Still scratching our heads over R-22...Time to call the pros

We did a bit more research, got everyone together to review what we knew, and the first thing you know we found ourselves all tangled up in the numbers...R-22, MO99, 134A, 410A.  Nex thing we knew one of us gave up and started reciting the phone numbers from an old cornball TV show "Hee Haw"  BR549 and a song from the 50's about a phone number.  

At that point we knew we needed help, so we called a vendor, and he called a refrigeration expert from United Refrigeration, and we scheduled a meeting.

It was a good idea, because this time we learned something.  We learned that:

1) We don't need to panic.  Yes, R-22 refrigeration will not be manufactured in 2020, but there's lots of it around, and the experts estimate it will continue to be around for another 10-20 years, gradually increasing in expense, but available.

2) All new HVAC units will be using one of the two newest refrigerants 410A or 134A (depending on the size of the unit).  It's a good idea to make sure you verify this with your HVAC vendor though, just to be on the safe side.

3) The possibility of replacing R-22 refrigerant with a new EPA approved refrigerant depends on the size of the unit.  

So our next step is to apply the criteria we were given to determine which of the properties in our portfolio qualify for the retrofit, because if we can get ahead of the issue, we want to, and we want our clients to have the best information and options they can.  

Is it R-22 or R2D2 - That's what I want to know...

One of our Building Engineers is investing in his career by pursuing a certification from BOMA - Building Owners and Managers Association.  BOMA's educational offerings are made through Building Owners and Managers Institute, or BOMI.  After each class, we ask him to come share his learning with the rest of us, because, as I have mentioned, it our mission to Make Places Better.  

His most recent class was about energy efficiency.  I thought it was all going to be about the benefits of installing an energy management system, which I know is important, but which is also not always possible to do.  Instead, what I discovered was that many ways to improve efficiency have to do with basic maintenance and smarts about how to operate the property.  

Take air filter changes for example.  We are 99% there because we contract with a company who assesses and installs the right filter for the right unit for the right environment.  On top of that, however, changing the intake filters on all the HVAC compressors is something only our Building Engineers or HVAC service technicians know how to do, and it should be done at least annually.  

We also discussed how one of our Engineers manages to seriously minimize certain HVAC costs for his property, not by cutting needed maintenance or service, but by being a smart about how he buys supplies for his equipment.  As a group we decided to adapt his strategy at all our properties.  Don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like to hear more about what that is.

Insurance and Risk, two sides of ten coins

Since some of our properties are owned by partnerships we control, several years ago we huddled with our insurance agent and combined all of the insurance policies for those properties into a single "master policy" that renews annually on March 1.  A couple of years in we started offering our third party clients the opportunity to add their property or properties to the portfolio.  Working through the renewal process, though, is always an education in the arcania of insurance terminology.   Wind and hail deductibles, all other perils, terrorism, and "umbrella" liability, are all terms you seem to need a PhD to understand. This year we got the opportunity to learn about buying flood insurance when there's a property actually in a FEMA flood plain.  Fun stuff, I'm telling you.  We get that when you own a property, you have to understand these things. With our ability to cover a portfolio, we have perks we would never have with an individual policy, such as the ability to have--yet another arcane term--"blanket" coverage and the ability to cover vacant properties at reasonable costs.  This year we're celebrating the fact that our premium didn't go up over last year, which is under $.20 per square foot for most of our office properties.  Given that we live in tornado alley, that's an accomplishment, and worth the brain damage, maybe even worth that PhD.   

Starting January 1, it's an "Open" and shut case

Here in Texas, carrying a concealed handgun if you are licensed has been legal for some time.  This year, the state legislature also ruled that those same license holders could carry handguns openly. There are rules about holsters, etc., but basically, unless there are specific signs prohibiting it, here in Texas you may be seeing a lot more guns in January.

In our shop, we wondered if we should maybe get to know a bit more about this, maybe try and help our clients to decide for their own buildings whether they should take a position on the subject.

So we sent someone to a BOMA seminar on the subject, checked with our insurance agent, and then debated among ourselves to come up with something of a white paper on the subject.  I'm in the process of sending that out to our clients now.

So many questions arise:  Should handguns be banned?  What is the owner's liability?  What is the Property Manager's liability?  Can each tenant do something different?

Easy answers are hard to find.  The conclusion we finally arrived at was that employees and visitors to an office property should not have to have the expectation that they will encounter someone carrying a weapon openly.  Given that concealed carry is also legal, we decided to recommend to our clients the middle way of banning openly carried guns, but not install the signage banning handguns that would be concealed.  Let me know if you would like to read the full white paper.

