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 […]
The future of utility management remains optimistic. While slowing from its original pace, the rental housing market continues to grow steadily nationwide with growth coast-to-coast. A little more than a third of the U.S. population now lives in rental housing making conservation efforts and regulatory issues more prevalent to owners and operators. Leveraging an ever-changing […]
California Senate Bill 7
California Legislative Session, Senate Bill 7 (“SB 7”) passed the Senate and Assembly and is in effect as of January 1, 2018. The Governor signed the bill into law prior to the end of September, 2016. The new law creates a mandate for the installation of meters (by the owner […]
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 […]
Budgeting is hard work
There have been many years in my apartment-industry career where budget season has dragged out for month after month, pushing all other duties to the side to satisfy an all-consuming need to continue to review and refine the budget. There are so many moving pieces that drive utility costs: unusual […]
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, […]
