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THE HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE

ABODE August 2018

HarveyHeroes Meet some of the industry heroes of Hurricane Harvey and our Honors Award recipients.

Harvey Housing Funding

We See You

Houston, Harris County land large grants for affordable apartments.

at the Honors Awards, Spelling Bee, Sponsorship Auction and more!

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CONTENTS August 2018

ON THE COVER

FEATURES & PHOTOS

16 On the Scene – Photos from HAAPAC Luncheon.

Harvey Heroes – In this month’s ABODE, we recognize the recipients of the 2018 HAA Honors Awards and meet some of the industry heroes of Hurricane Harvey and management personnel winners. Cover Photo by Mark Hiebert, Hiebert Photography

24 On the Scene – Photos from the NEXT Breakfast. 30 On the Scene – Photos from the HAA Sponsorship Auction.

COLUMNS & MONTHLY UPDATES 7 President’s Corner – Learn more about the 2018 Honors Awards winners and Harvey Heroes in this month’s issue.

34 On the Scene – Photos from the HAA Honors Awards.

8 Patron of the Month – Meet and support Interior Logic Group Property Services.

42 Honors Awards Nominees and Winners – A list of all our honorees for the 2018 Honors Awards.

9 Legislative Update – Houston, Harris County land large grants for affordable apartments.

44 Harvey Heroes – Meet the heroes of Hurricane Harvey who were recognized during the HAA Honors Awards.

11 It’s The Law – Texans can learn a few things from Fair Housing cases that either resulted in charges of discrimination or settlements.

50 Meet the Honorees – Meet the best of the best in apartment management for the 2018 Honors Awards. 58 On Site with ABODE – Take a closer look at two of the Honors Awards winning properties. 62 On the Scene – Photos from the NEXT sponsored HAAPAC Spelling Bee Fundraiser. 72 On the Scene – Photos from the Expo Appreciation Party.

14 Resident Relations – Learn more about a recent case mediated by the HAA Resident Relations Committee. 19 Upcoming Education – Find out what education courses the Houston Apartment Foundation is offering in August and September. 20 Calendar – HAA’s schedule of events for the coming months. 28 On the Road with HAA – See photos from the Southern Brazoria Apartment Inspection Panel. 60 Meet Who’s NEXT – Here’s our monthly 40 questions for a NEXTer. 66 Go-Getters – Celebrate Membership! 67 Welcome Mat – Find out about the newest HAA members. 68 The Ambassador ONE Society – The Ambassadors make connections. 70 Portfolio Changes and In the News – Property updates and industry news clips from our members. 74 Index of Advertisers – See the supplier members who support this publication. 75 MarketLine – The latest area market numbers. 76 BackPage – News from around the community.

We welcome your comments. Email us at comm@haaonline.org.

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OFFICERS AND ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP STARLA TURNBO President-Elect

JOHN BORIACK Vice President at Large

MICHELLE PAWELEK President

DIANE GILBERT Vice President at Large

BARBY LAKE Vice President at Large CLAY HICKS Secretary/Treasurer

CHRISTY RODRIGUEZ Vice President at Large

HOWARD BOOKSTAFF General Counsel

JEFF HALL Executive VP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kyle Brown, Immediate Past President Josh Allen Mack Armstrong Cyrus Bahrami Jeff Blevins John Boriack Kyle Brown Joe Bryson Tina Cavaco Grant Crowell Scott Douglas Ian Douglas Gina Erwin John Fedorko Israel Garza Diane Gilbert Stephanie Graves Ira Gross Alison Hall Bryan Head Clay Hicks Deborah Holcombe Jacob Kunath Barby Lake Laura Lestus David Lindley Robert Lopes Sonia Lopez Kristin McLaughlin Carlos Neto Dean O’Kelley Michelle Pahl Velissa Parmer Jenifer Paneral Mark Park Michelle Pawelek Jackie Rhone Christy Rodriguez Kelly Scott Kurt Seidel Kim Small Debbie Sulzer Starla Turnbo Shelley Watson Quintina Willis Tracie Yoder

DIRECTORS EMERITUS Ken Bohan Gary Blumberg Kathy Clem Jack Dinerstein Darlene Guidry Jenard Gross David Hargrove Larry Hill Stacy Hunt Hap Hunnicutt David Jones Mike Koch Dick LaMarche Tim Myers P. David Onanian John Ridgway Eileen Subinsky Steve Sweet Kirk Tate Suan Tinsley H.J. Tollett Pat Tollett Vic Vacek Jr. Beth Van Winkle Jerry Winograd ADVISORY DIRECTORS Terri Clifton Brenda Crawford Tamara Foster Billy Griffin Mary Lawler Cesar Lima Karen Nelsen Lindsay Torres Laura Van Dyck Tony Whitaker GENERAL COUNSEL EMERITUS Joe Bax HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Claude Arnold Kenn Brown Tina Cavaco Kevin Fenn Diane Gilbert Anita Harrison Dwayne Henson

Mike Koch Merry Mount Monette Reynolds Sherry Stevenson Kirk Tate Suan Tinsley Sonny Unverzagt Del Walmsley Nancé Wells H.P. Paul Young Jeanne Marie Zublin Dicks PRODUCT SERVICE COUNCIL OFFICERS Grant Crowell, CAS, President The Urban Foresters Jacob Kunath, CAS, Vice President Century A/C Supply Laura Lestus, CAS, Secretary The Liberty Group David Lindley, CAS, Treasurer FSI Construction Inc. Israel Garza, CAS, Immediate Past President Maintenance Supply Headquarters MEMBERS Marivel Bownds, CAS, Valet Living Dixie Caldwell-Greer, CAS, The Liberty Group Peggy Charles, CASE, Fidus Construction Services Dylan Coleman, CAS Camp Construction Services Deborah DeRouen, CAS, Respage Derek DeVries, CAS, Camp Construction Services Brian Febbo, CAS FSI Construction

Dan James, CAS Redevelopment Services Debra Knight, CAS, Valet Living Stephanie Krop, CASE, Poolsure Liz Levins, CAS, Rasa Floors Candis Mohr, CAS, AAA Plumbers Doug Oehl, CAS Power Express Joseph Rodriguez, CAS, The Urban Foresters Blaise Spitaleri, CAS, Rasa Floors Mat Tilley, CAS, WeDoTrash PATRON MEMBERS 1961 CSC ServiceWorks 1986 Craven Carpet 1994 AAA Plumbers Presto Maintenance Supply 1996 Houston Planned Energy Systems 1997 RentPath 1999 FSI Construction Inc. 2003 Cotton Commercial USA Inc. Dixie Carpet Installations 2009 Camp Construction Services 2013 Interior Logic Group Property Services 2018 Apartments.com

SPONSOR MEMBERS 1968 Century A/C Supply Hoover Slovacek LLP Reliant 1973 Brady Chapman Holland & Assoc CORT Furniture Rental & Retail Sales 1974 Mueller Water Conditioning 1976 Great American Business Products 1977 Webb Pest Control 1978 Houston Metro Electrical Corp The Liberty Group 1981 AmRent Marvin F Poer & Company 1983 Namco Mfg Co Inc Sherwin Williams Company 1984 RENCON 1985 Gemstar Construction Development Inc 1986 ApartmentData.com 1988 W Partnership 1992 Alexander-Rose Associates Saint Clair & Sons Inc 1998 AAA Staffing Ltd CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions 2000 Moveforfree.com Inc Pura Flo Corporation 2001 Apartment Life Inc 2002 American Fire Systems Direct Energy LP Southwest Painting Contractors Inc 2003 Sign-Ups & Banners 2005 LSR Multifamily Swain & Baldwin Insurance & Risk Management United Protective Services 2006 Bell's Laundries CAD Restoration Services DoodyCalls Lopez Carpet Care & Painting Masonry Solutions Inc Roto-Rooter Services Co TXU Energy Multifamily Services Valet Living 2008 ARE Business Solutions LLC Flavor Finish Resurfacing HARCO Insurance Services Texas Turf Management 2009 Contractors Inc Moen Inc Redevelopment Services Storm Maintenance & Monitoring 2010 ALN Apartment Data Inc BAC Products Belfor Property Restoration Certified Termite and Pest Control FTK Construction Services 2011 DNM Contracting Inc Fantastic Floors Greenway Environmental Services Infinite Energy Inc Parking Management Company/PMC Towing 2012 ABC Supply Co Inc Accent Sign & Awning Co BGE/Brown & Gay Engineers Cantrell McCulloch Inc EnviroSmart Multifamily Pest Solutions Giordano Construction Inc Go-Staff, Inc Maldonado Nursery & Landscaping Inc Nationwide Eviction Texas Concrete Professional Company 2013 ACTIV Answer by Audio Images Arbor Contract Carpet Inc ASAP Steamers Carpet Cleaning Comcast Gambit Construction Outdoor Elements Pool Works LLC

StoveTop FireStop Tidal Renovations LLC 2014 Adventure Playground Systems Inc Chadwell Supply Classic Same Day Blinds J National Jonah Systems LLC MX2 Commercial Paving Pathfinder Insurance Group Perma-Pier Foundation Repair of Texas Ram Jack Foundation Solutions Texas Apartment Pool Services The Katy Plumbing Company WCA Waste Corporation Zillow Group Rentals 2015 Air Pro Systems America Outdoor Furniture ASAP Personnel Inc BSI Cameras Onsite Competitive Choice Inc CSILED.com DeNyse Companies Division-9 Inc Fix My Slab Foundation Repair Gateman Inc Greater Houston Pool Management Holder's Pest Solutions Infinity Power Partners Kathy Andrews Interiors Notifii LLC Pace Mechanical Services, Power Express The Allshouse Group LLC The Lane Law Firm Wilsonart 2016 Action Window Coverings Allied Fire Protection Lp Bath Fitter BH Fitness North America Cinch – Cabinet Refacing Kits Citi Fence & Concrete E-Systems Pest Management Inc Ecolo Environmental, Inc Embark Services Fidus Construction Services Fun Abounds Green City Recycler Green City Security LLC Guardian Chimney Sweep Halo Doors Inc Hive JLL Johnstone Supply Kastle Systems KONE Leah McVeigh Design and Consulting Liquid Waste Solutions McCann Total Security Solutions Murrah & Killough PLLC Paul Davis Restoration North Houston Quantum Fitness RAM Construction Sparkle Wash Pressure Washing Sustain-Ability Solutions LLC Texas Southwest Floors Inc The Home Depot ValencePM WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems WellKept Whitmans Contracting and Roofing 2017 911 Security Cameras, Inc ACT Security Group Action Gypsum Supply Advanced Property Services All About Doody Pet Solutions LLC All American Mailboxes of Houston Inc Allegion American Fire Protection Group Anderson Restoration Apartment Total Services APTexx Inc Aquatic Training Institute ARK Appliances BioTechs Crime & Trauma Scene Cleaning South Houston Brooklet Energy Distribution Buddy's Roofing & Construction Co Byte Time Computing Inc Cano Electric, Inc City Supply Co Inc Classic Towing Continental Adjusters Inc Creative Surface Cypress Landscaping & Irrigation, Inc D&C Painting

Designs by Holmes Disaster America Disaster Restore 365 Energy Ogre Ernie Smith and Sons Roofing LLC Fast Forward Services, LLC Finishes Etc LLC Frost Insurance Agency Gage Multifamily Services General Recon, LLC Gravely & Pearson LLP Griddy Energy Henley & Henley PC Houston SEAL Patrol Division LLC Lithotech Printed Products/Forms Center McMahan's Flooring Inc MPS Direct Norman Construction NorthMarq Capital On Site Towing LLC Pack-It Movers Paragon Roofing Inc Paul Ryan Windows Quick Relief Restoration Re-Mark Technologies Group LLC RealState Investments LLC Rent Accelerator Residential Waste Service Roof Top Innovations Rutherford Services Inc SEAL Security Solutions LLC Secure Insurance Securecomm, Inc Special Touch Landscaping Student Movers Inc Swiff-Train Company Symmons Industries Texas Engineered Roofing & General Contracting Texas Eviction LLC Top Notch Fitness & Wellness USA Patrol Division Vima Decor WBI General Contractor LLC Willbanks & Associates Inc 2018 A Homestead Specialist LLC A Quick Restoration Inc AAdvantage Laundry Systems AirAide LLC Apartment Lines Apex Lighting LLC Archcon Arizona Tile Assa Abloy Bank Financial BBO Professional Carpet Cleaning Belvoir Real Estate Group Benjamin Moore Galveston Bay Paint & Decorating CashFlow Pros LLC Centex Construction ClearView Landscape Management Core 24/7 Restoration Services Durastone Corporation EDR Construction Finish Factory Inc Globus Management Group Good Guys of Texas Green Garbology H&H Fire and Security Homeland Protective Services Justice Patrol Services LLC K-Simon Construction Lone Star General Matrix Construction Services Merricks Company MirrorMate Frames Mosquito Scott Pest Control NGC Renovation O'Conor, Mason & Bone PC Penco Access Control PERQ LLC Phoenix Roofing & Construction Poolworx Preventive Pest Control Red Dog Dumpsters Rent Debt Automated Collections Royalty Landscape Spray and Play Strickland Law Firm PLLC Surface Designers Remodeling Inc TDECU Insurance Agency Technogym Texas Premier Builders/Designs Texas Steam - Laars Heating Systems TNCPA Turn2 Solutions LLC USI Southwest Wellman Exteriors Wildlife Removal Experts Windstorm Restoration Wonder Wall Wraps Inc

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ABODE AUGUST 2018 I VOLUME 41, ISSUE 8 Executive Vice President and Publisher

JEFF HALL, CAE jhall@haaonline.org EDITORIAL AND DESIGN STAFF

Director of Publications and Design DEBORAH NIX dnix@haaonline.org Writer/Editor MORGAN TAYLOR mtaylor@haaonline.org ADVERTISING

Vice President of Membership and Marketing AMANDA SHERBONDY asherbondy@haaonline.org CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Vice President and General Manager SUSAN HINKLEY, CAE shinkley@haaonline.org Vice President of Professional Development EMILY HILTON, CPP ehilton@haaonline.org Vice President of Public Affairs ANDY TEAS, CAE ateas@haaonline.org Vice President of Finance NANCY LI LO, CPA nlo@haaonline.org Director of Information Technology ART EIDMAN aeidman@haaonline.org Director of Resident Relations MATILDE LUNA mluna@haaonline.org Director of Events and Meetings LAUREN WOLFSON lwolfson@haaonline.org Director of Rental Credit Reporting TINA DEFIORE tdefiore@haaonline.org Education and Meetings Coordinator KAREN MITCHELL kmitchell@haaonline.org Strategic Growth Manager LAUREN TURNER, CMP lturner@haaonline.org Membership and Marketing Coordinator KAYLON NICHOLS knichols@haaonline.org Public Affairs Specialist ALPA PATEL apatel@haaonline.org Webmaster and IT Specialist WILL ALFARO walfaro@haaonline.org PRINTER

TGI PRINTED www.tgiprinted.com HOUSTON COMMITTEE Executive Program & Budget Nominating Ethics Investment Fair Housing By-Laws Past Presidents Council Strategic Outreach Legislative HAA Political Action Committee Multifamily Fire Safety Alliance Developers Century Club PAC Fundraising Media Relations Golf Leadership Development Product Service Council Community Outreach Resident Relations Appeals Resident Relations A Resident Relations B Membership Ambassador ONE Society 2018 Expo IROC Education Advisory Council Career/Community Development NEXT HAF Fundraiser HAA Street Team Property Awards

APARTMENT ASSOCIATION COMMITTEES CHAIR STAFF ADVISOR MICHELLE PAWELEK JEFF HALL STARLA TURNBO JEFF HALL KYLE BROWN JEFF HALL BETH VAN WINKLE JEFF HALL CLAY HICKS JEFF HALL KAREN NELSON JEFF HALL ALISON HALL JEFF HALL JENIFER PANERAL JEFF HALL CLAY HICKS LAUREN TURNER STARLA TURNBO ANDY TEAS STACY HUNT/JOHN RIDGWAY ANDY TEAS JOHN FEDORKO ANDY TEAS CYRUS BAHRAMI ANDY TEAS DAVID LINDLEY ALPA PATEL DAVID JONES ALPA PATEL DEBORAH HOLCOMBE ALPA PATEL KIM SMALL ALPA PATEL JACKIE RHONE SUSAN HINKLEY GRANT CROWELL SUSAN HINKLEY QUINTINA WILLIS SUSAN HINKLEY DARLENE GUIDRY MATILDE LUNA ELAINE LEEPER MATILDE LUNA KATHY MOTIS MATILDE LUNA TINA CAVACO AMANDA SHERBONDY DEBORAH DEROUEN/DEREK DEVRIES AMANDA SHERBONDY JACOB KUNATH AMANDA SHERBONDY STEPHANIE BRYSON EMILY HILTON STEPHANIE GRAVES/MONICA GRACIA EMILY HILTON KELLY SUESS EMILY HILTON LINDSAY TORRES/DAVID LINDLEY EMILY HILTON MICHELLE PAHL/DAN JAMES LAUREN WOLFSON BRANDON THOMAS LAUREN WOLFSON RICHARD WALL/PENNY SPRANG TINA DEFIORE

HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION MISSION AND VISION HAA is the leading advocate, resource and community partner for quality rental housing providers in the Houston and surrounding area. HAA develops leadership in the multifamily industry by engaging broadly diverse membership, embracing effective technology and advocating for a geographically inclusive association.

Visit HAA Online at www.haaonline.org ABODE IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION. Serving the multihousing industry in Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Waller and Wharton counties. ABODE, AUGUST 2018 VOLUME 41, ISSUE 8 ABODE (USPS 024-962) is published monthly by the Houston Multi Housing Corporation. Publishing, editorial and advertising offices are located at 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, Texas 77041. Telephone 713-595-0300. The $50 annual ABODE subscription rate is included in all member dues and additional subscriptions are available. The annual subscription rate is $50 for members, $65 for non-members. Advertising rates are available upon request. Contributed material does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Houston Apartment Association. Copyright Â© 2018 by HAA. Periodicals Postage Paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ABODE, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, Texas 77041.

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August 2018

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Stand Up & Stand Out

Meet the next class of our industryâ€™s top 40 industry professionals under the age of 40 40 Under 40 Honoree Reception Wednesday, September 19 Prohibition Supperclub & Bar 1008 Prairie St., 77002 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. www.haaonline.org/40under40

Excellence Sponsors Signature Sponsor

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President’s Corner

By MICHELLE PAWELEK, CPM, CAPS, 2018 HAA President

BEST IN THE BUSINESS

Learn more about the 2018 Honors Awards winners and Harvey Heroes in this month’s issue.

THIS YEAR’S HAA Honors Awards was the largest to date with more than 1,200 attendees. Those who are selected as HAA Honors Awards winners represent “leading excellence.” When we speak to their successes and accomplishments, we call it “recognizing greatness.” And, when we refer to them as a group, we use the phrase “the best in the business.” These broad terms are all true, but each individual who goes home with an HAA Honors award has their own story. This issue, ABODE invited the 2018 Honors Awards winners to share what has made them successful, how they measure effective leadership and much more. HAA Honors Awards Harvey’s Heroes are also featured in this issue, as photographed on the cover. In September, ABODE will spotlight Honors winners in the maintenance categories and the winner of the 2018 Supplier of the Year award. Congratulations again to all of our Honors nominees and winners! Photos from the event begin on Page 34. Readers can learn more about the bravery of the Harvey Heroes, starting on Page 44, and a series of features on the honorees begin on Page 50.

www.haaonline.org

Forty Under 40 The opportunities for appreciation and recognition continue. It’s time to recognize the rising stars of our industry for our Forty Under 40 program. This event was created to honor ambitious, emerging young professionals in our industry. The continued success of our business depends on building the next generation of leaders, and this event is a great way to identify the future leaders of our industry. This will be the second time HAA is presenting this program, and I anticipate it to be an incredible event. All HAA members are invited to attend this unique program on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at Prohibition Supperclub & Bar (1008 Prairie St.). See Page 6 for more details. It’s Good Business Early this month, on Thursday, Aug. 2, HAA will have its Take 5 Business Exchange. This event raises money for the Houston Apartment Foundation Scholarship Fund, which allows our young professionals to advance their careers without the financial burden. This is a great event for new and experienced supplier partners to network with property management personnel, from owner executives to

maintenance supervisors. I encourage you to visit www.haaonline.org/businessexchange to watch an informative video lead by Past President Alison Hall and Past Product Service Council President Grant Crowell. You can also register there as well. Anniversary of Harvey August marks the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey. As Texans, Houstonians and housing providers, we were all affected in one way or another. According to ApartmentData.com, about 4,000 of the estimated 12,000 apartment homes in Houston damaged during Harvey remain in the process of rebuilding, which means about 35 of our member properties are still working in order to bring 100 percent of their apartments back online. Hats off to those who have rebuilt their communities, as well as the supplier partners who have been with us through each painful step of the recovery process. Our members have exemplified true grit and determination in rebuilding Houston’s rental housing market. We will forever remain HoUSton Strong!

