Category: Property Management Nashville

Are You Unhappy With Your Community Management Company?

Working and living with a management company is a complex matter. It can bring peace of mind because you can forget about complex administrative duties. However, it can also cause more stress than it should.

The main reason why the latter is a common occurrence is improper practices. A bad management firm will create more problems than it solves. Thankfully, you’re not alone, and there are a few things you can do to solve that.

What are the most common complaints about community management companies?

There are many articles going through the staple complaints people have toward their management company. A simple Google search yields several results, but some are definitely more common than others.

If you’re unhappy with your association, chances are it’s because one or more of these reasons. If that’s the case, then we have good news for you; they’re easier to solve than you might think.

Lack of communications

The most common complaint people have from their management company is that they feel like they don’t care about them. That’s easy when the company doesn’t respond to inquiries and requests in a timely manner.

Delays in problem resolution

Property management is complicated, as you need to keep many variables and services in mind. Bad tactics result in problems going unresolved and homeowners feeling neglected. Most commonly these problems are quick to fix, but inefficiency prevents that.

Lack of respect toward homeowners

Dealing with a community is difficult, and management companies can deplete their patience quickly. The result is that they tend to treat everyone rudely, even those who didn’t present any issues before.

Maintenance inefficiency

Maintenance problems are the easiest way to make an unhappy community. Not only does it feel like neglect, but it also makes the entire residence look deteriorated. Even smaller problems add up quickly.

Bad vendor selection

Finally, not hiring the right vendors breeds a plethora of other issues. Poor results and sketchy staff makes the board lose the community’s trust, so having a good contacts database is vital.

What can you do about it?

We’ve helped several clients resolve their issues with their management company. Most of these cases came from the same roots: choosing the wrong company and a lack of communication.

The latter is easily the most important, as it can also exacerbate other problems unnecessarily. Therefore, we have three tips from our own experience for how you can rid yourself of that stress.

Screen your management company

Make sure you ask for previous references and evaluate the company in the areas that you care about the most. That’s the first step to guarantee community satisfaction from your management company.

Communicate with everyone

Any good company has the right communications channels set up. Going for a firm with plenty of options to get in touch with them should be a priority if you want to avoid issues.

Set clear rules

Make sure everyone knows what they’re supposed to do, both the company and homeowners. Transparency and compliance helps in keeping everyone happy.

How To Proceed With Caution: Reopening Community Amenities

States are starting to lower lockdowns and social distancing regulations. That’s mostly good news, but it’s bred new concerns regarding how to reopen installations for property management. Many firms are starting to provide insight into how to do so.

Community amenities are one of the most common issues brought up in these tips. They’re some of the most important spaces in building management. However, they also enable crowding and security concerns.

Proper communication is vital

The most important first step when planning a reopening approach is to communicate with everyone. That includes your property management staff as well as residents within the residence.

Therefore, make sure you share every strategy with everyone. Luckily, modern property management software enables messaging and notifications. You should leverage these features as much as you can.

Report your plans

You want everyone to stay on top of every information available. You want to share schedules, renovations, and plans. Doing so helps the entire process to run smoothly without compromising your community’s safety and comfort.

The most important reason behind this need is to avoid disruptions. You don’t want people to crowd as soon as your community amenities reopen. Remember that easing restrictions doesn’t mean the pandemic is over. You still want everyone to remain healthy.

Strategies for reopening amenity spaces

The National Apartment Association has an outstanding article about reopening public spaces. They provide vital guidance and recommendations for building management to streamline the entire operation.

Now, the article also touches on office spaces, but community amenities are our main focus. Property management is responsible for ensuring security while residents start to go back to their daily lives.

Clubhouses

You need to clean your clubhouses if they’ve been unoccupied for more than a week. Thankfully, the virus hasn’t been proven to survive for more than seven days.

However, you should still limit crowding in these areas. Make sure you don’t allow for enough people to compromise proper distancing during events.

Fitness centers

Your fitness center can actually benefit your community’s overall health. When reopening, you want to focus on cardio areas, which help cope with the virus’ symptoms.

The most important method to reopen gyms and similar installations is to set strict schedules. You want to make sure people can exercise without crowding.

Swimming pools

There’s no evidence suggesting that COVID-19 can spread through water. Proper maintenance also helps to inhibit the virus’ transmission in these areas.

However, you still want to avoid people crowding in pools. Like gyms, pools can benefit residents’ health, but schedules and social distancing must be implemented.

Outdoor spaces

Outdoor areas are some of the least problematic amenities for building management. They’re already excellent to avoid crowding, but proper maintenance is still required.

Pay closer attention to installations prone to crowding. Those include playgrounds and courts.

Laundry rooms

Finally, laundromats are vital for homeowners to keep their hygiene, but they’re prone to overcrowding.

