Let’s start in the garden. We know that light from LEDs grows plants quicker and healthier than other methods, including natural sunlight. Sunlight contains the full spectrum of colors, giving plants the information needed to grow. Tinkering with this spectrum, which LED lights allow with precision, elicits known and specific responses. Increase the amount of […]
Health is a hot topic these days. From insurance to lifestyle to diet, it’s anyone’s guess as to the best path to a long and healthy life. Still, what if health had just as much to do with where you spend your days as it does with your behavior?
Even though time spent outdoors has […]
Utility expense management for multifamily operators is about managing the balance between recovering resident utility costs and the regulatory requirements (including consumer protection provisions) that exist in different jurisdictions. Utility billing service providers endeavor to mitigate risk while maximizing recovery. Here are some of the considerations we face in today’s legal and regulatory environments and […]
Mary Nitschke, director of ancillary services for Prometheus Real Estate Group in San Mateo, California, is a regular case study presenter at the Energy Summit in Washington, D.C. each year. With 13,000 units and another 2,600 in the pipeline, her company is the largest privately owned developer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Being a […]
Lower interest rates and larger loans are fueling energy conservation inside multifamily housing operations across the country, bolstering the bottom line of owners and the wallets of residents.
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) offer multiple loan discounts that recognize apartment properties that use less energy. Apartment buildings with energy-saving […]
In September, Fannie Mae published new changes to their Green Financing program that further entice borrowers to utilize their green lending products. Fannie Mae has committed to paying for the ASHRAE Level II study required as part of the energy and water efficiency analysis for loans made through their green initiative. As mentioned on the […]
Always busy and focused on your operation, you may not have time to stay on top of updates in the apartment market when it comes to supply, demand, rents and occupancy. So how is the industry fairing overall? During a recent live webcast, MPF Research, the market intelligence division of rental housing technology firm RealPage, […]
In a recent webcast, Doug Bibby, president of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), headquartered in Washington, D.C., joined Jay Parsons and Greg Willett of MPF Research to talk about issues of interest to the multifamily industry.
In discussing the on-going shortage of income-restricted/designated-affordable housing, Bibby emphasized the importance of the Low Income Housing Tax […]
Over 80 percent of California apartment residents don’t directly pay for the water they consume in their home. Without an idea of how much water they use, it’s impossible for residents to have any real understanding of how to best scale back consumption. That, however, is about to change.
As legislators and supporters see it, […]
Protecting and improving the Low Income Housing Tax Credit is critical to the future of affordable housing.
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) remains the most important resource for producing affordable housing in the U.S. Created by the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the LIHTC program, which is administered through state and local allocating agencies, […]