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These companies have generously supported the Houston Apartment Association with their patron membership. Please give them careful consideration, whenever possible, in your business.

Houston Planned Energy Systems

Apartments.com

HAA Member since 1978

HAA Member since 1997

Cotton Commercial USA Inc.

Interior Logic Group Property Services

HAA Member since 1982

Presto Maintenance Supply HAA Member since 1983

CSC ServiceWorks HAA Member since 1961

Craven Carpet HAA Member since 1986

Camp Construction Services HAA Member since 1994

August Patron of the Month

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August 2018

HAA Member since 1985

AAA Plumbers HAA Member since 1984

FSI Construction Inc. HAA Member since 1999

Dixie Carpet Installations HAA Member since 1987

RentPath HAA Member since 1979

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Legislative Update

By STARLA TURNBO, HAA Legislative Chair, with ANDY TEAS, CAE, Vice President of Public Affairs

HARVEY HOUSING FUNDING Houston, Harris County land large grants for affordable apartments.

IT ALMOST TOOK a full year, but the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved $5 billion in block grant funding for disaster relief in Texas. Approval of the Texas General Land Office’s (GLO) “State Action Plan” clears the way for local governments to begin implementing their own programs, which include buyouts of properties repeatedly flooded by storms, reimbursement of homeowners for certain repairs, homelessness prevention in the form of short-term assistance, and public infrastructure repairs. Of particular interest to HAA members is the money allocated for “Affordable Rental.” Houston has budgeted $250 million, and Harris County has budgeted $222 million for “acquisition, rehabilitation, reconstruction and new construction” of affordable multifamily housing projects in areas impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Details are still being worked out at press time, but here is some basic information about the City of Houston’s program and Harris County’s program: Houston’s Program From the City of Houston’s Local Action Plan: “This program will address both direct and indirect impacts of Hurricane Harvey on the Houston’s affordable rental housing stock. The shortage of affordable rental housing units available to meet the needs of renters in Houston was exacerbated by Hurricane Harvey. The development of new multifamily rental housing, the acquisition and/or rehabilitation of flood-damaged multifamily rental housing, and strategic land acquisition for multifamily development aims to address this shortage and meet the needs of disaster impacted rental households. This program will also provide housing designed to meet the needs of special populations.” Houston is looking to allocate up to $40 million per development. Both for-profit and www.haaonline.org

not-for-profit developers are eligible. Eligible activity includes “Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, New Construction, and Acquisition. HCDA Section 105 (a)(1), 105(a)(3-4), 105(a)(7-8), 105(a)(11), and 105(a)(14-15).” Each project has to meet HUD’s Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) requirements, and must generally be within Houston’s city limits. Fifty-one percent of apartment homes will be reserved for 20 years for households earning less than 80 percent of Area Median Family Income (AMFI). “Projects will be selected through an application or Request For Proposal (RFP) process. The application or RFP will clearly establish the process and acceptance period, threshold criteria (including applicable building codes), selection criteria, and the award process. Selected projects must be completed within 18 months of the effective date of the contract, unless otherwise extended by GLO. Additional project selection criteria and process information will be established in the program guidelines.” The timing of this is still uncertain at press time, but the city wants to start moving quickly. HAA will be working closely with the City of Houston Housing Department to get information to potential applicants as soon as possible, so keep an eye on your email and HAA This Week. Harris County’s Program From Harris County’s Action Plan: “Harris County will administer the Affordable Rental Housing Program. The program has been designed to provide funds for acquisition, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and new construction of affordable multi-family housing projects in areas impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The GLO’s Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)/RFP will establish the application process and acceptance period, threshold criteria (including applicable

building codes), selection criteria, and the award process.” Harris County is looking to award up to $25 million per development, but will consider a waiver to exceed that amount on a case-by-case basis. The county’s program eligibility includes both for-profit and not-forprofit developers, and covers “HCDA Section 105(a)(1), 105(a)(4), 105(a)(9), 105(a)(11), and 105(a)(14-15)” rehabilitation, reconstruction and new construction of affordable multifamily housing. Eligibility criteria is similar to Houston’s, with a restriction that development must generally be located within Harris County, but outside the city limits of Houston. Income (51 percent of units to households under 80 percent AMFI) and rent restrictions match Houston’s. Project construction must be completed within 18 months of the effective date of the contract, unless otherwise extended. Outside Harris County The Texas General Land Office is also offering the Hurricane Harvey Affordable Rental Housing Program directly for applicants with properties in all of the surrounding counties, with $250 million available on a first-come, first-served basis to applicants requesting grants from $250,000 to $25 million per property for rehab or new construction. The state program is moving more quickly than the Houston or Harris County programs, and their application is already available at www.texasrebuilds.org, along with all the details of the program. The GLO's application period began July 23 and runs through October 23. HAA members have an unprecedented opportunity through these programs to create affordable housing for low and moderate income residents – housing that will serve our community long after the next hurricane and the one after that.

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It’s the Law

By HOWARD BOOKSTAFF, Hoover Slovacek LLP , HAA General Counsel

FAIR HOUSING IS EVERYWHERE Fair Housing complaints are alive and well in the USA. Texans can learn a few things from Fair Housing cases that either resulted in charges of discrimination or settlements.

THE DEPARTMENT OF Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the federal agency that investigates Fair Housing complaints nationally, and HUD has been busy! Several complaints resulted in charges of discrimination (in which HUD determines reasonable cause to believe a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur) or settled in the past year. Many of these cases involved the type of issues owners and managers in Texas deal with on a day-to-day basis. Though these were not local cases, as word of charges and settlements spread, you can bet that Texas Fair Housing advocates are paying attention. We can all learn from these cases to minimize our exposure. Disability-related request to move to a non-smoking unit (California, June 2018). What happened? A family filed a complaint against the apartment owner and manager for allegedly denying their request to move to a unit in a non-smoking building as a reasonable accommodation. Allegedly, the family’s infant has a disability, which affects his breathing. Instead of transferring them to a smoke-free building, the family said the property manager provided them with an air purifier. Disposition: Settled. The settlement agreement included a requirement that the manager pay the family $12,000. Comment: If a resident wants to transfer due to a disability, take the request seriously. Whether or not the resident puts the request in writing, you should respond in writing. If you do not grant the request, either ask for more information to verify whether the resident has a disability under the Fair Housing Act or a disability-related need for the requested accommodation. If you are going to deny the request, be sure that your denial is in writing and is supported by the Fair Housing Act. If you want to engage in a discussion with the resident about alternatives to transferring (such as putting in an air purifier), communicate that alternative to www.haaonline.org

the resident while leaving open the possibility of granting the request, if the alternative is not acceptable to the resident or does not work. Request to keep an assistance animal (Nevada, May 2018). What Happened? An applicant alleged that the apartment owner and manager denied her request to keep an assistance animal in the apartment she was attempting to rent even though she provided documentation from her doctor attesting to her need for the animal due to her disability. The applicant claimed that the leasing agent told her the owner didn’t allow pets because the floors were recently ungraded to hardwood. Disposition: Settled. The settlement agreement included a requirement that the owner pay the applicant $6,000 and adopt reasonable accommodation policies that assess requests on a timely basis. Comment: Remember, breed, size, weight, number limitations, fees and deposit requirements do not apply to assistance animals. Similarly, requests for assistance animals should not be denied on mere speculation that the assistance animal would damage property (or be a threat to others). However, a request for an assistance animal may be denied if the specific animal in question would cause substantial physical damage to the property of others or pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others that cannot be reduced or eliminated by another reasonable accommodation. Discrimination based on criminal records screening policies (Washington D.C., January 2018). What Happened? An equal rights center alleged that a company maintained and enforced a criminal record screening policy that categorically barred an untold number of individuals with criminal records from living at its properties. The complaint alleged that the company’s criminal record screening policy had an illegal

and disproportionate effect on African-American and Latino applicants without a substantial, legitimate business justification, and therefor violates the federal Fair Housing law. According to the complaint, African-Americans and Latino housing applicants were between two and 12 times as likely to be prevented from applying for an apartment due to the policy. The complaint claimed the company forced the criminal record screening policy at more than 55 properties in 15 cities. According to the complaint, applicants who disclosed a felony conviction through the company’s online application portal were not even able to submit an application for review because a felony conviction worked as an absolute bar to apply for an apartment. Disposition: The Equal Rights Center in Washington D.C. filed a lawsuit. The suit argues that blanket bans that automatically deny housing to people with criminal records without regard to factors like the nature of the crime or its severity, the time passed since the crime, or demonstrated rehabilitation can be discriminatory under the Fair Housing Act and is inconsistent with the guidance issued by HUD in April 2016, addressing how the use of criminal history criteria can result in a Fair Housing violation (discussed in It’s the Law in the May 2016 issue of ABODE). Comment: Your criminal background screening policy should be reviewed in light of HUD’s guidance if it has not already been. In reviewing the policy, you may need to strike a balance between protecting yourself from liability relating to security issues (relating to who you let on your property) and Fair Housing complaints. Whichever approach you take, it will be beneficial to review and analyze your policy and understand what risks you are taking. Claim of discrimination after the owner allegedly sexually harassed two female residents (Kansas, December 2017). What Happened? Two female residents filed August 2018

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HUD complaints, accusing the owner of making unwanted sexual advances toward them, harassing them and evicting them, because they refused his advances. The allegations included the owner subjecting one of the women, who was also working as a manager, to a hostile environment, including entering her apartment uninvited, sexually harassing her and requesting sex in exchange for allowing her to stay in her apartment home. The owner was also alleged to telling the manager that he could be her “sugar daddy,” grabbed her buttocks and made comments about her body to others. On one occasion she claimed she woke up to find him in her bedroom on her bed. The owner was also alleged subjecting a second resident to a hostile environment by making numerous requests for sex when he picked up her rent payments. Once, when she was late paying a portion of her rent, the owner allegedly asked her if she wanted to have sex with him instead of paying the $150 she owed. She said that when she refused the offer, the owner became very upset and gave her a three day notice to vacate. Disposition: HUD charged the owner with discrimination finding reasonable belief that discriminatory conduct occurred. Comment: As reported in the It’s the Law in

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the April 2017 issue of ABODE, HUD amended the Fair Housing Act’s regulations to specify how HUD will evaluate complaints related to quid pro quo and hostile environment harassment. Since many who work in the apartment industry live amongst their customers (the residents), allegations of misconduct could arise out of normal interaction between persons who live (and work) in the apartment community. Special consideration should be given to adopting non-fraternization employment policies that focus on the sensitive nature of maintaining a professional landlord-tenant relationship with residents. Complaint based on inability to speak English (Massachusetts, December 2017). What Happened? Apartment properties in Massachusetts were found to show preferential treatment of English-speaking white applicants when compared to Spanish-speaking Latino applicants. The complaints alleged the owners (four public housing authorities) discriminated against Latino applicants by failing to offer applications in Spanish and, in some cases, referring Latino applicants to seek language services from another agency when they needed assistance. Disposition: Settled. Under the settlement

agreements, the housing authorities agreed to provide notice of the availability of interpreters, provide applications in Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Khmar and Portugese, create and maintain a Language Access Plan that is available to the public, mandates staff training and appoints Language Access Coordinators. Comment: The HUD guidance on Limited English Proficiency (LEP) issued in September 2016 makes it clear that it is a Fair Housing violation to discriminate against someone because of their limited ability to read, write and speak English. Even though LEP is not a separately identified protected class, HUD has stated such conduct could constitute discrimination based upon national origin. Consequently, housing providers should be sensitive to not treat people differently because of a language barrier. Failing to grant an accommodation to transfer to another unit because of a disability (Washington State, December 2017). What Happened? In 2014, a resident submitted a reasonable accommodation request for a transfer because she experienced anxiety and depression due to a homicide that occurred in front of her apartment home. Two years later, / See Law, Page 65

www.haaonline.org

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Resident Relations from the RESIDENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE

WEAR AND TEAR

A management company charges a resident for a full paint after move-out. A RESIDENT FILED a complaint with

HAA to receive a full refund on her security deposit. The resident felt she was overcharged for countertop resurfacing and other cleaning charges. The resident also questioned her final bill, which included a water bill she thought was included with her rent. Management responded to HAA and that response was forwarded to the resident. Management felt the resident was charged accordingly. Enclosed were copies of the lease, application, move-in condition form, notice to vacate, move-out statement, invoices and pictures. The utility bill provided by management revealed the resident did in fact have an

outstanding utility bill. The The HAA Resident Relations Committees provide invoices provided by managean impartial review of resident complaints using ment also showed the amount the documentation provided by both the resident management was charged. Management charged the resiand management. dent for resurfacing, a full paint and other cleaning charges at a lower rate. The committee decided in favor of the specific charge. The other charges are justified. resident with adjustments made. Because a After the adjustments, management is to full paint is part of the make-ready process, refund the resident $111.67. the committee considers paint normal wear and tear and removed the full paint charge of If you are a manager with a resident $95.20. The committee also removed the carrelations issue, call HAA at 713-595-0300 pet shampoo charge of $37.89 because manfor direct assistance. agement failed to provide an invoice for that I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done or get it right, I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need recognition. As long as my resident and my management and the owner are happy, I’m happy. It was a good experience, though, feeling that way. I didn’t know that someone was watching!”

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done or get it right, I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need recognition. As long as my resident and my management and the owner are happy, I’m happy. It was a good experience, though, feeling that way. I didn’t know that someone was watching!”

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August 2018

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated m said, laughing. “ I’ve been with t business for 15 years. I never exp anything. For me, if I get my job or get it right, I’m satisfied with don’t need recognition. As long a resident and my management an owner are happy, I’m happy. It w good experience, though, feeling way. I didn’t know that someone watching!”

www.haaonline.org

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On the Scene with the HAAPAC 1

HAA Political Action Committee June Luncheon Tuesday, June 19 at the HAF Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center Sponsored by 1 LSR Multifamily The June HAAPAC luncheon featured an Inspection and Permits Panel.

WEâ€™RE ALL ABOUT BETTER GOVERNMENT Threats from government are coming at the apartment industry at a rapid pace. The HAAPAC, the political action committee of the Houston Apartment Association, needs your help to fight bad legislation. HAA members can participate in the PAC on several levels. 2018 registration forms are available! To join, renew or learn how to become involved with the PAC, see online at www.haaonline.org or contact apatel@haaonline.org. 16

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Make your company

STAND

OUT

Stand out from the black and white listings in the 2019 Directory & Buyerâ€™s Guide, the must have tool for every multifamily professional! Grab the attention of todayâ€™s decision makers by telling them why they should call you first.

Generate more leads from the HAA Buyer's Guide which has a circulation of 4,600 printed and delivered copies. Reach over 2,800 apartment communities, over 800 management companies and over 800 supplier companies who rely on the HAA Directory and Buyer's Guide when searching for member companies to do business with. EXTEND your exposure! Our full page advertisers get an extra boost of marketing by having their online listing moved to the TOP of the search page along with their company logo displayed at www.haabuyersguide.com. PLUS! Tab (section divider) advertisers will get a FREE 12-month scrolling banner ad on the Buyer's Guide website. (Limited space available.) This offer ends soon! Early Rates are available until July 31. Final ad space sales will close on September 30.

For advertising rates and options, visit http://www.haaonline.org/BuyersGuide/

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Upcoming Education

AUGUST It’s the Law Luncheon Friday, August 3 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Program fee: $25 per member Sponsored by ApartmentData.com Join HAA's Legal Counsel, Howard Bookstaff, for lunch and a legal discussion in a casual environment allowing for questions and answers. APPLE: Core 5 – Dear Residents: We Love You so Much, We Are Raising Your Rent with Jackie Ramstedt Tuesday, August 7 9 a.m. to noon Sponsored by Best Plumbing Leasing today to a savvier, wellinformed prospect is challenging at best, but even more difficult is convincing our current residents that renewal increases are actually worth it. How can we persuade them of the "added value" concept if we haven't shown that value throughout their current lease term? Once the "honeymoon" is over, real-life issues begin to emerge. Promises made during that initial relationship phase are put to the test. Miscommunications, lack of compassion or negative responses to emotional situations can become a harsh reality. How can you exceed that expectation the resident has and ensure renewal, because as they say, "I pay a lot of money to live here, and now you want more?!" See Page 22 for details. Leasing 101 (Day and a half) Tuesday, August 14 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Program fee: $65 prior to

SCHEDULE AND FEES

From the HAA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

July 17; $75 at the door An in-depth introduction to the apartment industry for new leasing professionals as well as those individuals looking to learn more about the industry as a career. This one-day program covers topics including: greeting and qualifying the customer; executing the lease contract; overcoming objections and closing techniques; an overview of Fair Housing and more. Students who complete the course will receive a certificate, as well as a listing of placement agencies and management companies that are members of HAA. If you are not working for a member company of HAA, download the registration form at http://www.haaonline.org/ images/programs/pdf/leasing101 _2018.pdf. APPLE: Marketing 2 – Marketing for Suburbs and Small Towns with Mary Gwyn Tuesday, August 21 8:30 a.m. to noon Sponsored by Best Plumbing What does marketing for apartments in a small town or a suburb have in common with big city marketing? Nothing and everything! Join us for a fastpaced and highly interactive session that will equip you with the ideas and energy to market your community for best results. In this session you will identify the unique marketing challenges suburban and small-town properties face, learn what makes a prospect want to live off the grid, how to appeal to the emotions that draw renters to the suburbs, how to position your small-town assets to a true, differentiated product niche and learn how to sell them.

are subject to change without prior notification. Notice of cancellation is required two days in advance to receive a refund, less a $25 administrative fee. Seats are guaranteed on a first-come, first-served basis when payment and registration are received in advance of the program. Unless otherwise indicated, courses are held in either the Camden and Michael Stevens Interests Room or the Direct Energy and Liberty Personnel & Executive Search Room at the Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center, 4810 Westway Park Blvd. on the second floor of the HAA Office www.haaonline.org

Distinguish the trends in big city marketing that apply to small towns and the cool internet tools that will help you get away from your community being called the best kept secret, country living or the same old treasure map mindsets. Walk away with unique themes, which will serve as a catalyst for your own marketing programs and shift the momentum from random to strategic in order to use your energy and focus to attract the residents who will pay more for the lifestyle you offer. Whatever size town your community is in, this session will excite and inspire great marketing results. See Page 22 for details. HAA NEXT: Krazy Karaoke Thursday, August 23 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Spotlight Karaoke 5901 Westheimer Road, 77057. Sponsored by Crestmark Construction Services Meet the NEXT Generation of HAA leadership. This niche group within HAA is dedicated to the networking and professional development needs of HAA members 40 and younger. Network with your peers at this FREE and festive event and grow your career together among the next generation of HAA leadership. Learn how to get plugged into the powerful HAA network, discover professional development and career enhancement, participate in speed networking activities with young HAA members from across Houston just like you. Includes one complimentary drink ticket, karaoke competition (in teams), door prizes and more. Visit www.haaonline.org for details.

SEPTEMBER CAMT Interior and Exterior Maintenance & Repair Tuesday, September 11 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Program fee: $795 full course; $165 as a standalone seminar Sponsored by Presto Maintenance Supply The Interior and Exterior Maintenance & Repair course gives learners what they need to know to keep the interior and exterior of the buildings on their property in excellent shape, both through repair and preventive maintenance. This course also teaches students how to perform make-ready activities. Attendees will receive helpful checklists to use on the job. CAMT Electrical Maintenance & Repair Wednesday, September 12 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Program fee: $795 full course; $165 as a standalone seminar Sponsored by Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating Services The Electrical Maintenance & Repair course provides attendees the solid foundation in electrical work to be successful, especially when working with appliances and HVAC. Content includes understanding systems and circuits, switches, receptacles, and fixture, using meters, making diagnoses and repairs, following regulations and safety issues. CAMT Plumbing Maintenance & Repair (Two days) Thursday, September 13 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored by AAA Plumbing Course dates are Thursday, / See Education, Page 26

Building. Seating is limited. You must pre-register. For more information and to register, go online at www.haaonline.org. Notice to Attendees: All pre-registered no-shows will be billed. For admittance into HAA/HAF events, payments will be required at the door if not received prior to the event. Start times listed above include a 30-minute registration period. Notice of cancellation is required two days prior to the event for a refund, less a $15 administrative fee. August 2018

ABODE

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AUGUST S M T

Calendar HAA Education, Events and Meetings SCHEDULE

W 1 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29

T 2 9 16 23 30

F 3 10 17 24 31

S 4 11 18 25

SEPTEMBER S M T W T

2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 30

S 1 8 15 22 29

AUGUST 1

New Supplier Member Orientation Wednesday, August 1 3 p.m. Location TBA All new supplier members welcome. Contact Amanda at asherbondy@haaonline.org for details.

