American Apartment Owners Association's (aaoa) Blog

The Internet has become the most trusted and effective method for renters to find information on rental properties.  With nearly 70% of U.S. households using the internet and leading managers reporting over 50% of their lead and lease activity coming from online sources, it is essential for any m...

Are You Sitting on $90? Coinstar, a national coin counting and vending equipment supplier, is challenging individuals to become greener by reusing change. Its Change for our EarthTM program encourages this new form of recycling, educating consumers on the environmental benefits of putting coin ba...

When listing a property on an Internet Listing Service, there are several ways to maximize the attractiveness of the listing. Customer research (from the Compete study as well as internal MyNewSite data and user surveys), indicates that the following items are the most important to a renter:  Cli...

Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the nation are gearing up for a busy week of home building, from May 31 - June 7. Habitat's focus is on building, but due to the recent foreclosure crisis, some Habitat affiliates are beginning to offer financial education and training classes for their clie...

"Expect to pay somewhere between $100 to $200 per unit to submeter utilities," advises Bill Doyle of Midway Services, a national submetering installation and service provider.  "On average, that will pay for itself in eight to twelve  months of costs savings over the standard allocation methods. ...

We wish. These days it is not "the murmuring pines and the hemlocks" that are indistinct, it's the stars. Our skies are too bright at night. But the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) is here to help us do something about our light- polluted skies. IDA's mission is " to preserve and protect...

Durable recycled glass countertops are sustainable, environmentally friendly, and they are dazzling. Two companies that are producing these countertops are Vetrazzo and IceStone, and both have informational websites. Cement, additives and pigments are combined with recycled glass to create a wide...

Sometimes it's hard to stand out, and not follow the crowd. That's never more true than with writing ad copy. Somehow all rental ads morph into one another in an alphabetized symphony of sameness. To make matters worse, it's also hard to overcome the temptation to use the same rental ad again and...

If you are like most landlords, you know that the soda machine in the leasing office creates the easiest money you make.  What may be surprising is how many different types of machines are available for revenue sharing. From popcorn to pinball, each machine you add increases the easy money.Vendin...

Each week we offer a trivia challenge for our members.  This week's challenge has to do with real estate and green building, and takes us to...well, you'll just have to figure that out if you want to win!  Take a minute to give it a try.  Maybe you'll win $25. Please read the game rules before yo...