RESIDENTIALResource

p11

Do you have the entrepreneurial spirit to succeed?

p16

What do you know about curling? And we’re not talking about your hair.

p20

Are you a broker? Then, familiarize yourself with the FIRPTA tax law.

RESIDENTIALResource

THE OFFICIAL MONTHLY NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MANAGERS

By providing

smokefree housing,

property owners and managers can increase revenue, decrease costs, improve compliance with state laws, and improve your residents’ quality of life and health. See page 8.

February 2014 ISSUE | 638 INDEPENDENCE PARKWAY, SUITE 100, CHESAPEAKE, VA 23320 USA | WWW.NARPM.ORG

IN THIS ISSUE February 2014 T he mi s sio n of t he N at io nal A s s o c i at io n of Re si dent i al Pr o p er t y M anag er s i s to sup p o r t p r of e s sio nal and e t hic al p r ac t ic e s of r ent al ho me manag ement t hr oug h ne t wo r k ing , e du c at io n, and de sig nat io n .

FEATURE ARTICLES p8

What’s Trending? Smokefree Multi-Unit Housing Karen Blumenfeld, Esq., Executive Director of Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy (GASP), explains how smokefree housing can increase revenue, decrease costs, improve compliance with state laws, and improve your residents’ quality of life and health.

p11

How to Succeed When Others Fail Cary Efurd, MPM® RMP®, finds that mental fitness and alertness play a big role in his 10 items to consider when promoting your business and making yourself successful as an entrepreneur.

p16

2014 Past Presidents’ Charity Curling Event Dave Holt, MPM® RMP®, has chosen the Special Olympics as his charity this year. He asks you to join him “on the ice” for this exciting fundraising opportunity. Better start studying the curling vocabulary, so you can “rock!”

p20

Brokers, Do You Know To Which Transactions FIRPTA Applies? Richard Hart, EA, CAA, President of Hart & Associates Tax Consulting and Preparation Services, a NARPM® Affiliate Member, clarifies The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (FIRPTA), a law affecting certain real estate transactions. He explains to which transactions FIRPTA applies and how brokers should comply with it.

8 11

MONTHLY COLUMNS

16

p5

President’s Message

p6

From the Desk of the Executive Director

p12

Technology Matters

p14

Legislative Scoop

p15

Designation Classes

p18

Regional Communications

p22

Chapter Spotlight

p24

Membership Growth

p26

Ambassador Program

February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 3

Officers

Editorial Mission

Since 1989, the NARPM® news magazine has been a key focal point for the organization. The Residential Resource keeps members up-to-date on association events, and provides valuable industry advice and insight. NARPM® members receive the Residential Resource as part of their membership, included in their annual dues. The Residential Resource is published monthly, with one combined issue for October/ November. Articles can be submitted by e-mail to [email protected]. Items mailed in for publication cannot be returned. Address changes may be forwarded to NARPM® National. The Communications Chair and Graphic Designer reserve the right to edit or refuse all publications for content and selection. Copyright © 2014 National Association of Residential Property Managers. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced or translated without written permission. E-mail publications@ narpm.org for reprint permission. Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers, staff or members of NARPM®. Any legal matters or advice mentioned herein should be discussed with an attorney, accountant or other professional before use in a particular state or situation. NARPM® does not endorse any advertisement in this publication. All readers are responsible for their own investigation and use of the products advertised. The Residential Resource is designed for the members of the National Association of Residential Property Managers by Organization Management Group, Inc. in Chesapeake, Virginia. (www.managegroup.com)

NARPM® National

638 Independence Parkway, Suite 100 Chesapeake, VA 23320 P: 800-782-3452 F: 866-466-2776 www.narpm.org An award-winning publication, the Residential Resource has won a 2009 & 2007 APEX Award of Excellence, a 2006 Gold MarCom Creative Award, and a 2006 Communicator Award of Distinction for Print Media.

4 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2

Stephen Foster, MPM RMP CCIM® President [email protected] 210-340-1717 ®

®

Andrew Propst, MPM® RMP® CPM® President-Elect [email protected] 208-377-3227

John R. Bradford, III, MPM® RMP® Treasurer [email protected] 704-334-2626 James Emory Tungsvik, MPM® RMP® Past President [email protected] 253-852-3000

Regional Vice Presidents Leeann Ghiglione, MPM® RMP® [email protected] 206-286-1100 Richard Vierra, RMP® [email protected] 808-293-6436 Steve Schultz, RMP® [email protected] 520-780-7888

Deb Newell, MPM® RMP® [email protected] / [email protected]

952-808-9700

Bart Sturzl, MPM® RMP® [email protected] 512-693-4772 Elizabeth Morgan, MPM® RMP® [email protected] 727-849-9400

Committee Chairs Tracey Norris, MPM® RMP® Communications [email protected] 830-625-8065

Chrysztyna Rowek Perry, MPM® RMP® Professional Development [email protected] 360-698-3829

Kellie Tollifson, MPM® RMP® Member Services [email protected] 425-485-1800

Heidi Hartman, MPM® RMP® Governmental Affairs [email protected] 360-535-8104

John R. Bradford, III, MPM® RMP® Finance [email protected] 704-334-2626

James Emory Tungsvik, MPM® RMP® Nominating [email protected] 253-852-3000

NARPM® National Gail S. Phillips, CAE Executive Director [email protected] Tiffany Jones Education Manager [email protected]

Alice Baldwin Longo Member Services Director [email protected] Patricia Hartline Communications, Graphic Designer [email protected]

Cathy Spruiell Member and Chapter Support [email protected]

Carla Earnest, CMP Conferences & Conventions Coordinator [email protected]

Andrew Sinclair Governmental Affairs Director [email protected]

Lisa Nixon Advertising Sales Rep (Print/Electronic Media) [email protected]

President’s Message “I want to tie the “Foundation” theme to our professional side and use architecture to give you an example of how one might approach their business.”

Howdy NARPM®! Make sure you plan to come to the Broker/Owner Retreat at the Bellagio in Las Vegas this month on February 24-26, 2014. This event is about members teaching members and is one of our most popular. I hope to see you there. In the January issue, I talked about the “Foundation” theme for 2014. I mentioned health as the main building block to the foundation of our lives. If you are curious about how what we eat affects this building block, watch the documentary “Forks Over Knives” that advocates a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet as a means of combating a number of diseases. It might spur you on to further study, as it did me. I want to tie the “Foundation” theme to our professional side and use architecture to give you an example of how one might approach their business. When a client approaches an architect with the intent of having a building designed and built, the method many architects use is based on a process that involves six steps. These steps are as follows: Programming, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Negotiating, and Construction. How, you are probably asking, does this apply to property management? We may use many of these steps in each phase of our business. During the programming step, the architect meets with the client and they discuss the client’s wants, needs, physical param-

eters, budget, and timeline. They come up with an agreed upon scope of work, approximate cost, and time to completion. Look back in time at your business. If you were to begin today, the Broker/Owner would set the number of units you want to manage to create the income stream needed to satisfy the economic needs and existence of the business. You would also determine the type of management style you want to use, whether it is portfolio, departmental or a hybrid. In the schematic design step, the architect explores this scope of work to come up with spatial relationships of areas needed to meet the client’s needs. They look at the physical relationship of these areas to determine the most efficient workflow. Finally, they produce rough drawings to help determine the appearance of the structure. The Broker/Owner would create a rough business plan that would look at the number of employees needed, how the business would be capitalized, and how business clients are to be obtained. Through the design development step, the architect is finalizing the various room sizes and locations, developing specifications for materials and finishes, and reviewing the legal aspects of the building via building codes. The architect then coordinates development of the building with structural, civil and mechanical engineers. The Broker/Owner is determining the size of office space they would

need, reviewing the property codes and licensing laws that affect the business, and developing policy and procedures. During the construction documents step, with the client’s approval, the architect prepares the working drawings and specifications, and may also help with the bidding documents. The Broker/Owner completes the business plan, completes the policy and procedures, decides on an office size and layout, and obtains the required licenses. Lastly, during the negotiating and construction steps, the client chooses and hires a contractor. The architect may be involved with the bidding process, as well as the agreement between the client and the contractor. During the negotiating part, the Broker/Owner seeks to lease or purchase the office space needed to house the business. Then, you must lease or purchase the furniture and equipment needed and hire staff to operate the business. I consider the construction process to be the operation of the business, as it is ever developing and changing. In conclusion, you can look at each of these six steps individually and divide Continued on page 9 “Pres Message”

NARPM®’s Foundation by President Foster My recogniton this month goes to all those

NARPM® members who have given their time and dedication to serve as chairs and

vice chairs for our national committees. Thank you!

Stephen D. Foster, MPM® RMP® 2014 NARPM® President

February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 5

From the

Desk

of the

Executive Director Gail S. Phillips, CAE

The volunteers have been hard at work, putting together events that will allow time for education and networking.

In Virginia, the deep freeze is upon us. I am looking forward to February as we kick off the first spring events, and I hope to see you at one of them. Have you been online to check out the details of all the regional events that are planned? The volunteers have been hard at work, putting together events that will allow time for education and networking. Make sure you check out the details at http://www.narpm.org/conferences/ regional-conferences/index.htm. Remember to make your hotel reservations early, before cut off dates arrive, and you end up paying more. If you are a chapter leader, make sure you attend the leadership training that is being presented at all the regional events, with the exception of Pacific Southwest. The course has been modified in 2014 and will deal with what to do as a leader and setting goals to help you run your chapter. I think you will find this course very beneficial as it will be conducted by the NARPM® leadership. In 2013, NARPM® closed a fundraising effort for members in Colorado who experienced severe damage to properties. The funds that were raised from this effort enabled NARPM® to send some assistance to Gene and Linda Whannel with Range Property Management and Judy Lorenz. We ask that you keep them in your thoughts as they continue to rebuild their homes and businesses. Did you hear that NARPM® reduced the costs for online only education courses? This means that any course that is not also offered as a classroom course can be taken online for $99. Go to http:// www.narpm.org/education/online.htm and sign up for the HR: Start to Finish and the soon-to-

6 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2

be-released Finance and Property Management course. Check out all the classes that are offered. Your chapter gets a rebate for all classes that are taken by members of their chapter. Planning is underway for the Presidents’ Charity Event to be held at the 2014 Convention in Minnesota. Curling is the event chosen by Past President Dave Holt, MPM® RMP®. Curling is an Olympic event and, with that in mind, Special Olympics was chosen as the Past Presidents’ charity of choice. Sign up early, as the event will be a huge success and don’t forget to make your donation to help Special Olympics! You will be seeing the beginning of the free monthly webinars. Watch your emails for details and program schedules. The NARPM® partner, Rent Manager®, will be sponsoring these events and we know you will enjoy the education they bring to you. If you miss the email reminders, you can keep up to date with the scheduled events at http://www.narpm.org/about/echapters. Along with these webinars, AppFolio will be offering members a free session on Tuesday, February 11 at 11 am pacific, 12 (noon) mountain, 1 pm central, and 2 pm eastern time. Check out the website for details. Another month comes to a close. Stay warm and be safe, and I hope to see you in the next few months! 

