Technology for Roof Inspections is "over our heads"

When it comes to leveraging technology to make our jobs easier, one of the no-brainer areas to us would be roof inspections.  In addition to being "over our heads"  roofs are a bit "out of sight, out of mind," so why not find someone whose business model could include regular roof inspections that could be viewed from a website with an overall roof grading, areas of concern noted, and an approximate cost that could be budgeted for the work needed?

We thought we had located that vendor partner.  It went well for awhile, but eventually we started to notice the inspections had slipped, and were not happening with the regularity we intended.  When it worked, it worked great.  And then it didn't work any longer.  It is apparently the case that technology also encompasses the human element - who knew!!

So last year when attending a property expo, we paid particular attention to roofers, and asked each one of them whether they might offer an inspections program that we could contract for.  Out of at least 10 roofers we talked to, I believe there might have been one or two who replied yes to that question.

This month we're having a lunch & learn with that vendor.  We'll let you know how it goes.  In the meantime, if you know a roofer who provides this service on a "portfolio" basis, send me their info.  

In return I will share what I learn with you one on one.

It's another Year Charlie Brown!

As we celebrate the end of another year, and look forward to starting all over with our resolutions, and tsk tsking about how fast time flies, I'm hoping for you the following property management well wishes for 2017:

That your toilet never overflows

That your sink is never stopped up

That your HVAC system keeps you and everyone around you comfortable

That you don't slip and fall on any liquids anywhere you tread

That no breakers flip no matter how many coffee makers and space heaters are plugged in

And finally--that raindrops do not fall upon your head as you work at your desk!

If all of those holiday wishes come true, your faithful property managers will surely find something else to worry about.

Be safe as you celebrate the new year, and watch for more typical property management topics starting next week.

Merry Christmas from the Fam-i-ly

There is only one more shopping day until Christmas.  It's likely most of you have left the building by now, as has Elvis, to salvage what shopping you can wring out of this Friday.  Good luck with that. 

Hope you all enjoy your Christmas on Sunday.  Be nice to that family member you only see this one time a year and want to throttle before the end of the day, you'll have a whole year to get over it!

 

Denouncing The Lowly Space Heater

I say lowly because it is low, it's under the desk!  As we get closer to having to real, honest to goodness cold weather, I am reminded of that loathsome little device.  As property managers we try to discourage them, they use a lot of electricity, they are a fire hazard, and they make it more difficult to control the temperature overall.  Not that any of that matters.  If someone wants to use one, they just do it, and there's little we can do to stop them.

My favorite meme on the space heater use is not the wintertime use, however, it's the person who is so cold from the air conditioning in the SUMMER that the space heater gets turned on under the desk.

I feel for that person. There's a sweater on the back of their chair, the space heater is under the desk, and it's cranked.  I just hope the sweater doesn't get too close...

Denouncing The Lowly Space Heater

I say lowly because it is low, it's under the desk!  As we get closer to having to real, honest to goodness cold weather, I am reminded of that loathsome little device.  As property managers we try to discourage them, they use a lot of electricity, they are a fire hazard, and they make it more difficult to control the temperature overall.  Not that any of that matters.  If someone wants to use one, they just do it, and there's little we can do to stop them.

My favorite meme on the space heater use is not the wintertime use, however, it's the person who is so cold from the air conditioning in the SUMMER that the space heater gets turned on under the desk.

I feel for that person. There's a sweater on the back of their chair, the space heater is under the desk, and it's cranked.  I just hope the sweater doesn't get too close...

ADA and TAS - Do you know the difference?

And do you care?  Well if you're reading this blog I'm guessing you just might.  Property Managers don't get a pass on caring about accessibility for our properties.  Most of us in real estate know the acronym "ADA" as representing the "Americans with Disabilities Act."  On the other hand, "TAS" stands for "Texas Accessibility Standards."  Maybe you still don't care, and that's OK, but I must press on, because I think there's a nugget of interest, so keep reading - if only to keep me company.

When we have "accessibility" consultants evaluate a property, and we get a report from them.  Their report is all about the TAS, not ADA.  They are actually different, who knew? (please try to keep reading).  As long as the state's standards are at least as strict as ADA, each state can have its own, and that is what Texas does.

Let's say a property owner spends at least $50,000 on construction alternations at their property--that suite or area being constructed must meet TAS standards, which start from the point at which a disabled person parks their car in the parking lot, then follows the "path of travel" into the property and to the constructed area, including the bathrooms along the way.  It can be daunting to meet those standards.  You hire an accessibility consultant to evaluate the property before and after the project, and they file a report with the TDLR (yes, another acronym) which stands for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.  If the "after" report still documents deficiencies, it's sort of like it stays on the property's "permanent record" (wasn't that phrase in a movie or a song), and the property owner can be subject to fines/penalties until the deficiencies are corrected.  If the cost of meeting all the requirements cited in the report cannot be met by the owner, they can request additional time to correct them, and that time is usually granted, sometimes in our experience, multiple extensions are sought and granted.

It's a bit complicated, but it's worth our time to keep up with it to avoid the state levied penalties.   You can run, but you can't hide...from the MAN (No that's not another acronym).

When a Ship Becomes a Building (Not a good thing)

Next Wednesday, December 7, 2016 marks the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  On December 7, 1941, a little after 8 am in the morning, hundreds of Japanese ships approached Hawaii from the east, and began the attack.  It lasted only about 2 hours, and by the time the Japanese left, 20 ships, and 300 aircraft had been destroyed.  2,000 American soldiers and sailors were killed in those two hours, and another 1,000 wounded.  The day was described by President Franklin Roosevelt as a "Day that will live in Infamy," and as every one who is at least as smart as a fifth grader knows, was the event that pulled America into World War II and ultimately led to victory of the allied forces of the US, Great Britain, Canada, and Russia, among others.

As I thought about the anniversary of this most tragic event, and all the history spawned from it, eventually my property manager brain found the hook I needed so I could indulge my impulse to write about it here.

One of the ships that was sunk that day, the battleship Arizona, was left at the bottom of the harbor after the attack. The ship's 1,177 sailors and Marines were "buried at sea" with the ship, and the site has become a museum in the US National Park Service for Americans to visit and honor their sacrifice.

So it is that a ship became a building. By creating a museum of this historic and sacred place, the Park Service has given us all a window into the horror of war, and perhaps that view will help make another world war unthinkable.  This photo I found of the site shows the floating "museum" sitting just above the ship in the harbor, as a boat is unloading visitors.  Apparently parts of the museum extend below the surface of the water so visitors can see the ravaged ship up close.


I can't imagine what it must be like for the Park Service to maintain this "building" but I'm sure it is a property management challenge unlike anything my team faces.  I appreciate the effort by the Park Service to help us all to remember our history.  I hope everyone takes a minute to remember the sacrifice of the brave men who died that day so that as Americans we can live in freedom today.