“OLD AGE AND TREACHERY WILL OVERCOME YOUTH AND SKILL!”, REALLY? By Steve Hoogenakker Steve@Landscape.pro It was a Friday afternoon in this past November. We were sitting down having pizza in the company “War Room”. A young man came in, a new employee on the rise. One of the managers introduced us. He introduced me as [...]
Have you ever been impressed by a property manager who was thrust into a difficult situation or conversation and been amazed by how well they handled it? This article aims to teach you some of the skills of a “conversation master”.
There are four critical steps to consider before you request bids from vendors.
1. Set your Internal Goals
2. Decide on “Best of Breed” vendors versus a generic vendor
3. Review Proposals and Contracts
4. Work with your vendor
Besides the metrodome collapse, surely a ploy to get a new stadium, contractors have found this winter to be one they won’t soon forget. So what really happened behind the scenes? What can we learn from it and what does the future hold?
This was a strange winter. With the first snowfall around Mid-November, there
Think about this though. Snow fighting is all a skills game. When you have skilled employees, isn’t the worst method to gauge their success by the hours worked? Wouldn’t it be better to pay based on the results? I don’t mean to insult, but paying hourly is the lazy way for the manager and the contractor, and I believe it leaves the residents, tenants and owners paying for the lack of upfront effort.
3. Temperatures matter! At 30 degrees, one pound of salt melts 40 pounds of ice, while at 20 degrees, one pound of salt melts only10 pounds of ice, a 400% difference! And the air temperature is a minor part of the equation. Does your contractor apply varying amounts of salt to your property at different temperatures? Do the varying amounts show up when they bill for salt, or does it always seem to be “2 tons” every time? Can you afford to be billed 400% more for salt not used?
Maintenance Free Living! Really?
When a member asked me to address the belief of homeowners, that HOA living is maintenance free living, the zippy Green Acres theme song came to mind immediately. “Green Acres is the place for me, farm livin’ is the life for me… It continues on “The Chores.. The Stores.. Fresh Air… Town Square…”
I mean, the whole premise of the show was about Eddie Albert & Eva Gabor moving from a complicated city life to their own piece of “the promised land” to enjoy nirvana. Nearly all the comedy revolved around the Douglas’s interactions with “real” people and misconceptions about a simple lifestyle they thought they would enjoy.
Have you ever had a discussion with a renter, employee or HOA board manager that just didn’t click? Would you like to know how to communicate with people in your industry, regardless of how different their personality is?
HOW ICE MELTERS WORK:
Various ice melters have significantly different performance levels, but they all work in much the same way. NO ice melter is capable of melting snow and ice in its solid state. Ice melters must first come into contact with sufficient moisture to dissolve and form brine.
What is LinkedIn and why is it so important to property managers & HOA’s?
First of all, it’s the best way to post your questions and have them answered by your peers.
Second, there are members of groups like CAI and CAI Minnesota that you can join for free and get timely articles and discussions on topics you care the most about.