Gail S. Phillips, CAE NARPM® Executive Director

2014 EVENTS Personal, professional and company growth are the direct results of NARPM® at the grassroots level of our chapters. It’s where the core energy of NARPM® resides, and the conferences organized by the local chapters are key to many of the National Association’s accomplishments. The NARPM® Broker/Owner Retreat is for Designated Brokers, Company Owners, Regional Managers, and major decision makers. You won’t want to miss our 26th Annual Convention in Minneapolis where you will continue to learn about NARPM®’s foundation.

Event

Date Hotel

City

Central Regional

February 6-7

Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark

Austin, TX

Broker/Owner Retreat

February 24-26

Bellagio

Las Vegas, NV

Pacific Southwest Regional February 27

Bellagio

Las Vegas, NV

Eastern Regional

April 24-25

Holiday Inn Inner Harbor

Baltimore, MD

Northwest Regional

May 16-17

Embassy Suites Washington Square Portland, OR

26th Annual Convention

October 22-24

Hyatt Regency

Minneapolis, MN

For registration information and more details on these and other upcoming association events, check out the NARPM® website at http://www.narpm.org/conferences/conferences.htm THE

Foundation OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Credits for photos in circles. Top left: The Bellagio, Top right: Visit Baltimore, Bottom left: ACVB/ Jean-Michel Dufaux, Bottom center: Mall of America, Bottom right: Portland CVB.

February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 7

What’s Trending?

Smokefree Multi-Unit Housing Karen Blumenfeld, Esq., is Executive Director of Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy (GASP), a nonprofit with a mission to promote tobacco-free lives. Her 20+ years of experience include expertise in smokefree housing. She provides extensive technical assistance to property developers, managers and residents. Karen presented at the National Healthy Housing Conferences and the NJ Governor’s Conference on Housing, and provided resources to the Property Owners Association of New Jersey.

How can multi-unit housing (MUH) property owners reduce operating expenses and create a healthier, greener environment for their tenants and employees? By implementing 100% smokefree policies for their MUH properties. It’s the newest trend in both affordable and market rate MUH. Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy (GASP) is a New Jersey-based nonprofit organization that provides educational resources on smokefree MUH to property owners, managers, developers and residents. GASP provides technical assistance to property owners, managers and developers who want to create a smokefree policy for their buildings and outdoor property. While we provide assistance, GASP also tracks smokefree multi-unit housing in the state, which is a resource for tenants in search of smokefree MUH in New Jersey, and can drive business to the listed smokefree MUH properties. We also provide help to resolve situations where second-hand smoke is migrating into private units or common areas of MUH, whether from outdoors or another private unit. Approximately 85% of New Jersey adults are

unit rehab costs provided to the Northwest TobaccoFree Partnership showed that while a non-smoking unit might cost $560 to rehab, a smoking-permitted unit’s rehab could be expected to cost $3,515. Smokefree MUH policies can result in less strain on ventilation systems, reducing the need for expensive repairs and labor costs, and may lower energy costs. Smoking is the #2 cause of MUH fires, so some 100% smokefree properties may be eligible for discounts on property/casualty insurance. Making outdoor MUH property smokefree as well helps reduce the fire risk to plants and shrubs, lowers outdoor maintenance costs by decreasing the quantity of tobacco litter, and provides healthful environments for tenants to enjoy the outdoor premises. Loan, grant and tax-credit applications may offer points for 100% smokefree policies, as do some green building and green management programs. For example, the Enterprise Green Communities application awards nine optional points for implementation and enforcement of a no-smoking policy in all common and individual living areas and outdoors

Smokefree policies can increase your property values and add a premium to rental rates. . . nonsmokers, so demand for smokefree housing is high. Smokefree policies can increase your property values and add a premium to rental rates, since nonsmoking tenants perceive 100% smokefree MUH as an amenity and a health necessity. Furthermore, thirdhand smoke, the residue left behind by first- and secondhand smoke that smells like stale smoke, can be a deal breaker for many prospective tenants, particularly families and individuals suffering from chronic diseases made worse by exposure to these toxins. Cost savings are a key driver to MUH going smokefree. Drastically reducing unit rehabilitation costs and time can shorten turnaround for re-renting a unit, all of which improves the bottom line. A UCLA School of Medicine study published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2011 found that that units in which smoking was permitted had average smoking-related expenses of $5,000. Similarly, a breakdown of typical

8 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2

within 25 feet of all residential projects. Check with your state’s finance mortgage agency to see if their Qualified Tax Allocation Plan, or QAP, provides financial incentives for smokefree housing policies, as do Arizona, California, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Vermont and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota. New Jersey’s QAP does not yet offer this tax credit, but we are hopeful that next year the state will consider amending its QAP to offer a smokefree housing incentive that’s a win-win for property owners’ bottom line and residents’ health. In addition to the costs savings and financial benefits of smokefree MUH, some MUH property owners and managers are instituting 100% smokefree MUH policies in anticipation of future changes in the law intended to protect MUH residents from second- and third-hand smoke. An April 2011 article in UNITS

October 22 - 24, 2014

d

ct

21 .

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, MN

the

Foundation Of property management February 2014 Issue | Volume 25

Ba c by kgro u Gr eg nd p h Be nz oto . pro vid e

them into six steps of their own. There are many different methods to plan. This is one that the architectural profession has come to teach and use. I hope this gives each of you a little insight into my thought process and some of the reasons for choosing “Foundation” as this year’s theme. 

Save the date...

du cat ion cla sse sb eg *P in reOc Co t2 nv 0. en tio na cti vit ies be gin O

Continued from page 5 “Pres Message”

NARPM® 2014 Annual Convention and Trade Show

*E

Magazine reported that management companies are implementing smokefree policies “…to stay ahead of the curve, as many industry experts predict government-mandated non-smoking standards for the multifamily housing industry in the next five to ten years.” Since 2006, the New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act (SFAA) requires that all indoor common areas in multi-unit housing be smokefree (NJSA 26:3D-57). Smoking at outdoor areas is also prohibited if smoking in those areas results in smoke entering indoor common areas at any time (NJAC 8:6-2.3(a)). Moreover, the 2007 New Jersey Department of Health Rules authorized by the SFAA give establishments permission to set restrictions on smoking greater than those required by the SFAA (NJAC 8:6-2.1(c)). Offering a smokefree MUH environment is an opportunity to provide a healthier living space for residents and employees, especially children, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases. Federal agencies are encouraging such policies. HUD has issued several notices in the recent years recommending that individual HUD properties institute smokefree policies. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention also supports 100% smokefree policies for public, affordable and market rate MUH. Leading the pack are some states, counties and towns across the USA that are enacting laws and policies to prevent residents and MUH workers from being exposed to second- and third-hand smoke. Of the approximately15% of adults who smoke, 70% want to quit and find that smokefree environments help them quit. Providing smoking cessation resources to tenants who smoke can help them quit smoking, which may improve their health and aid in compliance with a smokefree MUH policy. The New Jersey State Department of Health offers a free Quitline service to help adult smokers quit at 1-866-NJSTOPS. Other free smoking cessation resources are on the GASP website at www.njgasp.org/quit-tobacco. htm. Smokefree environments can also discourage children from starting to smoke. By providing smokefree housing, property owners and managers can increase revenue, decrease costs, improve compliance with state laws and improve your residents’ quality of life and health. Interested in your MUH going smokefree? Visit GASP’s website at www.njgasp.org and contact us at [email protected] or (908) 273-9368 for more information and resources. Contact GASP with your MUH information and we’ll be happy to add that to GASP’s smokefree MUH tracking list for prospective residents. Residential Resource Note: Please check your state’s policies on smokefree housing laws and incentives. 

| Number 2 | 9

Document damages with photos and attach to inspection report View directions to the next property via the app

Take photo and make note of broken blind; automatically syncs with Propertyware record Receive alert about schedule change

Take the Easy Route to Inspections Don’t have your inspection team waste valuable time checking into the office for assignments and updates. The Propertyware Mobile Inspections app gives them the information and freedom to spend more time onsite with capabilities like: • View and schedule inspections • Add unlimited photos and notes • Get directions to the next property Make inspections hassle-free for everyone and boost productivity.

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www.propertyware.com | 360 Third Street, Suite 450, San Francisco, CA 94107 | 415-455-2400 ©2013 RealPage, Inc. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

10 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2

How to Succeed

When Others Fail There is a quote I have Scotch taped on the veneer panel of my desk near my computer screen. I look at it often, especially when I want to blame someone else for a problem I am trying to solve. It reads, “I got myself into this mess, and it’s up to me to get myself out. I’ll observe my actions, my thoughts, my feelings, and then I’ll look for a solution. I’ll seek advice if necessary, but I know it’s not up to an advisor to overcome my problems; it’s up to me.” There is a lot of mental fortitude that is required of any entrepreneur. Mental fitness and alertness is more important than physical fitness when it comes to running a business and succeeding in anything, be it getting through the first grade or graduating at the top of the class of an Ivy League college. Even the physically fit athlete relies on mental fitness and alertness for success. I sat next to a man at breakfast this morning who had been stricken with polio at the age of four. He proceeded to graduate from a top-notch school, passed the bar exam, married, raised a family and

2.

3.

4.

