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 Marketing “Dead” Building Space
Billboards: Let’s start at the top. If your building is near a major thoroughfare, you roof is a source of valuable income for very low maintenance. By placing a sign atop your structure, you can generate a monthly rental without doing a thing. A sign company changes the advertising which you can market yourself or sub out to an agency. Down at street level you might be able to place more signage that advertises local businesses. These signs are much smaller in nature and usually would be placed for longer periods of time. You have to give credit where credit is due.
 Last month, we reported on a city’s new ‘green’ plan that had landlords seeing red. Boulder, Colorado’s “SmartRegs” program placed the burden on landlords to lower their tenants’ energy usage. See New Regs: Tenants Win, Landlords Pay.
The plan requires landlords to upgrade rental properties before a rental license can be renewed.
Opponents sited concern that the program wouldn’t work because ultimately tenants control their own energy usage.
But now, the Emerald City is offering to put its money where its mouth is by launching a pilot program to give free energy upgrades to rental property owners.
Once the upgrades are in place, the city is in a better position to monitor the success of the SmartRegs program.
At no cost to the property owner, buildings or units will be analyzed for energy efficiency and upgrades will be completed to meet proposed energy efficiency code requirements. So, if you own a rental property in Boulder, here’s your opportunity to go green without paying the high price. But hurry! Applications must be in by January 15. A complete program application, including building criteria and program conditions, can be found at www.bouldercolorado.gov/pds/smartregs/application. Applications can be submitted:
For more information about the SmartRegs project, visit www.bouldercolorado.gov/smartregs. See our feature, Making Every Dollar Count: Money Saving Tip for Landlords.
American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services for landlords related to your real estate investment including REAL ESTATE FORMS, tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, insurance and financing. Find out more at joinaaoa.
To subscribe to our blog, click here. 5 tips to lower heating bills in the coming months
by David Lowe Farmer’s Almanac is predicting below average temperatures for 75 percent of the country.  Here are five things owners and landlords can do to get ready and reduce their utility bills — and they are easier to do now when it is still warm than wait until winter. Caulk and seal all windows and doors. Ensure their is no outside air leaking into the house. Also, add insulation to your attic and crawl spaces. Change your air filters. Service your furnace or boiler now. Not when the first cold hits and the HVAC companies are the busiest. Also, many utility customers don’t realize that they have an annual service plan that includes a free annual tune up. Check with your utility company first.
Install a programmable thermostat. One of the easiest ways to save by setting back the temperature at times when the home is unoccupied. ControlTemp thermostats can run on a schedule to automatically adjust the temperature through the day and tenants are prevented from disabling the schedule.
Check www.energystar.gov for a list of rebates in your area for energy saving products. Some utilities and municipalities are offering great rebates such as in Charlottesville, VA the town will reimburse you up to $100 toward the purchase of a programmable thermostat.
David Lowe is a property manager and co-founder of ControlTemp Thermostats, providing tamper-proof programmable thermostats. Check out ControlTempThermostats.com for more information.
See our Green Forum for more energy savings tips. American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services for landlords related to your real estate investment including REAL ESTATE FORMS, tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, insurance and financing. Find out more at joinaaoa. To subscribe to our blog, click here.
This offer is part of AAOA’s new Super Saver discount buyer’s plan that can save you serious money on everyday business needs. Super Saver is available to AAOA members for just $19.99. Super Saver is free with our Premium membership.
Leveraging the power of our large membership base, we have teamed with Staples, FedEx, and Sprint to offer you deep discounts that you won’t find elsewhere on phone, shipping and office supplies. In addition, FedEx is offering up to 50% off its standard shipping prices with the AAOA Super Saver plan. Staples is offering AAOA members access to its exclusive “Unbelievable” catalog, featuring over 4,000 items at significantly lower prices than the standard catalog, plus free shipping on orders over $50. Be sure to order your free Unbelievable catalog when you place your first order with Staples.
“These are some of the best discounts available,” says Dan Page, AAOA’s Business Development Director. New partners are being added regularly so watch for annoucements of great deals for our members. “Participation in Super Saver is just twenty bucks, but it can save you hundreds of dollars annually,” says Page. The new Super Saver plan is available to all AAOA members. If you are a member, just log in and follow the Super Saver icon to sign up. Super Saver is free for Premium members. Other members can add on the program for just $19.99. See more at Super Saver, or look for the Super Saver icon on the site at www.joinaaoa.
American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services for landlords related to your real estate investment including REAL ESTATE FORMS, tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, insurance and financing. Find out more at joinaaoa. To subscribe to our blog, click here.  We’ve brought you dozens of money saving tips over the year. Here’s a countdown of some of the best technology and money making ideas of 2008, so you can save even more in 2009:The simplest, easiest ways to lower your costs:
1. Over liners. These drip-catching, energy saving liners are CHEAP, and save you a bundle. See Make Oven Cleaning a Thing of The Past.
