Archive for March, 2018
“Discover How You Can Save Money With the New Workers Comp Program”!
Posted on 26. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
Introducing, the new workers compensation program exclusively for AOA Members “The goal was to create a workers compensation program that delivers the most competitive rates while upholding the best safety, loss control and claims handling practices the industry has to offer. We believe we have achieved just that.” – Anthony Miller, CEO of GS Insurance […]
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Is Your Living Trust Obsolete With the New 2018 Tax Laws? – by Attorney Michael K. Elson
Posted on 03. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
Most living trusts created prior to 2009 contain a mandatory requirement to divide the trust into two or more sub-trusts upon the death of a spouse. These trusts were commonly utilized to reduce or eliminate estate taxes, by taking advantage of the estate tax exemption. This is the value of assets which can pass to […]
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ADA Parking Space Common Mistakes – What is Wrong with This Picture? – by Anthony C. Guichard
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has a variety of requirements that apply to parking lots. Every day I come across parking lots that do not fully meet the ADA’s Federal and State standards and leave the property owner at risk of an ADA lawsuit. In California, all businesses, apartment buildings, shopping centers or buildings […]
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Something to Think About #66: Uncle Sally’s Nephew, Part 29 – by Klarise Yahya
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
If you’ve missed some of the prior articles, basic guidelines on successful investing are in my book “Stairway to Wealth” available at LuLu.com. Continued from Part 28: This is not a difficult scenario to imagine. We’ve just passed through a period when interest rates were artificially maintained at, someone wrote, “the lowest in 5,000 years”. […]
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Letter Sent to the Mayor on the Trash Monopoly
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
January 12, 2018 Mayor Eric Garcetti City Hall 200 N. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Mayor Garcetti: Enclosed is the January issue of the Apartment Owners Association News. Over 100,000 copies are mailed out each month to housing providers and other businesses. As you can see by the cover, this new trash contract has […]
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Legal Q & A – by Dennis Block, Attorney
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
Question One: I had a tenant sign a one-year lease which will expire on Feb. 28, 2018. On Dec. 15, 2017, he served me with a 30 day notice that he would be vacating as of Jan. 15, 2018. I have since leased the unit, effective Feb. 1, 2018. Is my original tenant liable for […]
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Legal Q & A – by Richard Beckman, Attorney
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
Question 1: An existing tenant had a dish antenna installed several years ago on the roof. The building’s roof will soon be replaced (repaired) which will require the antenna’s removal. Who is responsible for the cost to re-install (re-calibration fee) the antenna?
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Letters to the Editor
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
Dear Dan: We are so pleased to be members of AOA – attending seminars, going to the Convention Center in Long Beach and utilizing the web site. This morning, for the first time, (I am pretty old-school!), I used the online forms to give a 60-day notice for a rent increase. Thank you! It was […]
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Legal Q & A – Section 8 Housing – by Franco Simone, Esq.
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
Q: I am a landlord of an apartment complex. I have several tenants that receive government assistance through Section 8 housing. All of my Section 8 contracts state the landlord is responsible for paying the water bill. However, I have one tenant that always has a really high water bill. He agreed to a rent […]
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Evicting Grandma – by Zachary Lawrence JD
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
There are situations in life when a landlord is presented with a problem to solve and the choices for solving the problem are all lousy. A Florida woman was arrested just days before her 94th birthday, when she refused to leave her home after being evicted, police said. As of this writing, the woman remains held […]
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7 Simple Steps to Real Estate Investing – by William Bronchick
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
Whether you are BRAND NEW to real estate investing or an expert in the game, it is critical that you understand these 7 Simple Steps to real estate investing. First Things First Real Estate is NOT a get rich quick scheme. However, if you learn the foundations and put them into practice, you will make […]
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Your Privilege Not to Testify – by Dale Alberstone, Esq.
