If Not Now, When?

I’ve had an epiphany. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of this before now. Our properties are going through the Due Diligence phase of a sale. The new proposed Owners keep scheduling walk throughs with their vendors, with management company execs, with contractors, and, what is so bothersome for me, is that the onsite teams are never included. Sure, we can send a Manager or a Maintenance Tech or Supervisor but their only role is to open doors. 

Recently, they came with a contractor and the management company’s Acquisition and Operations people and brought their sample boards. They walked around and discussed moving the leasing offices elsewhere, create a business center area here, and place the game room items there. But they did not include anyone onsite in their conversations. It was at that moment that I realized why I have such a problem with the Sale Process. It really isn’t that the properties are being sold; it’s that the properties are moving forward without any input from the current team.

When new owners, even those who plan to keep the onsite team in place, exclude the team on these visits, it is as though they are saying, “Thank you for being here today and performing your duties, but we don’t need any of your input. Your opinion does not matter. Carry on!” 

If their opinion does not matter now, will it ever in the future?

Apartments Are Homes, Too!

I don’t miss owning a house. I do miss the sense of freedom I had when I lived in a house. When you live in an apartment, there are all kinds of things that make it easy to not miss a house, such as having someone readily available to make repairs 24/7. I like that! And I don’t have to worry about who to hire to make the repair or the cost of it. If the disposal isn’t working, call maintenance. Have a problem with the internet, call the office and they reset it. 

With that upside, though, the trade-off is not having the freedom to enhance your living space, sometimes in any way. That can be a very difficult adjustment. I am still reeling and dealing with this one. I am allowed to paint, sort of. This means even if I plan to live here for the next ten years, when I move out (even if it is in a body bag from old age, which I hope won’t happen in the next 40 years) I have to make sure the walls are returned to the condition in which I took possession. And it might be hard to match that 10-year old paint color. 

They don’t even allow me to install my own light fixtures, even if I hire an electrician to do it. I find this to be very discouraging – every time I walk into my apartment, I am greeted by those ugly boob lights at ceiling level. I hate them. And, it does affect how I feel about being “home.” It completely sends the message that this is a temporary residence, plus, did I emphasize how ugly those lights are? It’s as if Management is expecting me to move.

Do we want our residents to look at apartment living as always temporary? 

I do miss having an attached garage. Not that I putter, but it would be nice to have a place to hammer and construct my projects without completing taking over the dining/kitchen area (which incidentally is the only tiled area so if I spill something, clean-up is easier.) I have a carport space that I pay for, but I can’t really store anything there, plus they keep raising the rent of the carport every time I turn around. They don’t even give you a lease for the carport, except at move in time, which guarantees your rate for that first year. After that, the price can and does, often, go up. This is frustrating. 

There is the perception that if you live in an apartment, you don’t really live there – it’s just a place to stay until something better comes along. I don’t like this thought at all. Why can’t your apartment be the “something better” that came along? You know what I wish? I wish apartment communities created private outdoor entertaining spaces where you could invite friends and families for an impromptu cook out gathering – and not at the Clubhouse. I’m talking about green space with updated, modern, outdoor kitchen areas with nice outdoor furniture and good lighting options so you can actually spend time there. Including a fire pit option would just tickle me to no end. When you have a house, there is usually a deck and/or backyard area to do this in, and I do miss that. My family used to have some great outdoor parties.

I think people want a simple life away from work, to be happy, to be free to dream, play, create and enjoy just “hanging out” when “home.” I just wish Owners, developers and management companies placed the emphasis on designing homes and not a temporary “rest stop.”

Whadda Ya Mean, I Gotta Pay a Late Fee?

How is this even possible???? Rent is due on the first of the month. It has been like this every month on every property all over the United States, and certainly here at this property, and now, in the fourth year of this Resident’s Lease, she calls and says, incredulously, “I thought rent was due on the fifth!”

Yeah.

No.

The first of the month.

“There is a 3-day Grace Period, Linda. But the rent is actually due on the first,” I say.

“But the Office was closed yesterday!” she whines.

You know what makes me crazy? It’s the fact that any Resident thinks if the leasing office is closed for business on a national holiday, they are excused from paying their rent on time. I think I would rather have had her just say to me, “Oh, with the holiday, I forgot!” Maybe that would be a more honest answer than trying to pass off her mistake on to me as though it is my fault she is paying late and incurring a $75 Late Fee.

Your Pets Are Residents, Too!

Our community is “pet friendly” meaning that we gladly welcome most canines and felines. Don’t get me wrong, we charge for this privilege, but being pet welcoming is rewarding regardless. For about two years I was absent as a full time manager here and when I returned I was greeted by Gus one morning. He was accompanied by his Humans, Joe and Carol. I noticed right away, he was very happy and grateful to stand by your feet and let you rub behind his ears. His tail would just wag and wag. Joe said Gus would stand there all day letting you pet him if you wanted.

As time moved on, I would be greeted by Gus every morning on his AM constitutional. He never seemed to be in a hurry and there was always time to sniff a leaf, a tree, or something interesting on the sidewalk. Joe and I laughed about how much Gus loved to slow down and smell the roses. Of course, like most Basset Hounds who did not move too fast, Gus was a tad overweight.

One day, I noticed Gus limping and he had a “pouch” like swelling on his hind leg. When it did not resolve itself quickly, Joe and Carol took him to the Vet for an examination. The Vet put him on antibiotics; however, the infection never really went away. There were days when Gus would limp and days when he really wasn’t up to long walks. But then there were still days he would run, happily chasing a rabbit and it didn’t seem to affect him.

Inevitably though, there were more bad, pain filled days than healthier, good ones. Joe and Carol made the difficult decision to release Gus from his misery and arrangements were made. One Saturday morning, I received an email from Carol that Gus was gone and to please understand their request to not be charged Pet Rent. Tears immediately filled my eyes and I was momentarily overcome. Quickly I sent my condolences via email and began a journey down Memory Lane, not just of Gus, but also of my beloved Chow mix, Viann, whom I lost on a winter morning during a blizzard just the December prior.

Time moves on though. It was nice to be greeted by other Residents’ dogs: Jack, a black lab; Lucy, a mix breed Dalmatian/Lab; Mya, a small, energetic Service Dog; Maggie, the Collie and my next door neighbor, Sam, a Maltese. And then, a few weeks ago there was a new little Beagle in the mix named Otis, Joe and Carol’s newly adopted Rescue. I guess a new journey begins and I am glad that we are Pet Friendly!