2. Recycling electricity. A simple appliance can save you as much as 25% on energy costs in your office, common areas, and rental spaces.
3. Keyless entry systems. No need to re-key each time a tenant moves out, plus an easy way to provide security when vendors need to come on site. For more, read Keyless Entry, 5 Ways to Save Money.
Put Money in Your Pocket, and a Smile On Your Face:
4. Part-time rentals. Are you away from home part of the year? Do you have a get-away home? Find out how you can rent part-time without paying out in taxes. See Put Part-Time Rental Cash in Your Pocket.
5. Tenant Debt Collection. Do you have old, uncollected tenant debt? You need to read Are You Leaving Money In Your File Drawer?
6. On-site Vending Machines. From beverage delivery to tenant recreation, these machines can offer landlords additional income. Check out the possibilities in Vending Machines Bring in Extra Income.
7. Common area laundry. Not only an environmentally sound choice, but a great way to earn a little income and save on burdensome maintenance repairs. See how it works in Are You Taking Advantage of This Revenue Stream?
Reap the Rewards of Proper Planning:
8. 1031 Exchange Fees. Using an exchange agent who pays you interest on your funds can pay for your exchange fees. Find out how in Interest on Your Funds Can Pay for Your 1031 Exchange.
9. Avoiding over-insuring. Don’t throw money away on a too-beefy property insurance policy. Learn more in Over-Insuring Is Killing Your Profits.
And last but not least, use preemption to avoid costly tenant disputes:
10. Minimizing tenant property damages. You have options when facing a messy tenant eviction. Learn more in How to Evict Tenants Without Property Damage.
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.
Franchising is a booming business concept that allows entrepreneurs to be in business for themselves, but not by themselves, providing a potential business owner with a chance to align with a recognized brand and proven method of doing business. Franchises account for more than $1-trillion in annual sales, according to industry source, FranData.
 Franchise giant Little Caesars is focusing on giving back to those who have served their country. It’s goal is to provide honorably discharged veterans with a business opportunity when they transition to civilian life or seek a career change, and thank them for the sacrifices they and their families made for our country.
Founder Michael Ilitch, himself a former Marine, understands what it’s like to face life transitions.
The Little Caesars Veterans Program provides the following benefits for all qualified honorably discharged veterans:
Service-disabled veterans are eligible for additional benefits, including a waived franchising fee ($20,000), additional financing options and benefits, a $10,000 credit on the initial equipment order and grand opening marketing support from leading national companies.
The total benefit for service-disabled veterans can be approximately $68,000.
For more information on this and other franchise opportunities, Click Here.
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. by Bill and Kevin Burnett, Inman News
Is it better to remove the old insulation, then install new insulation? Or can I leave the old insulation, remove the metal strips and fit the new insulation into the space? Another option would be to leave the old insulation and use a foil insulation product to enclose the ceiling.
There are three easy ways to add big impact in the kitchen without the bloated price tag of an overhaul: (more…) by Dian Hymer, Inman News Part One: Home Office Deduction May Include Your Garage written by Kevin Clark
Certain requirements must be met, so be sure to consult with a tax adviser.
For more Tax Tips and Tax Saving Web Tools like DepreciateEm.com and DeferEm.com, check out TReXGlobal.com.
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.   Add Super Saver to any membership for only $ 19.95! 
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You need more money. The rent roll doesn’t cut it and the banks won’t return your phone calls. Before the ulcers set in, there might be some ways to squeeze more juice from the lemon.
Through June 30, 2009, Sprint is offering $100 to AAOA members who transfer phone service. In addition, if you purchase a qualifying plan, you will receive discounts from 17% and up on service, including special discounts on corporate plans.
Q: I have an open ceiling in my garage that is insulated with paper-backed R-13 batts with the fiberglass exposed and held in place by metal strips. The ceiling has a lot of pipes and wires running over the ceiling joists.I plan to install poly-encapsulated R-19 batts into these spaces.
Money spent on kitchen upgrades has remained a good investment for your rental property. But with the housing market is flux, saving money on kitchen upgrades makes even more sense. 
Imagine going on a job interview looking shabby, or trying to sell your car for a good price when it’s filthy and loaded with stuff. In a competitive market, you wouldn’t do well.The same can be said about selling your home. If it looks neglected and in need of work, some buyers won’t even take a look. This is particularly the case in today’s market where, in many parts of the country, there are far more homeowners anxious to sell than there are buyers interested in buying. 
Expenses for your home office or workshop used to manage your rental property are considered deductible expenses only if you used a portion of your home exclusively and on a regular basis as your principal place of business.Even your garage may be considered storage for your tractor to cut the grass or to hold furnishings you supply.
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