Property Management Blog

Not just one year but how about ten? Yes, it’s the dawn of a new decade and so much has happened over the course of this last decade. Do you even recall what was going on in the world and in your life in 2010? Did you know the first ipad was launched that year?

Back in 2010, our office was on 3^rd Street in Neptune Beach. Kalen started working for the company that year. Mike got married. 

Over the last decade we had the ice bucket challenge, legalization of same sex marriage, a total solar eclipse, 2 high exposure royal weddings, the #metoo movement,  a huge election cycle…it was exhausting.

Over the course of our past decade, we moved (twice!) merged once and split off once, celebrated a 10 year anniversary for the company, had many different team additions and got very tuned in to the legislative landscape for our industry.

This past decade has taken our industry in directions most of us would not have predicted back in 2010.

We expect the next decade to do the same but we have some ideas as to what to expect….come back here next month to see what we predict for 2020 and beyond!

Cheers to 2020! Happy New Year!

As we enter the last week before Christmas, we’ve been sharing some of our family traditions and favorite Christmas memories with each other. We thought they were worth sharing and might spark a conversation at your holiday table about your favorite memories and traditions surrounding the holidays……

• “We always set out cookies and milk on Christmas eve and in early morning we would get up and wake up our parents to see what Santa brought and then we began opening presents while eating our Moms traditional Christmas egg casserole.”
• “My favorite memory is going to my grandma’s house really early in the morning to help her cook breakfast (and start dinner). We would have breakfast then open gifts and then spend the rest of the day cooking for the family dinner.”
• “My Mom & I have an ad hoc tradition of traveling together before Christmas and taking high tea, depending on where we are. She lived in Scotland for a time so she loves this, especially at holiday time!”
• “My favorite memory has to do with a trick my Grandmother played on me one year.  I was a notorious snoop and also loved black olives (like selfishly so) so she wrapped a can of olives in the most gorgeous package under the tree and it drove me nuts for days anticipating what was in it. Imagine my reaction when I finally opened it—the entire family enjoyed a big laugh from that!”
• “My Dad raised me single handedly. Once I became an independent adult it was just the two of us so we went to great lengths to be sure to be together for Christmas. My favorite tradition was the two of us going to see a movie together on Christmas day. The last movie we saw together before he passed away was The Blind Side and it was the perfect conclusion to our tradition.”

We hope this holiday season is abundant with special memories for you and yours…..

The Team at FPM Properties

So it’s a little mortifying to admit that in years past, yes, this writer did participate in Giving Tuesday; however, I was far more caught up in the Black Friday and Cyber Monday that preceded it.

Happily, this year turned out to be different. True: most of the holiday shopping was completed by Black Friday this year so no pressure, no stress….and therein lies the gift this Giving Tuesday.

Having planned and shopped strategically all year long, this year delivered a freedom to really reflect on the causes I wanted to support and the comfort that I was prepared and empowered to do so.

Obviously, these are not huge endowments—just small donations to a handful of causes I care about (and can afford).  This “current situation” has afforded me the opportunity to really experience and appreciate what this season is meant to be about…and reclaim that which I had emotionally, shall we say, “misplaced” in years past. 

So #GivingTuesday has given me a gift as well. It doesn’t matter how much or how many donations you make—just one well-placed gesture (and perhaps the reflection that comes with it) can make all the difference for your cause… and for you.

It’s less than two weeks away—and the frenzy is on the horizon! Just earlier this week it was “singles” day which will then be followed by Black Friday and Cyber Monday and then the race through the entire holiday season. 

It’s supposed to be a joyful time (and for many of us it is) but it can be mired in all of the insanity of holiday shopping, traffic, scrambling for the best deals and so on.  It can become a stressful time.

We know—we experience it like everyone else. This year we say consider taking a “breather”-literally.

The weather is cooling down and this is typically the time when it gets really lovely to be in Florida—the days are cooler and the sky is crisp and crystal clear! Step outside and just take it all in for a few minutes each day and really savor it. Definitely forget about the news!

Lastly, whether you are traveling this Thanksgiving holiday or hosting, find below some tips to reduce your stress in advance so you can plan to be really present on that special day and with those people special to you!

https://www.southernliving.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-prep-tips-fridge-clean-out?did=454777-20191107&utm_campaign=sl-whats-cooking_newsletter&utm_source=southernliving.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=110719&cid=454777&mid=26246662836

https://www.southernliving.com/food/holidays-occasions/make-ahead-thanksgiving-recipes?did=454777-20191107&utm_campaign=sl-whats-cooking_newsletter&utm_source=southernliving.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=110719&cid=454777&mid=26246662836

https://www.thezoereport.com/p/how-to-deal-with-flight-anxiety-this-holiday-season-according-to-experts-19293231?utm_content=secondary&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11/5%20TZR:%20The%20Nail%20Polish%20Everyone%20Is%20Wearing%20This%20Month:%20Winter%20Box%20of%20Style&utm_term=thezoereport-engaged%20only

Every year around this time (Thanksgiving especially) we tend to turn our thoughts to what we’re grateful for. It’s an appropriate exercise, no question.  As we rush through our day to day lives, we so often take so much for granted, despite knowing better. 

