X Marks The Spot and Other Property Upgrades

Have you seen the large orange X's on the sidewalks around the property? No, we're not leading the way to buried treasure (yes, people have asked us that!)...we're marking the sidewalks that need replaced! We are currently working on bids and they will be replaced or repaired very soon.

We have other exciting updates that we are working on to make The Crossings the best place to live. We are possibly getting brand new pool furniture and we are very excited about it! They are so beautiful and they will look so good by our pool.

The parking lot will be re-sealed and re-striped in July.  

We have been approved to build 100 carports, but the exact details as of when and where they will be has not been worked out yet. Stay tuned! We know you guys are very anxious for them!

The buildings have been pressure washed to get them cleaned and looking good for the summer. This also means that it's time to spray for bugs/spiders! Senske will be here next Wednesday, May 9th, to spray around our buildings.

Our sprinkler system is needing some extra love getting up and going this year. Please be careful of any extended sprinkler heads and report any broken ones to the office so we can replace them as soon as possible. We like our grass and plants green!

Keep checking back for more updates. We are excited to upgrade our community and keep The Crossings at Chapel Hill the best place to live! If you ever have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! You can write them here in the comment area, on our Facebook (search Crossings Crew), on Twitter (@crossingscrew) or call us/visit us in the office.

Energy Saving = Money Saving!

It's starting to heat up here in the Tri-Cities and we'd like to help save our residents some money on their utilities. The way we look at it is: More money in your pocket = More play & fun = Happier residents = Happier community! Here are some energy saving tips from the Franklin PUD to save you some green!

1. Turn air conditioners off if you are going to be gone more than four hours.
2. Circulate air inside your apartment with fans. The air movement increases the cooling off of the body by evaporating moisture on the skin.
3. Keep your shades drawn when possible. Install drapes to help keep out the sun.
4. Use your microwave in place of your range oven for cooking when possible. Your range will increase the heat in your apartment making your air conditioner work harder to cool.
5. If you do have to use your stove, use tight-fitting lids to keep the steam in the pan.
6. When using your oven, try to cook more than one item at a time.
7. Pre-heat your oven only 5-8 minutes before baking.
8. When using your dishwasher, was full loads only and let the dishes air dry.
9. Wash and dry full loads of laundry. Try using the cold water setting and using special detergent specially made for cold water washing.
10. Clean the lint screen in your dryer before every load.
11. Take showers instead of baths. Showers generally use less water than baths.
12. Turn off lights in any rooms you're not using.
13. Use natural daylight as much as possible.

For more energy saving tips, visit franklinpud.com

If you have any tips that work for you that aren't listed here, please share them in the comment section!

New News!

Wow...it's been a while since we've updated our Blog! We've got a lot of news for you!

First and foremost, you've probably seen some new and/or familiar faces in the office. Ana recently moved to Oregon to be closer to her family. We wish her the best of luck! Tracie has returned to the Crossings Crew after a year in Idaho and Seattle. If you remember her, stop by the office and say hi! If not, come by and meet her!

The construction on our brand new buildings is almost complete! We currently have two and three bedroom executive suites available! They're gorgeous and spacious with stainless steel appliances and beautiful gas fireplaces. Next up is our one bedrooms. They are almost totally complete but we have to do some finishing touches first. Last but not least will be our two bedroom/one bathroom apartments and then the garages. Hang on just a little bit longer!

Residents, do you know any one who is looking for a new place to live? Don't forget about our resident referral program! For each person you refer, you can get $200-$300 rent credit! There's no limit, either! Just remember to tell them to tell us that YOU sent them when they first come in. Otherwise, we cannot give the credit. Who doesn't like free $$$?! Plus, you get to pick your neighbors!

We had a lot of fun at our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Our young residents are the cutest in the Tri-Cities! Our May Resident Activity is going to be a delicious one! We are having a Cinco de Mayo Nacho Party on Thursday, May 3rd starting at 11am. We will have chips, cheese and all the toppings available until they run out! Stop by and get some nachos for lunch...or breakfast, we won't tell ;)

If you guys have any ideas on what you would like to see in our blog, please leave them in the comment section!

Have a fabulous weekend and enjoy the sunshine!

P.s. Speaking of sunshine, the pool will open Memorial Day weekend and we are currently looking at purchasing new pool furniture!

Comings and Goings at the Crossings

We have had a lot of changes this past year. The office has been a bustle of change. Our dear Heidi is leaving us on the 17th of August. North Carolina awaits her along with a new adventure for the next chapter of life. We wish her well in her travels!
With the new addition to our property we our growing our team! Miss Stephanie Hillman will be stepping in as our new leasing Consultant. Stephanie recently moved from the Seattle area after finishing her degree in communications! The sunshine of the Tri-Cities was just too irresistable :)
We also have a new addition to the maintenance staff. Christopher Walker has worked with various maintenance positions over the last few years in the Tri and Portland area. We are excited to have him join our team. Stop in to say hi to the latest members of the Crossings Crew and say farewell to Heidi!