September is about more than Football - I know, who's listening?

We property managers like football as well as anyone, I guess.  Since September is also National Preparedness Month, we are obsessing about more than football, we're talking safety.  We obsess because a safe building is also a comfortable place to be, and we love making our tenants comfortable and our clients are happy keeping their tenants.  Everyone wins!!

So I thought I would pass along the BOMA's (Building Owners and Managers Association) "Top Ten" tips we property managers will be reviewing in our huddles this month.

http://www.facilitiesnet.com/emergencypreparedness/article/BOMA-Preparedness-Top-Ten-List-for-National-Preparedness-Month-Facilities-Management-Emergency-Preparedness-News--11160

With hurricane season in full swing and experts predicting an increase in cases of the H1N1 virus this fall, now is the time to revisit preparedness plans, according to the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International.

September is National Preparedness Month and BOMA has released a list of ten best practices property professionals can adopt to ensure their tenants, staff and buildings are safe in an emergency or natural disaster.

An effective preparedness plan includes an emergency response plan, a communications strategy and a blueprint for business continuity.

Here is a list of tips to help property professionals start planning now:

   1. Review your plan. Regularly go over your building’s emergency preparedness plan with your team to ensure everyone is familiar with all aspects of emergency protocol.
   2. Practice makes perfect. Have your preparedness team take part in tabletop exercises, in which team members walk through various emergency scenarios and propose responses to “what if” questions.
   3. Involve your tenants. Make certain all of your tenants are aware of the building evacuation procedures and encourage them to participate in evacuation drills.
   4. Communicate. Develop a multi-layered crisis communication plan that is fast and effective in reaching tenants, local authorities and agencies, and the media.
   5. Stay alert. Sign up for daily alerts to monitor weather conditions and cases of pandemic influenza in your area.
   6. Work with authorities. Review local evacuation procedures and identify the agency that will issue evacuation orders.
   7. Cross-train staff. Identify and provide cross-training essential personnel to provide critical services.
   8. Revisit HR policies. Determine how your company’s leave and salary policies will apply in emergency situations, such as a pandemic flu outbreak, when a significant portion of your workforce may be unable to come to work.
   9. Operate remotely. Consider identifying off-site work facilities or telecommuting capabilities to ensure business continuity in the event of a disaster.
  10. Find the latest resources, such as informational websites.

Te Huur, or Te Koop - That is the question

A few more words about Belgium.  Although I typically post only about property management, as I traveled through Belgium I saw many for rent and for sale signs, I thought they would make an OK blog post - when in Belgium, you might say...

Real estate signs in Belgium always seem to be attached to the building itself, and almost always perpendicular to the building, jutting out usually at 2nd floor level.  That in itself was interesting to me as an American.  In suburban Texas we take for granted the excess of space we have to plant signs.  In Belgium, especially in urban areas, that space simply does not exist in most cities.  So they must be installed on the building, above the street level so as not to conflict with the signs of the business itself, up and out of pedestrian traffic also.

Then there's the language on the signs. Throughout the country, the signs were Te Koop, which means for sale, or Te Huur, which means for rent. I think the meaning of Te Huur is probably "To Hire."  The language for both is Dutch, which is spoken by a lot of people in Belgium.  The thing is, French is spoken by a lot of other people in Belgium.
 

For a country as small as Belgium, it was surprising to me how many people spoke Dutch and not French, or French and not Dutch, depending on where they live.  By some secret handshake, however, sometime in the past, the decision got made that even in French speaking areas, real estate signs would speak Dutch.

So I am going along, seeing real estate signs, and finding them interesting (yes, I know how sad that sounds), until one day I saw a JLL sign. Then it became: "Well if JLL is here, where  are the Coldwell Banker Commercial signs?"  Competition reigns supreme, and hard as I looked, I hate to admit that I did not see one of my own company's signs.  I know CBC is in Europe, but what about Belgium?  Do I need to go there and do some business development, take one for the team? pick up some listings?  If I must...

Happy Fourth of July 2015!

CBCA DFW offices will be closed on Friday July 3, but we are always on call and will take care of your buildings as if we owned them ourselves!

Enjoy your Independence Day Holiday!

Did you know??
Thomsas Jefferson and John Adams both passed away on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after they both signed the Declaration of Independence

Carol Sosebee