December Birthdays

Hello to all,

Please make sure to wish the following a Happy Happy Birthday!

12/01/10 - Manuel Ruiz-Novelo (Tanasbourne Terrace)

12/04/10 - Jim Klein

12/12/10 - Erica Lee (CenterPointe)

12/22/10 - Kathleen Knutson (Tanasbourne Terrace)

Happy Birthday to you all!

What Prospects and Residents are saying about you - October

Here are a few Kudos to you:

• Rachelle was greeted warmly by residents as we toured the premises, a big plus.


• Rachelle is very professional and super nice.


• Trisha was wonderful, she went above and beyond to show us every option available to us at your community. She was courteous and had the answers to our questions on the tip of her tongue.


• Cassie was awesome and very helpful and she is one of the reasons we decided to rent here...


• Cassandra was friendly and gracious.


• Ashley Crews was a great person, and made us feel right at home during our application experience. The whole attitude of the staff was very accommodating and friendly.


• Melissa is awesome.


• Ryan Andrus was very courteous and professional. He listened to what we had to say and showed us appropriate models


• Ryan (Andrus) has excellent customer service skills. I loved working with him. He was honest, trustworthy and personable.


• Chai was awesome: efficient, personable, fast responder! Promote that lady!


• Hope Martin was wonderful! She was energetic and so easy to talk to. She answered all of my questions and gave me all the info I needed.


• Schentel was pleasant and helpful really enjoyed her.


• Schentel was awesome always checking in and trying to help us.


• Kathleen and Schentel in the office were always quite nice and very helpful during our stay here. Good customer service here.


• Kathleen was just about the nicest and most friendly leasing agent I have dealt with ever! She was awesome!


• Kathleen, the woman who I spoke with initially and during my move-in was fantastic. She was very helpful and receptive to my questions.


• The maintenance person Manuel took the matter into his hands and addressed my concern by vacuuming and cleaning the carpet again.


• Michelle is AMAZING! She provided everything I wanted in a staff member. She answered all questions she was very fun to be around and go on tour with.


• Sammy was a great help and didn't make me feel like a bother.


• Samantha Bass!! That's all I have to say. This girl is wonderful! She was understanding of our situations 100%!!


• Sami was so warm and welcoming. We enjoyed our experience mainly because of her outgoing and friendly disposition. She was not only kind, but thorough.


• Vida was Great!

Great comments - keep them coming!

What Prospects and Residents are Saying about You - September 2010

Here are what some of wonderful Prospects and Residents are saying about You!

• Lindsay in the front office was very helpful.
• Melissa Gerking was exceptional in her presentation of your apartment complex at LaSalle. We are SO convinced that we would like to live there.
• Kelly was very helpful and personable.
• Amanda was great.
• The staff is friendly, especially, Stephanie,Kelly and Melissa...
• Vida showed real interest and concern for our current situation and scheduled a meeting with us ASAP. We met with Vida and I can't say enough about her. Vida is very concerned about our needs and did everything she could to assist us.
• The leasing consultant I worked with was extremely helpful. It's because of her, that I am more than satisfied to become apart of this community. From all of the leasing consultants I have come in contact with, Rachelle was the most welcoming. She exceeded my expectations.
• We met with Ryan A. and he was incredibly friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and courteous.
• Ryan Andrus was a fantastic guide, covering every aspect of living in an Equity Residential community and answering all my questions thoroughly.
• Hope took the time to get to know me and my specific needs, which I can't say was the case for any of the other communities I had visited earlier that day.
• When Hector arrived and looked around the apartment he shook his head and said 'this is unacceptable'. He saw the problems, in fact he noticed things that I had not, and he assured me things would be taken care of to my satisfaction. He left and was back with 2 maintenance men, Mike and Viktor and they got right to work. They were efficient and courteous. They saw what needed to be done, and did it. the maintenance men, Hector, Mike, and Viktor, are worth their weight in gold. Not only are they skilled, they are very customer service oriented and have an admirable work ethic.
• "Country Gables" Quality of customer service on the part of all staff members exceeded our expectations. Only moving due to relocation for work. We are considering other equity residential properties in the new location as a result of the outstanding service we have received at the property.
• Michelle was outstanding and very helpful.
• Our leasing agent, Laura, was very helpful, sweet, and very caring.
• "Club @ the Green" I am continually amazed at the professionalism, dedication, and care that the staff, both office and maintenance give towards this property. When I see one of the maintenance staff out on the property, they wave to me, or even stop to say Hi for a minute and make sure that I am ok and my home is working well. When I call in to the office, no one ever sounds put out by the call, or tired, annoyed, etc. It actually sounds as though they are smiling when they answer. They also know who I am by the sound of my voice, which makes me feel like I matter to them, and am worth remembering. I love this home, this community, and these members of staff.
• Tovia was completely awesome! She was positive and up-beat! I really like that, and she answered every single question that I had, and was very knowledgeable. Thank you for being so wonderful!
• Kathleen was fabulous!! very professional and sweet

