Peter Bubel+ by | Jul 2, 2018 | Blog, Peter Bubel, Property, Property Management
Landlords and their subordinate property managers are typically viewed as important figures in the lives of renters. After all, they can evict tenants at their will, be accommodating or not-so-accommodating of renters’ needs, and engage in other potentially life-changing behaviors.
As such, communication between renters and property managers is essential for solid relationships to form. Considering that property managers often have hundreds of units to oversee, property managers are more often than not likely to be distant to renters, rather than the contrary.
Understanding how the average renter prefers to communicate is essential to hitting it off with tenants.
Recent statistics show that the United States was home to some 126 million households in 2017.
According to the always-reputable Pew Research Center, the proportion of renters to homeowners in the United States is more in favor of renters than ever before, with statistics from 2016 indicating that roughly 43 percent of those 126-odd-million households rented their places of living, rather than outright owning it or paying a mortgage against its ownership.
Further, adults between the ages of 18 and 35 were found to rent more frequently than any other age group.
Why does this last statistic matter?
Common knowledge and research alike indicate that younger populations are more likely to use technology than their older counterparts. The aforementioned Pew Research Center found that, in 2012, 97 percent of people aged 18 to 29 in the United States used the World Wide Web, with the next three age groups – 30 to 49, 50 to 64, and 64 onwards – using the Internet less than younger people.
Since property managers inherently oversee rental properties as a part of regular work, combined with the fact that younger generations rent more frequently than older age groups and are also more likely to show affinity towards the World Wide Web, communicating with renters through technological means is unarguably well worth the effort.
What can property managers do to best communicate with tenants?
Using automated marketing software is essential to keeping in touch with renters. Considering that most renters, by a large margin, use the Internet, it only makes sense to take advantage of such technology.
Promoting a true open-door policy is also essential to good tenant relationships. Property managers should consider hosting digital comment boxes that renters can anonymously provide feedback through.
Peter Bubel+ by | Jun 22, 2018 | Pennsylvania, Peter Bubel, Travel
From its history of independence in Philadelphia, production of chocolate in Hershey, and its mix of coal country and agriculture, Pennsylvania boasts a landscape rich in diversity. With an abundance of unique towns and histories to explore, Pennsylvania offers prime destinations for travelers of all kinds. For those who want to explore the beauty of Pennsylvania without getting caught in crowds of vacation-goers, here’s a list of four of some of the best hidden travel spots to visit in Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens
Less than a 15-mile drive from the bustling center of downtown Pittsburgh, PA., the Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens offer a luscious retreat from industrial life. The woodlands span 60-acres and offer three miles of green, serene trails for exploration. Speckled with huts, cabins, and chickens, the property also includes an award-winning Lotus Pond. Aside from trail, the Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens also offers tours of the land, as well hosts special events, including yoga or botanist walks and talks.
Eckley Miners’ Village
Situated in the northeastern coal fields of Pennsylvania, Eckley Miners’ Village is a town frozen in time. Though its inhabitants have since left, the patch town remains a standing museum of coal mining during the early nineteenth century. Featuring buildings such as the Immaculate Conception Church, 1861, the Slate Picker’s House, 1854, and a 1968 reconstruction of Eckley’s company store, Eckley’s Miners’ Village offers an educational glimpse into the past of anthracite coal mining and patch towns that fueled the economy.
Wolf Sanctuary of PA
Located in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, the Wolf Sanctuary of PA is a nonprofit organization nestled on over 80-acres of property and home to wolves without natural homes. For over thirty years, the sanctuary has become a haven for wolves and wolf dogs, and a place of education for visitors seeking to encounter the animals up close and learn more about their lifestyle and preservation. In addition to public and private tours of the packs, the Wolf Sanctuary of PA hosts Full Moon Tours, which feature live entertainment, bonfires, and more in-depth guides.
Raymondskill Falls
Nestled between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the Delaware Water Gap offers more than 60,000-acres of lush mountains, hiking trails, and ravines. The Raymondskill Creek Trail is found at the northernmost part of the park and leads to Raymondskill Falls, which is the tallest waterfall in Pennsylvania. Though the trail is short, it offers two viewing decks of the waterfall that is only a few feet shy of matching the length of Niagara Falls.
With such diverse landscapes and histories, there’s a vacation spot for everyone in Pennsylvania.
Peter Bubel+ by | Jun 3, 2018 | Blog, Pennsylvania, Peter Bubel, Reading
A role in leadership can appear daunting. However, a skilled leader knows how to navigate the pitfalls and stay the course with the best strategy. Individuals bring different strengths to a team. A good leader knows how to coax team members into collaboration rather than competition. A capable leader unites the team around a shared vision or goal.
Leadership skills are useful in all walks of life. Some leaders are high up on the corporate ladder, leading teams of world-wide game-changers. Others are leading a team for an assigned group project. And still others are leading the family team. These principals work in different types of settings with different types of teams.
Cast vision. While each team’s situation will be slightly different, chances are there is an end goal in mind, a final outcome that will signify completion and success or failure of the project. An experienced leader directs the team and facilitates forward momentum. A singular sense of purpose emerges as people get on the same page.
Seek input. As cohesiveness grows, collaboration increases. Team members begin to cooperate with each other. Creativity flows freely. People open up and share their ideas. They learn to trust that another team member’s idea might be better than their own. An experienced leader takes part in the collaborative process and makes room for different points of view. He or she maximizes this time as an opportunity to keep the team on task, and yet make adjustment based on input from the team.
Transfer ownership. Gradually, and almost imperceivably, the team takes ownership of the project. They develop laser sharp focus and a drive to achieve the goal. Leaders know when to let go of the reigns to allow the team to run. Leading a team is like a dance requiring a balance of supervision and control with plenty of freedom for the team members to perform at their best.