5. 6.

ceeding. Live with enthusiasm and focus on delivering quality service. Accept that you are not the smartest person in the world, and hang around people who are smart in the field of your entrepreneurial endeavor. Find people to do what you can’t do well and find people that will do what you don’t enjoy doing. Let these people do their special work for you. There is an attitude that goes along with having people do the work you can’t do well and the work you don’t want to do. Its essence stems from a vision of seeing and treating these special people as working with you, and not working for you. Seeing to it that everyone works in one accord for the common good, is the successful entrepreneur’s greatest accomplishment. The entrepreneur’s attitude and knowing that people are the most important elements of

Mental fitness and alertness is more important than physical fitness when it comes to running a business and succeeding in anything. . . has enjoyed a successful career for over 40 years. He didn’t lay down his spirit of enthusiasm for life just because he couldn’t walk and run like everyone else. He saw that it was up to him to overcome his problems. He did and does. I know people who are better at a lot of things than I am. For example, I perform poorly when it comes to accounting, web production, and social media, and to tell the truth, I perform poorly at much of what it takes to operate my business successfully. For the things that I am not good at, I hire people to do them for me. Here are 10 things that will make you successful as an entrepreneur. 1. B  e an educated risk taker in a field of great interest to you and become passionate about suc-

Cary Efurd, MPM® RMP®, is president of Efurd Properties, CRMC®, and the family of companies, Efurd Maintenance and Efurd Realty. Cary began his career in property management in 1998. Efurd Properties, becoming a CRMC® company in 2010, was established in 2005, with management of a $600.00 a month 1 bedroom condo. Efurd Properties, CRMC® has grown into management of over 500 doors in the DFW metroplex and continues growth. Efurd’s approach to growth is tempered with the commitment to always have infrastructure in place to support excellent service.

successful entrepreneurship, is paramount, whether co-workers, clients or customers. 7. All entrepreneurs should be driven by service. A service-driven entrepreneur is the most successful kind of entrepreneur. Service is about serving people. People love to be served. Think about your last visit to a nice restaurant when you were served magnificently. At the end, you likely paid handsomely for a wonderful meal and then gladly forked over a nice tip. TIP is an acronym for “To Insure Promptness.” 8. People will live up to and perform according to the entrepreneur’s belief in them. Give people every opportunity to succeed with you by training and providing a proper work environment. Praise Continued on page 19 “Succeed”

February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 11

Technology Matters S hedding s o me ligh t o n t he man y m y steries o f o u r fast- paced High -tec h wo rl d

Technology Matters: Myth Busting

Michael Mino is president and CEO of PropertyBoss Solutions, a provider of property management software. A serial entrepreneur, he has started a number of software technology firms and became a landlord in 1977 when he purchased his first rental units. PropertyBoss Solutions is a NARPM® Affiliate Member. For more information about Michael or PropertyBoss Solutions, visit propertyboss.com or call Michael at 864.297.7661 x26.

Technology is a fast-moving area and it can be a challenge to keep up. We are continually barraged with new discoveries and pundits thrusting their perspectives. The internet is full of experts spreading what seems like helpful information, but is more often just misinformation. How do we separate the truth from fiction? The following nuggets of conventional wisdom are examined to dissect the grains of truth from the remaining legend. Expensive Cables = Best Signal Quality After spending low-to-medium four figures on a high-definition television and accessories, it is easy to succumb to the sales tactic that you should also buy a high-quality HDMI cable. Save your money, the $100 version will most likely provide you with no better results than the $10 item. This traditional wisdom of the audio/video world was true when the connections were analog in nature. An analog audio or video signal is subject to interference and noise as it travels from one component to another. The original sound or image representation is not the same (distorted or lost) at the receiving end. Today’s digital standards (DVI, HDMI, Lightning) are transmitted as either ON or OFF and include error detection and correction. The signal either “makes it” or not. You will see white (or black) squares on the screen when part of the signal is lost. Cable quality can make a difference on long distance (over 20 feet) runs. A Magnet Will Erase Your Hard Drive A hard drive stores information using magnetized “spots” on the platter, so a magnet can disturb your data. The operative question is what strength magnet can cause damage? A refrigerator magnet can ruin a 3.5inch floppy disk (remember them?), but it would take an extremely powerful rare earth magnet or powered degausser to impact a laptop hard drive. You can relax regarding the harmful effects of a household magnet or the cool magnetic clasp on your case. The memory technology of most modern storage devices (SD/CompactFlash, CD, DVD, USB flash drives, etc.) do not have any magnetic component and are immune to the destructive effects of a powerful magnet. Jailbreaking and Rooting are Illegal The term jailbreaking, referring to an Apple iOS

12 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2

device, sounds more sinister than the term rooting, which refers to an Android device. Both terms describe the process of removing restrictions put in place by the phone manufacturer. A recent update to U. S. copyright law makes it legal to “jailbreak” your smartphone (although you will void the warranty) at least through 2015, but illegal to do the same to your tablet (an illdefined category according to the Library of Congress). It is also illegal to “unlock” (changing to a different cellular network without the permission of your carrier) any phone purchased after January of last year. Notwithstanding the law, no one has yet been fined or prosecuted. More Megapixels = Better Camera Like the size of hard drives, each new camera model touts even more megapixels as the leading specification. Is more always better? An eight megapixel image can be made into a very acceptable poster size print. Larger sizes and heavy cropping call for more megapixels; but for most amateur photographers, other features are more important after you have ten megapixels. The camera attributes to “focus on” are the camera lens and the light sensor. The sharpness of your photo is dependent on the amount of light received per pixel. Increasing the pixel count without changing the captured light per pixel decreases the quality of your image. Look for maximum sensor size and lens aperture size to shed the most light on your pictures. Don’t Keep Your Laptop Plugged In There is a lot of confusion regarding battery life and how to best extend it. The nickel cadmium (NiCd) and nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery technologies of the past were well-known for their “memory effect” where performance degraded if these cells were not fully discharged every few months. Newer laptops and smart phones use lithium ion batteries which don’t exhibit this memory characteristic. These batteries prefer a partial rather than a full discharge, which discharge is maintained by modern built-in charge management systems. An occasional full discharge is more useful in recalibrating your battery life indicator than in extending the battery life. In fact, lithium ion batteries have limited charge cycles. Heat is the major enemy of batteries, so avoid fast charge cycles or any other practice that raises their temperature.

The QWERTY Keyboard Was Designed to be Slow Proponents of alternate keyboards, such as the DVORAK layout, maintain that the popular QWERTY layout was established to slow down a typist to prevent manual typewriter jams. The deliberate slow down part of this legend is false, although the jam prevention part is true. The keys were laid out separating frequently typed character combinations to minimize successive adjacent character key collisions.

LCD controls the light passing through it, whereas the older CRT (cathode ray tube) technology generated its own light. The light source (referred to as backlighting) for conventional LCD screens is generally fluorescent, whereas newer LED labeled displays use the LED to provide truer color quality. Other advantages of LED backlighting are slimmer devices, less power consumption, and more environmentally friendly (no mercury). A LED monitor is noticeably easier on the eyes, making this the better choice for long hours at the computer.

All Smart Phones Have the ‘Grip of Death’ Effect Early iPhone 4 users discovered that touching a specific area of the phone where the antenna was exposed resulted in dropped calls known as the grip of death. Steve Jobs responded with a rationalization that all smart phones have this problem. Independent testing has shown that, although other phones can show some loss in signal strength, they do not drop calls like the iPhone did.

Empty the Trash to Permanently Delete Files The recycle bin or trash folder is a great feature that allows you to restore a file that was previously deleted. Emptying the trash (deleting files from the bin/folder) frees up the space on your storage device but does not permanently remove the data. The file fragments remain until they are later overwritten by another file. A “Secure Empty Trash” feature has been added to Mac OSX, and third-party products are available for Windows to remove all traces of your data.

Macs are Immune to Viruses The spirited debate between whose computer is better, the PC or Mac, has contributed to the “Macs don’t get viruses” claim. This was reinforced by an Apple ad showing a sick PC next to a happy Mac. More viruses have been directed at PCs because they have such a larger market share, thus presenting a bigger target. But Macs are not immune—they have also succumbed to a number of virus attacks. Greater market share for Macs will most likely result in more viruses directed at them.

Refilled Cartridges Will Ruin Your Printer Refilled ink cartridges or off-brand toner cartridges are often significantly less expensive than the manufacturer’s offering. It is also illegal for the printer manufacturer to discourage this practice by voiding your warranty. So why not save money? Refilling presents a number of risks since cartridges are not designed for reuse. Monitor reused cartridges carefully for clogs and leaks while in operation. By inspecting regularly, you can remove an errant unit before it causes permanent damage to your printer.

More Cell Phone Bars Means Better Service Most cell phones indicate the strength of their cell tower signal by the number of illuminated bars on their display. A better measure of service quality is the number of other calls handled by that tower and your carrier’s backbone network. This is a case of the “weakest link” phenomena. You can have excellent signal strength and suffer from your provider’s marginal network. Your phone may not be reporting signal intensity correctly. Apple admitted that “the [iPhone 4] formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong.”

Daily Computer Shutdown Shortens its Life Let’s conclude with one of the more debated questions in the computer technology area. One view is that power cycling stresses the hardware components, resulting in premature failure. The opposing view shared by most experts is that restarting the software, giving the components a rest, and saving power are much stronger reasons for turning the system off at the end of the day.

LED and LCD are Different Display Technologies The LED (light emitting diode) designation is actually a type of LCD (liquid crystal display) screen. The

In Summary Technology is no exception to the “don’t believe everything you read on the Internet” conventional wisdom. In fact, its mystical and generally misunderstood character makes it more susceptible to myths and urban legends. Forward any myths or quandaries that you encounter, and we will include them in a future column. 

The internet is full of experts spreading what seems like helpful information but is more often just misinformation. How do we separate the truth from fiction?

Scan this code with your smartphone to access additional resources.

February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 13

Legislative Scoop Keeping o ur memb ers c u rrent o n t he ne west ind u stry l aw s and p o l icies nati o nwide

Be Informed, Be Involved, and Share! Heidi Hartman, MPM® RMP®, is the Designated Broker/Owner of Details Property Management in Silverdale, WA, which she opened in 2005. She started in the real estate industry after graduating from the University of Washington in 1992. She has served as the Legislative Chair for the Kitsap County and Washington State Chapters of NARPM® and the 2013 and 2014 NARPM® Governmental Affairs Chair. In addition to the craziness of property management, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, rides off-road motorcycles, coaches fastpitch softball, and plays the electric bass guitar.

A great example of how important it is to be involved in the legislative process, and how it can benefit members at large, has recently come up in the state where I live.

