Pests such as rats, bedbugs and roaches are a common fear among apartment dwellers, but the truth is that they can be a bigger nightmare for the property management team. Pest management is an essential part of taking care of a living, breathing investment property, and sometimes it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the […]

Pinterest is a new but RAPIDLY growing social network which can be a powerful tool for the promotion of a property management business and/or apartment building. The website was imagined as a place where users would communicate by creating picture boards and adding pictures (called “pins”) to the boards for the entire world to see.  […]

It is always a pleasure to receive a letter from departing residents that recognizes and compliments the hard work of one of our onsite residence managers.  Fantastic job, Julie – we appreciate all that you do!  -Trevor —Begin Letter— I’m writing this letter in appreciation for Julie. We have lived in our apartment here in […]

The Los Angeles Times recently posted an article about a California landlord who imposed a blanket ban on smoking in all 2000 of their apartment units (13 buildings in total).  The ban extends to all common areas as well, requiring tenants to  smoke across the street if they need to light up.  The full article […]

Here at Property Management 2.0, we are always providing our perspective on property management; apartment leasing, apartment marketing, etc.  This week we thought it would be interesting to hear from a writer who is not directly related to the investment property industry and find out his take on what he looks for in a management […]

Please welcome once again First Light Property Management’s resident Green Expert as she solves the mystery of the “Blue Star” and what it means to the Green Movement.  Class is now in session…  _Trevor   For those relatively new to the “Green” movement and interested in learning more about what can be done to conserve […]

This week, Property Management 2.0 would like to welcome Guest Blogger Rhoda Hu – First Light’s very own Director of Business Development and resident “Green Expert”! A Few Simple Ways to Go Green at Your Home or Apartment   For every plastic bag that we refuse to use, for every aluminum can that toss in […]

This past year was very strong for the apartment industry here in California as well as for most other parts of the U.S.   Our company’s portfolio of apartments, HOA’s and single-family-homes saw an increase in average rent; increase in occupancy levels; and a fair amount of new acquisitions.  Will 2012 continue to lead owners, investors […]

**UPDATE: I have added names and links to the specific California landlord laws discussed below**  With every New Year comes a new set of laws and regulations for landlords and property managers.  Below is a short list of what we consider to be some of the most important statutes that will affect the multifamily industry […]

If you have ever been in a pre-1940s New York City apartment building, you may have noticed the mind boggling array of pipes leading every which way possible.  The pipes shoot through corridors, up stairwells, down walls, ride on top of other pipes – all with seemingly no logic at all.  So what happens when […]