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
Hello everybody. From what I have observed over the decades, most apartment owners are law abiding investors who endeavor to conduct their business ethically and with integrity. Indeed, they have too much to lose to intentionally violate the myriad of federal, state and local laws that apply to residential income property. However, occasionally some transgressions […]
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Aiming for Zero Waste: A Property Owner’s Guide to Reducing Landfilling – by Paul Giusti
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
San Francisco has among the nation’s highest per capita recycling and composting rates. Zero waste is the City’s ultimate goal. Recology and customers like you are working hard to make that goal a reality by ensuring that discarded materials of all types end up in the right place. Educating the public about “what goes where,” […]
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California – a State of Unintended Consequences – by Jon Coupal, President of Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
California is notorious for enacting laws that result in outcomes precisely opposite of what the law was designed to address. Think of trying to cure obesity by prescribing donuts. Let’s start with high-speed rail (HSR). One of the “problems” HSR is supposed to address is climate change. The theory is that the rail project will […]
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What Property Perk Does Every Renter Look For? – by Rachel Jefferson
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
Have you ever been in a grocery store at a sporting event and there was zero cell service? That feeling you get when you are separated from your friends and family and can’t send them a text or check on a major developing news story? It’s frustrating and sometimes scary, right? Now imagine you are […]
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Repositioning Apartments: A Wealth-Building Strategy to be Proud Of – (Part 2 of 4) – by Terry Moore CCIM
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
There are many ways to build legacy wealth. Wise investors select the strategy which best fits their personality, capacity, and goals. The four-part series describes proven legacy wealth strategies. This article is about repositioning. In my first piece, I covered rehabilitation. The next articles will cover owning classic properties, and maintaining capital with low-risk and […]
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Why Rent Control Raises Housing Costs – by Charles Hughes
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
Rent control policies have come back in vogue for some cities grappling with higher housing rents and people worried they will not be able to live in growing, prospering cities. Perhaps no city in the country encapsulates the concerns about housing affordability and availability more clearly than San Francisco, where the median rent for a […]
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Local Housing Authorities (Section 8) Changing to Meet Landlord Needs – by Kristin Maithonis
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
The Housing Choice Voucher Program (commonly called Section 8) provides rental subsidies to low-income tenants to rent from private landlords. This program, established in the 1970s, currently provides assistance to 2.1 million tenants. Key to the program’s success is the participation of rental property owners and managers, who often have a choice of whether to […]
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Will Our Strong Economy Spike Inflation in 2018? – by Gary D. Halbert
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
As you know, a lot of predictions are made this time of year – about the economy, the markets, interest rates, inflation, etc. Some forecasters are predicting that 2018 will finally be the year when inflation takes off and returns to higher levels. However, some of these same prognosticators have been saying the same thing […]
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Balancing the Needs of Multifamily Owners and Residents – by Don Stock
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
When you’re a third-party manager of an apartment community, you have two groups of customers: the owner of the property and the residents. At first glance, it may seem as though balancing the needs of these two groups would be difficult. After all, their objectives are quite different: the owner wants to see consistent revenue […]
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Trash Hauling Needs Overhauling!
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
The below letters were written and sent by Attorney Michael Millman. To: David Zahniser Los Angeles Times Dear Sir: Thank you for your excellent article. The Department of Sanitation has no protocol, procedure or arrangement for a condominium owner, apartment owner or others to challenge or otherwise contest the rates that appear on their bill; […]
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Why in the World Do Trash Companies Get a Better Deal Than Landlords? – by John Landsberger
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
I wrote the following to the councilman from District 3, but the points made are relevant to all districts throughout the city. Athens and Republic have sent letters to me regarding an increase in rates starting January 2018 despite me just starting service. I also recently spoke to Waste Management (the L.A. manager) and […]
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Insights for Property Managers Heading into 2018 by the Editors of the Rental Housing Journal
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
There were nine insights for property managers heading in 2018 that were shared in a recent webinar featuring a survey of 1,200 property managers across the country. Buildium.com did the survey along with the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM), in August and September of this year to provide property managers ideas around strategy […]
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Apartment Owner Loses $3.5 Million in Bedbug Lawsuit! – by Patricia A. Harris
Posted on 01. Mar, 2018 by AOA Editor.
Following a lawsuit where a family had won $546,000 from a Rancho Cucamonga hotel, in December of last year, one of Los Angeles’ largest apartment complexes in the Miracle Mile was ordered to pay 16 of their tenants a total of $3.5 million dollars! The tenants, most of who since moved out of the building, […]