The topic of Security Deposits has been coming up more and more frequently when I’m talking to NARPM® members across the country. It has been a point of conversation and debate that Steve Stein has been addressing nationally during the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) meetings, and it has been discussed on the regional RVP calls and at local chapters. As the dialogue has continued, a couple of things have become apparent: 1. There is an attempt to limit landlord rights regarding security deposits. Mainly, this has been discussed in terms of limiting the amounts that can be charged. 2. Tenants have more access to information about their rights. 3. Landlords and property managers really need to dig into what their local and state laws say and what they don’t say. The Governmental Affairs Committee has been working for several years now with the ULC Committee to make sure that landlords and property managers are represented in the national conversation regarding security deposits and any limits that might be imposed. We have been trying to raise awareness regionally and locally to make sure we have NARPM® members actively involved in the legislative process at state and local levels. A great example of how important it is to be involved in the legislative process, and how it can benefit members at large, has recently come up in the state where I live. In Washington State, we have had several occasions where tenants are challenging the standard practice that many landlords have of sending out a “preliminary” security deposit disposition with estimated charges; and then, following it up later with actual costs incurred. This is due mostly to the legal requirement that an accounting of tenant funds has to be in the mail within 14 days of termination of the rental agreement or vacation of the property. This is a tight timeline for determining what the actual damages to the property are and what the costs will be to remedy this damage. I have spoken to one NARPM® member who has a court case pending with a tenant who challenged this practice of sending estimates. The tenant won at the

14 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2

Small Claims Court level. The tenant’s argument was, and the Small Claims Court Judge agreed, that the law does not state that estimates meet this requirement and; therefore, the 14-day timeline was not met. There is now an appeal that has been filed challenging this ruling. The hope is that it will actually make it to trial at the Superior Court level and get some precedent established that could be used by other judges so that landlords can have some consistency. This particular court case has a couple of benefits for our members. First, it has given NARPM® the opportunity to partner with other organizations like the local Association of Realtors® to fight the court case. Our NARPM® member approached the local association chapter. They were more than willing to help with the funding to appeal the ruling, as this court case directly impacts them and their clients. In a state where NARPM® traditionally does not have close relationships with the Association of Realtors®, it is exciting to see some efforts to collaborate and create some stronger ties between our organizations. The second benefit is the chance to clarify some ambiguity in our state law by establishing some actual case law for judges to follow. While our statutes do not state specifically that estimates may be used, it does not state that they can’t be used. Each Small Claims Court Judge has to deal with a wide variety of issues each day, and they have varying degrees of knowledge about the actual Landlord and Tenant Act. They also each have their own interpretation of what the statutes say and what the requirements are for landlords and tenants. By having some precedent set by a higher court, it will help create some clarity for landlords on the timelines required when dealing with security deposit funds and hopefully create some consistency for judges when ruling on cases involving security deposit disputes. While it is a hassle for this NARPM® member to have to deal with a security deposit dispute, it has a much larger impact on our industry and has created some opportunity and benefit for our members. It has also highlighted the need that we, as NARPM® members, continue to be the professional, educational, and ethical leaders for the residential property management industry. Be informed, be involved, and share! 

Designation Classes Dem o nstrate t h at yo u h ave e x pert kn owl edge a b o u t residentia l pro pert y management

Interested in Sponsoring? Opportunities are available to chapters that would like to further educate their members and increase their chapter funds. However, it takes time to plan a class so give your chapter five to six month’s lead-time if you wish to sponsor.

DATE Location CLASS 2/5/2014 Austin, TX Office Operations 2/5/2014 Austin, TX Risk Management Essentials 2/6/2014 Austin, TX Ethics 2/6/2014 Cary, NC Habitability 2/28/2014 Las Vegas, NV Owner Client Advanced 2/28/2014 Las Vegas, NV Habitability 3/25/2014 Monterey, CA Tenancy 3/25/2014 Monterey, CA NARPM® 101 3/26/2014 Monterey, CA Marketing 3/26/2014 Monterey, CA Ethics 4/24/2014 Lakewood, CO NARPM® 101 4/24/2014 Lakewood, CO Risk Management Essentials 4/24/2014 Lakewood, CO Operating In-House Maint. 5/16/2014 Portland, OR Owner Client Advanced 5/16/2014 Portland, OR Personnel Procedures Advanced 5/17/2014 Portland, OR Ethics 5/27/2014 Denver, CO Ethics

Online Designation Courses are now available through OMG Distance Learning. For information and/or to enroll visit www.narpm.org/education.

1. Mail form below to NARPM®, 638 Independence Parkway, Suite 100, Chesapeake, VA 23320.

INSTRUCTOR Brian Birdy, MPM® RMP® Dave Holt, MPM® RMP® Brian Birdy, MPM® RMP® Kitt Garren, MPM® RMP® Sylvia Hill, MPM® RMP® Vickie Gaskill, MPM® RMP® Vickie Gaskill, MPM® RMP® Michelle Horneff-Cohen, MPM® RMP® TBD Michelle Horneff-Cohen, MPM® RMP® Raymond Scarabosio, MPM® RMP® Suzanne Cameron, MPM® RMP® Dave Holt, MPM® RMP® Vickie Gaskill, MPM® RMP® Sylvia Hill, MPM® RMP® Vickie Gaskill, MPM® RMP® Peter Meer, MPM® RMP®

2. Fax your form with credit card payment to 866-466-2776. Please do not mail the original.

3. Online registration is also available through Internet Member Services at www.narpm.org.

Fees (subject to change) ⑥hour Course Early Registration* Registration Member Non-member Retake RMP®/MPM® Candidate

⑥hour

$195 $295 $75 $100 $180

Early Registration*

NARPM® 101 Member Non-member Retake RMP®/MPM® Candidate

③hour Ethics Member Non-member

$99 $99 $99 $99 $99

Name _______________________________________________________________

$250 $350 $150 $150 $250

Company _____________________________________________________________

Registration

Phone ________________________________ Fax ___________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________ City/ST/Zip ___________________________________________________________ E-mail _______________________________________________________________

$99 $99 $99 $99 $99

Register for Classes Name of Class

$45 $95

$45 $95

___________________________________ _________________ $ ________ Total $ ________

Method of Payment

Course Information • •

Cost

___________________________________ _________________ $ ________

*To receive the early registration price, payment must be postmarked, faxed or e-mailed 30 days prior to the class.

•

Class Date

___________________________________ _________________ $ ________

Course flyers containing additional information may be downloaded from www.narpm.org/education/schedules.html. All materials will be given to students on the day of the class. Attendees required to make their individual hotel reservations.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be received in writing. If cancellation notice is received at least 30 days prior to the class, a full refund will be issued less a $25 processing fee. If cancellation notice is received less than 30 days before the class, a 50% refund will be issued. No refunds will be made on the day of the class; however, the registration fee can be applied to a later class with a $25 transfer fee. If NARPM® cancels the course because minimum registrations have not been met or for any other reason, then tuition paid will be fully refundable. All courses are subject to cancellation by NARPM®.

o I have enclosed a check for $ __________ Check # _______________________ o Please charge my credit card in the amount of $ _________________________

o Visa o MasterCard o Discover o American Express Name of Cardholder ___________________________________________ Signature _____________________________________________________ I authorize NARPM® to charge my credit card. All information below this line will be shredded

Card Number _______________________________ Exp. Date _________ February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 15

JOIN US on the ice AT THE 2014 NATIONAL CONVENTION th e 2 0 1 4 c h a r i t y c u r l i n g e v e n t b e n e f i ts th e s p e c i a l o l y m p i c s

1993-94 Past President Dave Holt, MPM® RMP®, is in the midst of planning a spectacular event for all of NARPM® to attend. The Annual Past Presidents' Charity Curling Event is scheduled for October 21, 2014 at the Fogarty Arena/Four Seasons Curling Club in the Minneapolis area. Dave Holt, MPM® RMP®, is the president of R.P. Management, CRMC® in Minneapolis, Minnesota where his company manages over 500 single-family and small residential rental properties. He served on the National Board of Directors from 1991 through 1995 and again in 2004. As a Board Member, he served as Chair for the Education, Convention, Nominating and Long Range Planning Committees and was the National President during the 1994-95 term. Dave now serves NARPM® through committee involvement, teaching convention courses and seminars and the RMP®/MPM® courses.

As I’m writing this, the temperature outside is minus 5° with a wind chill so cold, even the polar bears have gone south for the winter. What a great time to jump into a lake. Well, that is exactly what I will be doing as part of this year’s charity drive. If you are not familiar with our annual Past Presidents’ Charity event, it was started several years ago by Bob Machado, MPM® RMP®, our 1996-97 Past President. Each year, another national Past President selects a charity and hosts the event. This annual event expands the NARPM® spirit of sharing with those less fortunate than us. The event has been very successful in the past, and to kick it off this year, I’m going to go jump in the lake. Really! The charity for this year’s event is If you want to the Special Olymlearn more about the pics. Each year, up Plunge, visit http://www. here in Minneapolis, plungemn.org/ to find out Minnesota, they all the chilly details. You hold the Polar Bear can enter my name in Plunge, where parSearch for Plungers and ticipants get sponthen click on the Pledge sored to jump into link next to my name an ice cold lake. It’s to donate. I’m plunging a huge event with TV on Friday, February 28, coverage, celebrities, 2014. and this year, me. Half of the donations that NARPM® members contribute this year will go to the Special Olympics and the other half to cover my medical bills after they pull me out of the water (Just kidding). In previous years, to culminate our annual charity drive, we have had a golf event at the national convention. This year, however, the convention will be in Minneapolis and due to the inconsistent weather at the end of October, we will

not be golfing; we will be curling. Yes, curling! It is an Olympic year and curling is actually an Olympic sport. It is an activity anyone can do and it’s a ton of fun. You don’t need any special equipment, although for you warm weather softies, you will want to bring a jacket or sweatshirt you can play in, a hat, and lightweight gloves since the temperature will be about 50 degrees on the ice. If you don’t feel like curling, there will be our social “Party on Ice.” Don’t worry, for those not curling the only thing that will be on ice might be a cool beverage. I selected Special Olympics for this year’s charity, not only because it’s an Olympic year, but because my wife, Mary, has the opportunity to work with special needs kids in our school district and the two of us have been able to take part in helping these special kids. As property management professionals, we sometimes deal with people who are not so thankful or caring in regard to how they treat others or treat the property of others. This is unfortunate and a very frustrating part of our business. Special Olympics participants are so thankful and so genuinely happy to be welcomed and able to take part in things we take for granted. The joy and warmth you receive from them helps ground you and puts life in perspective, which is sometimes hard to come by in our day-to-day business lives. Special Olympics is a global movement of people creating a new world of inclusion and community, a world in which every single person is accepted and welcomed regardless of ability or disability. We are helping to make the world a better, healthier and more joyful place — one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time. Please join me for this year’s charity drive for Special Olympics. You don’t have to get cold and wet, but take the plunge and donate. You will have the opportunity to donate at the regional conferences or by participating in a number of sponsorship levels at the curling event in October. 