This year in particular, from a property management perspective, we are most grateful for a relatively quiet storm season.  There were certainly close calls (one a little too close) but overall we have immense gratitude to have been spared.

It reminds us to think of the Bahamas and the devastation they went through only months ago. After all the frenzy dies down, we tend to forget; again, not because we don’t care but because it fades from memory in the day to day rush that living in 2019 is.

As you reflect on all that you are grateful for, please include some reflection for them. If you tend to evaluate charitable endeavors at this time, we submit that researching how you can still or continue to help may be a suitable way to honor our good fortune.

We found an interesting (and most recent we could locate) article on the circumstances today you can read below……

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/10/15/770107636/after-dorians-wrath-little-miracles-amid-a-painful-recovery

Yes, it has officially taken hold of Jacksonville. Yes, they lost this past Sunday in a heartbreaker.

As we write this we’re preparing to depart to the NARPM National Conference and don’t know what the outcome will be when the Jags face off against the Saints (at home) on the 13^th….we hope it’s a win.

What we do know is if Gardner Minshew is playing, it will be exciting and we have a chance to win. The prospect of going into each game with a mindset that we can win each one is, well, foreign to us. It’s just been a long, long time since we’ve had reason to feel optimistic about our chances…maybe even a little confident.  

Clearly, we’re not sportswriters—just enthusiasts. What we’re postulating here is summed up perfectly in this article (see link below). We are just relishing taking a time out from “property talk” and pondering all that this refreshing quarterback and season holds for us!

https://www.bigcatcountry.com/2019/10/7/20903210/gardner-minshew-always-gives-you-a-chance-to-win

We’ve never (pretty sure) written about sports here before. It’s almost always industry related or a topic particularly compelling for our owners or residents but right now we just have to give in………. 

Jags win, on the road, in a stunner! We have a 6th round draft, backup quarterback (you know who he is) SPARKING this team and we are HERE for it!  

It’s been awhile since it’s been this fun/crazy/ exciting to watch our Jags and we just have to take a moment and revel in it! Minshew Mania is definitely taking hold…. keep watching folks; it is certain to stay interesting. 

Oh and one more fun note—he was coached by our Broker’s favorite college football coach so there’s that!  

Everyone agrees…. 

https://slate.com/culture/2019/09/gardner-minshew-jacksonville-jaguars-denver-broncos.html

After an exhausting nearly 2 weeks of tracking and enduring the approach of Dorian, we feel we can speak for all of not only north Florida but probably the entire state when we say “dodged a bullet”.

The devastation in the Bahamas should give us all serious pause as it’s hard to imagine any amount of preparation could really do justice to that onslaught.

We are beyond grateful that our area was spared and that we had very little concerning news to deliver to our owners and our residents emerged virtually unscathed. 

Having said all that, Humberto quickly formed behind Dorian and thankfully is headed out to sea; however, this is what hurricane season is all about. It’s not over until November 1 and we’ve got weeks to go. We cannot let our guard down as in recent years these 2 months have proven to be just as fearsome as the 3 that preceded them. 

One last comment: if you were ever on the fence before, hopefully now you are planning your insurance for next season, well ahead of the curve.

It’s Friday before Labor Day weekend and we’ve already been following storm Dorian since late Monday when indications became clear we needed to. As of this writing, it’s not expected to arrive in our area until next Wednesday now. It’s a slow moving storm which, as reported by local news and the weather channel, gives it additional time over warm waters to gather strength. This also increases the amount of storm surge and rainfall it can dump in the area as it passes through.

This, our friends, is the very definition of storm fatigue—the waiting, the watching, the ever changing forecasts and ultimately an outcome over which we have no control other than our own actions and preparation. If you’ve never lived in Florida during hurricane season it’s hard to accurately describe the extreme trepidation and anxiety that accompanies this situation….for days. Add to that the depleted resources (gas lines at 2 a.m., no water to be found anywhere, etc.) and you start to get the picture.

So, we’re doing the only thing we can: staying calm and preparing. Gathering the supplies we can (and taking our pets into account) and making sure we know our flood zone and evacuation routes. Making sure we’ve downloaded apps, gathered critical contacts & information and charged up our devices & back up. Watching the news for updates so we know when & how to act if necessary.  This really is about preparation and the right expectations post storm. There may be flooding. There may be power outages. There may be fallen trees.  Our City of Jacksonville and our utility (JEA) seem to be well prepared as well. Now, we watch and wait. We persevere; we always have. #DTWD

Speaking of updating property, we know everyone knows about the importance of “curb appeal”.

The exterior is the first impression of the property and this counts as much with rental property as a property on the market for sale.

This does not require a massive landscaping overhaul (though the more you can do the better!) but 3 small, simple steps could make a huge difference and not cost a small fortune!

• Pressure wash the exterior—it’s almost like repainting the exterior (assuming your exterior paint is in good shape).
• Paint the front door: especially if it’s weather worn and/or a tired color. A punch of contrasting color can really make the whole property “pop”.
• A little fresh mulch goes a long way….a maybe a little shrub and tree trimming/shaping.

A little loving care on the outside and they’re likely to want to come inside!

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/real-estate/2018/04/13/selling-your-home-these-7-renovations-offer-the-best-bang-for-your-buck/33667689/