A seasoned leader is able to rally a group of Individuals with unique personalities and experiences around a common goal. That same leader knows how to connect people in a joint effort, utilizing the strengths of each member and considering different plausible team suggestions. Leadership necessitates allowing the team members to shine; after all, they are the reflection of a truly great leader.
Peter Bubel+ by | May 22, 2018 | Pennsylvania, Peter Bubel, Property, Property Management
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that America is home to roughly 317,000 property managers, workers that maintain regular operation of houses, apartment complexes, commercial facilities, and other buildings.
Leasing to just one bad tenant can effectively pile on countless thousands of dollars in necessary repairs and hundreds of hours of labor. Since property managers ultimately make such calls, risk is inherent in the day-to-day undertakings of people in such positions.
Natural disasters can wreak havoc on structures and land they sit on, mid-level to major crimes can generate negative publicity for properties, and tenants that disturb neighbors can encourage them to seek housing elsewhere. That’s not to mention countless other manifestations of risk that property managers must be ready to deal with in their lines of work.
While risk can never be eliminated, there are several precautions that can be taken to minimize risk.
Insurance is arguably more important than any other risk mitigation strategy
Statistics indicate that just four in ten apartment lessees in the United States hold active insurance policies that protect against emergency, theft, and other unforeseen happenings that often cause financial damage.
As such, property managers can never reasonably assume that their tenants have active insurance coverage taken care of.
Insurance is available for virtually every asset, occupation, and situation, including the ownership or management of real estate. Every property manager should maintain active insurance coverage that covers literally everything bad that could happen to properties, tenants, and guests. Further, a solid means of making sure all of the proverbial bases of properties under management are covered is requiring new tenants to provide proof of renter’s insurance prior to allowing them to sign leases.
Residents should be made fully aware of facility-wide plans of staying safe during emergencies
Active shooter threats, hurricanes, sinkholes, and earthquakes are four examples of emergencies that unfortunately rear their ugly head far too often across planet Earth. Rather than assuming they won’t happen, or that tenants and their guests will act in the best interest of their safety, property managers should make certainthat tenants are fully aware of facility-wide plans of action if any of the aforementioned emergencies occur.
Peter Bubel+ by | Dec 20, 2017 | Blog, Peter Bubel, Property Management
When people decide to leave their nine to five job and pursue a business of their own, they often don’t think about how the decision can affect their life for the better. While profits is the key reason why people choose to own a business, entrepreneurship can change your life in more ways than one:
Travel More
Entrepreneurs travel a lot. They’re on the road, handing out business cards, giving talks, attending seminars, meeting with investors, and so forth. And while being on the road can be exhausting, it can definitely be life-changing. Situations like getting lost in a new neighborhood, finding a car to rent, and encountering difficult people will force you to become more independent and resourceful.
Become More Responsible
Entrepreneurship teaches people on how to take responsibility when things go wrong. People love the idea of owning and managing their own business but only when the business is succeeding. When the business takes a turn for the worse, they blame other people and even economic conditions. When you start your own company, you have all the power. Whatever you say, goes, which means a bad product launch or poor customer service arose from a bad decision you made in the past.
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Peter Bubel+ by | Dec 5, 2017 | Blog, Peter Bubel, Uncategorized
Reading over hundreds of resumes and selecting the best ones is not only a time-consuming task but is also a significant part of building a successful company. It may seem daunting, but there are ways to make this important, yet tedious task, a little less stressful.
When staring at an overwhelmingly large stack of resumes and cover letters, the first place to start is a simple scanning process. Take a quick look at each resume and cover letter for specific things that give a “green light” or “red light” for that particular candidate. Those that have green light material go in the “maybe” pile for further examination and those with red light material go in the “nope” pile.
When doing a quick resume scan, look for these signs:
- Relevant Keywords: If you only look for one thing while doing your scan process, let it be this. Think about keywords that are often used within your company or industry before beginning your overlook. Search for those words that best fit the job title with more importance placed on the most recent positions.
- Lack of Professionalism: A resume is a candidate’s first impression on a potential employer. If their resume is not carefully crafted, and (practically) flawless, it says a lot about who that employee will be over the long term. If they can’t take the time to create an honest, upbeat and professional resume, they most likely won’t take that time with their work either.
- Readability: From first glance, the resume should be inviting and attractive. Words should be clear and easy to read, and the organization of the information should allow for an easy read.
Once you have done a quick scan and narrowed that vast pile down, it is time to begin a more thorough examination of each candidate’s qualities and experience. While there are many factors that come into play for each individual, there are a few essential items that point to a great potential employee.
Succinct Content
It is vital for a candidate to be able to communicate their expertise without using too much industry terminology or jargon. The ability to convey their message while also simplifying it in a way that can be understood by those outside of the industry is a useful tool when working with clients and business partners; it can also be a great skill to have when training new employees or working on a team. The content should also contain no spelling or grammar mistakes. If the resume looks like it hasn’t been reread or edited, it would be easy to assume that their work would also go unchecked.
Longevity
When assessing each candidate’s experience, take a moment to look at the date span of each position. Shorter time-spans between jobs could suggest that the employee might not be interested in a long-term commitment to building a company. Longer time-spans may indicate that an individual is involved in advancing skills and sticking with a company as it grows.
Tailored Messaging
If there is a signal that an applicant should immediately be put in the interview process, it is tailored messaging. If the resume and cover letter seem to have had phrases copy and pasted in, it may imply that the applicant is sending out the same resume to multiple companies. Instead, look for resumes that seem to have been crafted specifically for the job title and description that was posted.
Resumes are a great way to get an idea of who is a good possible fit and who may not be. However, resumes can only share so much about a candidate. If you are unsure about a resume and cover letter, a quick phone interview could give you an idea of what to do next.