DON'T WAIT TO REGISTER! 16 ||March February 2012 2014 Issue Issue | Volume | Volume 23 | 25 Number | Number 3 2

☞

February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 17

keen hammer draws takeouts SAY WHAT?



☐





☐ Name on curling stone ☐ Name on curling broom

Friend of the Past Presidents $100

Chapter/Curling Stone/Broom Sponsors $200 Sponsor tag on curling stone (Limited to 96) or broom.

☐

☐ End Sponsors $1,000 (Limited to 12) 12 end billboard/banner at the rink end. Name recognition on all electronic marketing and on the event day.

Olympic Sponsors $1,000 (No limit) Suggested level for all Past Presidents and CRMC®s. Banner/billboard recognition and name recognition on all electronic marketing and on the event day.

☐

(No limit) Name recognition at the event and on all electronic marketing. Can provide company giveaways during lunch.

☐ Lunch Sponsor $2,000

☐ Event Sponsor $5,000 (Limited to 1) Name recognition on all printed and electronic marketing prior to, and during, the event, Curling team paid for. Can provide company giveaways at the event.

All sponsorships and donations paid by check or money order must be made payable to “The Hampton Roads Foundation.” All curler registrations paid by check or money order must be made payable to “NARPM®.” Payment is due by September 19, 2014 and is non-refundable. Send forms to NARPM®, 638 Independence Parkway, Suite 100, Chesapeake, VA 23320, or by fax to 866-466-2776 or by email to [email protected].

PAYMENT/CANCELL ATION CL AUSE

Card #______________________________________ Exp Date ____________

---------------- All information below this line will be shredded. ----------------

Signature ________________________________________________________

Name on card ___________________________________________________

☐ Please charge $____________ to my ☐ VISA ☐ MC ☐ AMEX ☐ Discover.

for Sponsorship/Donations payable to The Hampton Roads Foundation and for Curler/Party Attendance registration payable to NARPM®.

sponsor COST S elect level at left (Note: Only Event Sponsor includes $95 curling costs and Party on Ice/lunch for team of 4.) curlER COST $95 per curler (Includes curling lesson, match play, lunch, and Party on Ice.) PAYMENT ☐ Check# ____________ enclosed for $ ____________

☐ NARPM® Party on Ice and Lunch

Don’t want to curl? $45 per person (Includes lunch and party.)

Phone ___________________________ FAX______________________________

City/ST/Zip _________________________________________________________

Mailing Address_____________________________________________________

Email of Pre-Tournament Contact_______________________________________

Name_____________________________________________________________

Company__________________________________________________________

Deadline is September 19, 2014

Past President Dave Holt, MPM® RMP®, has chosen Special Olympics Minnesota as his worthy, charity organization. Dave’s wife, Mary, has worked with special needs kids for many years. Together, they have helped with Special Olympics and other areas for special needs kids. Special Olympics is a global movement of people creating a new world of inclusion and community, a world in which every single person is accepted and welcomed regardless of ability or disability. We are helping to make the world a better, healthier, and more joyful place — one athlete, one volunteer, one family member at a time. Dave feels that, “As property management professionals, we sometimes deal with people who are not so thankful or caring in regards to how they treat others or treat the property of others. This is unfortunate and a very frustrating part of this business. Special Olympics participants are so thankful and so genuinely happy to be welcomed and able to take part in things we take for granted. The joy and warmth you receive from them helps ground you and puts life in perspective, which is sometimes hard to come by in our day-to-day business lives.”

This Y ear’s Charity

sponsor /curler CONTR ACT

hog lines the hack sliders the skip pick up burning

Please check the appropriate level below if you are interested in Sponsoring.

brushes pebbles tee lines the curl house rings the button

NARPM® 26th Annual Convention Past Presidents’ charity curling Tournament fogarty arena / Four Seasons curling club | 9250 Lincoln st. NE | blaine, MN 55434

rocks sheets the weight ends sweepers brooms

sponsorships

curling

The Past Presidents of NARPM® invite you to join them at their annual Charity Tournament to benefit their local charity of choice. This year’s event will take place on October 21, 2014.

Regional Communications C o nnecting t he e x panding N A RPM ® memb ers hip o ne regi o n at a time

The RVP Bulletin Elizabeth “Betsy” Morgan, MPM® RMP®, has been in property management for 25 years. Before taking on her current position as Director of Residential Property Management for Prudential Tropical Realty, CRMC® in the Tampa Bay area, she handled a personal portfolio of 250 units. She then became Regional and State Director of Property Management for Coldwell Banker Residential, Inc. She enjoys teaching, volunteer service, and being a grandmother of five.

I have reached a point in my life and my career that I now have what is known as an “Historical” perspective of the business! I like today’s business tools a lot better than the ones of yesteryear! Imagine doing this business today with no copiers, no scanners, no cell phones, no laptops and tablets, no internet, no email, and no electronic banking. It was no fun back then, playing telephone tag with owners, tenants, and vendors, instead of using the instant email flow of data and photos that creates a paper trail without having to kill trees. We kept owner and tenant contact and information data on cross-reference index cards. The only software we had was for accounting. Financial information for owners was something obtained once a month by using the U.S. Post Office or by a phone call to the bookkeeper. Then, you had to wait until that person had time to call you back. All advertising was in newspapers and had to be written out each week and faxed in. Our local MLS did not have a section for rental homes, only those for sale. When I started learning to be a professional property manager, RENT was considered a four-letter word in most real estate offices. Then along came NARPM®, and rapid improvement in software technology! I am thankful every day for those few early members who came to a networking meeting 25 years ago to help each other understand a new property management accounting software. In helping each other, they shared a vision of cooperation and took action to build a solid foundation on which our current NARPM® organizational structure can thrive and grow, helping many others. From local chapter growth came State chapters and then Regional Conferences; all focused on education, networking, and designation. I have visited quite a few chapters over the past couple of years as an instructor, speaker, and now, as the Southeastern Region RVP. One thing that stands out for me is how local chapter organization and their educational programs keep getting better and better as the professional maturity and designations of individual chapter leaders increases. The number of quality service providers

18 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2

who join as Affiliate Members and provide education at chapter events continues to increase. Chapter leaders are recognized as industry specialists. Local and State Boards of Realtors ® seek their advice and cooperate on programs about NARPM® Standards of Practice and Ethics. More and more, NARPM® is the first thought when someone asks about the do’s and don’ts of property management. Even better is when I hear about small investors asking listing agents for their professional credentials and designations. As you read this article, I will have been in my role as the Southeast Region VP for two months. I am not unfamiliar with the responsibilities of this position, as I was the Florida Region VP a few years ago. I am extremely pleased to have the opportunity once again to work with the dedicated leaders of local and state chapters. If you are not yet an active volunteer on a chapter committee and seeking a future leadership position on your chapter board, you are missing out on the best benefit of membership – a working camaraderie with your peers in the property management business. I know this will sound very sentimental to some, but the dear friendships I have made volunteering for various tasks and attending NARPM® events will long outlast my useful days of employment. I am also looking forward in April to the Eastern Regional Conference in Baltimore. This is a joint project between the Southeast and Northeast Regions. Regional meetings are great because they require less travel distance for area members and still offer the excellence of speakers, vetted by NARPM®, and the fundamental (emphasis on “fun”) NARPM ® networking experience. These regional events happen because representatives from the local chapters volunteer their time and talents to assist the conference chairs. The chapters who provide volunteers benefit from a share in the profit of the event. The volunteers earn points to use toward personal RMP®, MPM®, and CSS® designations. Everyone wins, but you can’t be part of the winning team if you don’t get on the field of play! 

Northwest: Leeann Ghiglione, MPM® RMP® Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming. Pacific: Richard Vierra, RMP® California, Nevada, Hawaii. Southwest: Steve Schultz, RMP® Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico. North Central: Deb Newell, MPM® RMP® North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana. Northeast: Deb Newell, MPM® RMP® Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, Ohio, West Virginia. South Central: Bart Sturzl, MPM® RMP® Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana. Southeast: Elizabeth Morgan, MPM® RMP® Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi.

2014

Continued from page 11 “Succeed” t he people working with you. Recognize them for all that they accomplish. With honest praise and recognition, you will see nothing but good coming from the people that do your work. 9. A  n entrepreneur evaluates continually and knows instinctively when operations are running smooth or askew. Instinct is a skill that is honed over time, developed from many successes, and even more failures. Instinct is akin to character and is transferable by association to the people with whom the entrepreneur works. Choose carefully with whom you associate. 10. A  successful entrepreneur is comfortable making decisions that have been thought through by questioning himself about the impact the decision will have on those with whom he works. The true entrepreneur endeavors not to make a decision that will adversely affect himself or his cohorts at work. A true entrepreneur is thoughtful. In summary, the true entrepreneur accepts that he does not know everything. He knows how to get things done through the people with whom he chooses to work. The entrepreneur allows others to do their special work. 

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February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 19

ATUS FOREIGN ST N O N F O E CERTIFICAT

U.S. e (buyer) of a re e sf n a tr a t o a ign person. T e provides th d re o fo C a e u is n e r) v e e ll lR ____ sferor (se of the Interna ___________ .S. tax if the tran _ _ ld _ o _ h _ h _ Section 1445 _ it _ w _ _ st n of a U _______ interest mu the dispositio ___________ n _ o _ real property p _ u _ _ d _ e _ ir _ u _ q _ _____ x is not re inform _____ hholding of ta it w t a th ) ” e lf of the re wing on beha (the “Transfe o ll fo e y th b s st ie intere by certif real property dersigned here n u e th ), r” ro (the “Transfe it: property, to w d Transferor: e b ri sc e d g followin owner of the e th is r ro e sf n 1. That the Tra The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of feeCthat ty:collected. In most affected transactions, that ounwas 1980 (FIRPTA) is a law affecting certainLreal ot:estate trans- would probably wipe out your entire fee. lock: Bactions.

Brokers, Do You Know To Which Transactions

FIRPTA Applies?

