SFAA Trophy Award Nominations Due October 12
Rental housing professionals only have until October 12 to submit nominations for the SFAA’s first-ever awards event: the SFAA Trophy Awards. The formal dinner event will be held at the Palace Hotel on November 29, 2007. “We’ve been talking about having an event like this for so long,” says SFAA Executive Director Janan New. “We thought our ninetieth anniversary was the perfect opportunity.” Categories include: Best Independent Owner, Best Resident Manager, Best Property Management Firm, Building of the Year, Best Green Building and Best Residential Amenities. “It’s really about honoring our industry,” New adds. For more information and the nomination form, turn to page 73. Tickets for the event are on sale now. Contact SFAA Education and Events Director Vanessa Khaleel at vanessa@sfaa.org or 415-255-2288.
SFAA is proud that NorthStar Risk Management and Insurance Service Inc. will be the co-sponsor for the Trophy Awards. NorthStar will be the only co-sponsor, but other sponsorship levels are still available. “Lombard”-level sponsorships are available for $500 and include a listing in the program directory, recognition in this magazine, event signage and two complementary tickets to the award ceremony. “Coit Tower” sponsorship is $1,500 and includes four tickets, a half-page ad in the directory and the same event signage and recognition in the magazine as the Lombard sponsorship. For $5,000–“Golden Gate” sponsorship–you are entitled to a full-page ad in the directory, a table at the event, major signage and recognition in the magazine and at www.sfaa.org.
Thank You Trade Show Sponsors
SFAA would like to give a big “thank you” to our 2007 Tropical Blast Trade Show sponsors. This year’s trade show was better than ever, with hundreds of members attending the free educational classes and visiting dozens of apartment industry vendor booths.
It could never have happened without trade show Big Kahuna sponsors Golden Gate Disposal; Verterex Investments; Citibank Commercial Real Estate Group; Wasserman-Stern; West Coast Property Management & Maintenance; Law Offices of Saul M. Ferster; Ingrid Marlow at Washington Mutual Bank; Jeff Mishkin at Marcus & Millichap; and Innovative Windows Inc., as well as Aloha sponsors Arroyo & Coates; Burr, Pilger & Mayer LLP; Great Escapes Fire Escape Service Inc.; O’Grady Law Group, APC; Credit Bureau Associates; Matlin & Associates; Cal Insurance & Associates Inc.; Pacific West Financial Group and J. Wavro Associates. Thanks again to everyone who made this year’s trade show such a success!
DBI Summit on October 11 & 12
Navigating the waters when applying for permits and inspections can be a confusing and complex process. With this in mind, San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection will hold its Second Annual “Meet the DBI Pros Summit” on Thursday and Friday, October 11 and 12, 2007, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on both days at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St. between Polk and Larkin streets.
Free public workshops will be offered on home and commercial permits, landlord and tenant responsibilities, seismic safety, condo conversions, disability access, green building and more. DBI professionals will be on hand to answer questions on a broad range of building code and permit issues.
At the Vendor and Information Gallery, organizations are invited to staff a booth where attendees at the summit can learn about professional services. Space is limited, and provided on a first-come, first-served basis. For details and reservations, contact DBI Communications Manager William Strawn at william.strawn@sfgov.org.
Be Aware of Possible Student Scam
As the school year gets underway, CAA affiliates in Southern California are reporting an uptick in scams related to housing near college campuses. Scam artists are responding to ads posted on housing websites, claiming to be international students looking for housing. These “students” send counterfeit checks and money orders for their deposits and first month’s rent. The money orders are always too much, so landlords are cashing the money orders and then wiring the extra money back to the supposed renters. By the time the bank tells the landlords that the checks are worthless, it’s too late.
This scam has been occurring nationwide, but appears to be especially prevalent in areas that house students and owners who are used to high turnover and little involvement before move-in day. Authorities caution all owners who are sent a check or money order and are asked to send some money back, especially if the “renter” is from overseas, that they are likely being subjected to a scam.
Affordable Housing Fund Proposed
San Francisco Supervisors Tom Ammiano and Chris Daly have proposed the creation of a $100 million affordable housing fund. They filed the proposal just in time for the measure to make the February 2008 ballot, assuming it qualifies by the Board of Supervisors. The fund, as envisioned by Ammiano and Daly, would establish base funding at $66.9 million. The remainder of the fund would come from property taxes. The fund would go toward several causes: creating and maintaining housing for low-income people, rental assistance for low-income people with HIV, tenant and homeowner assistance programs and public housing repairs.
Report Shows Planning Gridlock
A recently released report from Mayor Gavin Newsom’s SF Stat project shows massive delays at the Planning Department, even for 2-3-unit projects. The report shows that in the last six months of 2006, it took about nine months for a construction project to even be assigned to a planner. It took more than 500 days for initial environmental studies to be concluded, and that’s all before the lengthy public hearing process can begin. Even if projects are exempt from environmental review, the report shows that it takes about six months to complete the filing of certificates confirming that exemption.
S.F. Lacking in Affordable Homes
San Francisco’s strong inclusionary housing laws don’t seem to have done much to actually create affordable housing, according to a new report from the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California. The report shows that from 1999 to 2006, the city created about 91 inclusionary units per year, for a grand total of 634. That number is a pittance compared to the affordable units in other California cities; San Diego averaged 183 affordable units annually, and Sacramento managed 251 affordable units annually.
Officials from the Mayor’s Office of Housing said that those numbers are misleading however, because they only include units created through the inclusionary program. But the city also invests in affordable housing outside of that program. Even within the program, they say, the numbers are looking up. In all of 2006, 155 units were permitted and 309 are expected to be approved by the end of 2007.
CCRM for Fall
This fall’s California Certified Residential Manager courses start October 3, 2007, and will be held on Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Fort Mason. If you are a SFAA member, the entire nine-course series is $680; spots for nonmembers are $810.
To find out more about CCRM, email SFAA Education and Events Director Vanessa Khaleel at vanessa@sfaa.org or call her at 415-255-2288.