“Our Profit is February

2008
Your Success”

An Affiliate Of

In with the new...

History was made on many levels in November when the nation’s Upcoming Events
first African-American President was elected. The question on eve- Vendor Council
ryone’s mind is where does the country go from here? How will this Thursday, February 12
Democratic “hat trick” change the business climate? Declining home
Chicken Coop, Noon
prices and steady increases in housing stock can prove to be problem-
atic for the rental industry. From CNNMoney.com, January 27, General Membership
2009:
Meeting
An index of home prices in 20 major metropolitan areas fell at a
Wednesday, February 18
record annual pace in November, to levels not seen since 2004,
Vern’s Restaurant, Clive12:00
according to a report released Tuesday.
Topic: Renter Credit Quality
The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index, a sampling of 20 cities from across the nation, fell & Traffic Trends
a record 18.2% over the 12 months ended Nov. 30. That brought the index to its lowest point Presented by Jim Baker
since February 2004. From its peak in mid-2006, the index has plunged a whopping 25.1%. and Scott McBroom of
Eleven of the 20 cities showed record declines, and the 12-month price drop for 14 of the First Advantage SafeRent
cities was a double-digit percentage. Registration attached
"The freefall in residential real estate continued through November 2008," said David M.
Fair Housing & Beyond
Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor's, in a prepared statement. He
said the 20-city index has fallen for every month since August 2006, a total of 28 consecu- Wednesday, February 25
tive months. West Des Moines PD
10:30 am - 4:00 p.m.
None of us know where this will all end. One thing is certain - it’s our job as property management
professionals to educate ourselves on the housing market and educate our residents. I have helped Registration attached
many residents who were taken in by flashy but deceptive ads to realize the actual monthly cost of
buying one of those townhomes with that great monthly payment. Add the cost of maintenance, March
real estate taxes, repairs, and association fees on top of amenities that are included in rent - fitness Leasing 101
centers, business centers, swimming pools - we can help ourselves and our bottom lines by simply
Tuesday, March 24
pointing these things out. Not to mention, but of course I will, home values continue to decline and
that means unless they’re planning on staying in one place for several years, they will never have a “It’s a Jungle out there, so
chance to actually “own” anything. Many homeowners who were caught up in the subprime mort- we’re going Back to Basics”
gage crisis have learned that expensive lesson. Venue and time TBA
The point here is that we have a golden opportunity to once again to bring apartment living on par
with homeownership. Apartment living will become a more viable option as the cost of owning a
single-family home will far exceed the financial capabilities of many Americans. -Rick

Inside Your Newsletter:

Committee Updates New Members February meeting registration
2009 CIAA Board Members Announcements, Promotions, Postings Fair Housing and Beyond
Letter from the President Vendor Spotlight - Waste Management Fair Housing Registration
January Meeting Highlights Vendor Listings NAA Connect
 Committee Announcements
Education Committee
“Fair Housing and Beyond” will be presented February 25 at the West Des Moines Police Department conference
room from 10:30 - 4:00. Don’t wait until the last minute to register - we’ve had a tremendous response!
“Leasing 101” will be presented Tuesday March 24th. This seminar is free to all CIAA members! We’re changing
it up this year and it’s going to be an exciting and informative session that is perfect for all your new leasing people
as well as anyone who is getting complacent or who may just want a refresher. The basics have always been the ba-
sics, and the “old-timers” are here to help!

Vendor Council
The date is set for our Annual Golf Outing! Details will follow, but for now, mark your calendars for Friday, June 12,
1:00 start!
Event committees have been established and we want to thank the following people for volunteering their time and
resources:
Golf Outing: Steve Arnburg, Melissa Johnson, Tom Newton, Mary Spain, and April St. Aubin
Trade Show: Connie Blodgett, Jennifer Gavin, Andrea Larson, Michelle Ogden, April St. Aubin
Vendor Social/Maintenance Olympics: Jennifer Gavin, Rick Koontz, Dave Leete, Mary Spain
Brochure Development: Jennifer Gavin, Mary Spain

Legislative Committee
The Legislative Committee will attend a Subcommittee hearing on a Consumer Fraud bill (SSB 1037) on Monday
February 2nd. We will be submitting arguments that the multi-family industry be exempted from the proposed con-
sumer fraud private cause of action section because of conflicting statutes we must follow in the Landlord-Tenant
law, as well as existing registration requirements for multi-family units.

HSB 52, which addresses electrical licensing, only affects residential units which by law and for purposes of real
estate taxes are defined as four (4) units or less. Any multi-family buildings over four units will not be affected by
this legislation. Some members were alerted erroneously through a source outside of the CIAA and we want to as-
sure our members that we are staying on top of the issues for you!