Great Job you guys - can't wait to see what people are saying about you next month :)

Isabella Joy Moseyko

Please welcome the newest family member of one of our own.

Isabella Joy Moseyko was born to Yuriy Moseyko on September 16, 2010 at 4:30 am (early bird) and weighed in at 8lbs and 1oz.

Family is doing well - if missing a bit of sleep.

Congratulations and we hope you have many years of Joy as you watch your daughter grow into a beautiful person.

Race for the Cure

On Sunday September 19th a group from our portfolio joined 40,000 others for the annual Race for the Cure! It was an amazing turn out and a great event to raise money for the fight against breast cancer, along with raising awareness about the deadly disease. This event raised over $2 million!!

Pictured Left to right:
Rebecca's daughter Ashtyn, Rebecca Aponte, Stephanie Ogan and her son Grady, Kelly Arendell, Julia Riccetti, and Melissa Gerking. Amanda Havermann (not pictured).

Success or Significance (Are you adding value to yourself or to others?)

Hello Everyone.


Here is an excerpt from a Success magazine article by John C Maxwell. He makes some good points in regards to Success vs Significance. Being in a service/sales industry I thought I would share some of it with you.


"Do you know the difference between success and significance? A lot of people who believe they are successful because they have everything they want. They have added value to themselves. but John believes significance comes when you add value to others-and you can't have true success with out significance.


Success is:

1. knowing your purpose in life


2. growing to your maximum potential


3. sowing seeds that benefit others.

Once you've learned something, do you have a heart to share it with others "#5 Share the Knowledge", or do you hold it for yourself? If you stop at adding value to yourself, you miss the reward of significance.

The journey to significance:

• This journey takes time.


• Success is usually the stepping stone to significance 'What else is there in life beyond professional and monetary success?'


• Pursuing significance takes us out of our comfort zone.
  
  It's Natural:
  To live for myself
  to think short term
  To go for instant gratification

It's unnatural:
To live for others
To think long term
To have delayed gratification

Once significance is sensed, nothing else will satisfy. Some people love what they do but don't feel it matters much. And some people who don't love what they do but do feel it matters. when you can love what you do and feel that it is making a difference in the lives of others, now you have the right combination. (What better opportunity in the way you can impact peoples lives every day!)

Five Differences between success and significance:

1. Motives: With success, motives may be selfish; with Significance, motives cannot be selfish.


2. Influence: With success, influence is limited; with significance, influence is unlimited. 'When you influence a child, you influence a life. When you influence a father, you influence a family. When you influence a leader, you influence all who look to them for leadership'


3. Time: Success can last a lifetime; significance can last several lifetimes.


4. Focus: Success asks, "How can I add value to myself?" Significance asks, "How can I add value to others?" The evolution from selfishness to significance goes something like this: What can others do for me? - What can I do for myself? - What can I do for others? - What can I do with others, for others?


5. Reward: If you pursue success, your joy is the result of your success; If you pursue significance, you joy is the result of others' success."

Excerpts from an Article in Success magazine by John C Maxwell.

Thank you

What Residents and Prospects are saying about you in August

• Ashley and Lindsey were very helpful and accommodating during our visit to the property.
• Kelly Arendell was superb and had a strong influence on helping me and my daughter make a quick and confident decision.
• Amanda was very helpful and personable.
• Melissa was great!
• the staff is really nice and very helpful. In particular, Daphne and Becka have been outstanding in fulfilling requests.
• Ryan was our associate at Palladia. He was amazing in showing us an apartment that we were interested in...He really is a great employee and has answered the myriad of questions I've thrown at him!
• Cassie was the young lady's name that assisted us for the tour. She was very excellent in seeking out our needs...if I do not qualify for the apartment I know I came away with a different point of view about the people staffed at your rental locations.
• Cassie was very friendly on the phone.
• Krista was great and made us feel like friends and members of the community. I know we will be comfortable going to her with any of our future needs.
• I will start off by saying how truly WONDERFUL the leasing agent I worked with was. Her name is Cassie Cuty and she deserves a BIG pat on the back...
• Michelle was probably the best office staff that I've ever had to deal with!
• Rheba was superb.
• We want to start by thinking Kathleen Johnson for making our move-in experience so awesome!!
• Tovia is great...very into the residents needs.