It’s the Law Luncheon Friday, August 3 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by ApartmentData.com

Blue Star Program Thursday, August 16 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Blue Star Certification Program is a joint effort by the Houston Police Department and the Houston Apartment Association. Created for rental properties of all sizes, the program's goal is to help law enforcement officials and the multifamily housing industry work together to effectively reduce criminal activity in rental properties. Register online at: www.houstontx.gov/police/multi_fa mily. Please direct questions to officer Donna Clark at: donna.clark@houstonpolice.org. For more information, please visit https://www.haaonline.org/Program. aspx?id=208. Sponsored by CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions and Texas Apartment Pool Services

HAAPAC Luncheon Thursday, August 23 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact Alpa at apatel@haaonline.org for details. Sponsored by ApartmentData.com

Onsite-Goes-Offsite The Woodlands Thursday, August 30 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Calling all The Woodlands and surrounding-area apartment and management personnel. Join us for networking and fun. No suppliers, please. More information to come. Contact Lauren Turner at lturner@haaonline.org for details. Sponsored by McMahan’s Flooring

Ambassador ONE Society Meeting Wednesday, August 1 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Location TBA Contact Amanda at asherbondy@haaonline.org for details.

2 Take 5 Business Exchange Thursday, August 2 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Ayva Center 9371 Richmond Ave, 77063 Program fee: FREE for apartment/management personnel; $350 grants access for two supplier partners; $375 for a third supplier partner This event raises money for the HAF scholarship fund, which provides monetary assistance to students who are pursuing a career in the apartment industry. For just $350 per person for the first two representatives and $375 for a third representative, suppliers will have access to a number of property management personnel from owner executives to maintenance supervisors. Property management representatives attend free of charge. Visit www.haaonline.org/business exchange for details and registration.

7 APPLE: Core 5 – Dear Residents: We Love You so Much, We Are Raising Your Rent with Jackie Ramstedt Tuesday, August 7 9 a.m. to noon See Page 22 for details. Sponsored by Best Plumbing

8 Resident Relations Committee A Wednesday, August 8 2 p.m.

14 Leasing 101 (Day and a half) Tuesday, August 14 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Katy Region Meeting Tuesday, August 14 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: TBA Application Fraud & Leasing Safety: Come hear from Randy Patton, CoreLogic, and Sgt. Grimmer, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. Register online at haaonline.org/ outreachmeetings. Sponsored by Ferguson Facility Supply

APPLE: Marketing 2 – Marketing for Suburbs and Small Towns with Mary Gwyn Tuesday, August 21 8:30 a.m. to noon See Page 22 for details. Sponsored by Best Plumbing

HAA NEXT: Krazy Karaoke Thursday, August 23 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Spotlight Karaoke 5901 Westheimer Road, 77057. Sponsored by Crestmark Construction Services

30 Product Service Council Education Program Thursday, August 30 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Contact Susan at shinkley@ haaonline.org, see Page 26 or visit www.haaonline.org for more details.

Rental Credit Reporting (RCR) was established in 1977 to solve screening problems the Houston Apartment Association founders felt plagued the local apartment industry. RCR has unsurpassed data on resident rental histories in the Houston region. The Houston Apartment Association and CoreLogic are partnered to expand RCR and include numerous searches in one bundled report with immediate and unlimited inquiry access.

To learn more and subscribe, call RCR at 713-595-0300, email rcr@haaonline.org or visit www.haaonline.org.

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, all events meet at our Dinerstein Reed Prokop Education Center, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., second floor, in either the Direct Energy and Liberty Personnel & Executive Search or the Camden and Michael Stevens Interests Room. Meetings located at the HAA Offices, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., first floor, will be held in the Redi Carpet and Winograd Families/Judwin Properties Conference Room. See www.haaonline.org for an interactive calendar. 20

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Please note that dates and times are subject to change. Check the calendars at www.haaonline.org for the most up-to-date information.

SEPTEMBER 5 New Supplier Member Orientation Wednesday, September 5 3 p.m. Location TBA All new supplier members welcome. Contact Amanda at asherbondy@haaonline.org for details.

CAMT Plumbing Maintenance & Repair (Two days) Thursday, September 13 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored by AAA Plumbing

Certified Pool Operator Course (Two days) Wednesday, September 19 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

IROC Breakfast Friday, September 21 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sponsored by TXU Energy Multifamily Services

Ambassador ONE Society Meeting Wednesday, September 5 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Location TBA Contact Amanda at asherbondy@haaonline.org for details.

Onsite-Goes-Offsite: Pearland Thursday, September 13 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Calling all Pearland and surrounding-area apartment and management personnel. Join us for networking and fun. No suppliers, please. More information to come. Contact Lauren Turner at lturner@haaonline.org for details. Sponsored by ApartmentData.com

CAMT Interior and Exterior Maintenance & Repair Tuesday, September 11 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored by Presto Maintenance Supply

APPLE: Maintenance Session 2 – Quick and Efficient Turnovers with Don Willard Tuesday, September 18 8:30 a.m. to noon See Page 22 for details. Sponsored by The Liberty Group

12 CAMT Electrical Maintenance & Repair Wednesday, September 12 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored by Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating Services Resident Relations Committee B Meeting Wednesday, September 12 2 p.m.

Leasing 101 (Day and a half) Tuesday, September 19 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 40 Under 40 Reception Wednesday, September 19 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Prohibition Supperclub & Bar 1008 Prairie, 77002 See Page 6 for details. Excellence Sponsors AAA Plumbers, FSI Construction and Signature Sponsor Gemstar Construction Development

20 APPLE: Marketing Session 3 – Let’s Talk Trends: Technology, Digital Advertising and Marketing Trends with Marla Posey Thursday, September 20 8:30 a.m. to noon See Page 22 for details. Sponsored by Best Plumbing Onsite-Goes-Offsite: Lake Jackson Thursday, September 20 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Calling all Lake Jackson and surrounding-area apartment and management personnel. Join us for networking and fun. No suppliers, please. More information to come. Contact Lauren Turner at lturner@haaonline.org for details.

26 Board Meeting Wednesday, September 26 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sponsored by Hire Priority Staffing & Executive Search

27 HAAPAC Luncheon Thursday, September 27 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Contact Alpa at apatel@haaonline.org for details. Sponsored by Secure Insurance Go-Getters Meeting Thursday, September 27 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Café Adobe 7620 Katy Fwy, 77024 Visit the Go-Getters Corner at www.haaonline.org/gogetters for tips and tools for recruiting. Sponsored by AAA Plumbers and Crestmark Construction Services

28 ACES Luncheon Friday, September 28 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by Belfor Property Restoration and TPI Construction & Painting

HAA NEXT: Krazy Karaoke Thursday, August 23 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Spotlight Karaoke 5901 Westheimer Road, 77057. Sponsored by Crestmark Construction Services Network with your peers at this FREE and festive event! Unleash your inner rock star and grow your career together among the next generation of HAA leadership. Complimentary drink ticket, door prizes and more. See www.haaonline.org for details and to register.

www.haaonline.org

August 2018

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Professional Development: APPLE Workshop Series

Grow your career with the right ideas, the best advice and go to the head of ? r a n i m e s the class – Grab an APPLE! a d e Ne nly $50 APPLE features some of the best nationallyacclaimed speakers in the industry. Annual Property Subscriptions are also available with unlimited attendance for all on-site property staff to all sessions at discounted prices: • Only $199 per year per property for properties with fewer than 200 units • Only $399 per year per property for properties with 200 to 350 units. • Only $450 per year per property for properties with more than 350 units.

Contact the HAA Education Department at education@haaonline.org or see more and register online at www.haaonline.org.

APPLE is sponsored by

ed at o ic r p e r a s n io s s e s tion! a c u d Individual e y t li a u q r o l steal f a e r a , n o s r e p r e p CORE TOPIC APPLE: Core - Session 5 August 7 Dear Residents: We Love You So Much We’re Raising Your Rent with Jackie Ramstedt Leasing today to a savvier, wellinformed prospect is challenging at best, but even more difficult is convincing our current residents that these renewal increases are actually worth it. How can we persuade them of the “added value” concept if we haven’t shown that value throughout their current lease term? Once the honeymoon is over, real life issues begin to emerge. Promises made during that initial relationship phase are put to the test. Miscommunications, lack of compassion or negative responses to emotional situations can become a harsh reality. How can you exceed that expectation the resident has and ensure renewal?

MARKETING APPLE: Marketing - Session 2 August 21 Marketing for Suburbs and Small Towns with Mary Gwyn What does marketing apartments in a small town or suburban location have in common with big city marketing? Nothing and everything. Join us for a fast-paced and highly interactive session that will equip you with the ideas and energy to market your community for best results. In this session you will identify the unique marketing challenges suburban and small town properties face, learn what makes a prospect want to live “off the grid” and how to appeal to the emotions that draw renters to the burbs and position your small town assets to

ABODE

August 2018

a true differentiated product niche and learn how to sell them. Distinguish the trends in big city marketing that apply to small towns and the cool internet tools that help you get away from best kept secret, country living and the same old treasure map mindset! Walk away with unique themes which will serve as a catalyst for your own marketing programs and shift the momentum from random to strategic so your energy and focus attract the residents who will pay more for the lifestyle you offer. Whatever size town your community is in, this session will excite and inspire great marketing results.

MAINTENANCE APPLE: Maintenance - Session 2 September 18 Quick and Efficient Turnovers with Don Willard The apartment community staff has an enormous role to play in quick and efficient turnovers on the apartment community. We will provide the tools and the knowledge to help improve the efficiency of your turnovers and ideas to get your apartments back on the market quicker. You and your staff will have a new and more in-depth understanding of how to effectively manage turnovers. This session will cover: • Organizing to improve production • Unit inspection techniques • Strategies to reduce callbacks on new move-ins • Supplies and tools used in the make-ready process • Make-ready preventive maintenance • and more This useful information will translate into reduced costs and higher levels of resident satisfaction with less callback.

www.haaonline.org

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Bill DinersteinMemorial T o u r n a m e n t

Monday, October 1, Sugar Creek Country Club, 420 Sugar Creek Blvd,Sugar Land, TX 77478

Benefiting the Houston Apartment Association Political Action Committee

Join us for the 39th annual HAA Golf Tournament. Prizes for: Closest To Pin • Longest Drive • Tournament prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, net scores. Check-in opens at 8 a.m. with a breakfast buffet. Shotgun start at 9 a.m. with award reception to follow. Two owner/management and two suppliers per team. NEW! Golf Ball Launcher One Golf Ball Launcher shot may be purchased for $30 per player. The ball is accurately launched over 300 yards. If all players from the team buy a shot, team takes an Eagle on the hole. Registration fee includes golf fees, breakfast, beverages during play and reception. *Please note this event is open to sponsors and players only, no spectators. In the event of rain, your contribution will go to the HAA Political Action Committee. Contributions are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions under the Internal Revenue Code. Paid for by HAA Political Action Committee, Stacy Hunt, Treasurer.

Payment must be made by personal credit card Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover or personal check payable to HAA PAC. Payment must accompany registration. HAA is prohibited from accepting corporate contributions for PAC events. If a team does not consist of two owner/management and two suppliers, they will be disqualified from team awards. Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________ Company________________________________________________________________ Phone (____________)_________________________ MC____ Visa____ AmEx____ Discv_______ Credit Card #________________________________________________________________________ CC Security Code____________ Expiration Date__________ Name on Card______________________________________________________________ Number of players (two owner/management, two supplier) paid for___________ @ $180 each by September 21/$200 after September 21 = $_________ Add “Golf Ball Launcher” for $30 $_________ = _____________ (total amount paid). Owner/Management Name____________________________________________Company_______________________________ Handicap___________ Owner/Management Name____________________________________________Company_______________________________ Handicap___________ Supplier Name________________________________________________Company___________________________________ Handicap___________ Supplier Name________________________________________________Company___________________________________ Handicap___________ Mail completed form and payment to: HAA PAC, 4810 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, Texas 77041. Credit card registrations may be emailed to golf@haaonline.org; payment must accompany registration.

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On the Scene with the HAA NEXT HAA NEXT Breakfast Sponsored by PPG Paints Friday, June 22 at the HAF Education Center The June NEXT Breakfast featured Part II of our leadership series, “Fear Your Working Dead.”

MEET THE NEXT GENERATION OF HAA LEADERSHIP. This niche group within HAA is dedicated to the networking and professional development needs of HAA members 35 and younger. Network with your peers and grow your career together among the next generation of HAA leadership! To Learn how to become involved with NEXT, see online at www.haaonline.org/next. 24

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September 13 and Friday, September 14. The Plumbing Maintenance & Repair course teaches students how to maintain and repair plumbing systems and fixtures. Content includes an overview of the systems, key materials and equipment, pipes, fittings, valves, fixtures and appliances. APPLE: Maintenance Session 2 – Quick and Efficient Turnovers with Don Willard Tuesday, September 18 8:30 a.m. to noon Sponsored by The Liberty Group The apartment community staff has an enormous role to play in quick and efficient turnovers. We will provide the tools and the knowledge to help improve the efficiency of your turnovers and offer ideas to get your apartment homes back on the market quickly. You and your staff will have a new and more in-depth understanding of how to

effectively manage turnovers. This session will cover: organizing to improve production, unit inspection techniques, strategies to reduce callbacks on new move-ins, supplies and tools used in the make-ready process, makeready preventive maintenance and more. See Page 22 for details. Certified Pool Operator Course (Two days) Wednesday, September 19 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m Program fee: $299 Successful completion of this two-day course will result in a five-year certification from the National Swimming Pool Foundation, and ensures pool chemicals are being used properly and when appropriate. We will dispel the myths in pool care and tremendously reduce chemical expenses and extend the life of your pool. This is recommended for anyone working with pools, as well as property managers, in order to be

up-to-date regarding local codes and to reduce risk and liability. The course fee of $299 per person includes textbook, exam fees and meals for both days. 40 Under 40 Reception Wednesday, September 19 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Prohibition Supperclub & Bar 1008 Prairie, 77002 Program fee: $75 Excellence Sponsors AAA Plumbers and FSI Construction, Signature Sponsor Gemstar Construction Development The Houston Apartment Association invites you to a special reception honoring the industry's top 40 professionals under the age of 40. See Page 6 for details. APPLE: Marketing Session 3 – Let’s Talk Trends: Technology, Digital Advertising and Marketing Trends with Marla Posey Thursday, September 20 8:30 a.m. to noon

Program fee: $50 See Page 22 for details. Sponsored by Best Plumbing The spark that continues to be the catalyst for change is technology. As new offerings are released every day, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with and to decide to implement the most valuable new platform. In this session we discuss the emerging trends in multifamily technology, digital advertising and marketing, and provide suggestions on how to navigate the noise, what to watch and what to take a deep dive into now. Learn to lay the foundation on how innovation is making our efforts easier, better and more efficient. Discuss timeline and introductions of new innovation we use today versus 20 years ago. Draw the connection on how technology and invocation has positively impacted our daily lives. Review emerging trends for technology, digital advertising and marketing and explore our top 10 list for “watch versus plunge.”

elevate

Education, continued from

Hey Suppliers: Elevate your company by networking with the Houston Apartment Association and your Product Service Council Presented by the PSC twice a year, this program helps new supplier companies and new company representatives gain a better understanding of the opportunities available in the multifamily industry and HAA. Learn how to develop relationships with management personnel that result in business for your company. Using your membership the right way can help your business grow. Join us for a panel discussion with the following industry executives: Kelly Scott, Capstone Real Estate Services; Kelsey Eggleston, Valet Living; Betsy Marshall, Allied-Orion Group; Jennifer Ramos, Outdoor Elements; and John Shaw, FSI Construction.

FREE for Suppliers. Register online at www.haaonline.org.

Supplier Education Meeting Thursday, August 30 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Registration 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Program 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Q and A HAF Education Center, 4810 Westway Park Blvd. (Located oﬀ Clay Road and Beltway 8)

Sponsored by the HAA Product Service Council 26

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IROC Breakfast Friday, September 21 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Program fee: $25 Sponsored by TXU Energy Multifamily Services The Independent Rental Owners' Connection (IROC) offers customized education and networking programs just for you. Whether you're a brand-new apartment community owner or have been a part of the industry for many years, we encourage you to network within your fellow independent owners. Leasing 101 (Day and a half) Tuesday, September 19 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Program fee: $65 prior to September 25; $75 An in-depth introduction to the apartment industry for new leasing professionals as well as those individuals looking to learn more about the industry as a career. This one-day program covers topics including: greeting and qualifying the customer; executing the lease contract; overcoming objections and closing techniques; an overview of Fair Housing and more. Students who complete the course will receive a certificate, as well as a listing of placement agencies and management companies that are members of HAA. If you are not working for a member company of HAA, download the registration form at http://www.haaonline.org/images/programs/p df/leasing101_2018.pdf. ACES Luncheon Friday, September 28 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: TBD Sponsored by Belfor Property Restoration and TPI Construction & Painting Please note that this program is open only to executives in property management (owners, presidents, regionals, supervisors, marketing/ training directors and etc.). Eligible attendees to ACES luncheons are permitted to invite any of their staff to the programs, provided the registration also includes at least one person at the supervisor level or above.

No credit card or HAA login? No problem! We do not accept registrations over the phone. However, if you do not have access to a credit card, just use our â€œExpress Registrationâ€? page (no login required) at www.haaonline.org/expresregistration. This simple form generates an email to us with your registration request. This is a binding transaction, and all cancellation policies still apply. NOTE: For your own individual HAA login ID and password, please email us at ebreg@haaonline.org.

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On the Road with HAA Southern Brazoria Apartment Inspection Panel Wednesday, June 13 at the Lake Jackson Civic Center Sponsored by 1 Justice Patrol Services LLC The HAA Outreach Committee held its first outlying inspection panel with the City of Clute Fire Marshal Mike Waguespack and the City of Lake Jackson Multifamily inspector Robert McDougal. They covered a variety of topics from pool inspections to fire extinguishers. Guest speakers also included the Vice President of Economic Development for Brazoria County Gary Basinger. He talked about the increased business projects coming to the area and the effect it will have on jobs for the region.

HAA IS REACHING OUT to better serve our members by bringing targeted networking and educational events to different parts of our 12-county service area. Contact Outreach Manager Lauren Turner at lturner@haaonline.org to sign up for these FREE, management-only events where you can learn about issues affecting your area and network with your fellow managers. Want to host an event? We are looking for member properties to host a Region meeting. Contact lturner@haaonline.org. 28

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On the Scene with HAA/HAF “Take Flight” Sponsorship Auction Thursday, June 21 at the HAF Education Center Our generous supplier members flew to new heights for HAA/HAF’s June auction, raising a record-breaking $184,100 for HAA’s education and membership offerings. Events in the lineup included Forty Under 40, the Dinerstein Golf Tournament, Annual Business Meeting, Chili Fest and many educational seminars and courses. A big thanks to co-auctioneer Starla Turnbo, SMI Realty, and lead auctioneer Mike Koch, Camp Construction Services, who said farewell to the volunteer post he held for 27 years with more than $5 million raised for the association. Interested in becoming a sponsor? HAA will have another auction in January. Visit the HAA website at www.haaonline.org/sponsor for more information.

Thank you to our generous supplier sponsors: Camp Construction Services CORT Furniture Rental & Retail Sales Gemstar Construction Development Inc. Crestmark Construction Services AAA Plumbers Century A/C Supply Maintenance Supply Headquarters Texscape Services TPI Construction & Painting Inc. TXU Energy Multifamily Services Hire Priority Staffing & Executive Search Belfor Property Restoration ALN Apartment Data Inc. Texas Southwest Floors Inc. Earthworks Inc. ApartmentData.com Best Plumbing LLC Blackmon Mooring/BMS CAT Ferguson Facility Supply Redevelopment Services Texas Apartment Pool Services Chadwell Supply Presto Maintenance Supply Flooring Warehouse

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HD Supply FSI Construction Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating Services PPG Paints The Liberty Group Fidus Construction Services Poolsure Ideal Towing McMahan's Flooring Inc. Multifamily Ancillary Group Power Express Outdoor Elements Church Foundation Repair RK Builders Inc. The Lane Law Firm Impact Floors Valet Living Brook Furniture Rental Inc ProMaxima Fitness All About Doody Pet Solutions LLC Hoffer Furniture Rental & Sales Redi Carpet Sales of Houston Ltd. Richmond & Associates Landscaping Secure Insurance CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions Mohawk Industries

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On the Scene with HAA/HAF “Take Flight” Sponsorship Auction

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On the Scene Photos by HIEBERT PHOTOGRAPHY 2018 Honors Awards Thursday, June 28 at the Hilton Americas Sponsored by 10 Ameritex Movers, 11 FSI Construction Inc., 12 The Liberty Group and 13 TPI Construction & Painting Red Carpet Reception sponsored by 14 AAA Plumbers More than 1,200 attendees honored the best of the year in multifamily for 2018. Want to see more? All the photos from the event are available on the HAA website at www.haaonline.org. Click the â€œPhotos by Partnersâ€? link at the bottom left of the homepage.