Guarantee proper maintenance and disinfection before and after their reopening. Create strict schedules to limit how many people use the space as well.

The Top 5 Restaurants in Nashville

Now that lockdowns are loosening up, most of you are probably excited to go out. Undoubtedly, many will want to head out to grab a bite after months of cooking yourself or asking for delivery.

Well, that’s why we’re looking at 5 of the best restaurants you can visit right now in Nashville. You might want to grab a bite or find great examples of property management in Nashville. We have you covered.

The Mockingbird

The Mockingbird is an American food restaurant in The Gulch. It’s easily one of the most interesting options in Nashville thanks to its floor geometry and its entire design. If you don’t feel like redecorating after visiting it, you might need help.

Its personality is also incredibly charming. With dish names like Don’t Worry, Brie Happy, you’ll have a great time at this restaurant. Its ingredient combinations are also quite unique. It’s quite difficult to pick a wrong dish.

Loveless Cafe

If you’re in the mood for a nostalgia trip, the Loveless Cafe in Bellevue is for you. It’s been around since 1951, and the homely feel has remained intact throughout the years.

They’re famous for their amazing biscuits, with thousands of sales every day. However, their other dishes, like their chicken and ham, are amazing options if you have a big appetite. Just make sure to try their biscuits if you haven’t.

Mas Tacos Por Favor

This Mexican restaurant in East Nashville is a charming option. If you have cash on hand, Mas Tacos Por Favor offers some of the best tacos you’ll ever try.

All their dishes are amazing, so don’t worry about picking specific food. If you’re exploring this side of town, Mas Tacos Por Favor is a great stop.

Otaku Ramen

Otaku Ramen, in The Gulch, is the first ramen-only restaurant in Nashville. Since its aperture in 2016, it became famous as the go-to if you want some good ramen.

You can find traditional dishes, like mazerman and chicken ramen. However, they also have great Southern-oriented dishes, like Tennessee Tonkotsu. If you’re thirsty, you can also visit the bar in the back.

Puckett’s

Finally, Puckett is the best choice for people who want to see some live music while enjoying their meal. It’s in Downtown Nashville, and it serves some of the best BBQ and burgers you’ll find.

It actually started being a grocery store with an added stage. However, it quickly turned into a popular venue for live music every night. It’s definitely a masterclass in property management in Nashville.

Affordable Housing in Nashville

Affordable housing is among real estate’s most demanded markets. It provides a lifesaving solution to many people. Amid COVID-19, affordable housing saw one of the largest increases in demand as well.

However, it’s a common headache for property management in Nashville—and everywhere else. It’s still a solid business investment for any company, but that’s not the problem. It requires managers to track multiple variables, factors, and compliances.

What does affordable housing mean for management companies? What can you do to make your life easier? That’s today’s topic.

What does affordable housing mean for property management?

In essence, affordable housing is a program aiming to provide low-income populations with a place to live. While it’s often seen as part of Section 8 clauses, they’re not the same. In essence, affordable housing is a tax incentive for real estate firms.

It strives to motivate cheaper rental prices that people with lower salaries can afford. Property management in this sector isn’t too different to other markets, but you need to keep several issues in mind.

Certification

You can’t give a property tour and have residents move in the next day. You must be sure that your applicant is a low-income resident. Therefore, you have to request their employer’s payment information, lack of child support, and more.

Re-certification

The same certification process will repeat itself after your initial lease completes. You’ll have to go through the same steps to assess whether or not your tenant still qualifies for affordable housing. Make sure to start at least three months and study self-certification possibilities.

Compliance

It’s vital to comply with every rule within your program. Failing to do so yields costly consequences to the tax credit holder. Keep in mind that too many mistakes can result in the government revoking your credit claim.

Insight for affordable housing management

NeighborWorks America published a detailed research paper on affordable housing. We highly recommend you to read it if you’re interested in the implications behind the program. However, it’s an extensive document that goes through several topics not related to our focus.

The most curious section for our current concerns is the implications they point out for property management. Of course, you need to research and educate yourself on all the nuances we mentioned already, but these three tips can make a huge difference for your company.

Communicating with nonprofits

Engage with nonprofits you work with during annual budgeting. You want to assess their goals and the criteria they care about for the property’s long-term success. Therefore, you can focus on the most important issues for owners.

Remembering it’s still a business

Property management in Nashville should still care about operating budgets and the property’s returns. Economic inviability nullifies any contributions your company can make to a community, especially when the necessary resources can’t be allocated due to budget constraints.

Proper staffing

Finally, make sure you work with high-quality personnel. That’s one of the main challenges because of how it’s difficult to offer competitive salaries when working with affordable housing. Therefore, invest in constant training and create reward programs for employees.