Employee of the Month August - Michelle Emmons

Michelle has really tested her limits this Summer. She easily resolves residents concerns without assistance from her manager. She has taken on new challenges while the Assistant Manager was on maternity leave. She does all of our pre-walks for move outs, takes care of the check scanning and assists in collecting balances. She has embraced our renewal process and has increased our renewal percentages for the past 2 months and continues to manage this better than it has been done before. She has recently volunteered to take on a huge project concerning 60+ files that were done incorrectly and is already seeing success. She has been a valuable asset the the Regional Manager in that what ever is asked, she will complete in a timely and correct manner. Michelle has truly embraced all the challenges that property management has to offer. She comes to work every day with a let's get it done attitude which is contagious to the rest of the team.

Employee of the Month for July - Dave Brix

Dave is a great example of "Walk the Talk". He is willing to assist whenever needed including helping out a sister property with a very boring job of following an outside vendor around the property. He was good natured and made no complaints. Recently LaSalle had a request to re-paint some stripping for parking at one of the buildings. He acted quickly, resulting in "Very Satisfied" residents who responded with the following letter...

"Just wanted to send you a special "letter of Appreciation" for Dave from Maintenance.

Last week he was responsible for the re-marking of the lines and numbers in both the garage areas. The lines were almost entirely invisible and with hard work, he brought them back to life. The number re-marking was quite a bit of work since he had to sit on the hard concrete and completely re-draw each number by hand. It was time consuming and back-breaking.

I just wanted to tell you that "Dave" is such a nice person and works so hard to make LaSalle a beautiful place. he is always working on the grounds, picking up or cleaning or trimming. Without his hard work, we would be lost. Each and every day we don't realize the things that are spotted and taken care of in a caring way. Dave really has made this place nice to live in during the last 7 years we have been here. He definitely makes a difference and hope you tell him that from everyone in our building." - Sincerely, Syliva and Donald

Community Service day - Extreme Makeowver: Home Adition

If you have not already heard. ABC's show Extreme Makeover: Home Addition is coming to Salem, OR and we just found out that they are still in need of volunteers. This would be a great Customer Service opportunity if you have not already used yours for the year. All you have to do is to to http://richduncan-emhe.com/default.aspx and sign up as a volunteer. Since this is a week long event, they will ask you for certain days that you could work to help organize the volunteers. All the information is on the website.

Salem,OR August 20, 2010 — ABC’s Emmy award winning hit show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has selected a worthy group of people to feature on its show that helps change people’s lives and inspire remarkable community support.

While Rich Duncan Construction is leading the build, the project will rely on volunteers and Salem/Keizer is invited to join this project. Rich Duncan Construction will host a kick off on Thursday, August 26th beginning at 7:30pm at West Salem Foursquare Church, 3094 Gehlar Rd. NW, to recognize the volunteer effort needed to accomplish this amazing feat for such a deserving group of people. While the exact details of the build won’t be released until after the door knock on or around September 6th, volunteers will now have over a week to sign up and get involved in this community event. Attendees will also get a chance to hear from members of the production team who will be present to talk about the show and how people can help.

Thank you Jessica for bringing this great opportunity to our attention.

What Residents and Prospects are saying about you in July

Here are some wonderful things people are saying about you!