1. Leasing Consultant of the Year David Dill 2. Maintenance Technician of the Year Leonardo Valtierra 3. Assistant Manager of the Year Anna Huerta 4. On-Site Manager of the Year, 1-150 Units, Vanessa Fernandez 5. On-Site Manager of the Year, 151-349 Units, Chris Palacios 6. On-Site Manager of the Year, 350 or More Units, Tammie Garcia 7. Maintenance Supervisor of the Year, Single Property, Roberto Ramirez 8. Maintenance Supervisor of the Year, Multiple Properties, Jesus Rojas 9. Administrative Support Professional of the Year Brityn Maddox

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17 16

10. Property Awards Sponsor Ameritex Movers 11. Individual Awards Sponsor FSI Construction Inc. 12. Individual Awards Sponsor The Liberty Group 13. Property Awards Sponsor TPI Construction & Painting 14. Red Carpet Reception Sponsor AAA Plumbers 15. New Development 2017 Vantage Med Center, The Dinerstein Companies 16. Cornerstone Award winner Market Square Tower, Woodbranch LLC/Greystar 17. Plantation at Quail Valley, Vende Capital/ParaWest Management 18. Woods of Spring Grove, Star Pacific/Relik Realty

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On the Scene Photos by HIEBERT PHOTOGRAPHY 2018 Honors Awards 1

1. Millennium Kirby, The Dinerstein Companies 2. Go-Getter of the Year Diane Gilbert 3. Marketing/Training Director of the Year Joe Melton 4. Portfolio Supervisor of the Year Richard Wall 5. Independent Owner of the Year Elizabeth Castro Gray 6. Pearl Residences at CityCentre, MORGAN 7. Rising Star Supplier of the Year Mat Tilley 8. Owner/Management Executive of the Year Stephanie Graves 9. Supplier of the Year Izzy Garza 10. Dover Place, Dover Cove LLC 11. Crossings at Cherry, Veritas Equity Management 12. Stonewood, GF Properties/MORGAN 13. Park at Deerbrook, Rockstar Capital Management 14. Retreat at the Woodlands, CBRE/Greystar 15. Gables City Walk Waterford Square, Gables Residential 16. The Park at Research Forest, Southstar Management 17. The Circle at Hermann Park, Greystar 18. The Lexington, FDC Equities/FDC Management 19. Piperâ€™s Cove, LumaCorp. Inc. 20. Southern Oaks, Creative Property Management

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2018 Honors Awards 1

1. Oaks of Timbergrove, Arel Capital/Allied-Orion Group 2. Independent Rental Owner Professional graduates 3. National Apartment Leasing Professional graduates 4. Certified Apartment Supplier graduates 5. Certified Apartment Manager graduates 6. HAA Leadership Lyceum graduates 7. Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician graduates 8. Harvey Heroes were honored during the event. See Page 44 for more on our Hurricane “Harvey’s Heroes” award recipients.

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On the Scene Photos by HIEBERT PHOTOGRAPHY 2018 Honors Awards

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2018 Honors Award Individual Nominees and Winners Leasing Consultant David Dill, NALP Veritas Equity Management Crossings at Cherry Brittany Baker Asset Plus Park at Voss Maria Calderon Mosaic Residential Eagles Landing Nadia Cervantes Relik Realty Waterford Grove Clinton Cole AvalonBay Archstone Toscano Sherrielyn Dillon Q10 Property Advisors Whispering Oaks Latonia Dorsey Abbey Residential The Abbey at Eldridge Ashley Fafatas Francis Property Management The Woodlands Lodge Clarissa Griffin Radco Residential City Chase Morgan Henson Greystar Boardwalk at Town Center Lauren Levy, NALP MORGAN Pearl Washington Cinthia Lopez Milestone Management Foundations at River Crest/Foundations at Lion’s Head Amanda Martinez The Dinerstein Companies Millennium High Street Mariela Matute, NALP Q10 Property Advisors Carriage Place Maria Jaramillo Veritas Equity Management Pointe at Steeplechase Demi Johnson Oden Hughes Parkside Bella Terra Michael O’Shea Greystar Boardwalk at Town Center Erica Parada Asset Plus Sierra at Fall Creek Al Pargas MORGAN 33Thirty Three Weslayan Denise Ramirez SMI Realty Canterbury Court Mariana Reyes Veritas Equity Management Windfern Pointe Marlene Reyes Greystar Boardwalk at Town Center

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Karen Rivera Karya Management Bella Vista Maria Rodriguez, NALP Relik Realty Waterford Grove Brandy Schroeder Asset Plus Stone Canyon Michelle Smith MORGAN Pearl Washington Marilynn Vasquez Better World Properties Collingwood Gardens Miguel Vasquez IMT Residential Pavilion Place Maintenance Technician Leonardo Valtierra, CAMT Mosaic Residential Oscar Garcia SMI Realty Angel Quiroz Veritas Equity Management Walter Rivera Southstar Management Pedro Roman Veritas Equity Management Victor Isai Roman Veritas Equity Management Fredy Torres SMI Realty Olimpia Turcio SMI Realty Mariano Villaycana Randall Davis Co. Assistant Manager Anna Huerta, CAM AvalonBay Memorial Heights Villages Christina Cantu Oak Leaf Management Lake Houston Pines Jessica Case BH Management Northgate Oaks Pilar Coyle FDC Management The Lexington Patricia Estrada Karya Management The Establishment Daisy Garcia Greystar Boardwalk at Town Center Jonathan Hammer Sparks, NALP Wood Residential Alta City West Josh Hebert Greystar The Circle at Hermann Park Jocelyn Henriquez Radco Residential City Crossing Amber Miller Greystar Avana Grand Palms

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Bibiana Moreno, NALP Veritas Equity Management Pointe at Steeplechase Michelle Pasquarelli Gables Residential Gables Upper Kirby Perla Rodriguez Capstone Real Estate Services Cypress Parc Jared Smith, CAM AvalonBay Communities Archstone Toscano Ana Zaleta Karya Management The Diamond Hill at Westheimer Melissa Zuniga MORGAN Pearl Washington On-Site Manager, 1-150 units Vanessa Fernandez SMI Realty Canterbury Court Candy Boyd Q10 Property Advisors Cedar Bluff Elvia Bustos, NALP Veritas Equity Management Crossings at Cherry Lupita Castillo Q10 Property Advisors Synott Square Kelsey Krueger Greystar King’s Cove Vilma Maldonado Cortland Partners The Mason at Lakemont Jessica Mercado Q10 Property Advisors Amber Oaks Alexandria Moreno,NALP Q10 Property Advisors Alexis Erika Rodriguez Allied-Orion Group Shoreham Blanca Tovar Q10 Property Advisors Jacinto Palms Amanda Walker, CAM Q10 Property Advisors Whispering Oaks On-Site Manager, 151-349 units Chris Palacios, CAM, NALP Francis Property Management Midtown Arbor Place Samantha Acevedo Capstone Real Estate Services Cypress Parc Gilbert Arrellano Mosaic Residential Sunrise at Briarforest Carla Breda Oak Leaf Management Woodland Hills Village Karah Carrillo, CAM Greystar Eclipse

Brenda Dominguez Allied-Orion Group Brittmore Laura Espinosa, NALP, IROP Lamppost Capital Park at Live Oaks Erika Foster Greystar Dakota Canyon Giovanna Gone, CAM Asset Plus Capri Villas at the Lake Cynthia Gregg, CAM Hanover Company Hanover Southampton Tanya Larzabal Veritas Equity Management Legends of Memorial Christi Lindauer MORGAN Pearl Washington Lilia Maldonado Better World Properties Collingwood Gardens Lindsey Marzullo Lincoln Properties Melia Medical Center Ruben Munoz BH Management Trestles Grace Ortiz Veritas Equity Management Windfern Pointe Laura Ramos Lincoln Properties Mirabella Bridgette Rangel Mosaic Residential Steeplechase Brenda Reyes, NALP Veritas Equity Management Pointe at Steeplechase Emma Reyes Milestone Management The Gardens/Regency at First Colony Jason Richards, CAM Greystar Valencia Place Ana Rivera Gables Residential Gables Cityscape Nancy Rivera Oak Leaf Management Ranch at Rollingbrook Diann Salgado US Residential Cambridge Place Yvette Salazar Relik Realty Woods of Spring Grove/ Spring Brook Lofts Tonya Schenk, CAM Greystar Grand Mason Teela Shaw, CAM Greystar Upper Kirby Sandi Soto, CAM Gables Residential Gables Tanglewood/ Upper Kirby I, II, III Drew Sparks Gables Residential Gables CityWalk

Cathy Stallings Steadfast Management Villas at Kingwood Linda Stinson Mosaic Residential Eagles Landing Beverly Wallace Mosaic Residential Fountains of Rosenberg Jennifer Whiteman, CAM Francis Property Management Bellagio Elaine Wood-Leeper Milestone Management Richmond Green On-Site Manager, 350 units or more Tammie Garcia, CAM, CAPS Greystar The Rice Amber Dolphin Abbey Residential The Abbey at Eldridge Luz Donovan MORGAN 3333 Weslayan Riquelma Flores, CAPS Radco Residential City Crossing Erika Foster Greystar Dakota Canyon Theresa Hayes Bell Partners Inc. South Grand at Pecan Grove Sarah Hodges, CAM Greystar Boardwalk at Town Center Dana Holder Greystar Preserve at Baywood Carolyn Jackson, CAM AvalonBay Communities Archstone Toscano Kelley Jamison The Dinerstein Companies Vantage Med Center Laura Klesel, CAM Greystar Avana Grand Palms Samatha Koenig, CAM Radco Residential City Chase Paula Roberson Allied-Orion Group Historic Oaks of Allen Parkway Tracy Sosa, CAM Milestone Management Foundations at River Crest/Foundations at Lion's Head Lauren Smith Grayco Partners Parkside at Memorial Jared Smith, CAM AvalonBay Communities Archstone Toscano Lindsay Torres, CAM Bell Partners Inc. The Veridian

Erick Tovar Abbey Residential The Abbey on Lake Wyndemere Anna Towns, CAM Asset Plus Park at Voss Maintenance Supervisor Single Property Roberto Ramirez, CAMT Veritas Equity Management Legends of Memorial Fernando Aguilar SMI Realty Brookbend Enrique Aguilera Relik Realty Woods of Spring Grove Edgar Aleman Greystar Sendera at Greenway Anthony Anderson Abbey Residential The Abbey on Lake Wyndemere Juan Ernesto Ayala Radco Residential City Chase Adolfo Barbosa Bell Partners Inc. The Veridian Yeferson Cabrera Veritas Equity Management Windfern Pointe Marlon Castro Mosaic Residential Timberlakes at Atascocita Tomas Gonzalez Greystar Jefferson Heights Victor Gonzalez MORGAN Pearl Washington Mario Guerra Judwin Properties Edgebrook Angel Gutierrez Hanover Companies Hanover Rice Village Gerson Hechaverria SMI Realty Canterbury Court Jose Herrera Gables Residential Gables West Ave Eleazar Luna Mosaic Residential Trailwood Village Osrick Mitchell Greystar Voyager at Space Center Miguel Orellana, CAMT Francis Property Management San Brisas Phillip Rangel Mosaic Residential Steeplechase Cecil Thompson Asset Plus The Breakers at Windmill Lakes Joshua Walker Greystar Valencia Place www.haaonline.org

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Property Nominees and Winners Jay Wilkinson Greystar Retreat at The Woodlands Maintenance Supervisor Multiple Properties Jesus Rojas Relik Realty Julio Brinoes Oak Leaf Management Edgar Garcia Mosaic Residential Oscar Guzman Gables Residential Francisco Hernandez Veritas Equity Management Cirilo Laras Oak Leaf Management Jamie Macias Linebacker Equity Management Ishmell Martinez Karya Management Corporate Marketing/ Training Director Joe Melton MORGAN Deepika Agarwal Karya Management Kiki Campbell Allied-Orion Group Joy Wise Greystar Administrative Support Brityn Maddox Veritas Equity Management Sayde Camacho Karya Management Julie Clay Asset Plus Jason Contreras Relik Realty Pam Dyer Oak Leaf Management Andy Fang Greystar Jeffrey Gomez Karya Management Julie Hutchinson Abbey Residential Brian Jones Mosaic Residential Laura Martinez ParaWest Management Amber Molina Oak Leaf Management James Pintkowski Q10 Property Advisors Marilyn Rivero, CAM, CAPS, IROP Q10 Property Advisors Portfolio Supervisor Richard Wall, CAM, CAPS Mosaic Residential Jaqueline Aguirre, CAM Veritas Equity Management Chris Barlow, CAM, CAPS Greystar Michelle Baxter, CAPS AMLI Residential

Johnnie Buchanan, CAM, CAPS Q10 Property Advisors Mona Castello Centra Partners Misty Currier Greystar Margie Fielder, CAPS MORGAN Cynthia Fowler Allied-Orion Group Darlene Hunter, CAM Greystar Johnnie Kizer Hettig Management Rachel Lopez Relik Realty Kathy Maxie, CPM Karya Management Liz Pedregon Parawest Management Lisa Ross Allied Orion Group Penny Sprang, CAPS Gables Residential Courtney Vitek, CAM City Gate Group Loretta Wiley SMI Realty Christina Zimmerman, CAM, CAPS Greystar Independent Rental Owner Elizabeth Castro Gray, CAM, CAPS, NALP, IROP Lamppost Capital William Acuna WGA Legacy Properties Owner/Management Executive Stephanie Graves, CAM, CAPS Q10 Property Advisors Manda Gifford Judwin Properties Diane Gilbert, CPM Asset Plus Caroline Kane CKR Management Robert Lopes, NALP, CAM, CAPS, CAMT, IROP, CPM Relik Realty Don Matthews Fairway Square Apartments Village Velissa Parmer Mosaic Residential Karen Riley , CAPS Relik Realty Christy Rodriguez, CAPS Greystar Starla Turnbo SMI Realty Supplier Izzy Garza, CAS Maintenance Supply Headquarters Greg Barbeneaux ApartmentData.com

Howard Bookstaff Hoover Slovacek LLP Greg Buckley FTK Construction Dixie Caldwell-Greer, CAS The Liberty Group Grant Crowell, CAS The Urban Foresters Brian Febbo, CAS FSI Construction Marcy Holmes, CAPS Designs by Holmes Angie Lavrack, CAS, CAM, CAPS The Liberty Group David Lindley, CAS FSI Construction Kelly Murphy Arbor Contract Carpet Mindy Price J Turner Research Deborah DeRouen, CAS ResPage Mat Tilley, CAS WeDoTrash Rising Star Supplier Mat Tilley WeDoTrash Go-Getter of the Year Diane Gilbert Greystar

The Circle at Hermann Park, Greystar Crossings at Cherry, Veritas Equity Management Dover Place, Dover Cove LLC The Lexington, FDC Equities/FDC Management Market Square Tower, Woodbranch, LLC/Greystar Millennium Kirby, The Dinerstein Companies Oaks of Timbergrove, Arel Capital/Allied-Orion Group Park at Deerbrook, Rockstar Capital Management The Park at Research Forest, Southstar Management Pearl Residences at CityCentre, MORGAN Piperâ€™s Cove, Luma Corp Inc. Plantation at Quail Valley, Vende Capital/Parawest Management The Preserve at Spring Creek, Francis Property Management Retreat at The Woodlands, CBRE/Greystar Southern Oaks, Creative Property Management Stonewood Apartments, GF Properties/MORGAN Vantage Med Center, The Dinerstein Companies Woods of Spring Grove, Star Pacific/Relik Realty 2222 Smith, MORGAN Aria at Willowick Park, Martin Fein Interests Avenues at Shadow Creek Ranch, Nolan Real Estate Briarwest, Aragon Holdings/Greystar Camden Heights, Camden Property Trust Camden Sugar Grove, Camden Property Trust Camden Whispering Oaks, Camden Property Trust Carriage Place Apartments, Q10 Property Advisors Copper Cove Apartments, Integrity Asset Management Crescent NorthPoint, Greystar Deerwood Pines, Sun America/Allied-Orion Group Freeport Oaks, Dick Kilday/Allied-Orion Group Glenwood Apartment Homes, Stellar Equity Management The Huntley, Milestone Management Jacinto Palms Apartments, Q10 Property Advisors La Maison at Lake Cove, Star Pacific/Relik Realty Landmark of Magnolia, Landmark Management Lenox Trails, Oden Hughes Mangum Oaks, Imperion Investments Management Mariposa Apartment Homes at Pecan Park, Bonner Carrington Property Management Memorial Heights Villages, AvalonBay Communities Meyerland Court Apartments, MORGAN Millennium High Street, The Dinerstein Companies Montecito Apartments, Lincoln Property Company One Hermann Place, Greystar Pearl @ the Mix, MORGAN Queens Lane Apartments, Kim & Julie McLean/Better World Properties Sky Hawk, Bell Partners Springfield Apartments, Vende Capital/Parawest Management Synott Square, Q10 Property Advisors Upper Kirby, Greystar Ventura Lofts, Southhampton Management Westmount at Braesridge, Westmount Realty/Parawest Management

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Each person, community and business in the multifamily industry was affected in some way by Hurricane Harvey. Many multifamily professionals and supplier partners put in countless hours of overtime, putting their own needs aside to rebuild apartment homes and lives, donating goods and services, supporting friends and neighbors to restore life as we once knew it in Houston. Many of us in this business opened our hearts and gave when no one asked. The entire world knows that we are #HoustonStrong. Here are just a handful of multifamily professionals and supplier partners who displayed strength and heroism during and after Hurricane Harvey, who were recognized during the HAA 2018 Honors Awards ceremonies. The Team at Nob Hill Apartments Nob Hill Apartments is a massive multifamily community with 1,300 apartment homes. With 450 apartment homes flooded, your team was able to relocate residents, cook and serve meals to your residents, assist with clean-up efforts and even organized and operated a donation center. How quickly did your team hit the ground running on Harvey recovery, including all of the facets mentioned above? Four employees lived on site who were assisting with the rescue of residents during the flood event. We prepared in advance by creating a list of available vacant units and located the keys just in case relocations were needed. These employees waded through the flood waters to help residents living in first floor apartments move to upstairs units. The very next day after the flood, we reopened in a temporary office located on the property and began helping residents with information on Federal Emergency Management Agency and emergency services. We partnered with our Apartment Life Cares Team, local churches, supplier partners, YMCA, the Jewish Community Center and friends for help with donations and assistance for our residents. We immediately opened a donation center and business center for residents the day after the flood. Within that same week, we had churches show up with food to serve our residents. The Second Baptist Church sent over 200 volunteers to assist residents by packing up their belongings, loading their boxes in a truck and moving them to a temporary apartment. How was your team able to execute all of their efforts? What did it take to make all of this happen? It took a company that values people, a local leader with a servantâ€™s heart and a caring team to make this happen. What was the whole experience like for your team and your residents? It was heart-wrenching to witness the devastation from Hurricane Harvey, but it was also very rewarding to be able to help our residents recover after the flood.

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MORGAN TAYLOR, HAA Staff MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography

Compiled by Photo by

Harvey Heroes What did you learn from Hurricane Harvey? Preparation was the key to our success. We did not expect the devastation to be quite as tragic as it was, but the beautiful thing about tragedies is that, when under pressure, people do rise to the occasion, dropping everything to help out those in need and that is exactly what Nob Hill and Steadfast Management Company did for our residents and our community.

