Did you know that Airbnb has a specific program designed specifically to help victims of natural disasters, refugees, and those recovering from medical treatments? I didn’t either, until I stumbled upon a link for the OpenHomes program on the Airbnb website. The OpenHomes program works pretty much like the regular Airbnb platform does, except the…
Blog
PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN AND WHAT IT MEANS TO MULTIFAMILY
Many people have quoted multiple articles stating suggesting that by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean (by weight) than fish. Additionally, I have seen a lot of evidence that the plastic in the ocean ends up in the fish that we eat. It is ironic that plastics were once considered…
Resident Gifts that Help the Environment
If you have ever spent countless hours trying to come up with a good move-in or renewal gift for your residents, that won’t break the bank or be completely cheesy, I suspect you are in good company. Many management companies want to provide something thoughtful yet useful as a token of appreciation to their residents,…
Low Flow Toilet Retrofit Results
Based on the title, you may be thinking this blog is about a large scale toilet retrofit. Well it is, and it isn’t. I recently replaced a toilet in my house with an ultra-low flow .8 gallon flush toilet. How is that considered a large scale toilet retrofit? Well, I replaced 33% of the toilets…
“Wishcycling”
I had a representative from a recycling nonprofit tell me that residents tend to “wish cycle.” Meaning that the resident throws things in the recycling dumpsters in hopes that they are. Although it might be true in some instances, for the most part, I think our residents just don’t know any better. For example, turnover…
America’s Light Bulb Revolution
A recent article in the NY Times reports that “Solar panels and wind turbines get a lot of attention, but a more inconspicuous instrument is helping to reshape America’s energy economy right now: The humble light bulb.” Electricity use in the home has declined for the past 8 years after decades of steady increases, and…
Green Financing Provides Resident Benefits
Fannie Mae’s green financing was lunched over nine years ago and over 550,000 multifamily units have been built or retrofitted under the program. Fannie Mae studied the impact on residents and found them to be significant. Residents annual utility expenses decreased by 10% or $145 on average. That may not seem like much, but it…
What’s Happening with Coal?
We’ve all heard the rhetoric about how the so called “war on coal” is over. There has been a concerted effort by the Trump administration to reduce regulation and save the coal industry. So, after 2 plus years of the Trump presidency, where do we stand with coal? Before I try to answer that question,…
RECYCLING: WILL IT DIE
I have had several people tell me recently that recycling is going to die. That we are going to revert back to a Trash only lifestyle similar to what we had in the 80’s. For those of you who truly miss throwing everything in one golden dumpster…don’t get your hopes up. Recycling isn’t dead, it…
Don’t be too late to the Green Party!
Residents searching and want green apartments. Did you know that prospects are looking and asking for the convenience of smart thermostats, lighting, low flow toilets, energy efficient appliances and recycling? If your property has green features do not miss the opportunity to spotlight the features, savings and sell your advantages of being a Green Community….