mission in San Juan Capistrano and enhance the oxygen cycle for people living in L.A. Rooftops are turning green with more and more frequency now that ecologists, architects, and manufacturers are beginning to learn from each other. 

A green roof is a roof of a building that is at least partially covered with vegetation and soil, and its most basic design is dirt and grass planted over a waterproof membrane such as rubber. But green roofs aren’t just for chicken coops and storage sheds anymore. Professional green roof systems were developed in Germany in the 1960’s and have just taken awhile to catch on in the US. Today, sophisticated green roofs are appearing everywhere across the country. 

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Posted by Kim Ezzell on 04.24.2008. CLICK to Leave a Comment »

Filed under: Going Green

Questions and Answers About Real Estate: Part Four

By Phil Halverson, Esq., Halverson & Associates
Reprinted from an article published by the Bar Association

BACKGROUND

This article discusses common legal questions that arise in the purchase and sale of real estate.

Buyers and sellers of real estate sign contracts and make important personal, financial and legal decisions. It is intended to help buyers and sellers of property make informed decisions when making or accepting offers, seeking financing or transferring title to real estate.

Real estate is probably the single largest acquisition a person will ever make. It is important to consider these obligations when deciding to purchase property.

Click here to see Part One

Click here to see Part Two

Click here to see Part Three

20. How Do I Find Out The Condition Of The Property?
It is important to ask questions about the property before signing any type of agreement, offer or contract to purchase. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by Kim Ezzell on 04.21.2008. 3 Comments »

Filed under: AAOA Forum