Heidi

Christopher

Stephanie

Keep on the lookout for the latest information on our new addition to the property!

Rising or Falling? Washington Rentals

KEPER news did a study on the tri-cities rentals and this is what they came up with. Take a look:

RICHLAND, Wash. -- The Tri-Cities saw bigger hikes to rent than anywhere else in the state, according to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at Washington State University. In September 2009, the study shows the average rent in Benton and Franklin Counties was $670. A year later, average rent prices rose to $764, a 10.7 percent increase.

For the average renter, that means an additional $74 per month on rent, and an extra $888 per year.

Have we hit our peak? some property managers think so. Ayesha Grantham, Property Manager for On The Boulevard, said the Tri-Cities "might have hit its peak but I think we're still at the top for the demand," she said. "There are still people who come in everyday and check for a place to live," Grantham continued.

Other property managers like Kasey McComas of The Crossings on Chapel Hill in Pasco believes those pricey rental rates are behind us. "I definitely think we're going to start seeing the downhill motion," she told KEPR.

In fact, McComas said three of her competitors just lowered their rates. So why could rent be falling?

Action News found supply is catching back up with demand. Across the Tri-Cities there are plans for five new apartment units or complexes. On The Boulevard is adding close to three dozen one-bedrooms that will be ready next month.

"There's now availability," Grantham said.

Altogether, there will more than 600 more new units over the next couple years, a trend that concerns McComas. "I think the Tri-Cities market will be over-saturated," she explained.

KEPR already reported word of 1,600 layoffs at Hanford and that could mean a lot more units freed up. It's made complexes wary of raising rates and renters wary of locking into long leases.

Either way, it's likely this will drive prices back down.

The largest decline in rent came from Walla Walla County where average rents fell 7.5 percent

How times have changed

It used to be that business was operated one way, and social media was handled another. They didnt frequent each other's paths. Not so anymore. What was once considered "unprofessional" or was never considered - is now the best way to advertise for buisnesses!
 Facebook/Myspace/Twitter were created for social networking. They have now streched their hands far beyond that. They have become a resource for advertising, job hunting, marketing, and information. Buisness are becoming more aware that these types of networking are the new "Word of Mouth" advertising and everyone knows that no matter how good you are at marketing, Word of Mouth is still the number one way to make an impression. The doors of communication have increased exponentially in the last 10 year and we have to learn how to use these new opportunities to the best advantage. Its not just these social networks either. Other sites like Yelp, Craigslist, and WOMF all provide quick and easy access to peoples opinions and/or recommendations to diffrent places and opinions. And this, could be a buisness's best friend or worst enemy.

The Crossings and Bach Property Management have taken note of the change of times and have decided we want it to be our best friend. We have added Facebook and Twitter; we frequent Craigslist. All of these links we utilize to bring you the most current information on what going on where you live and what's going on with the market. With your help we would like to make an impression on Yelp and WOMF as well! You can go on to either site to rate our property and our service! We want to know how we are doing and if there is anything we can do differently or better and we would like to know what your idea's are!

Follow us on Facebook @ The Crossings at Chapel Hill

 

Follow us on Twitter @ CrossingsCrew  

Best Roommate of the Year

"Attention Crossings Residents: are you America’s Best Roommate?  If so, you may be Apartments.com Roommate of the Year!  Apartments.com is searching for acts of roommate excellence across the country during its 3rd annual Roommate of the Year Contest.  Think you have what it takes to beat out other roommates from across the country?  Entering the Roommate of the Year Contest is free and easy.  To enter, simply submit a video of two minutes or less illustrating what makes you America’s most desirable living companion and you could walk away with FREE Rent for a Year, $10,000 in cold, hard cash, a year membership to Freecreditscore.com* and the coveted title of Roommate of the Year.  Submit your online video contest entry by June 13, 2011 for a chance to win"

We know that we have the best residents ever so I know that the video's will reflect how amazing you all are!

Check out some video's (posted below) from previous winners to get some creative idea's then make your own! and feel free to post them to our face book page as well. I for one, definitely want to see what you got. If you win, then you get an amazing prize; If you dont then you'll still get to have fun making a video and making me laugh!

http://youtu.be/aK81UK3gUOY

http://youtu.be/GpWUDfA57fg

Click on this link to enter:

http://www.roommateoftheyear.com/sign-up 

and Get to it!