2009 Board Members and Committees

President Past President Legislative Committee Chair
Rick Koontz, Signature Place Melissa Johnson, Olde English Village
Jennifer O’Brien Konior, TAB Properties
Vice President Vendor Council Co-Chairs
Jennifer O’Brien Konior, TAB Properties Tom Newton, Gorman Roofing Membership Committee Chair
Treasurer Mary Spain, Apartment Finder Lori Young, BH Management
Lori Young, BH Management
Education Committee Chair Public Relations Committee Chair
Secretary
Heather Benton, Rosemont Place Mary Spain, Apartment Finder Ellen Wade, The Des Moines Register

Page 2
Website: www.ciaahq.org
 Letter from the President
Leadership and Team Building
Each of us performs an important function in fulfilling our daily tasks and obligations. But so few really
understand how each team member contributes and how important every singe person is regardless of their position
or title. I really enjoyed receiving this from an old coworker in Michigan, so rather than try to interject my own phi-
losophies, I’ll share someone else’s this month. This was written by Angeles Arrien:
LESSONS FROM GEESE
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for others behind him. There is 71% more flying range in V-formation than flying
alone. Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of common purpose can get there quicker.

Whenever a goose flies out of formation, it quickly feels the drag and tries to get back into position. Lesson: It’s harder to do some-
thing alone than together.
In Loving Memory
When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the
head. Lesson: Shared leadership and interdependence gives us each a chance to lead as
well as opportunities to rest.

The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging and not discouraging.

When a goose gets sick or wounded and falls, two geese fall out and stay with it until it re-
vives or dies. Then they catch up or join another flock. Lesson: Stand by your colleagues
in difficult times as well as in good.
“Dylan”
Rick Koontz, CIAA President 1994 - 2009
Signature Place Apartments Rest well, dear friend.

January General Membership Meeting

We had a full house at Latin King for our January General Membership
meeting. Bill Armstrong of Timberland Partners and Gary Gallagher of
Central Iowa Duct Cleaning educated members on the new law requiring
that dual-sensor smoke detectors be installed in all new construction and
retrofitting current smoke detectors effective April 1, 2009.

Gary has researched options for pur-

chasing these detectors and discovered
there are limited vendor resources as well as limited items. Currently only
battery-operated dual sensor detectors are available at a cost of around
$18.00. Because of this, enforcement of this new law will more than likely
be postponed again (it was originally set to go into effect October 1, 2008).
Bill met with authorities from most of the local communities and enlight-
ened us on the ins-and-outs of the legislation and what the local authorities expect from rental properties. Bill
also explained that the new law exempts properties that have more advanced fire detection and suppression sys-
tems, such as sprinkler systems.

Members in attendance were provided with copies of the code. If you need the information, click here for the
Iowa Department of Public Safety webpage. You will find links to the actual legislation as well. Be sure to stay
on top of this very important issue!
Page 3
 Our Newest CIAA Members
New Property Members
Drake Park
Bennett Grand Woods
Alpha-Barnes Real Estate New Vendor Members
Boone Sundance Des Moines 360, Inc.
Marshalltown Sundance Sears Commercial
Newton Sundance Sherwin Williams Paint

Announcements, Positions, and Postings

Josh Carney is the new leasing agent at Tim-
berland Pointe Apartments in Des Moines.
Daymark welcomes back Heather Benton as
manager of Woodbridge Apartments.
Hubbell Apartment Living would like to welcome
Victoria Lange as Leasing Consultant for Hamlet
and Bristol Apartments and Jaibre Spargur as
Assistant Property Manager at Somerset Apart-
ments.

MANAGEMENT / LEASING
Hubbell Apartment Living is currently seeking motivated, high energy
personnel to join their management and leasing staffs. Visit their website,
www.hubbellrealty.com to view current openings and to apply online.

MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN
Olde English Village is looking for a maintenance
“The one
technician. Contact Melissa Johnson at 515-223-
1010 or mjohnson@petersoncompanies.com to ap-
word that
ply or for additional information. makes a
ASSSISTANT PROPERTY MANAGER good
LEASING CONSULTANT
BH Management is seeking an Assistant Property Manager and Leasing
Consultant for Washington Heights. Assistant Manager candidates should
manager -
have 1 year previous experience. Customer service sales experience is
preferred for the Leasing Consultant position. decisiveness”
Please email resumes to mgr.washingtonheights@bhmanagement.com.
All information can be found at www.bhmanagement.com
- Lee Iacocca
Page 4 Email: info@ciaahq.org
 Vendor Spotlight
Waste Management
Waste Management can assist you in your efforts of reducing your waste flow and overall costs by provid-
ing an in depth waste audit. By suggesting alternative services, container sizes and frequencies this can be
a benefit to your entire community. Improving aesthetics and making your communities’ collection proc-
ess more efficient is what Waste Management can do for you.