The ParaWest Management Team The entire management team of ParaWest Management came together to do what they could for the hardest hit areas of Houston. They prepared more than 350 bountiful care packages, which included personal hygiene products, baby supplies, water and more. The team went door-to-door to personally deliver these packages to residents of Houston neighborhoods. After the hurricane, the ParaWest Management team continued their volunteer efforts at the Houston Food Bank, where each individual spent a minimum of four hours volunteering for a number of days. Tell us about this experience. It seems impossible to say, but so much good came from Hurricane Harvey. The terrible storm created an avenue for our ParaWest Management team to help our neighbors. ParaWest Pays It Forward was born, a corporate community giving program that provides monthly support to great causes. After Hurricane Harvey, the ParaWest team tried to volunteer around the Houston-area but everyone was full of donations and volunteers. ParaWest employees then came together to prepare over 150 care packages. The packages contained food, water, personal hygiene, toiletry products and baby products. The infant packages came with unopened diaper and wipe packs, formula milk cans, dry rice cereal and Gerber food containers. The ParaWest team decided to take the donations to the neighborhoods hit the hardest. The following week, the ParaWest team focused on organizing and sorting clothes by gender and size for men, woman, children, and infants. ParaWest employees and one of our supplier partners spent most of the morning sorting www.haaonline.org

over 50 filled bags of clothes. The plan was to set up a couple of tables in a centralized location within an affected neighborhood and spread the word by knocking on front doors. The tables of clothing were set out along with cases of water. Little did we know, the need and desire for clothes in the affected area was far beyond what we thought. The word spread and in the matter of two hours all clothes had been taken by families in need. After reaching out to our unaffected communities, the ParaWest team received a great deal of donations of all kinds. In the first go-around, employees set up all the different items in 200 plus packages and loaded them in the back of several pickup trucks and SUVs. We drove around an affected neighborhood and distributed them to the families. The residents were very happy to see us. A few people mentioned that nobody had been by to help or offer any items. Lastly, the ParaWest team realized they needed help sorting the tremendous amount of donations that were coming into the Houston Food Bank. Our ParaWest Pays It Forward volunteers went to the Houston Food Bank and sorted food in four-hour shifts. The ParaWest Pays It Forward Community Giving Program lives to this day and will continue to grow each month as we continue to help the people of Houston.

The Team at Vargos on the Lake The Team at Vargos on the Lake is the definition of selfless. Each employee gave up most of what they had for the comfort of their residents. Each team member of Vargos on the Lake volunteered to give up their own apartment homes for their residents to live in while they slept in the leasing office, they offered their personal sheets and towels, they shuttled residents to Wal-Mart for supplies, started a fund for supplies and took care of residents’ pets who evacuated. My question for this team is: Why? It’s a difficult thing to watch your residents and your property suffer. Water poured into our corridors, into our apartment homes, and we saw residents’ possessions destroyed and their lives completely disrupted. In a situation like this, if you are able to help, you help.

Why give up all you have for the comfort of your residents? Why was this important to your team? As a team, we are entrusted with our residents’ homes, and on some level, their wellbeing. This is something that is stressed in our training and every member of our team takes it seriously. How long did you and your team sleep and live in the leasing office? Every team member played their own role during the hurricane. One team member moved into a guest suite and stayed for the entire week, even when we did not have water service to flush toilets or take showers. One took on the role of treasurer for all of the donations being sent form across the nation and coordinated the delivery of new beds for our displaced residents. We took turns walking the halls when the fire sprinklers were down and took calls around-the-clock from worried family members. One team member assumed responsibility for the stranded and helpless pets, while another opened her on-site apartment home to flood victims. What was the whole experience like for your team and your residents? In retrospect, as difficult as it was, it was rewarding to see our residents and management team come together during the days of the flood. It created a sense of community in our community. What did you learn from Hurricane Harvey? While so much still remains a blur, there are some events that stand out. We remember being completely exhausted and overwhelmed by the end of the storm. Looking at the incredible damage done to Vargos, one of our residents came to our leasing office and brought their newborn daughter. Looking back, we were struck by how the child was unaware of the changes and disruption in her world, but because of her parents, she was entirely safe. That was the day when the rain stopped, and the sun finally made its way through the clouds. We had our first real smile that day, as a team.

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Stacy Broils, Green Trails, Carroll Management Hurricane Harvey forced you and your family out of your home, but because Carroll at Green Trails was demolished by flood waters, you had to be onsite to assist all of your residents with moving out of this 302-unit property. All the while, you were trying to start over yourself. Tell me what that experience was like. My experience with Hurricane Harvey had so many different layers. Initially, I was excited that the hurricane had passed and all I had received was one emergency work order call about a small roof leak. Once the levees were opened in Katy and the Memorial-areas, things took a turn for the worse. In a matter of hours, the property took on more than 6 feet of water. My own residence was only minutes from the property, so my fiancé, daughter and I took shelter at my mother’s home. Little did I know, I would not be returning for over three weeks.

since she was on the second floor, but she did not understand that the water would not be going down anytime soon. I immediately asked her if she needed a rescue. I called my daughter’s cheer coach who was out helping anyone who needed it, as they had a boat. I told him that I had a resident who was stuck. They went out immediately and were able to get her and her family out. Once we were able to gain access to my property, I was scheduled to walk it with the remediation and health scientist to assess the mold and damages. The mold was unreal. We had to mask and suit-up just to be within the area. My regional manager and I walked with the team, and the mold was higher than 6 feet in most areas. The property was still retaining water towards the back of it. At that point we realized we had to terminate all leases. My team and I sat outside each day at the property under a tent and allowed residents to come in and out for about 14 days. I

“Hurricane Harvey was an experience that I will never forget and all of the people that touched my life during that process. I learned so many things from this Hurricane that will stay with me forever. From the way insurance policies for asset owners are written, to how amazing it was to watch complete strangers band together during a time in need.” – Sara Hinson I kept in close contact with the local police department to ensure I was able to update my residents accordingly. The first update involved recommending everyone vacate the area due to expected flooding. The second update went from a recommendation to a mandatory evacuation. I must have sent out over 20 email blasts that day, ensuring all residents were taking shelter elsewhere and that they followed the mandatory evacuation. The police department and National Guard knocked on doors to evacuate residents. I continued to send out more notices in the days following to gauge if anyone remained in their apartment home. I received no responses, so I assumed every resident was gone. I did however receive an email from a resident asking if I knew when they would be able to return to the community. This resident sent me some photos of the standing water standing, which was well over 3 feet at that point. I thought, "How could she have these photos looking down on the water?" I decided to look up her account and call her. I asked her if she was still in her apartment home, and she informed me that she was in fact. She thought that she could ride the flooding out

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worked from that tent and then out of a trailer for months after squaring away residents, walking inspections with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and providing any information to residents that I could. Meanwhile, I was trying to find a new place of my own as we were unable to go back to our residence either. This time was so incredibly unbelievable from beginning to end. I thank everyone who went through this in any form and helped. To this day I still get calls from FEMA and other apartment communities trying to help the residents who were unable to return back to our community and I will continue to assist in any way that I can.

Sara Hinson, Allied Orion Group As the regional manager, it is your responsibility to oversee the operations of multiple communities at once. This was no different during Hurricane Harvey, only the conditions were severe, devastating and tragic. Despite that, you were able to oversee and assist with the remediation of four properties that suffered a range of damage from the natural disaster, which also

included working with the properties’ respective general contractors and insurance companies. Despite this troubling time, you were able to assist your residents and teams with remarkable understanding and compassion. What did your days look like in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey? In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, I ensured there was continuous, daily communication with all of my assets, property managers, owners, residents, contractors, insurance agents, insurance adjusters and City of Houston officials. In the immediate days afterwards, the first focus was on the residents’ needs, life-safety challenges and any utilities that needed to get working again. Walking through the level of devastation on some of my communities – it was just unimaginable how high the water rose. When our supplier partners surveyed the damage with me, they said my communities were the worst they had seen, and it was the worst I too had ever seen. One asset was 100 percent closed down during the storm due to the level of water and because it caught fire. When my team and I were helping residents get their items to higher ground, water reached some of our wires, causing a fire. The fire department took a boat to reach the property in order to put the fire out, as the water was rushing onto the community. One of the other assets sits on stilts over Buffalo Bayou, and I watched as the residents were calling into the National Weather Station to report how they were on an island of a building but doing well. All the neighbors within the building were sharing food, supplies and having fun on the rooftop pool while they waited out the flood. All I could think of was how to get a boat of supplies to the residents, employees who were there helping and how to get their utilities back on. The dirt left from the bayou water measured over 22 feet tall. How were you able to juggle everything that needed to be done for not one, but four properties? I wanted to be proactive while watching the news in disbelief with the rest of the nation during the long days of Hurricane Harvey. I knew many of my assets were in the path of the record-breaking rainfall and that this storm was not going to show any mercy to our great city. I started calling in the insurance claims and calling on all of our amazing supplier partners while Harvey still loomed over Houston. With two of my severely damaged assets receiving over 45 feet of water, Camp Construction was there to assist these communities in recovery efforts as soon as the roads were clear to drive. With Camp Construction’s great partnership paired with all of the teammates within our first-rate organization at Allied Orion Group, I was able to juggle www.haaonline.org

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everything that needed to be done at my assets that had been devastated from Hurricane Harvey. How, at the same time, were you able to display such grace, strength and compassion in the midst of an extremely chaotic experience? Each day in dealing with the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Harvey I would put myself in the shoes of our associates, residents and owners of our communities. There were so many raw emotions from each individual at every stage of Hurricane Harvey and they were looking for someone to guide them through those emotions daily. I remember holding a resident as she was crying because she left her cat behind, as she thought it could climb on the counter if the water came in. The water went over the roof of her firstfloor apartment and the cat sadly did not make it. We took her beloved cat to the vet for her and brought her back the ashes in which she was forever grateful for. What did you learn from Hurricane Harvey? Hurricane Harvey was an experience that I will never forget nor all of the people who touched my life during that process. I learned so many things from this hurricane that will stay with me forever. From the way insurance policies for asset owners are written, to how amazing it was to watch complete strangers band together during a time in need.

Arlin Kethely, Paul Ryan Windows When we think about Hurricane Harvey, often we think about the flooding and the saturation. The tornadoes that were caused because of the storm had a devastating impact on Sienna Plantation. You took it upon yourself to replace windows for free regardless of insurance. Whether windows were destroyed from water or wind, you spent $250,000 replacing windows for Hurricane Harvey victims to homeowners who did not have insurance. Why did you feel this was important for you to do? Being a native Houstonian I felt inspired to help out the community. Our city has given so much to our business by helping us grow and become what we are today. Without the people who make up this city, we wouldn't exist, and we truly appreciate it. What were some of the reactions from people whose windows you replaced without insurance? The reactions were very touching. As I stood in their gutted homes, listening to the stories about their experience of the devastation, you couldn't help to be humbled. A lot of hugs were shared as well as tears. The stories were absolutely heartbreaking.

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How quickly did you begin doing this? As soon as we were a few days in and we saw how terrible this event had become, I talked with the team and we decided to put this plan into action. Let me start by acknowledging your efforts is the definition of Houston Strong. In your opinion, what does Houston Strong mean and look like? I am very proud when I hear the phrase Houston Strong. To watch people go out and sacrifice for strangers is simply wonderful and touching. I think of resilience, love and sacrifice every time I hear Houston Strong. What did you learn from Hurricane Harvey? I learned that this city has an enormous amount of love for each other. I also learned that we as a city can overcome tragedy and any obstacle we may face as a whole.

Katie McGuff, The Grand on Memorial, Greystar As one of the victims of Hurricane Harvey, you know all too well the trauma of loss and devastation. In addition to losing your home and all of your personal belongings to Hurricane Harvey, the apartment community you manage was submerged in 3feet of water. Nevertheless, you put your residents before yourself. You worked diligently and gracefully, dedicating 10 hours a day to relocate your residents to new homes where they would be dry, safe and comfortable. How were you able to sacrifice your own needs for your residents? I never really thought about my own needs during this time. I was motivated by the compassionate desire to relieve the distress and discomfort of my residents. In a sense, I was empathetic as I knew too well the pain and distress they were feeling, which in turn kept me driven. How were you able to display such strength and elegance in a time of total destruction? Through the love, support and backing of my family I was able to be strong and I simply did what I felt was right. Our company strives to do things the right way, and in this case, that was exactly what I aimed to achieve. Supporting our community and being strong for them was the right thing to do. Once you were able to make it back onsite, what did your days entail during that first week? Arriving back on site for the first time was the hardest part of the experience. The property was not accessible for 12 days after the mandatory evacuation, and it was surreal to come back to.

There were vehicles parked throughout the community as far up as the office’s front doors. In the following weeks, our Greystar family really pulled together. We had on-site and corporate team members volunteering every day to help make sure we were assisting our community in every way possible during this difficult time. We set up tent stations in the front of our community with cleaning supplies, food, drinks – you name it. Our residents needed a shoulder to lean on during this emotional roller coaster and our Greystar family definitely gave them just that. What did you learn from Hurricane Harvey? One of the things I have learned through this tragedy is that it is the people who are willing to step up, put their own issues aside and lend a hand to those in need who make all the difference. Through this you not only strengthen your ability to connect with others, but you also strengthen your capacity for selflessness.

Lauren Smith, Grayco Partners You were a very recently promoted assistant manager when Hurricane Harvey hit, submerging your apartment community in 6 feet of water and trapping the majority of your residents who were unable to evacuate. What was it like having all of your residents in the second-floor gym while they watched Harvey’s destruction in real time over the news? It was amazing to see the strong sense of community that we built so quickly in that room. The residents were so supportive of me and so willing to help one another, so it was pleasant to have a space where they could congregate and unwind. It’s my understanding that you and your family, like the other 127 residents who lived on the first floor, lost everything. How were you able to execute all that you had to do to get your 322-unit community back to a sense of normalcy with your own personal devastation? I stayed focused on moving forward and I mourned the loss of my material possessions quickly, because I knew that they could be replaced. It’s not fun to lose your belongings, but I was grateful to have my family and I was thankful that no one was hurt during the storm. It was much more difficult to be the one that hundreds of residents were looking to for answers and support as we all tried to make sense of the devastation we had just witnessed. Certainly not to go unnoticed, I also had a lot of help from my husband, my courtesy officer at Parkside and the Grayco Partners corporate team.

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What did your days look like following Hurricane Harvey? The days following Hurricane Harvey were certainly trying. The first few days I was just trying to keep calm and organized on site before the evacuation boats arrived. Once my family evacuated, we stayed with extended family in Cypress. I was inundated with emails from residents, and I worked to make sure that informative updates were sent out regularly. There was no certainty on when we would be able to get back to the community or what the state of the building would be like once we arrived. I worked with Grayco Builders and Harris County Precinct 5 to organize a rescue effort four days after the storm to allow the last few remaining residents to evacuate. Once the building was completely empty, we started to plan how we would handle the crowds once we were able to get back to Parkside at Memorial. We set up a triage station where residents could ask questions about their lease, organize movers, borrow lanterns and rubber boots as well as grab a cold drink or snack. We kept the triage station open 12 hours daily for two weeks to assist any resident needs during that tough time. I was so proud of my team for coming together and going well above and beyond their call of duty for our community. What did you learn from Hurricane Harvey? Perseverance and the importance of being proactive. I heard the news and knew the storm was going to be a big one, but you never really know how it will affect you. I worked that weekend and put together a plan of action on where I would place residents on the first floor if we were to take on water and I am so glad that I did. I only had 15 vacant apartments on the higher levels and 45 families on the first floor who did not evacuate and would need to be relocated if we took on water. Once we received notice that the dams were to be released, I relocated the firstfloor residents upstairs as quickly as I could. We ended up with multiple families per unit, but it was organized. I canâ€™t imagine what the chaos would have been like had I not put a plan in place early.

Green Trees Lawn & Special Designs You assisted Nob Hill and its residents with the disposal of trash and discarded items for over 400 apartment homes. What was that experience like? I would imagine it was hard for many residents to discard their personal items. It was hurtful to see residents discarding all of their personal belongings. It was important for your team to work diligently for a week to remove all the trash on site.

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Why did your team feel it was so important to get the community trash and debris free? First, it is a hazard for that amount of trash and debris to be on the property. Secondly, we wanted to help the residents be able to move on and not have to live with seeing their items sitting on the ground in front of their apartments. Your teams did all that work at no cost to the community. In fact, your nominator states you refused money. This is an amazing example of a company displaying a Houston Strong attitude. What does Houston Strong look like and mean to you? Houston Strong is our community pulling together and helping each other, especially during a time of disaster and devastation. I am proud to be a Houstonian. What did you learn from Hurricane Harvey? I have been in business for over 30 years. I have experienced and assisted with other disasters, but I never expected to be recognized and honored for helping out. I must say it was a shock, a surprise and a wonderful feeling. I just hope I was able to pass on a good feeling to others knowing someone else cared about them. I am also proud of my children, John, Albert and Tracy who not only helped with Nob Hill, but others as well. It may have only been to pass out water, blankets or clothing, but they did what they could. We are a proud family-owned business and so grateful to be part of the Houston Strong team.

G&H Trash Valet Your efforts both during and after Hurricane Harvey are truly amazing. Itâ€™s my understanding that you two own G&H Trash Valet, and that Darren is an engine operator for the Houston Fire Department and Chase Cormier is an HPD officer. Please, the two of you, share what you guys experienced during Hurricane Harvey and the rescue efforts you made. Darren Ott: Approximately 24 hours after the storm hit, I woke up at home and turned on the television. I was in complete disbelief. The entire city was under water. First responders on duty were asking for anyone with boats or Jet Skis to come and help with rescue efforts. I immediately took to social media to ask for help. I met up with about 20 friends with boats and tall trucks and we assembled a game plan. Through social media, we were able to find names and addresses of those would needed immediate assistance, rescuing as many people and animals as we could. These rescues lasted four to five days and our rescue team grew to around 100 civilians, including a non-profit rescue group and some www.haaonline.org

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former Navy Seals who traveled all the way from Hawaii. The first day we headed to a couple of different areas in North Houston during daytime. When night fell, it was still raining, and we were near Cypresswood Drive and Stuebner Airline Road ready to help. It was dark, and the water was deep and moving quickly. We made a very dangerous rescue in a fishing boat. We traveled down about one-fourth a mile from our makeshift base camp. By this time, the water reached the rooftops of the houses. We saw an elderly couple waving their hands and calling for help. A friend of mine, who is 6 feet 5 inches, jumps out of the boat to go get them. Getting the boat to them and getting the life jackets on them for rescue was a very dangerous task. Once we got them to safety, we and the sheriffâ€™s deputies agreed it was too dangerous to return for rescues in that area again until sunrise. A few days during Hurricane Harvey, I was due to report to the fire station. I was unable to make it to my assigned station. Protocol states you are to report to the nearest station. I reported near the airport and was greeted by dump trucks and military-style vehicles. Shortly after my arrival, we took the military-style vehicle to East Houston where a large group was stranded at a post office. This seemed like something out of a

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movie. Traveling through 6-feet deep water and arriving there to see about 100 people trapped by high water, with no food, no water and only one bathroom. All they had were the clothes on their backs. They all came out running and screaming for help. We could only take about 20 to 25 at a time. We had to calmly negotiate and take women and kids first. These are just a few of the memorable moments from Harvey. Chase Cormier: I am a Houston Police Officer assigned to the Air Support Division as a pilot and Tactical Flight Officer. I reported for duty at Hobby Airport the evening before Hurricane Harvey arrived. Most still believed that Harvey was expected to turn inland and miss Houston, but that night it turned toward Houston and the rest is history. Hobby Airport recorded the most rainfall in the city, which completely flooded the entire airport complex including our Police Hangers. We worked throughout the night to move aviation equipment and materials within our hangers off of the ground to prevent damage since the city is self-insured. Roads around Hobby Airport were flooded for days and our relief was unable to make it to work so it was up to my shift and crew to do what we could. We have a high water HPD Humvee so we patrolled

the surrounding area helping and rescuing anyone we found. HPD Air Support continued to do this until our Humvee was flooded out due to higher than expected water. Tell us about Operation BBQ Relief. Chase: Darren Ott, who was contacted by Operation BBQ Relief, quickly gathered volunteers and began cooking 20,000 meals a day for first responders and displaced persons. They were cooking more food than they could get to those in need due to all the flooding and wanted to see if they could get help getting the food out. Darren called to see if I could possibly help. With all the contacts I gathered helping with the Coast Guard I began making calls. The U.S. Army National Guard Chinook Helicopters, U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopters, and Customs and Border Patrol Black Hawk Helicopter crews quickly responded to the request. With Operation BBQ Relief situated downtown Houston, the Houston Police Department Solo Motorcycle Division began escorting semi-trucks loaded with food, water, diapers and materials to be dispersed to the HPD Air Support Division located at Hobby Airport. All of these materials were airlifted via helicopters to surrounding areas from Corpus Christi to Beaumont.