FIRPTA is designed to help make sure that foreign What if you are representing the buyer in property sellers pay their fair share of taxes on real estate the transaction? on (as atiand taxtax, omethe c remises: It does this by mandating that buyers must Ptransactions. in If escrow does not collect does not iden. .S U e th of seller as a foreign person, s the se o rp . u s) accounting and has since p n r o withhold 10 percent of the transaction value in escrow tify then the liability falls ti fo la n x Regu ent alie dthe e Taand n-resi om o c n In acquired experience putting a d t and remit that amount directly to IRS. If the seller’s n o on the buyer, the tax due becomes a lien against a n e is d r o C ero nuea refund Reveget e Trataxnsf rnal they’ll his knowledge to work in h the 2. T te liability is d lessinthan 10 percent, the property. So, it is very important, if you represent In e th is r) e e a tax return. If it is more than 10 percent, buyer in the transaction, mbmake sure the sellerthe efinfile Nuyou is dthey curity that construction, manufacturing, e S l ia c such termwhen o (S r e n numbprovides a completed “FIRPTA” or Seller’s Affidavit. tiobe service, restaurant, banking, the IRS will now know of the transaction ficawill er identiand y a p x ta . .S U able to track them down to get paid the remainder. and real estate industries ror’s . The Transfe What is the purpose of the for over 13 years. In 3 2006, So, TO what transactions does FIRPTA Seller’s Affidavit or FIRPTA? Richard opened his own apply and how do agents and brokers By completing this form and providing it, the_seller practice, Hart & Associates ___ _to the __subject address is r’s it? __is__not ro comply with is giving an affidavit __she e Tax Consulting and Prepara-he T sf __or n __he ra _that _ _ _ _ T _ . _ 4 _ _ _ _ _ First, there is never withholding required in_residential tax for either the Federal Government or, tion Services, to specialize _________withholding ___property ____their _ _ transactions if a _foreign owner is_selling _ if applicable, the State. The buyer isl off ue for _ _ in tax accounting and has _ venhook _ _ _ _ a Rethe ___price Intern __sales th ___the to is less than $300,000, and if the holding money back in eescrow from the seller. d se earned the credentials _ of_____and lo c is d ld be buyer will use the property as theiraprimary ertification be Enrolled Agent and Certified t this cresidence. ed herein cou th in s ta d n n o ta c t rs n e e d n m that, property r uif the foreign owner sells Acceptance Agent with the he This lse state What information must be provided nsfero rameans nythefa 5. T toTan and that athey LLC, corporation ore partnership, must pay on the Seller’s Affidavit or FIRPTA? re e sf n Internal Revenue Service. He ra T e . by thtax. th o e b ic r o rv e t FIRPTA The next section has a few areas which S n e m IS has effectively helped hunTHrequired rison D are MINisEsaid ne, imofpforeign-owned fi A y X b E d All transactions property with a E to be completed by the seller (none to be e h V is A n H u I dreds of clients to successp THAT F IT IS sales price above $300,000 are subjectRtoYa, mandatory I DECLAREoptional). fully navigate US tax law and E AND BELIE Richard Hart, EA, CAA, earned a degree in

S OF PERJU

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YK TI preserve their wealth. Hart DER PENALTIE E BEST OF M RTHER DECLARE THA EROR. N H U T O T ® D N & Associates is a NARPM NSF ION A D I FU OF THE TRA CERTIFICAT T AND COMPLETE, AN Affiliate Member. ON BEHALF C

All transactions of foreign-owned property with a sales price ENT RRE $300,000 CUM above are subject to a mandatory 10 percent TRUE, CO N THIS DO IG S O T Y IT R O H T U A withholding by the buyer unless the foreign owner provides a letter of exemption from the IRS. ED: DAT 10 percent withholding by the buyer, unless the foreign

BY:1. T he address of the property being transferred owner provides a letter of exemption from the IRS. (or sold) Remember that this is part of the federal tax code, so 2. The seller or transferor’s information: you don’t want to expose yourself or your client to any BY : 1. Full name attention (and possible penalties) from the IRS by failing 2. Telephone number to comply. You also want to keep in mind that there is BY : 3. Address a specific provision of the law extending liability to the 4. S ecurity Number, Federal Employer Identification listing broker and/or buyer broker if either knows that an Number, or California Corporation Number affidavit has been falsified. Where either broker knows BY:It is usually the second and fourth items which are not the seller is lying to avoid withholding, the broker could provided, as they do not want this personal information be liable for the withholding up to the amount of the to be given to the buyer.

20 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2

Does this completed FIRPTA, with Social Security Number, have to be given by the home seller to the home buyer? There is relief from the panic that sets in when sellers, who are rightly worried about identity theft, realize that the law says that they must give their personal information to the buyer of their home. Note the IRS code: In order to avoid withholding, IRC Section 1445(b) requires that the Seller (a) provides this affidavit to the buyer with the Seller’s taxpayer identification number or (b) provides this affidavit, with TIN, to a “qualified substitute” who furnishes a statement to the buyer, under penalty of perjury, that the qualified substitute has such affidavit in their possession. A qualified substitute may be (i) an attorney, title company or escrow company (but not the Seller’s agent) responsible for closing the transaction, or (ii) the Buyer’s agent. This is good news for sellers. While the FIRPTA form still must be completed, it can now be given to the title or escrow company or an attorney, if that attorney is handling the closing. to recap, here are the choices: 1. The completed FIRPTA may be given to the buyer OR 2. The completed FIRPTA may be given to the closing agent which acts as a “qualified substitute” (title company, escrow company, attorney or buyer’s agent) and the qualified substitute in turn gives a document to the buyer, which is a statement saying that the completed FIRPTA is in its or their possession. The statement by the qualified substitute does NOT provide the personal information directly to the buyer, so this is by far the choice most sellers and agents prefer. In conclusion, if FIRPTA withholding will be required, be sure to bring it to the attention of the closing company or attorney handling the closing, as early as possible. In most cases, the closing company or closing attorney should take care of the withholding and the filing of the appropriate IRS documents. Since some may not deal with the issue all that often, you want to be sure to give them enough notice to figure out what needs to be done. If you or your client are unsure of how to handle FIRPTA issues, be sure to speak to your broker and/or brokerage counsel to be sure you’re complying with the law and also recommend that your client seek assistance from a qualified accountant. 

Current Designation Candidates RMP CANDIDACY John Adams Melanie Adrian Raul Aleman Christian Amacker Jennifer Bajema Ronda Banks Tom Barron Eylyn Berge Misty Berger Scott Bolin Jason Born Matthew Borries Aaron Bosshardt Kaye Bradford Ned Brandenberger Nicole Brown Richard Burton Melanie Butler Jaime Cabellero Elias Camhi Terri Clair Barbara Clark Marcia Clemendor Robert Collins Joanie Cullity Deborah Deckard Ronald Dickerson Chris Dougal Charlene Dufresne John M. Durham Rich Elias ®

Jason Evans Jennifer Evans Lisa Fairlie Jackelyne Ferreira Robert J. Ferrier Curt Fluegel Silas Frazier Thad Gantt Barry Garner Mike Giallanza Steven Gouletas Sherry Hallmark Colleen Harding John Hashem Marshall Henson Ron Herdt Bryan Jenkins Ben Kincel Joelle Larson Dandan Lee Chris Littleton Donna Littleton Tina Lopez Shon Lorg Christina Nelson Francisco Nieves-Taranto Jennifer Noland Nancy Markds Sherri Mayes Jason McGuire Keefe McSweeney Patricia Middleton

Eric Wetherington Jennifer Whaley Jamie Williams Jamie L. Williams Misty Withers Laura Wozniak Ann Yueh

Denny Miller Cindy Minion Mary Molina Tatiana Montez Thomas Neal Michele Odems Evie Osburn Nichole Peterman Jana Pickett Dora Pinter Ellen Purdy Trent Ratliff Maily Roberts-Jacobs Suzanne Rodini-Silverburg Dena Rodrigues Michele Rogers John Rudulph Lisa Saunders Hensley Scott Steve Shugarts Annette Slater Christy Smith Charlotte Stewart David Swaim Phyllis Sweazy Erlin Taylor Cynthia Thomas Lola Traylor Amanda Trent Chris Turner Russ VandenToorn Timothy VandenToorn

MPM® CANDIDACY Eric Bessett, RMP® Larry Bryant, RMP® Sherrie Featherly, RMP® Bob Gunson, RMP® Lyle Haas, RMP® Debbie Henry, RMP® Kirk McGary, RMP® Lisa Medina, RMP® Kim Meredith-Hampton, RMP® Deanna Hansen, RMP® Primrose Leong-Nakamoto, RMP® Megan Zellers, RMP® CSS® CANDIDACY Barbara Dull Tracye Gorman David Kane Shannon Morgan Jennifer Rhoads Dezaray Riley Marcie Turner

CRMC® Candidates Hampton & Hampton Management & Leasing, Kim Meredith-Hampton, RMP® Sulthar Properties, LLC, Mohamed Sulthar, MPM® RMP® Specialized Property Management, Inc, Tony Sims, MPM® RMP® p7

Are you all of thefamiliar wit h NARP ® benefits tha M offe rs you t ?

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February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 21

Chapter Spotlight S hedding s o me ligh t o n t he e xcel l ent N A RPM ® c h apters acro ss t he u nited states

Northeast Florida

Mike Collins, RMP® candidate, is a graduate of College of The Holy Cross, Worcester, MA. He and his wife and business partner, Sandra, own and manage Collins Realty Services and Property Managers in Fleming Island, FL. Their market includes Jacksonville and surrounding Northeast Florida areas. Mike is a former corporate executive, and became a NARPM® member in 2008. He served as 2013 Northeast Florida Chapter President, and continues as a 2014 Board Member. Mike is also a member of the Florida State Chapter Board.