This waste audit solution was most recently presented to TAB Properties and I am thrilled to say we are
now business partners! They saw the benefits that we were able to
provide and so can you!

Contact Juli Applegate for more information!

515-202-3538

Think Green. Think Waste Management!

Need a Vendor? Call a Member First!

A+ Lawn & Landscape
Abendroth & Russell, P.C.
A.Q. Allstate Pest Control
American Family Insurance
Jared Frank Agency
Apartment Finder
Big Green Umbrella Media
Bragg Handywork
Carpet Pro - Baker Interiors
Carpet Source
Central Iowa Duct Cleaning
CertaPro Painters
Coinmach Corporation
Cort Furniture Rental
Des Moines 360, Inc.
The Des Moines Register
DeWitt Painting
To Become A Vendor Member Contact:
Rick Koontz at 515-226-2100
Tom Newton at 515-883-0838
Diamond Vogel Paints Sherwin Williams Floor Cover-
First Advantage SafeRent ings
Furniture Options Sherwin Williams Paint
Gorman Roofing Services Sears Commercial
Hard Tops of Des Moines Simply Clean
ICS Advanced Technologies State Farm Insurance
Jetz Service Co. Glen Waterhouse III
Johnstone Supply Stew Hansen’s Dodge City-Jeep
Lawns Plus Stitzell Electric Supply Co.
Marsden Building Maintenance Sudzy’s Carpet Cleaning
Nationwide Office Care Tenant Data
Phillips Floors Waste Connections
RealPage, Inc. Waste Management
Red Capital Group Wayout Consulting Services
Reliable Construction
All Vendor Member contact
Select Van & Storage
information can be found on
Shelton Painting
the CIAA website:
Vendor Website Page
signaturerick@gmail.com
tomn@gormanroofingservices.com Page 5
 Membership Meeting Registration
February 18, 2009 12 Noon
Vern’s Restaurant, Clive
“Our Profit is Your Success!” 15970 Hickman Road, West of I-80/35

Renter Credit Quality & Traffic Trends

As the economy continues to decline, savvy apartment operators and investors are studying rental applicant patterns to
prepare for a thin year ahead. By anticipating seasonal and extraordinary slowdowns in rental traffic, operators can
gain a competitive edge in attracting a greater share of limited applicant traffic. By reviewing comparative perform-
ance by property class and market, investors can understand credit risk to NOI projections and investment cycle tim-
ing. In this quarterly presentation from First Advantage SafeRent, you’ll get a national review of renter credit quality
and traffic trends and their implications for operations and investments.
Jim Baker and Scott McBroom help you to uncover the trends from First Advantage SafeRent’s unique database of
more than 6 million rental units.
In this presentation they will:
• Help you benchmark applicant volume and renter credit quality. We’ll examine the performance of various
asset classes and identify which are most impacted in a slow absorption, negative job growth environment.
• Review the current economy and foreclosure practices. Find out how this has impacted incomes and renter
credit quality and what you can do to adjust for these market changes.
• Arm you with tools to manage your risk and performance. We’ll review management reports available
through First Advantage SafeRent that can be used to benchmark and adjust property-level performance.
• Take a look ahead. Based on knowledge and analysis of recent trends, we will provide some observations on
the outlook for the year ahead.

Registration Form:

Name: Name:

Name: Name:

Company / Property Name:

Must RSVP no later than Noon on Monday, February 16, 2009

Please fax registration form to Mary Spain at 515-327-9104
Lunch selection includes fries, drink, tax and gratuity.
Please indicate number of meals needed on each line.

Cobb Salad / $13.00________ Pork Tenderloin / $11.00________

Hot Beef / $14.00________ Chicken Caesar Wrap / $13.00________

PLEASE BRING A CHECK PAYABLE TO CIAA OR EXACT CHANGE

 Gro
un

Fair Housing
Se d-br
mi ea
na kin
r! g

and Beyond
Property and site managers • Leasing professionals
Training for: Management company executives

Maintenance technicians • Vendors at your property

Sets new standard in fair housing training

Uses DVD-delivered scenarios to demonstrate how real-life
situations require critical thinking and prudent decision making
Vividly shows the serious consequences of incorrect responses and
provides coaching on how to avoid costly mistakes
Delivers relevant knowledge of fair housing essentials – practical
explanations of how federal, state, and local protected classes and barred
discriminatory acts impact property operations

Experience it today as a 4.5 hour seminar

To learn more – go to www.irem.org or www.naahq.org

Developed jointly by the industry leaders in multifamily management

 CENTRAL IOWA APARTMENT ALLIANCE
presents
“Fair Housing and Beyond”
February 25, 2009 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
West Des Moines Police Department, 250 Mills Civic Pkwy (E. of 50th St.)