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Meet the Honorees Meet the best of the best individuals in apartment management, the recipients of the 2018 Houston Apartment Association Honors Awards. Compiled by

Stephanie Graves, Q10 Property Advisors Owner/Management Executive of the Year I know this is not a question, but I just want to really say thank you to all of my team at Q10. We turned three years old in June and I can’t imagine doing anything else. We are just small enough that everything seems like a challenge, but these people work harder than anyone. My controller, Stephanie Velasquez is an expert on accounting and running our financial business. She is tirelessly working to help us be better and grow. Ginger Bernstein, my partner, is the reason we even have a company and has more experience than all of us put together. Marilyn Rivero is my go-to person on marketing, training and keeping me in line, and she has personally made me so much more productive and able to handle so much more with her efficiencies. Mariela, Amanda, Danny, Janie, Ann and Nanette round out the corporate team and handle all of the properties’ accounting and operational needs, as well as managing all of the people problems. I don’t allow them to clock in because I can’t imagine the hours they put in to make Q10 function daily. All of my site teams are the most solid and dedicated families I have ever seen. They cover each other like no other and will call me after they have fixed issues and filled in for one another, so their teammate can leave early for a soccer game with their kid. They care about each other and about the business and I am successful because of all of them, not because of anything in this article. In addition, I have to say that HAA is the best thing that has happened to me. Emily, Susan,

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MORGAN TAYLOR, HAA Staff

Photos by

MARK HIEBERT, Hiebert Photography

Karen, Lauren, Tina, Amanda and every single person who makes up the HAA team is kind, supportive and dedicated to what we do. Each one of them consistently makes me feel like I matter and like they care about me individually, and that is why I work so hard for my company and this industry. This is why I am involved with education and the industry, so while the award is great, I am so honored that you guys let me speak, teach and help. You are a co-founder of Q10 Property Advisors, which was founded in 2015. In that time, you have grown the company’s portfolio from two communities to 20 communities. How were you able to achieve this? At the same time, Q10 has grown to a total of 76 employees. How were you able to achieve this? Q10 has 20 properties today with 76 employees including myself and Ginger Bernstein, my partner. We just sold the first property that helped us start Q10 and made a nice profit for the owners, which was bittersweet. We have grown with true hard work, some luck and a lot of trust. We have some great clients who took a chance on us and believed we could run their properties well. We have had some bumps along the way, sold some properties, gained some and walked away from several. We struggle every day – anyone who says they have it all together is just lying. A portion of our portfolio is smaller properties with about 100 or so units, which does not allow for sick employees or vacation time. It’s hard when we have to close an office because we just can’t get anyone to that side of town to open that day. Every single one of our team members understands that working for Q10 means being flexible, agile and curious. Your schedule today is not your schedule tomorrow. Having employees who not only understand but

appreciate the controlled chaos and flexibility needed to get through the day has made Q10 a small contender in the property management arena. Our goal is just to provide good services to our owners and residents and provide a good living for the families that work for us. You are described as a true leader. In your opinion, what characteristics should a great leader possess? And, what does leadership mean to you? Described as a true leader. Well thanks, but every day is a truly a battle. Curiosity – I try to be and teach our people to be curious. Investigate – figure it out. Don’t just accept things as they are. Consistency; be approachable – sometimes my supervisors complain that our people come to me too much, that I’m too approachable, but I think that is impossible. People have to feel comfortable to talk to you and ask questions and as a leader you have to allow that and handle it. I also think that with great power (leadership) comes great responsibility. Leaders must do the right thing and walk the straight line, because as a leader of an organization actions influence many more with a greater impact. The thought that 75 families rely on me for their survival is a tremendous load to carry that I don’t take lightly. Us losing just one property impacts so many families, so the best advice is leadership is not for sissies, it’s gratifying but also a great responsibility.

Richard Wall, Mosiac Residential Portfolio Supervisor of the Year What challenges did you face early on in your career? How did you overwww.haaonline.org

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come those challenges? Although advancement in technology has made our lives easier over the years, it posed as a challenge for me earlier on in my career. When I was given the opportunity for advancement, I was not only learning and adjusting to each new role, I was also learning and attempting to stay up-to-date on the neverending changes regarding technology. Taking time out of my busy schedule to attend training and education courses assisted me with overcoming these challenges. What can you say is the biggest difference between the markets and/or business operations in Houston compared to Austin and Dallas? Overseeing apartment communities in three different cities can be challenging at times. One must rely heavily on the teams in place to keep you informed of any changes within the submarket that include pricing, leasing incentives, interior and exterior renovations and upcoming new development within the area. The style of apartment communities and amenities also vary based on their location in each city. Communities are built to accommodate the local residents’ needs and wants. One thing is for certain, the locations and amenities of the communities may be different, but the competition is still tough. What value has association education added to your career? I believe the education I have received through HAA, TAA and NAA have all assisted me in the growth of my career and contributed to my advancement in the apartment industry. The knowledge I have obtained through the credential courses has helped me to have a better understanding of the business and grow even stronger as an industry leader. What does leadership mean to you? As a team leader, I feel that each person on my team plays an important role in our community’s and company’s successes. Communication, accountability, praise and reward all assist in motivating my teams and allow them to feel as if they are part of something bigger. They feel a connection to the company and know they are more than just an employee, that they are part of a family. How can an effective team benefit a community and a management company as a whole? Hiring the right employees is not an easy task. Then, placing them together to work as a team is even more difficult, however, when you strategically place a few talented individuals together with different strengths, you achieve a perfect balance. An effective team www.haaonline.org

can not only benefit the community but the management company as well. The team members care about more than the success of their community, they care about the success of the company as a whole. They are willing to dedicate time and energy to help achieve the company’s short and long-term goals. How does it feel to have your hard work pay off? I must say, it is truly an honor to be recognized by my peers and the association. Winning this award means so much to me and confirms that hard work and dedication pay off. I still can’t believe that I was selected as the 2018 Portfolio Supervisor of the Year when there were so many talented individuals nominated for this award. I feel like we are all winners, and the gratitude I have cannot be expressed.

Elizabeth Gray, Lamppost Capital Independent Rental Owner of the Year Tell me about your background in multifamily. What or who inspired you to invest in multifamily and start your own management company? The biggest inspiration in my life, and my larger-than-life role model, is and has always been, my mother. She immigrated to the United States when she was 21 years old, speaking no English and without friends or family, but with a dream that her daughters would have better opportunities than were possible for her.

international bank. A few years later, my mom asked if I’d come work with her. I jumped at the chance. I spent the next 15 years growing sales and expanding the market for our family’s cheese company. By the time we sold the company, we were processing millions of pounds of milk every year into my mom’s glorious cheese. Then my husband Jeff and I were looking around for what to do next. We flipped houses and invested in single-family rental homes. We were immediately hooked. When did you purchase your first property? In 2014 we bought our first apartment property, 16-unit community called Casa Blume in Rosenberg. After Casa Blume, we’ve invested in three additional multifamily communities, each one larger than the last. No looking back, and we’re just getting started. What challenges did you face early on in your career? How did you overcome those challenges? Four years in is still “early” right? We absolutely faced challenges and continue to face challenges. There’s two that come to mind immediately. First, when we got started there was simply so much that we did not know. We were learning as we were doing – everything from locating, to financing, to rehab, to insuring, to marketing, to Fair Housing, to dealing with difficult residents, and on and on. It frankly made for some scary moments and we made mistakes along the way. We decided to educate ourselves proactively on the best way to do things, to learn from people

“Investigate – figure it out. Don’t just accept things as they are. Consistency; be approachable – sometimes my supervisors complain that our people come to me too much, that I’m too approachable, but I think that is impossible. People have to feel comfortable to talk to you and ask questions and as a leader you have to allow that and handle it.” – Stephanie Graves She is a born entrepreneur, and as a child I watched her begin a business in our tiny furniture-less Spring Branch apartment and over the following decades grow it into a multimillion-dollar multi-state enterprise. She worked very, very hard so that we could have the best education. Prior to 2014, I had no background in multifamily ownership or management. After graduating from Rice University, I went to work for an

who had been for a long time, successfully doing what we wanted to do, to learn from their successes. We have found this education and these role models at Lifestyles Unlimited and at HAA. Second, and our biggest challenge by far, is finding the right people for our team. Since we’ve started buying properties large enough to require a staff, we’ve gone through several management and maintenance personnel. For the last 12 months, we’ve been privileged August 2018

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to work with an incredible team. I don’t think that I can adequately convey just how special they all are. There is no way that we could effectively manage and grow our business without this team. You have both your CAM and CAPS credentials. It’s important to seek industry specific education. In your opinion, why is education valuable? You have to know what you’re doing. You have to have the right road map. And you have to follow that right road map. It’s very expensive and very time-consuming to try to figure it out on your own. Why not learn from those who have been in the business for years doing things the right way? The courses offered at HAA are such a wealth of information that you can immediately use at your community. I was lucky enough to see your reaction to your nominator, Doug Oehl, after you accepted your award. What does winning this award mean to you? I so love Doug! He is one of the great people I’ve met through HAA. He has become a valued supplier partner, an important member of our team and part of our success. I was completely shocked. I know that we’re doing great work at our properties. I see the immensely positive impact that they’ve had on the surrounding communities and I am beyond proud of this. My hope and desire, and what I work for every day, is that we’ve positively impacted the lives of our staff, residents and investors. I think we have. Winning this award means others agree. Can I insert a smiling emoji here? How have you been able to achieve success with your properties? It truly is the team of remarkable people that I work with: my husband, our staff, our supplier partners. Working hard and working smart. Dogged perseverance.

Tammie Garcia, Greystar Property Manager of the Year, 350 units or more What challenges did you face early on in your career? A challenge for me is not being able to please everyone – meaning residents. Happy residents renew. It’s still challenging, but I have learned to have confidence in the decisions I make. You have acquired both the CAM and the CAPS credentials. Tell me why it is important to seek industry education. I knew this career was going to be my life and I feel strongly about edu-

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cation. If you’re going to be in this business, you should be as knowledgeable as possible. I always encourage people to sign up for any classes that are offered. Your nominator shared that your efforts during Hurricane Harvey earned you the Greystar True Blue Award in 2017. Tell me about what all you did to make sure your residents were comfortable and safe during and after Harvey. Being on a high rise with 18 floors was challenging. It required patience, a lot of patience. For a week we catered breakfast, lunch and dinner to our community for our residents. We went door-todoor to check on residents daily. We made sure to pay close attention to our senior citizen residents. We made sure to hand deliver breakfast and lunch to them, as well. I pretty much lived at the property for a week. I only went home to shower and sleep for a couple of hours. What does leadership mean to you? A good leader leads by example. A leader does not ask their team to do anything he or she would not do. A strong leader has an open mind and recognizes team members who work hard. How are you able to effectively lead 15 employees? I love working with large teams, it is so much fun. What I have found to be most productive is to have a short meeting every morning to discuss what was accomplished yesterday and to plan the day and the week, because it changes daily. We acknowledge a team member for one reason or another, like completing all of their tickets, a great resident survey or the porter for such a great job he did on painting the hallway, etc. This keeps everyone on the same page, motivated and it gives everyone a voice. You have been fairly involved with HAA over the years. Out of all the committees you have served on, which has been your favorite and why? I love all of them. I wish I had the time and energy to serve on all of them. If I must choose my favorite, I would say Chili Fest because it is a great time. Everyone is out with their families and having fun, plus it’s for such a great cause. What advice would you give to someone just starting in the apartment business? I am always honest with new team members. I tell them, if you like the industry, work hard because the sky is the limit in this business, and there are so many different avenues you can choose. What is next for you in your career? We just started a major exterior renovation project that is

going to take a good 12 months. Up next for me in my career is to see this project through and see what happens next.

Chris Palacios, Francis Property Management Property Manager of the Year, 151 to 349 units What has kept you in the industry? This industry gives you the opportunity to meet amazing people on a daily basis. My first manager, Nina Wisniewski, gave me the tools and training I needed as a rookie leasing agent. Nina enrolled me in a Leasing 101 class and some APPLE classes. She trusted me, and it was so important to know I had that kind of support. I would have to say within my first year I knew I found something I loved to do. What challenges did you face early on in your career? This is probably the hardest thing to admit, but in certain situations, I used to struggle with empathy. I didn’t realize the barrier this was creating until my manager at the time, Betsy Marshall, pointed it out. After she brought this to my attention, I took the opportunity to learn more about empathy and how it impacts the way I would respond to certain situations. Betsy encouraged me to pay attention to my interactions with residents, prospects and co-workers in a different way. I’ve learned to relate to others, minimize outside influences and get to the root of a problem quicker. As a manager, not only do I strive to be a good example for my team, but I try to create processes with a proactive approach, helping us build rapport with our internal and external customers. You have acquired both the NALP and the CAM credentials. Tell me why it is important to seek industry education. Obtaining my NALP credentials reinforced and solidified my role as a leasing agent. It helped me feel confident in my role as a leasing agent and when performing dayto-day duties. The CAM credential prepared me for the property manager role by helping me understand the bigger picture, as seen through the eyes of the property manager. What does leadership look like and mean to you? Leadership for me is the ability to motivate, empower and train my team to accomplish their goals and the property’s goals. I have been blessed to have worked and still work for amazing leaders and mentors. Debbie Sulzer really puts an emphasis on the importance of continuing education. It is encouraging to know your www.haaonline.org

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leaders invest in your growth. I strive to do the same with my team. In your 10 years of experience in this industry, what has been the biggest lesson you have learned? I have learned that this industry can be the most rewarding because you get what you put in. Success is what you make of it! Hard work pays off, even if it is not immediate. You may not understand it at the time, but every new experience prepares you for something down the road. It is up to us to make the connections and apply what we have learned to new scenarios. Tell me about your involvement with the HAA NEXT Committee. Why is it important to be involved with HAA’s young professional group? I remember attending my first large HAA event where I was receiving my NALP credentials and felt alone, almost out of place. But, when I began attending HAA NEXT events, I started making connections. I immediately felt welcome and part of the group. I was able to meet peers across both sides of the aisle, growing my network. HAA NEXT gave me the support I needed to feel comfortable within the industry. Now, when I attend large HAA events, I see my friends and I am encouraged to make new connections. I needed a tour path and HAA NEXT was it. After about two years of attending NEXT events, I was asked to join the NEXT Committee. Committee involvement has helped bolster my sense of community within the association. I would encourage others to find a committee that fits their interests. What is next for you in your career? Winning this award has been a humbling experience. I want to apply for Leadership Lyceum this year.

Vanessa Fernandez, SMI Realty Property Manager of the Year, 1 to 150 units To my knowledge, you started in the industry in 2007 as a leasing professional. Tell me about what it took to get promoted to each level. I went from a part time leasing professional to a full-time leasing professional. I was familiar with the assistant manager duties, so I helped collect rent and went to court. I handled leasing and assistant manager duties for about two years until I was promoted to a property manager. I was only 26 years old. I worked with that company for six years until I joined SMI Realty.

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I have learned that this industry can be the most rewarding because you get what you put in. Success is what you make of it! Hard work pays off, even if it is not immediate. You may not understand it at the time, but every new experience prepares you for something down the road. It is up to us to make the connections and apply what we have learned to new scenarios.” – Chris Palacios What challenges did you face early on in your career? I have faced many challenges in my career. One challenge was my age. I was young and I feared I didn’t have the experience to delegate. One day, my supervisor had me spend one whole day with each of my employees to learn what they do and how long it takes. This allowed me to be a better manager and I gained their respect by helping them work hands-on. The apartment industry can be challenging, no day is the same and we are constantly juggling many tasks at once. Was there one particular moment when you knew this would be your career? The challenges are what has kept me in this career. It is a fun industry because of the fact that there is no routine. Even though there are rough days, those days are learning experiences you grow from. There was a moment I knew this would be my life career. There was a gas leak that we could not locate. We had to replace all new gas lines, and we spent three weeks dealing with City of Houston. It was winter when this happened – imagine how our residents were feeling. After all that, I knew that I could handle anything. Your nominator shared how you are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure your property is running smoothly. What does it mean to be a team player? To me, being a team player means supporting others, building trust, appreciating other people’s hard work, not putting myself above anyone, showing my employees and coworkers that I am willing to help anyone regardless of titles. I believe that if they can do it, I should be able to do it as well, and it helps me learn. I believe working as a team is the only way a property can run smoothly. What does leadership mean to you? Leadership means having the ability to motivate and inspire your staff to achieve goals by finding the solutions. And, having the desire to learn and grow from challenging experiences.

How were you able to take your property from 85 percent leased to 100 percent? It all came from the management company and their leadership. We accomplished this as a team by hosting resident functions, marketing and providing great customer service. It took listening to our residents, gaining their trust. Tell me about your involvement with HAA. Why is it important to be involved? That is what I love about working for SMI – the involvement with HAA. Starla Turnbo motivates all of us to attend all APPLE classes, because industry is always changing, and we must always be informed in order to use what we learn on a daily basis.

Joe Melton, MORGAN Marketing/ Training Director of the Year What do you love most about your job? I love being able to support my team. Training also falls under my direction, so it is rewarding to help foster growth and promotions within our company. Your nominator credited you for the creating the Pearl brand for MORGAN’s new construction properties nationally. What went into creating that brand? I helped spearhead this effort, but I could not have done it without the help of many players at different levels. Brands don’t expire, so finding the right words and points was a process. I wanted a tagline that would resonate with all of our potential renters and customers. Ultimately, I landed on “Live Well at Pearl.” I wanted the consumer of the brand to create the meaning of “Live Well” for themselves. Our brand is all about the people and the lifestyle we provide. The Pearl brand has become pretty prominent inside the loop. Pearl Washington won the Property of the Year in 2017 and then this year,

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“Leadership means hiring people smarter than myself, the willingness to listen and those who can see the same vision. I always tell people to act like you are the owner and it was your own checkbook. Great leaders always act ethically. Doing the right thing will always be in style. Lastly, great leaders had great mentors. If I am thought of as a leader, it is because I have been fortunate enough to have been around great leaders that have unselfishly mentored me.” – Joe Melton Pearl Residences at CityCentre won Property of the Year, too. These are huge accomplishments! How does it feel to achieve success in Pearl’s brand creation? It feels wonderful to know that our brand and our communities are recognized as the best of the best. It is no secret that it all starts with the people and the hard work they do for us every day. Bill Morgan started this company in 1959. He achieved the American dream, and to this day instills the importance of hard work to other generations of Morgans and us, his work family. You are also responsible for facilitating MORGAN’s leadership conference. In being involved with leadership training, what does leadership mean to you? Our leadership conference is a group effort. We are already beginning the initial planning for next year and we just had our conference in May. It takes all of us to pull it off. The challenge is always taking it to the next level. How do we “do better” than the year before. Leadership means hiring people smarter than myself, the willingness to listen and those who can see the same vision. I always tell people to act like you are the owner and it was your own checkbook. Great leaders always act ethically. Doing the right thing will always be in style. Lastly, great leaders had great mentors. If I am thought of as a leader, it is because I have been fortunate enough to have been around great leaders who have unselfishly mentored me. What is the most challenging part of your job? How did you overcome those challenges? Learning to empower people is a powerful tool. Learning to effectively give work is an art, and something that I have still not perfected. Was there a particular boss or coworker who guided you through this challenge? I have had many co-workers who have guided me through challenges. Prior to joining the Morgan Group, I was with Camden Property Trust. I had many roles there, and honestly, Camden is where I grew up. Laura Little and Amy Funk saw something in me

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and pushed me to create a change in my myself that would 20 years later serve me very well. Shelley Watson has been a mentor for many years – more than 14 years, but who is counting? She leads by example and cares deeply about her employees. She is fair! I believe that people work harder for people if they feel they are treated fairly and respected. I would not be answering any of these questions or have won this award without great leaders and mentors in my life. What role has HAA played in your career? How has it advanced your career? HAA is and continues to be an incredible resource for our business. The access to affordable training and trusted supplier partners are important and appreciated. No matter what size company you are, there is something for you at HAA. Access to events, training and the incredible amount of networking has been worth every late night. My friends would say, “Joe you know everyone!” I laugh, because I don’t know everyone. I do try to meet as many people as I can, though. My journey is not over yet, so there is no time for sitting in the last row and hoping I get noticed.