• Thank you to Trisha for being so friendly and understanding.
• Rheba was amazing and I look forward to working with her on renting my apartment.
• Shantel was very helpful
• Tovia was very helpful, and gracious.
• Kathleen was an exceptional agent!
• My primary leasing agent was Michelle and she's very professional. She brought a small welcome package when she came for the walk through...nice touch.
• Cassy was fabulous on the phone and wonderful when we came to tour...She's a real bonus for your company.
• Ryan Andrus is the BEST leasing agent I have EVER had the pleasure of meeting. He was friendly, conversational, professional, and when our needs could not be met, or were not available, he offered a very pleasing alternative. Excellent leasing agent! He's 99% of why we want to live at Palladia.
• It was Hope Martin, at Palladia who really came through for me. Hope kept in touch with me throughout my on-boarding or 'relocation' process, assured me that all would be well and just really made me feel comfortable about such a drastic and stressful move.
• Erica was really kind and understanding and I believe she went above and beyond to help us with the application process.
• Sami, I believe, was the most helpful person I've came across in my search...She was the only person to really ask me questions about what I'M looking for, not just sell me on what she had available.
• Amanda was most helpful to me and understands that I plan to move to Portland in November. She has already volunteered to help me identify an apartment I can reserve. She impressed me and I look forward to working with her.
• Melissa Gerking was awesome
• Kelly was a tremendous support and made my Cross country move a smooth process.
• I love Ashley and Desiree! They are absolutely a delight and very professional. They treated me with respect and if I had/have any concerns they provided me ways on how to take care of any thing that was unsatisfactory with me or my new home...

Fabulous comments!

Employee of the Month for June 2010 - Troy Grotte

Troy truly walks the talk at work everyday. Troy has rebuilt a top floor deck surround due to dry rot, saving the community money and making the resident happy in their new home. He has also dug through the dumpster for a resident when she accidentally threw her keys in it. He also responded quickly to a dumpster file recently, putting the fire out so that no damage occurred. He is also wonderful at sharing the knowledge with co-workers and other communities. Troy tests his limits and puts the residents needs first and is willing to go above and beyond for them to make sure they are very satisfied. Club at Tanasbourne recently had a new move in who called the emergency line because she felt that someone had been in her home. Troy came right away and changed the locks for this resident so she could feel comfortable in her home. Troy can always be relied on and makes the Club at Tanasbourne feel like home to all of his team members.

5 Big Challenges People Face

Per an magazine article "Success" written by John C. Maxwell; people face 5 big challenges in life - don't let your attitude set you back.

1. Discouragement:

"Everyone gets discouraged. Sydney Harris said, "When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life's hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?'" Not everyone responds to discouragement in the same way...some splatter (hit rock bottom, fall apart and stick to the bottom like glue) and some Bounce (hit rock bottom, pull themselves back together and bounce back up). The question is: Are you going to give up or get up? It's a choice.

• Get the right perspective.: You don't have to look very far to see that you have it pretty good


• See the right people: There are some people who lift you up and some people that bring you down...go find yourself a lifter!


• Say the right words: Dr. Lloyd Martyn Jones wrote, "Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself?" Instead of compliantly listening to your thoughts, start telling yourself the positive, difference making work ideas you need to hear.

2. Problems:

Malcolm Forbes said: "If you have a job without aggravation, you don't have a job." Here are some basic principles for handling problems well.

• Define what a problem is. A problem is something you can do something about. If you cannot do something, it is a fact of life, not a problem.


• Anticipate problems. A problem anticipated is an opportunity. But a problem not anticipated is a problem.


• Embrace each problem as a potential opportunity.

Norman Vincent Peal said, "Positive thinking is how you think about a problem. Enthusiasm is how you feel about a problem. The two together determine what you do about a problem.

3. Change

Change is a challenge we cannot avoid. Here is one way to look at change:

• Challenges - Change is not easy.


• Humor - It helps if you laugh a lot.


• Adjustments - It also helps if you are flexible.


• Newness - Change gives you a fresh start.


• Growth - Growth equals change.


• Evaluation - Change forces you to look at your life.

4. Fear:

There are some destructive effects of fear. For example, fear breeds fear; it has the ability to exaggerate itself.

Discover the foundation of fear. Our fears are not usually based on fact; they are based on feeling. A study by the University of Michigan revealed:

• 60% of our fears are unwarranted; things we fear never come to pass.


• 20% of our fears are based in the past, which means they are out of our control.


• 10% of our fears are so petty that they can make no difference at all. Of the 10%, only 4% - 5% are real and justifiable.

Mark Twain said, "I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened." Cus D'Amato said, "the hero and the coward both feel exactly the same fear, only the hero confronts his fear and converts it into fire."

5. Failure

Charles Parnell said, "Too many people are having what might be called 'near-life experiences.' They go through life bunting, so afraid of failure that they never try to win the big prizes..." People who are stopped by failure see it from a personal perspective. People who are not stopped by failure see it from a process perspective.

Your attitude is what gets you through lifes Big Challenges. What is your attitude today?

Snippets from an article written by John C Maxwell in Success Magazine.

August Birthdays

Please wish the following a Happy Birthday!

