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…
Category: Sustainability
Multifamily LEED Certifications May Have Peaked
Based on a recent reports the percentage of new units being LEED certified peaked in 2014 at 19%. In absolute numbers, the peak occurred in 2016 at 50,300 certified units. The top 10 areas with the highest LEED certified units per capita are in either in the Washington, DC metro area or Seattle, WA. Larger…
Benchmarking: How do you eat an Elephant?
Looking at Utility data and trying to figure what it means is like trying to eat an elephant. It’s massive. Where do you start? The answer it to take it one bite at a time. Focus on a region, city or state and pull your data down. I like excel. It is easy for me…
What You Need to Know About Recycling Contamination Fees
Did you know that 1 in 4 items placed in a recycling container is not recyclable? Do your residents know that? China and other countries are no longer accepting highly contaminated recycling waste from the US, thereby requiring domestic haulers to find other, more expensive channels for removal. Because of this, trash haulers are passing…
Energy Star
ENERGY STAR was launched by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992 as a voluntary program but it’s now co-managed by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and EPA. This program has become a symbol for energy efficiency in the country, helping individuals and businesses save money as well as protect the environment through…
What Recent Paper Price Increases Mean for You
In 2019, paper costs are expected to increase 3%-5%. So, what does that mean for business owners and multifamily professionals? Here are some of the way you and your organization may be impacted: • Higher prices when you order office paper (obviously} • Higher prices for other items that use paper pulp such as toilet…
Sales Tax Exemption – $ savings = to state sales tax !
Many states exempt sales tax on utilities for multifamily properties. Check with your Department of Revenue to confirm the exemption. If your property is exempt and your property is currently paying sales tax you may file for the exemption to be effective at the next billing cycle. This could save 5% of your water/sewer expense. …
Do you know why revolving doors were invented?
Super fun fact time! Do you know why revolving doors were invented? Not because they look cool, but as a way to open the doors in a building with pressurization issues. Have you ever been a building where doors slammed by themselves, or you noticed a door that seemed hard to open, or would not…
How do I work through my utility company to determine programs that are available for my company?
How do I work through my utility company to determine programs that are available for my company? Check desireusa.org: provides listing of programs for each state and each utility company (these may be dated, but provide good guide) Check utility website: there are typically resident programs and business programs. Some utilities classify multifamily as resident…
Everything is SMALLER is Texas?? My experience living in a tiny house
When planning a recent trip to Dallas for the weekend, I was searching vacation home rental sites when I came upon something pretty cool – a tiny home made from an old shipping container! I knew I needed to stay there for the experience alone! The shipping container tiny home was lovingly called “Blue Steel”….