Anna Huerta, AvalonBay Communities Assistant Manager of the Year What challenges did you face early on in your career? When Memorial Heights Villages was under construction, there were many obstacles to overcome. Weather events repeatedly delayed construction, which affected everything. We had to continually deal with schedule changes, but everyone worked together as a team. Guidance from AvalonBay’s leadership, including on-site managers Renee Renobato and Reynaldo Marfil, was instrumental to our success. Effective, open communication was a focus and we were very deliberate about closing the communication loop to ensure nothing was left pending. Working

together with mutual respect and transparency was essential for us to successfully work through all of the challenges we faced. Your nominator spoke highly of your innate kindness, honesty and dedication. Why, in your opinion, are these characteristics important in the apartment business? When people are looking for a home, they want to live in a place where they feel comfortable and safe. Residents want to have confidence in the individuals who handle their rental contracts and payments. They need to trust management to deal with issues that may arise as well as the maintenance technicians who enter their home to make repairs. Residents’ needs may vary, but everyone appreciates kindness. Treating people with kindness, being transparent and honest helps to build trust. These qualities translate to value. What does leadership look like and mean to you? Leadership has many elements, but I think the most effective leaders are people of integrity who are fair, supportive, knowledgeable, accountable and inspirational. Leadership involves trustworthiness, reliability, motivation and dedication. Leaders who demonstrate these qualities develop a reputation for excellence and attract people who want to follow their example. Has anyone in your past or present been a mentor to you in your career? Yes! MVH Community Manager, Renee Renobato, has been my mentor. Renee has influenced me greatly, pushing me to grow. She encourages me to be the best version of myself. Renee has the ability to recognize a person’s strengths and she motivates them to tap into those strengths in a way that benefits our community. Renee challenged me to think, which enabled me to expand my knowledge. Then, she trusted me to apply what I learned. This helped me become more confident about my own abilities. Now, I am able to take that knowledge and teach others, which has further broadened my own understanding. Her passion has been contagious. Why was it important for you to acquire your Certified Apartment Manager credential? During my second year with AvalonBay, Renee encouraged me to acquire the CAM credential. So, I enrolled. I remember spending a lot of time studying. Six months later, I passed the test for CAM. I was completely elated! Going through the CAM program deepened my overall knowledge of multifamily management, which allowed me to increase my contributions and increased my confidence. Now, I really enjoy the requirement www.haaonline.org

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“Leadership has many elements, but I think the most effective leaders are people of integrity who are fair, supportive, knowledgeable, accountable and inspirational. Leadership involves trustworthiness, reliability, motivation and dedication. Leaders who demonstrate these qualities develop a reputation for excellence and attract people who want to follow their example.” – Anna Huerta

for continuing education in order to maintain my CAM credential. I highly recommend getting certified. What enabled you to reach your current level in your professional career? The people in my life who have supported and encouraged me most are my family. My husband, David, encourages me in everything I do. My parents taught me to always do my best. I saw how hard they worked for a better life. My parents set high standards for all of their children and they expected us to meet their standard. Consequently, working hard gives me a great deal of satisfaction and a sense of pride in doing a good job. I credit my

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parents and husband for my success. I am extremely grateful to my family. What advice would you give to someone just starting in the apartment business? Maintain a positive attitude, don’t take things personally, empathize with others by putting yourself in their shoes, become an expert on your own community, know your competitors, understand your strengths and keep learning. Be a flexible team player, because you may need to perform tasks outside your job description on any given day. Always treat everyone with kindness and respect because it is the right thing to do.

David Dill, Veritas Equity Management Leasing Professional of the Year What do you enjoy most about your job? I'd have to say my team. It's great to see progress in the numbers, but if I didn't have a well put-together and effective team that is able to share the satisfaction of meeting a common goal, it would not be as rewarding. Everybody wants to feel like they are contributing to something higher than themselves. The encouragement, education and the value we bring to our residents individually and as a team really brings that desire home. Who has inspired you the most in the apartment industry and why? I view Jackie Aguirre and John Boriack as leaders who stand out as major successes in our industry at such young ages. They have shown time and time again that being proactive and beginning with the end in mind lead to meeting goals. Their abilities to prioritize and create win-win scenarios have fostered a great company culture. Jackie and John are definitely ones I model myself after as I learn, work diligently and experience the many facets of property management such as investment,

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management and ownership. During our recent trip to San Antonio for the Texas Apartment Associationâ€™s Lonestar Education Conference & Expo, I was very inspired to learn the career path and stories of Jackie Rhone. I frequently go back to that memory when I am faced with a difficult scenario and it reminds me of the big picture. Your nominator credits you in playing a huge role in turning your communityâ€™s reputation around. What did it take to rebuild the image of your community? We discovered that being on the same page and consistency would be two major fundamentals for the revitalization of our community's reputation. We walked onto this property not knowing what to expect. A few weeks after we took the property on, Hurricane Harvey hit. Residents were very worried to say the least as this was a property that was previously prone to parking lot flooding due to an ineffective drainage system. We changed that. When we got through the storm without a single apartment damaged due to water, that really pushed things in the right direction. I also attribute a very large part of the property turn-around to the extensive investment and work into updating and adding new amenities. Within a few months, we were completing a water conservation project that we saw effectively cut around 50 percent of the water consumption, which was incredible from a resident perspective as it directly lowered their cost of living and added value. We put the work in and while some residents did leave due to changes, we found that most of them were great people with needs that were simply not prioritized previously. Veritas Equity Management went home with a number of awards this year. From properties to professionals, Veritas won a total of four awards in both categories. How does it feel to be part of a team of this caliber? I am very fortunate to be aligned with such a dedicated, active and successful company and network with Veritas Equity Management, Lifestyles Unlimited and Houston Apartment Association. Specifically, though on a smaller and more personal scale, it is incredible to see that everybody's hard work is being recognized. Elvia Bustos with her CAM credential, Roberto Ramirez with his CAMT credential and Maintenance Supervisor of the Year award, Brityn Maddox with her Administrative Support Staff of the Year award and Crosssings at Cherry with Property of the Year in our category. Incredible, guys.

/ See Honors, Page 61

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On Site with ABODE

Photos provided by Dover Place

LESS THAN 100 UNITS

Property: Dover Place Owner/Management: Dover Cove LLC Location: 4137 Dover Ave., right off the Gulf Freeway. Units: 32 Built: 1970 Web: www.doverplacehouston.com Interesting features: Dover Place Apartments is a gated community located in a quiet, friendly residential neighborhood. Here, residents enjoy sizeable green space ideal for all types of recreational activities, as well as a lush, green picnic area overlooking Sims Bayou. Once residents are outside and plan to stay outside, residents can wander over to the nearby walking, jogging and biking trails along the bayou. This community offers the utmost convenience, being minutes from Interstate 45, Loop 610, Beltway 8 and Houston Hobby Airport, allowing residents to get where they need to be when they need to be there. Dover Place strives to create a safe environment for its residents and believes safety goes beyond a functional gate access system. The apartment community works actively with the Houston Police Department on crime reduction and prevention, and recently acquired the Blue Star certification. Dover Place, a small community with a big heart, was even recognized by the Hobby Area District for its efforts in transforming the community into a secure and comfortable home. www.haaonline.org

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On Site with ABODE

Photos provided by Woods of Spring Grove

100-150 UNITS Built before 1980

Property: Woods of Spring Grove Owner/Management: Star Pacific/Relik Realty Location: 7901 Amelia Road, right off Writ Road between the Northwest Freeway and Katy Freeway. Units: 144 Built: 1969 Web: www.woodsofspringgrove.com Interesting features: Woods of Spring Grove is a resort-style, gated community offering one, two and three-bedroom townhouses and apartment homes nestled amongst wooded and landscaped grounds. Located in Spring Branch, close to Katy Freeway, Northwest Freeway and the 610 Loop, this community is just minutes away from many fine dining and entertainment options. On site amenities include: a resort-style pool, an outdoor kitchen pavilion with two barbecues, a playground for children, an internet cafe with WiFi, a business center, a fitness center that offers fitness classes, premium clothes care and laundry facilities (two locations). Woods of Spring Grove is a pet friendly community with an on-site bark park. The community strives to create a safe, friendly community with gate remote access and monthly resident events. Woods of Spring Grove is proudly a Blue Star Certified Community.

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I wasn’t surprised said, laug business f anything or get it r don’t nee resident a owner are good exp way. I did watching

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I w surprised that they nominated said, laughing. “ I’ve been with business for 15 years. I never ex anything. For me, if I get my jo or get it right, I’m satisfied with don’t need recognition. As lon resident and my management owner are happy, I’m happy. It good experience, though, feelin way. I didn’t know that someo watching!”

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Meet Who’s NEXT

40 Questions T

o promote HAA NEXT, ABODE will ask a different NEXT Steering Committee member a set of 40 questions to learn more about who they are. This month, we interviewed NEXT Steering Committee member Samantha Hoffer, Hoffer Furniture.

at my high school graduation party and I have gone to see them every year since.

Describe what it is like to be a Hoffer in three words. Fun, loud and adventurous.

What is your favorite song right now? Anything by Paul Simon.

As a third generation Hoffer, what can you say about family and business in three words? Rewarding, challenging and motivating.

What is the craziest thing to ever happen to you while on the job? Getting a phone call that my rental furniture was being stolen by a squatter. The police were watching this happen but did not arrest the squatter. Apparently, squatter issues are civil cases that need to go to court and not criminal ones they can act on. I still don’t understand – it was crazy!

What is the best part about working for your family? Working with my family. What is the worst part about working for your family? Working with my family. What is your go-to karaoke song? Shoop by Salt-N-Peppa. Anyone who was at HAA Next Karaoke last year had the joy of hearing me solo it. What is the first thing you do when you get home from work? Take off my shoes and put on my slippers. What did you love most about Austin while you lived there for school? Barton Creek Greenbelt. What was your favorite bar in Austin? Cheers! What do you love most about Houston? The restaurants. What is your go-to excuse to get out of a meeting? I’m swamped with a design project and can’t get away. (Although 99 percent of the time it is the truth?) Favorite concert you’ve ever been to? Widespread Panic. What year was that? The first time was in 2008

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If you could bring one thing back from the 90s what would it be? The music. What is your favorite song from the 90s? I’m a big fan of “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes. It’s also my runner-up for favorite karaoke song.

What is one thing you cannot leave your house without? My water bottle. What is your favorite memory from your childhood? Family trips to the beach. What is the best piece of advice your mother ever gave you? Be yourself, and to spend your money on experiences instead of things – they’ll last longer. What is the best piece of advice your father ever gave you? Everything in moderation, including moderation. Who do you look up to the most in the industry? Suan Tinsley, DayRise Residential. What emoji do you use the most? The cat heart eye emoji. What emoji describes you the best? The sunset emoji. Sunsets are my jam. What sport are you the worst at? All of them. I was always a dancer. What sport is your favorite? I like playing fetch with my dogs.

What is your go-to dish? Spinach Dip. I have a knock-off recipe of the famous one from Houston’s that’s always a favorite during store parties or family holidays. What is your go-to drink? Vodka soda. Two limes. Favorite city? HOUSTON! Favorite band? Widespread Panic. If you were a superhero with a super power, what would your super power be? Teleportation. Imagine a world without traffic. If you could have a drink with anyone who would it be? Beyoncé. What is your spirit animal? A golden retriever. What artist from the 90s is your spirit animal? Baby Spice. I even made my three brothers and mom dress up as all of the Spice Girls with me one Halloween. What is your biggest milestone of your career so far? Getting quoted in the Houston Chronicle for an article about home staging and design. What inspires you? All of the amazing designs out there. Who inspires you? Joanna Gaines. That woman has created an empire out of her passion and inspires me to do the same. What’s most important right now? Continuing to grow Hoffer Furniture so we can be around for another 41 years. What is your favorite NEXT event? Karaoke. It’s always a great time. Biggest splurge? Hawaiian vacation with my gal pals. If you weren’t a supplier partner, what would you be doing with your career? Putting on concerts. www.haaonline.org

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Honors, continued from Page 57 You recently acquired your NALP credential. Congratulations. Why was it important for you to achieve this? Thank you! I think to a certain extent, education and credentials are an essential part of a professional on a long-term career path. Though I have only been in this industry for a year, I have been on a real estate career path since 2013 and it was about time to get some letters after my name. Beyond being able to say I am an NALP, I had the opportunity to network with other NALP candidates, all of whom successfully graduated with me. HAA provides a great platform for young professionals to learn and network. The NALP program allowed me to prove I am qualified and serious about my career in the industry. CAM, I've got my eye on you.

Brityn Maddox, Veritas Equity Management Administrative Support Professional of the Year How did you get your start in the apartment industry? How many years have you been in the apartment business? What job did you have prior to? I have actually only been in the apartment industry for a little over a year. I came to Veritas from a media company doing bookkeeping and account management for their wedding videography department. I heard about Veritas and their success and couldn’t wait to join their team when the opportunity came available. I was excited to try my hand at something a little different and start a new chapter in my career. Administrative support professionals are credited with keeping everyone on task and organized. In addition to that, you wear many hats per day. How do you maintain the madness? I love the madness. I get the quiet consistency of checking off boxes and keeping things organized, and I also get the crazy fun and excitement of tackling new projects that pop up and planning various celebrations with my team when we hit our goals. It’s truly my dream job. You are credited with single-handedly increasing Veritas’ involvement in HAA training and events by 27 percent. Tell me why you believe it is important for Veritas to be involved with HAA. From my own experience of being new to the industry, if I have access to the education and / See Honors, Page 73

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On the Scene Photos by MORGAN TAYLOR, HAA Staff HAAPAC Spelling Bee Sponsored by 1 AAA Plumbers and 2 Ameritex Movers and produced by HAA NEXT Thursday, June 7 at the HAF Education Center It was a packed house for the Houston Apartment Association Political Action Committee/NEXTâ€™s Spelling Bee. Members competed per table with the rights to buy hard and easy words available, with all money raised to be donated to the HAAPAC. Congratulations to the winning speller Robert Martinez, Rockstar, and runner-up Christy Rodriguez, Greystar.

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On the Scene Photos by MORGAN TAYLOR, HAA Staff HAAPAC Spelling Bee

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Law, continued from Page 12 according to the complaint, a physician diagnosed the resident with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Allegedly, the property denied the request after deciding it was “not reasonable.” Disposition: Settled. Under the settlement agreement, the property agreed to pay $10,000 to the resident, provide employees with Fair Housing training and provide periodic reports to the Department of Justice. Prior to entering into the agreement, the property granted the resident’s request for a unit transfer and paid all of her moving expenses. Comment: As previously discussed, your responses to requests for accommodation should be in writing. You should respond to all requests knowing the possibility that a complaint could follow your response. If you take the position that a request is “not reasonable,” be careful. If your reason for your position that the request is “not reasonable” is related to inadequate information you received to verify the resident had a disability under the act or had a disability-related need for the accommodation, you may want to ask for more information rather than deny the request.

Refusal to rent unit with lead paint to a family (Massachusetts, November 2017). What Happened? The Department of Justice alleged that the owner of a four-unit rental property refused to rent an apartment to a family because they had children under six years old and the units had no lead certificate. The family was already living in the building with the wife’s mother and two-year-old child at the time when they attempted to rent their own unit. Allegedly, the owner told the family he would not rent an apartment to them because they had a child under the age of six and were expecting another baby. Also, allegedly, the property contained lead hazards and the lease included an addendum that prospective renters could not rent units if they had minor children or were or became pregnant. After the complaint was filed, the owner allegedly retaliated by suing the couple in federal court, alleging, $1,000,000 in damages. Furthermore, the complaint alleged the owner began eviction proceedings against the family and the wife’s mother almost immediately after they filed their complaint with HUD. Disposition: After a five-day trial, a jury found the owner interfered with the family’s Fair

Housing rights and engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against prospects based on the familial status. The jury awarded $8,500 in damages to the family, and imposed a $35,000 civil penalty for the pattern and practice of discrimination. Comment: Be careful! Don’t put yourself in a position of “parenting” your residents by thinking you know what is best for them. Through proper disclosures and representations, you may be able to alleviate your potential liability concerns if you feel as though residents are making an unwise or potentially harmful decision in renting a unit. Communication should be made in writing so a response can be properly considered and reasoned. Hopefully, this gives you a sense of what is going on nationally with respect to Fair Housing issues. Each case gives us something to think about and something to learn from.

Want more “It’s the Law”? See current and previous issues of ABODE online at http://issuu.com/haa_abode.

. Grab tition rve p m e the co t your s above em more abou ily profese s i r m th ent multifa telling re and xposu ion makers by e tool for every 800 managem ce r u o n is ire tha hav dec dy HAA D Exten n of today’s ide, the must- unities, more on the ess

rely ntio Gu sin mm the atte HAA Buyer’s apartment co mpanies who nies to do bu f maro e pa c 0 h to t r 0 s m e o o ,8 in li c o 2 p s b r r p e ic extra embe h ove 00 su c n m 8 a a r e n t a fo R e along e h g g g t rchin ch pa tisers sional! s and more r a r a e e s e v s d n a e e ge wh f th nie compa uyer’s Guide y! Our full-pa to the TOP o guide.com. d B k e rs d s v e n o e a y m h y u t r to rolling aab for listing .h h e c w n li a w n e nth sc o o w t m a d 2 with. R having their 1 laye a FREE by ilable.) go disp keting will get ed space ava pany lo s r m e o c is t r ir e imit adve with th bsite. (L ivider) 19! ction d er’s Guide we e (s for 20 b a e T y c ! u n S B a U e PL th e ch er 30. r ad on our on ptemb y e S s s i n banne o m Don’t s close e sale c a ns, visit p s Ad / d optio n a s e t Guide uyers tising ra r B e g. / v g d r a e.o For ine.or aaonl aonlin h a @ .h y w d ww erbon ail ash or em

tS and tall and get . spotted

www.haaonline.org

August 2018

ABODE

Go-gets pg 66.qxp_Layout 1 7/19/18 3:35 PM Page 1

The Go-Getters HAA’s MEMBERSHIP RECRUITERS

CELEBRATING GO-GETTERS! Recruit throughout the year and become part of the Go-Getter Club.

Join our Quarterly Meetings! Be the top recruiter for each quarter and win one of four fabulous prizes! 1st Quarter: Echo Show 2nd Quarter: Samsung Smart TV 3rd Quarter: iRobot Roomba 690 Vacuum 4th Quarter: $500 Holiday Cash Plus, for each new member you recruit, you’ll earn a chance to win gift cards ranging from $25 to $250! JOIN A TEAM and build relationships with like-minded members. Get involved with Go-Getters and make lasting industry connections. Visit www.haaonline.org/gogetterscorner to get all the information you need. HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS Members who have recruited more than 100 companies Claude Arnold Monette Reynolds Kenn Brown Sherry Stevenson Tina Cavaco Kirk Tate Kevin Fenn Suan Tinsley Diane Gilbert Sonny Unverzagt Anita Harrison Del Walmsley Dwayne Henson Nancé Wells Mike Koch H.P. Paul Young Merry Mount Jeanne Marie Zublin Dicks

Join us for our next meeting on September 27 sponsored by AAA Plumbers and Crestmark Construction Can’t make it? Don’t miss our final meeting date for 2018:

December 5 Visit www.haaonline.org/gogetters for details

THE GO-GETTERS ARE THE BACKBONE of the Houston Apartment Association. By recruiting new members, the Go-Getter Club helps both new management and supplier companies and the association grow for the future. To join the club and get going on recruitment, see online at www.haaonline.org or contact Amanda and Lauren in the Membership Department at members@haaonline.org. 66

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Welcome Mat OWNERS Bo Management Kirsten Nielsen 2718 Fort Caney Drive Richmond, TX 77406 281-344-0789 Tara Oaks Apartments Caydon USA Services LLC Emily Thurston 1415 Louisiana St. #4200 Houston, TX 77002 832-975-1900 800 Bellshire Drive Office Conroe, TX 77301-4200 936-756-8849 Bellshire Apartments GoldCor Capital Partners Nir Goldberg 2480 Times Blvd. #214 Houston, TX 77005 409-923-8482 Referred by Kurt Gilpin, CAPS Greenline Apartment Management LLC Joshua D. Welch 5444 Westheimer Road #1000 Houston, TX 77056 832-446-8654 Allendale Arms Apartments Rio Sereno Apartments Casa Roble Apartments Greg McFarlane Greg McFarlane 28 Summer Morning Spring, TX 77381 GVA Property Management Melanie Feather 302 Apple Creek Drive Georgetown, TX 78626 512-948-7302 Huntington Glen Apartments HavenRock Investments Jein Gadson 2429 Bissonnet St. #106 Houston, TX 77005 713-584-3135 Minden Square Apartments Rosedale Apartments Blodgett Apartments

Introducing HAA’s NEW MEMBERS

SKYMS LLC Paul Schuyler 27 Otter Pond Place The Woodlands, TX 77381 832-510-7285 Saulnier Apartments

Genesis Credit Management Lauren Hardisky 7100 Evergreen Way #C Everett, WA 98203 509-836-5558 Collection Agencies, Credit Reporting Agencies

Worthwhile Capital Joe Flanigan 602 E. 10th 1/2 St. Houston, TX 77008 832-250-6027

GP Padillas Painting Guadalupe Padilla 10514 Huntington Way Houston, TX 77099 832-659-6186 Painting Contractors Referred by Terri Clifton

SUPPLIERS

AAdvantage Laundry Systems Russell Williams 2209 Caroline Drive Weatherford, TX 76087 817-915-0431 Laundry Equipment & Supplies, Washer/Dryer Sales

Apex Lighting LLC Dale McCain 9550 Spring Green Blvd. #408-143 Katy, TX 77494 281-410-8093 Lighting Fixtures & Supplies, Lighting - Outdoor Referred by Steve Lee BBO Professional Carpet Cleaning Benjamin Moreno 11152 Westheimer Road PMB-796 Houston, TX 77042 281-858-0080 Carpet Cleaning-Equip & Supply, Carpet & Rug Repairing Referred by Crystal Cauthron, CAM Bulldog Builders & Contractors LLC Brad Scardino 8538 Bissell Road Manvel, TX 77578 832-920-4454 Roofing Contractors, Remodeling & Repair-Building Contractors Fetch Package Henry Talamantes 2275 Vantage Dallas, TX 75207 915-227-5600 Package Management