I am proud to have served as President of the Northeast Florida Chapter for 2013, and carry on the tradition of success in our part of NARPM®’s most successful state. When I first joined NARPM® in 2008, there were less than 30 regular members, and about a dozen Affiliate Members. At my first meeting, I attended the Annual Affiliate Trade Show, which was held at a fancy “beach” hotel, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It was apparent that the leaders really knew what they were doing as Affiliate Members were extremely friendly, gave out literature, and brought gift cards as door prizes. There was also a guest speaker all the way from Tampa, who actually did what I do, and was willing to share her experience to my benefit. This was alien to me, a formerly seasoned Realtor®. I went home with several restaurant gift certificates, and more importantly, was blown away by the professionalism and education. I was thankful that I joined. We follow the same basic

Thursday of every month at a central location, work best. Board Members are expected to be there, and frequent absence results in dismissal. We actually follow the clearly written bylaws. Residential Property Management is very strong in Florida, and we have certainly benefitted from that. Our membership is a good blend of Brokers, as well as Affiliate Members, which encourages us to develop training that is balanced between running an office effectively and best personal practices in the management of single-family homes and condominiums. We realize that our monthly membership meetings, held the third Thursday of each month, must be action-packed and provide local market data that is helpful to members, a good lunch, and a featured educational speaker. Some of our speakers are Affiliate Members. The meetings are generally from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., except for our full day Legal Seminar and full-day Trade Show and

We have a logical succession plan in place to fill the voting Board Member (Executive Committee) positions, and we meet as a Board 12 months a year. format now, but are even better organized. Sadly, we have outgrown the capacity of the “beach” hotel. Since that meeting, I wanted to go to every meeting, and learn how to grow my property management brokerage as a professional. The next year, I joined the Board, and have been a part of the organizational team that makes it happen. Our Chapter now has over 80 regular members, and 35 Affiliate Members. The traditions of our chapter are strong. We maintain strict disciplines for Board Members and Affiliates and no longer need to lean on other members to join the Board. We have a logical succession plan in place to fill the voting Board Member (Executive Committee) positions; and we meet as a Board 12 months a year, with special meetings for key events. We held four key events in 2013. We have found that early morning Board meetings, held consistently on the second

22 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2

Training Event. In order to get the word out, effective marketing is a key. We have an annual contract with a Communication Professional who utilizes Constant Contact® and her extensive blend of marketing and IT skills. Email blasts are sent out weekly, leading from meeting to meeting. We occasionally send additional emails if we are not hitting expected meeting registrations, as monitored by Constant Contact®. All these strategies are handled by Committee Chairs and staff, each a volunteer with busy property management jobs. We have great camaraderie and the Board does not tolerate anyone who is not a team-oriented individual. That is a tradition I have been able to maintain as Chapter President and am glad to pass on to Tiea Vincent, RMP®, 2014 Chapter President, a rising star in property management. 

NARPM® Affiliate Members Advertising Trulia.com

Banking and Financial California Bank & Trust First Citizens Bank IRA Innovations Seacoast Commerce Bank

other BUSINESS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AJ Thomas Insurance Services All County Franchise Corp AMRE Solutions A R Recovery Solutions of Hawaii Avenue West Global Franchise Belfor Property Restoration Biocide Systems Brilliant! Decor Burns Pest Elimination Buy Calls, LLC, DBA Ralarm Capital K9 Pest Solutions Carrington Property Services Cbeyond, Inc. Centex House Leveling CORT Co-Signer.com Dennick Inspections Diversified Employee Benefit East Coast Public Adjuster TX E Z Track It First American Home Buyers Protection Floor Coverings International Flooring Resources, Inc. For Rent By Owner Frontline Processing Corporation Fundamental REO, LLC Future Focus Utilities Get The Lead Out, LLC Global Grid Marketing Essential Service Providers Hart & Associates Tax Consulting and Preparation Services HMS Home Warranty Impact Management & Consulting, LLC Jasper Air Karmaboxx, LLC Kent Security KIDDE LandlordSource Mutual of Omaha Bank National Real Estate Insurance Group New Empire Group Nitro Mobile Solutions, LLC Nu-Set Lock OFIC North America Inc. OPTIONS PATLive

PayLease, Inc. PayNearMe Peace of Mind Florida Peachtree Business Products Pest Control Solutions Phillip Gira Insurance PropertyManagementPros.com Property Reports On Sight (PROS) Ram Jack Systems Distribution Real Property Management Renter Resume Renters Legal Liability Renters Warehouse, USA Rently.com RentPayment Rent Recovery, LLC Restoration Industry Association Royal Cleaning Rubbish Works Scent Tek SERVPRO North Arlington Southwest Recovery Services Steady Pay Payment Solutions The Diamond Group The Landlord Academy The Mahoney Group DBA: Southwest Real Estate Purchasing Group Tom Baumann Enterprises, Inc. Top Gun Restoration U. S. Liability Insurance Co. Utah Apartment Association Venturi Clean Zelman & Associates

Insurance Aon Rent Protect CSE Insurance DiGerolamo Family Insurance First American RMS JGS Insurance Johnson Agency Mobile Insurance Agency Travelers Unitrin Direct Preferred Insurance

INTERNET TOOLS/ MARKETING Akaydia.com All Property Management Apartment Ratings Business Rating and Reviews CheckYourLandlord.com Community Buying Group DocuSign Inc. Elite Team Technologies, Inc. DBA Rental Zoom EVA Property, LLC Fourandhalf.com

FreeRentalSite.com Go Section 8 HERO PM HomeTownRent.com Hotpads.com Houserie.com iManageRent, Inc. Inspect and Cloud Manage My Property MMM Limited MYOWNREALESTATE.COM Planet Synergy, Inc. Pointwide.com Property Management Inc. Property Management Professionals, Inc. (rentUSAnow.com) Property Management Traffic Property Solutions Intl. Propertyware, Inc. Providence Management & Investments RageRent RealRentals.com Rent.com Rent2Buy America, LLC RentMetrics Rental Source RentalHomesPlus Rentalhunt.com Rentals.com Rentbits Homes Rentfeeder Inc Rentler.com Rentometer, Inc. Runzheimer International Ltd. ShowMojo, LLC Virtually Incredible WalkThruInspections.com Xpress-pay.com YoGrow Marketing Zillow, Inc

Legal services Aggressive Legal Services Amco Financial Services Barker Martin, P.S. Boltz Law Community Association Law Group Judith B. Wolk LLC Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit Law Offices of Heist, Weisse & Davis, PA Law Office of Daniela Pavone Law Office of Lawrence Jaffe Legal Shield Provizer & Phillips PC Sheridan Clark LLP U S Collections, West, Inc.

MAINTENANCE Accountable Plumbing & Rooter Alarm Compliance USA, Inc. Alpha Pest Control Inc. BehrPro: Behr & Kilz Paint & Primers Belfor Property Restoration Cheyenne Corporation DBA AAA Action Painting CitruSolution of Middle Tennessee Crime Clean of Texas, Inc. Custom Home & Commercial Accessories Detector Inspector Elite Restoration LLC Empire Today LLC Extreme Landscape & Management Impact Management & Consulting, LLC Inspection Experts, Inc. (IEI) KYS Construction, LLC MFS Supply Mr. Rekey Locksmith Services MSN Construction and Management Corporation NightTenders, Inc. Orkin, Inc. Propertyware, Inc. PuroClean Property Restoration Quanex Building Products Corporation Queenaire Technologies Inc. R.E.O. Flooring Solutions Roof Brokers Inc. Service Master Cleaning & Rest SERVPRO North Arlington Sherwin-Williams Company Smoke Alarm Solutions Spartan Plumbing Universal Restoration Services US Aqua Vac, Inc.

SOFTWARE AppFolio, Inc. BoostPM Inc BuildingLink.com, LLC Buildium eRent Payment Happy Inspector, Inc. HERO PM Hoamanagement.com Inc. In The Field Technologies Inspect and Cloud Mobile Property Management MYOWNREALESTATE.COM National Real Estate Education, LLC

Planet Synergy, Inc. PROMAS Landlord Software Center Property Management Inc. Property Manager Websites PropertyBoss Solutions, LLC Propertyware, Inc. Rent Manager Rental Property Acct Services Rentec Direct LLC RentJuice Simple Inspector TReXGlobal.com Yardi Systems

TENANT SCREENING AAA Screening Service ACRAnet ACUTRAQ ACUTRAQ Background Screening Alliance 2020 Background Info USA Beacon Background Screening Services, LLC Certified Tenant Screening Choice Data, Inc. Clear Screening Contemporary Information Corp. CoreLogic SafeRent Credit Investigators, INC Data Verification Services, Inc. Experian North America Expert Screenings Houserie.com Landlordstation.com LexisNexis Resident Screening Microbilt MOCO, Inc. National Tenant Network, Inc. National Tenant Screening Services a division of Verification Consultants, Inc. Orca Information, Inc. RageRent Rapid Credit Reports Rate Tenants.com Reliable Background Screening Resident Research Resolve Partners, LLC SARMA Scott Roberts & Associates, LLC StarPoint Screening Tenant Screening USA Trans Union Rental Screening Solutions TVS Tenant Verification Service, Inc US Real Estate Investors Assoc

February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 23

Membership Growth A warm welc o me to a ll t he ne w memb ers wh o j o ined fro m Decemb er 7 - D ecemb er 31 , 201 3

Professional Members Mary Abood Antoon Properties, LLC Orlando, FL 407-579-5187 Hattie Allmon-Wheeler Lyrubec Properties, LLC Charlotte, NC 704-817-9533 Jamie Anderson Foothills Properties Tucson, AZ 520-299-2100 Sam Barnett Barnett Real Estate Charlotte, NC 980-229-4666

Joseph M. Clotzman Cambridge Companies Winchester, VA 540-662-2300 Dorothy P. Davis Resolute Property Management Raleigh, NC 919-720-4363 Marie Davis Prudential The Property Place Deltona, FL 386-774-2266 Michelle D. Deal Real Deal Realty and Property Cape Coral, FL 239-829-0555

Betsy Bateman Weichert REALTORS® Merritt Island, FL 407-206-3057

Sharon Fernandez Hacienda Propiedades San Antonio, TX 210-223-7565

Jeremy N. Boardman Urbane Results LLC Washington, DC 202-465-4690

Michael D. Ferraiz KMSM, Inc Los Alamitos, CA 714-527-4500

Ivetta Borba E & E Property Management Group Inc King City, CA 831-385-8800

Kevin Fraley The Real Estate Group Chesapeake, VA 757-410-8500

Samuel Caras Caras Property Management Missoula, MT 406-543-9798 Radiant Chase Kapolei Realty Kapolei, HI 808-674-1191 Barry Christiansen Keystone Real Estate of South Atlanta Peachtree City, GA 678-274-7804

Christopher W. Fry Columbia River Properties Inc. Kelso, WA 360-423-6778 Paul M. Gozzo WRI Capital Group/ Castle Realty Winter Park, FL 321-250-5070 Melissa Greene KC Rental Source Leawood, KS 913-940-1416