The National Apartment Association Education

Institute (NAAEI) and The Institute of Real Estate
Management (IREM) join forces to enhance fair
housing education among rental housing providers.
NAAEI and IREM have partnered to develop this coursework and education initiative. NAAEI represents the
education and career development division of NAA, while IREM serves as a professional association for manag-
ers of income-producing properties worldwide.
The “Fair Housing and Beyond” seminar was created by subject matter experts from both of the above organiza-
tions. A legal firm specializing in Fair Housing reviewed all course content to insure compliance with Fair Hous-
ing Law.
• Sets new standard in fair housing training
• Uses DVD-delivered scenarios to demonstrate how real-life situations require critical thinking and pru-
dent decision making
• Vividly shows the serious consequences of incorrect responses and provides coaching on how to avoid
costly mistakes
• Delivers relevant knowledge of fair housing essentials – practical explanations of how federal, state, and
local protected classes and barred discriminatory acts impact property operations
Training for:
• Management company executives
• Property and site managers
• Leasing professionals
• Maintenance technicians
• Vendors at your property

Please fax your reservations to Mary Spain at (515) 327-9104 by February 16, 2009
All reservations will be billed if no-show. Payment in advance of class is appreciated!
Mail payment to: CIAA, 3775 E.P. True Pkwy, Suite 263, West Des Moines, IA 50265

Registration Form:

Name: Name:

Name: Name:

Company Name:

Address: City: Zip

Phone: Fax: Email:

 Connect
With NAA
Time Running Out to Register
for NAA’s Green Conference & Exposition
By Ron Shelton, CAPS
2009 National Apartment Association Chairman of the Board
Amalgamated Management Corp.
R
egister now for the 2009 NAA
Green Conference & Exposition,
April 28-29, at the LEED-Certified
Phoenix Convention Center. The closing
general session speaker is James S. Brew,
Principal Architect at the Rocky Mountain
Institute. Brew has more than 28 years of
sustainable design experience in historic,
commercial, institutional and residential
architecture. He will introduce the latest
trends in the green building revolution,
as well as the specific business decisions
companies must consider to remain
viable during the sustainability movement.
Supplier partners interested in showcasing their green products
and services at the conference must act quickly. For information
about registration, exhibit space and sponsorship, visit
www.naahq.org/events/green or contact John Murray at 703/518-6141
Ext. 131 or john@naahq.org or Justin Barker at Ext. 129 or justin@naahq.org.
2009 NAA Capitol Conference Speakers Set
The 2009 NAA Capitol Conference will be held March 8-11 at the
Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Kicking off the conference will be keynote speaker Dana Perino,
White House Press Secretary to President George W. Bush. On March
9, she will discuss the current political and economic climates and
how they influence housing and public perception. Fleishman-
Hillard International Communications’ Ben Coffey Clark also will
speak March 9 on social media’s function in associations and com-
pany communications, and the Government Affairs Roundtable
lunch on March 10 will feature political commentator and former
Reagan administration Senior Policy Advisor Tony Blankley and
The New Republic’s Editor-at-Large Peter Beirnart.
To register, visit www.naahq.org/events/capconf.
Steve Forbes to Speak at NAA June Conference
NAA is excited to announce that Steve Forbes, Chairman & CEO of
Forbes Inc. and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine, has been confirmed
to speak June 27 during the Closing General Session at the 2009 NAA
Education Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas.
Don’t miss the 2009 NAA Education Conference & Exposition, the
largest show in the multifamily housing industry with more than 6,000
industry professionals and an exhibit hall that includes more than
700 booths and more than 375 exhibiting companies. For information,
visit www.naahq.org/events/ece. Interested in exhibition or sponsorship
opportunities? Contact John Murray at 703/518-6141 Ext. 131 or
john@naahq.org.
New Credential for Green Property Management
The National Apartment Association Educational Institute
(NAAEI) and the National Affordable Housing Management
Association (NAHMA) have jointly launched a new Credential for
Green Property Management (CGPM) designed for onsite managers,
maintenance staff and supervisors of front-line staff. For informa-
tion, visit www.naahq.org/education/designationprograms/other.
2009 Membership Competition Kicks Off
NAA began its affiliate/regional membership competition in
January. The competition recognizes affiliates that experience the
greatest percentage growth during the competition period. Affiliates
compete in four membership size categories, which are based
on total number of member units.
The theme for the competition is “Get Green, Come Grow with
Us.” NAA will offer cash incentives to the winning affiliates in each
of the four categories, as well as other incentives to encourage
affiliate participation. The reporting dates are Jan. 31, April 30, July
31 and Dec. 31. NAA will send notification to affiliates a week prior
to the deadline along with a link to the NAA Web site to post their
numbers.