Redwood Capital Group Melanie G. Aaron 1 E. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60601 312-995-7326 Edgewater Apartments

ALL SUPPLIER MEMBERS are listed online at haabuyersguide.com, searchable by product/service category or company name. www.haaonline.org

Harris County Writ Towing & Storage John McCullough 10326 W Montgomery Road Houston, TX 77088 713-222-2277 Towing Service, Wrecker Service Insperity Clint Floyd 3 Waterway Square Place The Woodlands, TX 77380 936-900-3443 Human Resource Consultants, Payroll Services Referred by Terri Clifton K-Simon Construction Harley MacDonald 935 N. Wilcrest #2032 Houston, TX 77079 210-328-2412 Construction Mgmt-Consultants, Roofing Consultants, Roofing Contractors, Roofing Materials Matrix Construction Services Eric Crosland 8300 W. Little York Road Houston, TX 77040 469-240-2330 General Contractors, Plumbing Contractors Media Madnez Rodney Rodriguez 330 Rayford Road #108 Spring, TX 77386 281-224-7805 Computer Networking, Home Theater Systems MI Windows and Doors Spencer Sleight 19410 Dolan Springs Drive Tomball, TX 77377 713-670-6818 Doors & Door Products, WindowReplacement & Repair

Penco Access Control Steve Garcia 4043 Hollister Road Houston, TX 77080 281-888-1056 Carports, Electrical Gates & Doors, Fences, Gates & Gate-Operating Devices, General Contractors, Painting Contractors, Stone Granite/Natural, Tile Installation Phoenix Recovery Group Paul Kerkez 1045 Cheever Blvd. #204 San Antonio, TX 78217 210-822-8272 Collection Agencies, Credit Reporting Agencies Referred by Tina Cavaco Portfolio Resident Services Elvira Moreno 3701 Kirby Drive #360 Houston, TX 77098 713-808-1988 Community Services, Educational Consultants Red Dog Dumpsters Tim Whyte 1220 Lumpkin Road Houston, TX 77043 832-781-3300 Dumpster Service, Waste Reduction/Disposal/Recycling Revenue Edge Stacy Westbay 6119 Greenville Ave. #163 Dallas, TX 75206 214-446-6781 Management Consultants, Real Estate Management Texas Steam - Laars Heating Systems Aaron Biles 2302 S. Battleground Road La Porte, TX 77571 713-464-9055 Boilers - Distribution & Mfg, Boilers - Repairing & Cleaning, Pump Supplies, Water Heaters & Boilers Turn2 Solutions LLC Chad Hargrave 17426 Rainer Valley Lane Humble, TX 77346 281-570-7611 Make Ready, Turnkey-Complete Referred by Jeff Blevins, CAS USI Southwest Jim Braniff III 9811 Katy Freeway #500 Houston, TX 77024 713-490-4547 Insurance, Insurance Consultants I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was surprised that they nominated me!” he said, laughing. “ I’ve been with this business for 15 years. I never expect anything. For me, if I get my job done or get it right, I’m satisfied with that. I don’t need recognition. As long as my resident and my management and the owner are happy, I’m happy. It was a good experience, though, feeling that way. I didn’t know that someone was watching!”

August 2018

ABODE

I wasn’t surprised said, laugh business f anything. or get it ri don’t nee resident a owner are good expe way. I did watching!

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I w surprised that they nominated said, laughing. “ I’ve been with business for 15 years. I never ex anything. For me, if I get my jo or get it right, I’m satisfied with don’t need recognition. As long resident and my management a owner are happy, I’m happy. It good experience, though, feelin way. I didn’t know that someon watching!”

ambassadors pg 68.qxp_Layout 1 7/19/18 3:36 PM Page 1

The Ambassador ONE Society HAA’s WELCOMING COMMITTEE

JOIN THE NETWORK

Get involved and help the Ambassadors with member outreach and community support. 2

Mark your calendars and join us! Ambassador ONE Society meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month: August 1 • September 5 • October 3 • November 7

Ambassador ONE Society members with at least 10 points, ranked by points earned: Arely Pena April Shane Diamela Bravo Jennifer Devine Chelsea Quinteros Angie Lavrack Jennifer Ramos Angel Lopez Liz Levins Marivel Bownds Dylan Coleman Marcy Holmes Debra Knight Lisa Bradley Rhonda Fowles Mikka Hoppe Blake Subinsky Marcus Wheatfall Michael Edwards Shera Lehman Will McGinnis Ryan Weis Tracey Leach-Moore Zamara Nitcholas

The Liberty Group Presto-X Green City Security Valet Living Gail Construction The Liberty Group Outdoor Elements Metropolitan Staffing Solutions Rasa Floors Valet Living Camp Construction Services Designs by Holmes Interior Design Valet Living Brand Junkie AdvantaClean Metropolitan Staffing Solutions HD Supply Triple Seal Insulation Ideal Towing Texscape Incite Energy LLC Crestmark Construction Services Flooring Warehouse Greenlogic Lighting & Electric

50 43 43 42 29 29 26 25 25 24 21 18 16 16 16 13 13 11 11 11 11 10 10 10

Ambassadors earn points by sharing leads, making introductions and visiting communities to promote HAA events and news.

THE AMBASSADOR ONE SOCIETY is an organized network exchange that helps supplier partners build their business contacts within HAA. It’s the perfect way for new suppliers to get started with the association. Group members share leads, make introductions and support HAA and its members. For details, attend an orientation and one of the meetings listed here, or contact Amanda in the Membership Department at 713-595-0316, or email asherbondy@haaonline.org. 68

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prop news pg 70,71.qxp_Layout 1 7/19/18 3:37 PM Page 1

Portfolio Changes The following owner/management companies have added the listed properties to their portfolios: • Arnold Grounds Property Management: Emerald Bay Apartments, 248 units at 6767 Bennington St. • Asset Plus Corp.: Whispering Oaks Apartments, 140 units at 1200 N. Loop 336 W. in Conroe. • Avesta: Palazzo at Cypresswood Apartments, 363 units at 13801 Napoli Drive. • Barge Properties Management Co. Ltd.: Crescent Wood Apartments, 216 units at 100 Lakeview Lane in Clute. • Bo Management: Tara Oaks Apartments, 126 units at 3800 Sherwood Lane. • CBMJ Investments & Development LLC: 417 W. Main, 12 units at 417 W. Main St.; 2301 Commonwealth, 24 units at 2301 Commonwealth; 239 Emerson, 28 units at 239 Emerson; 1507 California, 18 units at 1507 California; 306 Stratford Apartments, 15 units at 306 Stratford; 606 Harold Apartments, 14 units at 606 Harold. • CKR Property Management LLC: Angleton Townhomes, 6 units at 200-210 E. Ash and Banyan Bay Apartments, 58 units at 5601 Highway 517 in East Dickinson. • CRES Management: Discovery at Mandolin Apartments, 260 units at 19401 Tomball Parkway. • FDI Management Group LLC: Los Jardines Apartments, 35 units at 3511 Eastex Freeway #36 and The Columns On 59 Apartments, 104 units at 2828 Collingsworth St. • Greystar: Breakers at Windmill Lakes Apartments, 174 units at 9750 Windwater Drive; LakeVue Apartments, 360 units at 200 E. Brazoswood

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August 2018

Drive in Clute; Villas at Bunker Hill Apartments, 398 units at 9757 Pine Lake Drive; Domain Memorial, 313 units at 14800 Memorial Drive; Landings of Conroe, 200 units at 1840 Longmire Road in Conroe. • Grove Texas Capital LLC: The Grove at Pinemont, 412 units at 7200 Pinemont Drive and Enchanted Fountains Apartments, 94 units at 6909 Renwick Drive. • HavenRock Investments: Minden Square Apartments, 50 units at 5441 Minden St. • In the Loop Management: 3611 Murworth, 20 units at 3611 Murworth Drive. • J Allen Management Co. Inc.: Norma’s Plaza Apartments, 80 units at 7526 Martin Luther King Blvd. • Kaplan Management Co. Inc.: Willowbrook Point Apartments, 151 units at 14150 Tomball Parkway and Crosswinds Apartments, 240 units at 14810 Crosswinds Drive. • Karya Property Management: Barcelona Apartments, 127 units at 6434 Ella Lee Lane. • The Lynd Company: Southfork Lake, 328 units at 3333 Southfork Parkway in Manvel. • Kairoi Residential: Sandpiper Apartments, 286 units at 10402 Sandpiper Drive and Vista Arbor Square Apartments, 320 units at 10301 Sandpiper Drive. • Madera Residential Ltd.: The Par at Spring Creek Apartments, 252 units at 29807 Tomball Parkway in Tomball. • MORGAN: Ravella at Eastpoint Apartments, 283 units at 7447 Eastpoint Blvd. in Baytown.

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prop news pg 70,71.qxp_Layout 1 7/19/18 3:37 PM Page 2

• Portico Property Management: The Augusta Apartments, 212 units at 12655 Kuykendahl Road. • Q10 Property Advisors: The Iverness Gardens Apartments, 32 units at 1300 E. James in Baytown; The Iverness Baytown Apartments, 66 units at 907 N. Pruett St. in Baytown; Sherwood Glen Apartments, 56 units at 3805 Sherwood Lane. • Redwood Capital Group: Edgewater Apartments, 228 units at 514 That Way St. in Lake Jackson. • Relik Realty: La Plaza Apartments, 138 units at 1350 Witte Road. • Roscoe Properties: Timber Run Apartments, 120 units at 13000 Woodforest Blvd.; The Crossings at Sun Meadow Apartments, 180 units at 1744 Jenkins Road in Pasadena; The Crossings at Burke Regency Apartments, 190 units at 3602 Burke Road in Pasadena; Plantation Park Apartments, 238 units at 100 Cactus St., in Lake Jackson; The Remington Apartments, 146 units at 1010 Magnolia St. in Freeport; San Cierra Apartments, 362 units at 15500 Cutten Road. • Silver Star Equity Management LLC: Whispering Pines Apartments, 44 units at 205 N. Columbia Drive in West Columbia. • T&N Enterprises GP LLC: Villa Ana Apartments, 176 units at 10101 W. Sam Houston Parkway South and Madison Apartments, 118 units at 9701 Forum Park Drive. • TAZRock Asset Management LLC: Dover Place Apartments, 32 units at 4137 Dover St. • Tu Properties Investment Inc.: Aftonshire Apartments, 12 units at 4735 and 4737 Aftonshire.

In the News HAA is excited to announce the newest addition to its membership department, Kaylon Nichols, membership and marketing manager. Nichols

Morgan White and Kristin Griffin are now with Conservice Energy, a branch of Conservice, The Utility Experts. Lawn & Landscape Magazine and Landscape Management Magazine, two of the landscape industry’s most recognized publications, both named Yellowstone Landscape as one of the top landscape companies in the country. White

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expo comm appreciation pg 72.qxp_Layout 1 7/19/18 3:38 PM Page 1

On the Scene with the HAA Expo Committee

Expo Committee Appreciation Party Friday, June 22 at Haroldâ€™s Restaurant in the Heights The 2018 HAA Education Conference & Expo Exhibitor Chair Jacob Kunath and the top producing members of the committee enjoyed an afternoon of fine food in appreciation of their hard work. Congratulations to our top producers: Rookie of the Year Blaise Spitaleri, 1 Best Team LEVEL UP led by team captain Laura Lestus, 2 1st Place Top Producer Angie Lavrack, 2nd place Top Producer Peggy Charles and 3rd Place Top Producer Carina Bryars.

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Honors, continued from Page 61 tools to do my job well, I will be a much more confident and effective team member for Veritas. I believe this is true for everyone and I want to empower the rest of my team by giving them as much exposure to the wealth of knowledge supplied by HAA as possible. Veritas truly believes in investing in its team members and backs up that claim by being so heavily involved. HAA’s wide range of events and education classes make it easy for us to provide that for our people.

““Be okay with asking for help.” I’ve always thought that if I asked for help I would look like I couldn’t handle things on my own, but I’m learning that no one has all of the answers to everything. Asking others for help has shown me that other people will often have a very simple solution to what seemed like a really complicated situation.” – Brityn Maddox

You have contributed largely to Veritas’ culture by coordinating many team building events. Why is it important to create a strong company culture built on team building? Spending time participating in team building activities with your co-workers plays a huge part in creating the family atmosphere that Veritas maintains. It creates trust and friendships and that establishes an environment where we all want to see one another and the company as a whole succeed. Did you ever receive advice in the beginning of your career that has stayed with you to this day? “Be okay with asking for help.” I’ve always thought that if I asked for help I would look like I couldn’t handle things on my own, but I’m learning that no one has all of the answers to everything. Asking others for help has shown me that other people will often have a very simple solution to what seemed like a really complicated situation. www.haaonline.org

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ad index pg 74.qxp_Ad Index pg 74 7/19/18 3:39 PM Page 1

Index of Advertisers By CATEGORY

A/C Supplies

Landscape Contractors

Trash Hauling

Century A/C Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 281-530-2859 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.centuryac.com

Outdoor Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 713-955-0990 . . . . . .www.outdoorelementstx.com

Waste Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 713-354-5230 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.thinkgreen.com

Texscape Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 281-846-3779 . . . . . . . . . .www.texscapeservices.com

Carpet Installation Dixie Carpet Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 281-261-6334 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.dixiecarpet.com

Laundry Equipment & Supplies

HAA Products & Services Rental Credit Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 713-595-0300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.haaonline.org/rcr

Scott Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 713-686-7268 . . . . . . . . .www.scott-equipment.com

Collection Agencies Alexander-Rose Associates Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 713-644-4441 . . . . . . . . . . .www.alexanderrose-inc.com

Locks & Locksmiths CKI Wholesale Lock Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 713-462-0704 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ckilock.com

Countertops Impact Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 800-951-9462 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.impactfloors.com

HAA reserves the right to reject any advertising if its content is inappropriate or inconsistent with HAA’s standards for publication or HAA’s business interests, in HAA’s sole opinion.

Maintenance Supplies Maintenance Supply Headquarters . . . . . . . . . .49 281-530-6300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.supplyhq.com

Electric Contractors Affordable Quality Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 713-695-5992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.acuityelectric.com Brandt Electrical A/C & Heating Services . . . .25 281-693-3383 . . . . . . . . . . .www.brandtelectrical.com

Movers Ameritex Movers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 713-484-MOVE . . . . . . . . . .www.stressfreemove.com

Paving Contractors General Contractors Camp Construction Services . . . . . . . .Back Cover 713-413-2267 . . . . . . . .www.campconstruction.com Cotton Commercial USA Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 877-511-2962 . . . . . . . . . . .www.cottoncompanies.com Crestmark Construction Services . . . . . . . . . . . .55 713-426-6161 . . . . . . . . . . .www.crestmarkservices.com

Pavement Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 281-758-8434 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.nopothole.com

Plumbing Contractors AAA Plumbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 713-462-4753 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.aaaplumbers.com

FSI Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 832-767-1115 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.fsiconstruction.com

Resident Screening Service

Gambit Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 832-987-4242 . . . . .www.gambitconstruction.com

CoreLogic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover 888-297-8821 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.corelogic.com

Gemstar Construction & Development . . . . . . .15 281-821-1195 . . . . . .www.gemstarconstruction.com Guardian Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 832-672-4196 . . . . . . . . . . . .www.guardianconst.com

Resurfacing Perfect Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 713-952-0202 . . . . . . . .www.perfectsurfaceinc.com

MultiFamily Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 713-266-9100 RK Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 281-370-0012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rkbuilderstx.com RENCON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover 713-666-3636 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rencon.com

Screens Ameristar Screen and Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 713-683-6767 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ameristarglass.com

Security Control Equipment/Systems Glass – Plate, Window, Etc. Ameristar Screen and Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 713-683-6767 . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ameristarglass.com

SentriForce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 888-671-2202 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.sentriforce.com

Swimming Pool Service Insurance Harco Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 713-681-2500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.harco-ins.com

Poolsure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 800-858-POOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.poolsure.com

www.haaonline.org/rcr

Want to see current and previous issues of ABODE online? Go to http://issuu.com/haa_abode. Or view this issue on your computer, iPad or smartphone at http://issuu.com/haa_abode/docs/abode_aug2018.

ABODE

August 2018

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Marketline pg 75.qxp_Layout 1 7/19/18 3:39 PM Page 1

MarketLine By BRUCE MCCLENNY, President, ApartmentData.com

HOUSTON

115.0 –

Snapshot 89.9% $1,031/mo. 116.9¢/sq.ft./mo. 882 sq.ft.

Past 12 Months: 5.2% rental rate growth 11,913 units absorbed

•

• • • • • • • • • •

•

– 90.0

– 89.0 100.0 – – 88.0

•

Recently Opened (12 months): 47 communities 11,063 units

110.0 –

• • •

Under Construction: 36 communities 9,686 units

– 87.0 May 18

Jun 18

Apr 18

Mar 18

Jan 18

Feb 18

Dec 17

Nov 17

Oct 17

Sep 17

Aug 17

Jul 17

Jun 17

May 17

Apr 17

Mar 17

Jan 17

Feb 17

Dec 16

Nov 16

Oct 16

Sep 16

Aug 16

Jul 16

90.0 –

Proposed Construction: 63 communities 17,958 units

Occupancy (%)

Operating Supply: 2,746 communities 643,906 units

Rental Rate (¢/sq.ft./mo.)

Occupancy: Price: Rental Rate: Size:

• • • • • • • • •

History of Effective Rental Rate & Occupancy for All Units

Hottest Submarkets Over the Past Three Months

Concessions

Annualized % of Market Rank Submarket Absorbed 1 Woodlands/Conroe South 15.9% 2 Tomball/Spring 6.2% 3 Heights/Washington Ave 5.5% 4 Conroe North/Montgomery 4.8% 5 Greenspoint/Northborough/Aldine 7.9%

Rental Rate Growth % 1.7% 2.4% 2.0% 2.8% 1.5%

Total Units Class w/Concessions All 242,257 A 73,591 B 83,747 C 72,297 D 12,622

% of Total Units 38% 50% 34% 36% 26%

Average Special -2.7% -4.6% -1.7% -1.7% -1.7%

Citywide Effect -6.6% -8.7% -4.9% -5.0% -6.6%

One Month Free = -8.33%

THE FIRST TABLE ABOVE GIVES A SNAPSHOT of the current market conditions. The graph displays the overall occupancy and effective rental rates over the past 24 months. These statistics are derived from a continuous survey of all apartment communities in the Houston region. The effective rental rates are the calculated net of concessions and utility adjustments. The second table lists the five hottest submarkets in the Greater Houston area. There are a total of 42 submarkets, and the ranking is based on the best combination of rental rate growth and absorption over the past three months. The third table distributes and analyzes concessions (specials) by classification. Concessions generally are represented by three types of specials: move-in, months free or floor plans. The effect of these specials is captured and prorated over a lease term to arrive at a percentage reduction in market or street rents.

TEXAS

Dallas/Ft. Worth

San Antonio

Austin

Occupancy: Price: Rental Rate: Size:

92.0% $1,105/mo. 126.6¢/sq.ft./mo. 873 sq.ft.

90.0% $934/mo. 109.9¢/sq.ft./mo. 850 sq.ft.

91.0% $1,224/mo. 140.2¢/sq.ft./mo. 873 sq.ft.

Past 12 Months: 1.8% rental rate growth 18,321 units absorbed

Past 12 Months: 1.6% rental rate growth 5,689 units absorbed

Past 12 Months: 0.1% rental rate growth 8,873 units absorbed

Operating Supply: 3,016 communities 703,476 units

Operating Supply: 888 communities 187,595 units

Operating Supply: 951 communities 220,724 units

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ApartmentData.com has been providing apartment data and marketing products since 1986. ApartmentData.com provides real-time access for property specific information, market surveys and historic submarket data for more than 3 million apartment units in Texas, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina and Tennessee. For more information, contact Bruce McClenny at 800-595-8730. © 2018 ApartmentData.com August 2018

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HAA Blood Drive benefits the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Thank you to Theresa Tollett Lamar, Maintenance Supply HQ; Shannon Russell, Ferguson Facility Supply; Shelby Jurca; Mike Koch, Camp Construction Services; Stephanie Reeves Krop, PoolSure; Kemely Montero, Atlantic Housing Management; Jessica Wheeler, Murphyâ€™s Corporate Housing; April Glorioso, Greystar; Ed Kampf, Hygienitech Solutions; and Amber Tyler and Diana Yan for donating blood during the HAA June Blood Drive.

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