24 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2

Debbie Grise Property Management Treasure Coast Stuart, FL 772-486-1035

Fir Le Lehman Property Management Harrisburg, PA 717-652-4434

Leon Moody Moody Group at Keller Williams Tampa, FL 813-994-0123

Ryan Harkins Rental Homes USA Virginia Beach, VA 757-962-5100

Benjamin T. Manley Manley Real Estate LLC Denver, CO 720-204-0676

Andrew Morris Realty Trust Services, LLC Lorain, OH 440-220-7300

Nathan Harr ONEprop, Inc. Plano, TX 214-432-1975

Jerry Marbury Foothills Properties Tucson, AZ 520-299-2100

Fred Musilli DJCRE, Inc. Philadelphia, PA 215-271-7070

Walter A. Harrison COG Management, Inc. Dallas, GA 770-505-6000

Dawn M. McGinn Rebhan Property Management Charlotte, NC 704-927-8673

Alma Muzquiz RE/MAX Preferred San Antonio, TX 210-483-5000

Anne Humphreys EXIT 1st Class Realty Melbourne, FL 321-557-0402 Michael Johannes RE/MAX Mosaic Properties Gilbert, AZ 480-588-9500 Warren Johnson Warren Johnson Property Management Dallas, TX 972-979-8532 Carla L. Jones B&C Management LLC Westminster, CO 303-301-7167 Stephen Kendrick Property Management Inc of Houston Richmond, TX 281-265-0000 Tres Kennedy Hot Ocean LLC Houston, TX 832-582-8127

Dan McKinley RE/MAX Masters Chandler, AZ 480-821-5700 Robert K. Meeks Advanced Management Specialist Kissimmee, FL 407-483-1013 Derek Meins RE/MAX Mosaic Properties Gilbert, AZ 480-588-9500 Kevin Michels C Marshall & Associates Realty Prescott Valley, AZ 928-775-2984 Ryan M. Miller Titan Property Management Sacramento, CA 916-349-7620 Saeid Mirzadeh My Area Realty Lake Worth, FL 561-283-4663

David L. Myers Infinity Real Estate Investment Greenwood, IN 317-788-4357 Rhonda K. Navarro Pacific Grove Rentals Pacific Grove, CA 831-158-641 Dennis Raffaelli RE/MAX Mosaic Properties Gilbert, AZ 480-588-9500 Charles R. Randall RE/MAX Mosaic Properties Gilbert, AZ 480-588-9500 Scotty J. Rouse Rouse Realty & Investments LLC Tyler, TX 903-571-8248 Nicholas Sadler Sunshine Management Corp. Frederick, MD 301-663-8383

Karen Saint-Lot Carolinas Metro Realty Charlotte, NC 704-405-0634

Lesley Wade Foothills Properties Tucson, AZ 520-299-2100

Jermaine O.K. Sambajon Day-Lum Rentals & Management Hilo, HI 808-935-4152

Rick Waldres Crown Properties, Inc Spanaway, WA 253-537-2700

William R. Shower S & S Property Management West Sacramento, CA 916-371-1870 Debbie Sinsel Blue Sage Realty, Inc. CRMC® Westminster, CO 303-432-9898 David J. Somers Coldwell Banker Coast Realty Titusville, FL 321-383-3330 Todd Souza CA Property Investment Group Sacramento, CA 916-710-2177 Kathleen E. Sutton Porzig Realty Lake Mary, FL 407-322-8678 Irene Thiel Coldwell Banker Residential San Diego, CA 858-487-3333 Cindy Tittle Executive Home Rentals & Sales Temecula, CA 951-303-6300 Jennifer Tribou Anderson Property Management Winter Park, FL 407-491-1132 Yuriy Vaynshteyn Carolinas Metro Realty Charlotte, NC 704-405-0634

Ryan P. Watterson Equity Property Services, LLC Windsor, CO 970-690-2203 Denny J. Werner DJW Management Inc Eagle, ID 208-286-0790 Ty Wickline Stars & Stripes Homes, Inc Aurora, CO 303-326-0550 Tamara Wildhagen Blue Sage Realty, Inc. CRMC® Westminster, CO 303-432-9898 Adam Williams Blue Slate Property Management Dallas, TX 214-699-6927

Affiliate Members Dennis Barber Aggressive Legal Services Sacramento, CA 916-362-3553

Michelle Larson Lehman Property Management Harrisburg, PA 717-652-4434

David Devor Simple Inspector Jacksonville, FL 855-787-2500

Dian Lehman Lehman Property Management Harrisburg, PA 717-652-4434

Nicholas Schmaltz Dennick Inspections Kyle, TX 512-484-4229

Samuel Madrid Hacienda Propiedades San Antonio, TX 210-223-7565

Melissa Sheridan Sheridan Clark LLP Sacramento, CA 916-366-3692

Faustino Montoya Liberty Management, Inc. CRMC® San Antonio, TX 210-681-8080

Pete Slade Nitro Mobile Solutions, LLC Tampa, FL 888-970-6660 support staff Members Amanda Blakey Grace Management & Investment Thornton, CO 303-255-1990

Jonny Wise Arpad Advisors, Inc. North Fort Myers, FL 239-995-1500

Pamela Garrett Lighthouse Cove Property Management Silverdale, WA 360-698-3829

Alison Wright Anderson Property Management Winter Park, FL 407-491-1132

Melanie Henson Ally Property Management San Antonio, TX 210-705-3308

Take the time to welcome a new member.

Ammari Rodriquez Liberty Management, Inc. CRMC® San Antonio, TX 210-681-8080 Samantha Smith Lehman Property Management Harrisburg, PA 717-652-4434 Deborah Thornton Rollingwood Management, Inc. Austin, TX 512-327-4451 Irene Valdez Liberty Management, Inc. CRMC® San Antonio, TX 210-681-8080

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! In accordance with NARPM® guidelines for approval of the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC®) designation, notice is hereby posted that Mohamed Sulthar, MPM® RMP®, with Sulthar Properties, LLC, and Tony Sims, MPM® RMP® , with Specialized Property Management, Inc, have applied for the CRMC® designation. If anyone knows of any reason why these companies should not be eligible, please contact NARPM® National by phone at 800-782-3452 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Objections must be received by March 1, 2014.

Earn yourself Ambassador Points. See page 26.

February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 25

Ambassador Program E arn re wards and ac hieve amb assad o r stat u s fo r referring ne w N A RPM ® memb ers Who better to spread the word of the benefits of NARPM® than its members? To achieve Ambassador status, you must refer five new members in one year. You will then receive an award certificate* and a $200 NARPM® credit that can be used toward your annual dues, upcoming events, education classes, and more! You can earn multiple award certificates in a 12-month period, so be sure you continue referring new members, even after you have achieved Ambassador status.

1. Contact NARPM® National for membership application brochures. Upon request, National can mail the application directly to the prospective member. 2. The 12-month period to obtain five new members starts the day the first application is processed. 3. When the fifth application is received, an award certificate* will be issued and dated. A $200 NARPM® credit will also be issued. *Certificates are non-transferable.

2013 Ambassadors (thru December 31, 2013) Shelley Alterman Brian Birdy, MPM® RMP® Jill Bradshaw, RMP® Dennis Dodson, II MPM® RMP®

Deborah Henry, RMP® Jennifer Herman Trudy M. Hoff, RMP® Mark Kreditor, MPM® RMP® Cheryl Y. Kunimoto, R

Stacey McKay Primrose K. Leong-Nakamoto, S RMP® Maria Napolitano, RMP® Francisco Nieves-Taranto Lynn Sedlack, MPM® RMP®

Jennifer Stoops, RMP® Sandra Thomas, RMP® Tiea Vincent, RMP® David Whitley

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December 6 - December 31, 2013 Referring Member Brian Birdy, MPM® RMP® Brian Birdy, MPM® RMP® Roy Brooks Michael Francis, MPM® RMP® Harry Heist Lou Kahn, MPM® RMP® Lou Kahn, MPM® RMP® Lou Kahn, MPM® RMP® Jennifer Kellogg, MPM® RMP® Ben Kincel Jan Leasure Glenn Lehman Glenn Lehman Glenn Lehman Glenn Lehman Glenn Lehman Corinne Luna Gina McKinley Liz Morganroth Liz Morganroth Liz Morganroth Liz Morganroth Maria Napolitano, RMP® Maria Napolitano, RMP®

New member Sharon Fernandez Samuel Madrid Joseph M. Clotzman Deborah Thornton Leon Moody Jamie Anderson Jerry Marbury Lesley Wade Michelle Poorbaugh Matthew L. Brooks Rhonda K. Navarro Fred Musilli Michelle Larson Fir Le Dian Lehman Samantha Smith Tres Kennedy Dan McKinley Michael Johannes Derek Meins Dennis Raffaelli Charles R. Randall Betsy Bateman Debbie Grise

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Referring Member Maria Napolitano, RMP® Maria Napolitano, RMP® Maria Napolitano, RMP® Maria Napolitano, RMP® Maria Napolitano, RMP® Maria Napolitano, RMP® Maria Napolitano, RMP® Dawn Ostovich, RMP® Charles Riska, RMP® Charles Riska, RMP® Michael Robinson Chrysztyna Rowek-Perry, MPM® RMP® Matt Sanchez Lisa Saunders Lisa Saunders Lisa Saunders Cyndy Starr, RMP® Jennifer Stoops, RMP® Jennifer Stoops, RMP® Jennifer Stoops, RMP® Jennifer Stoops, RMP® Corey Van Dyke Chuck Warren, MPM® RMP®

How can 5=200?

New member Anne Humphreys David J. Somers Jonny Wise Marie Davis Kathleen E. Sutton Jennifer Tribou Alison Wright Mary Abood William H. Blanks III Kristin Moore Darcy Price Pamela Garrett Carla L. Jones Kathleen D. Burchfield Darrell Moore Jan Rucinski Jermaine K. Sambajoro Hattie Allmon-Wheeler Sam Barnett Dawn M. McGinn Karen Saint-Lot Paul M. Gozzo Ryan Harkins

All the information you need is at http://www.narpm.org/ join/ or you can scan the QR code at right with your smartphone or tablet using a QR code reader app. Data:

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26 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 BENCHMARK

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with Rent Manager.®

February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2 | 27

2013 Official National NARPM Partner 2011 Affiliate of the Year

& We’ve Teamed Up With Rent.com To Provide World-Class Solutions! With Rentals.com’s leading web sites and mobile applications coupled with Rent.com’s successful pay-for-performance business model, you’ll have access to the most comprehensive suite of products that deliver cost-effective, high-quality leads and leases. Rent.com will bring another strong brand to Rentals.com’s extensive family of apartment and rental home resources that includes Rentals.com, RentalHouses.com and Apartmentguide.com. Rentals.com, RentalHouses.com and RentList.com are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of PRIMEDIA Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. © PRIMEDIA Inc. 2013. All rights reserved.

BIG INNOVAT IO N • B I G E X P O S U R E • B I G R E S ULTS 28 | February 2014 Issue | Volume 25 | Number 2