08/02 - Anatoliy Stukan - CenterPointe

08/14 - Josiah Rosales - Club at Tanasbourne

08/15 - Hector Diaz - Palladia

08/18 - Jorge Dominguez - Club at Tanasbourne

08/18 - Ryan Andrus - Palladia

08/23 - Aleksey Chernysh - LaSalle

08/23 - Julio Recinos - Tanasbourne Terrace

Happy Birthday Everyone!

Wish Keith Luck and Good bye

Please keep Keith and his family in your thoughts as he sets out for the Middle East to help defend our Country. Thank you Keith!

What Residents and Prospects are saying about you!

• Sami is a great asset to the office team. She is always friendly and willing to help.
• The price, location and safety were all contributing factors but my decision to move here originally was all because of Sami Bass...
• Matt & Gene do a great job in maintenance.
• Daphnie has been great manager/friend and if I ever have to come back to live in an Apartment then I will definitely come back to Center Pointe because of her!!!
• Your associate Chai Mintz was the main reason we signed a lease.
• Chai, the leasing agent, was absolutely fantastic!
• Tim and Chai were completely on top of everything. They made me feel like I was the only person trying to secure an apartment from out of state that day.
• the office staff here is amazing, Erica lee has serious management potential, she goes above and beyond she treats us more like close friends than just residents, all the girls in the office are great.
• My leasing agent was Alisha Batchelor...I appreciated her attention to detail, and am glad to be paying rent to a company with employees like Alisha who take my concerns and best interest to heart.
• Laura and Traci, the leasing agents I worked with,have been so helpful and genuinely interested in what would make the apartment work for me...
• Krista did a superb job of showing the property and listening to me ramble on about what I was looking for, for myself and my family...
• Cassie was the main reason for our selection. Very responsive and friendly service
• Cassandra was awesome, she replied to my inquires about the apartment so fast, I was surprised.
• I originally spoke with Jolene and she was friendly and welcoming...
• ...my mother went to view the property and Michelle made my mother feel so welcomed and right at home...my mother said, 'Michelle was so so nice. You are going to love living there'!
• Kathleen was WONDERFULL! My mom is 80 and is a little feeble in her walking so Kathleen used the golf cart eventhough we didn't have far to go...
• The representative I spoke with, Tovia, is an INCREDIBLE asset to Tanasbourne! If everyone is like her, I'd move in in a minute...
• Reba made this so easy and I felt at home from the moment I stepped into the office.

Employee of the Month - May 2010

This employee has made it a focus of getting the job done with accuracy and has been a great compliment and fit with her team. Chai has had a phenomenal month during May, and hitting over 150% of her sales goal in April. She has been willing to take on new challenges and learn assistant manager duties whenever possible. She can easily step in for the Assistant Manager in their absence. She has also brought Palladia's Insurance Action Items from over 50 down to 15 in the month of March.

Thank you Chai Mintz for all that you do!

Baby Announcement

Sorry this is a little late; however, please welcome the newest member to one of our family.

Savannah Bosworth was born on June14th at 3:05 PM weighing in at 6lbs, 1ozs and 18.25 inches long.

July Birthdays

Please wish all a Happy Birthday!

July 16th Krista Davis Country Gables
July 24th Hope Martin Palladia
July 24th Francisco Lpez Club at the Green

Happy Birthday Everyone!

Jim's Corner

Jim's Corner - June Edition

Hello Denver and Portland! It's coming and I wanted to take some time to talk about our transition to a CBG world At Equity we are very used to new initiatives and new ways of operating and once again I would ask that you keep an open mind and look at the possibilities as we approach this newest change. We will begin the process of introducing the timeline, presenting job flashes and initial communication of the CBG transition later this month. It may seem like a big mountain to climb, but so was MRI and OPS and project Epic - and look at where we are now on those things - as always we will get through it together. Please remember to stay positive, always take care of our customers and of course take care of each other. As you may remember, we started talking about this concept back in March and really did not have all of the details and information at that time. Since then, a couple of markets have rolled out the piloted program successfully. I am excited that we are moving forward with this idea and I do truly believe it will allow us, allow you, to really focus on what is most important which is providing exceptional customer service to our residents and prospects. Please hang in there as we start this process and stay positive! Remember that we will keep you in the loop with as much information as we have to share. By the time it's over and we are through the CBG change season, I believe we will come out on the other side in a better place, a place that is more like 'How Home Should Feel'.