News

6 Million Sq Ft Property Management Take Over

6 Million Sq Ft Property Management Take Over

Posted on 19. Oct, 2010 by .

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Unico Properties of Seattle, WA will now manage the real estate previously held by ScanlanKemperBard. SKB is known as one of the largest real estate investment companies in Portland, OR and contacted Unico several months ago to look into its “operational efficiency” said John Lamb, the CFO and senior VP of Property Management at Unico.

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Dog Dropping Date In Court for Naperville Renter

Dog Dropping Date In Court for Naperville Renter

Posted on 07. Oct, 2010 by .

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Susan Miller, a Naperville tax accountant, became a little bit famous after she lost her patience after stepping (shoeless!) in dog feces from her neighbor’s dog. She was so angry she used her neighbor’s deck to wipe her foot.

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Buy Low, Rent High! Landlords Doing Well In College Towns

Buy Low, Rent High! Landlords Doing Well In College Towns

Posted on 04. Oct, 2010 by .

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The recession has been hard on the majority of the real-estate industry, all except for college town landlords. During the economic crisis more people have been going back to school in the aftermath of job losses – this has led to an increased demand for student housing.

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Commercial Property Owners Default on Loans

Commercial Property Owners Default on Loans

Posted on 30. Sep, 2010 by .

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Is it okay to walk away from a mortgage when the property value plummets? Corporate executives are making the tough decision. We saw this happen in the residential real estate market when property managers who were home owners were forced to hand over their assets when they got behind on their bank loans.

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Meet Fannie & Freddie – Your Reluctant Realtors

Meet Fannie & Freddie – Your Reluctant Realtors

Posted on 21. Sep, 2010 by .

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Only 2 years after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken over by the federal government, they are quickly becoming two of the country’s top home sellers – a challenging place to be in today’s tough housing market.

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NAA Survey: 6 Best States for Renters

NAA Survey: 6 Best States for Renters

Posted on 13. Sep, 2010 by .

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In a 2010 survey, the National Apartment Association found that 76% of consumers think that renting a home is better than owning one. The main reason (cited by 64%) is that they don’t have to be responsible for expensive repairs.

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Sky Scraper To Rival Empire State Building

Sky Scraper To Rival Empire State Building

Posted on 02. Sep, 2010 by .

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This Wednesday, the City Council approves the construction project to build a tower 1,200 feet high in New York City. With the support of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, development company Vornado Realty Trust is moving forward with the plans to construct a high-rise building at 15 Penn Plaza.

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New York’s Bedbug Disclosure Act

New York’s Bedbug Disclosure Act

Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by .

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In New York Gov. Paterson just signed into law the Bedbug Disclosure Act which requires landlords to tell prospective residents if there is a one-year history of bedbugs – now renters have the right to know about past bedbug infestations.

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Battle Over Smoking In Condos

Battle Over Smoking In Condos

Posted on 26. Aug, 2010 by .

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A hot topic is coming to head in Florida (keep reading….it’s a very clever pun!). Condominium owners are debating the right to smoke vs. the neighbor’s right to breathe fresh air.

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The Downturn’s Upside: Low Income Housing

The Downturn’s Upside: Low Income Housing

Posted on 06. Aug, 2010 by .

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In Seattle’s U District, there were plans to build a boutique hotel but with the economic downturn those plans were scrapped. Instead, the Low Income Housing Institute swooped in to purchase the project and create affordable housing.

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Bedbugs, Coming To A City Near You

Bedbugs, Coming To A City Near You

Posted on 05. Aug, 2010 by .

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The largest bedbug survey ever conducted suggests that bedbugs have become more prevalent throughout the country, not just New York City.

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New York City Short-Term Apartment Rental Ban Approved

New York City Short-Term Apartment Rental Ban Approved

Posted on 04. Aug, 2010 by .

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The New York legislature passed a bill in early July that eliminates New York City apartment rentals that are less than 30 days. Many thought Gov. Paterson would veto this bill given his comments leading up to his decision.

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Indoor Garage in SoHo Turned Into Luxury Apartments

Indoor Garage in SoHo Turned Into Luxury Apartments

Posted on 29. Jul, 2010 by .

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$6500 for a 1-bedroom apartment in what used to be an indoor parking garage! The apartments do sound amazing – much larger than the traditional NYC apartment and many have terraces, large glass windows and 10-foot ceilings.

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Real Estate Brokers Turn to Managing Properties

Real Estate Brokers Turn to Managing Properties

Posted on 27. Jul, 2010 by .

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The real estate market, as everyone knows, has been on the decline for years. The real estate industry is looking into other niches to make up for lost revenue; one of these niches is residential property management.

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Property Manager Fined $85K for Breaking Lead Paint Law

Property Manager Fined $85K for Breaking Lead Paint Law

Posted on 22. Jul, 2010 by .

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Boston landlord, John C. Jones, is being fined almost $85,000 for failure to properly disclose the presence of lead paint to his tenants.

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Housing Activity Lowest Since World War II

Housing Activity Lowest Since World War II

Posted on 21. Jul, 2010 by .

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Today we read some depressing news about housing activity on the WSJ.com blog – the “lowest level of housing activity since World War II.”

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Oregon Carbon Monoxide Legislation

Oregon Carbon Monoxide Legislation

Posted on 20. Jul, 2010 by .

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Oregon’s Lofgren and Zander Memorial Act (House Bill 3450) went into effect Thursday, July 1. The new law requires Oregon properties to install carbon monoxide detectors if the property is sold or rented after July 1, 2010.

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