10 Property Management Tips to Help Avoid Holiday Fires

For most people, the holiday season represents a time for family festivities, good cheer and decking the halls. Christmas trees or menorahs are put up, wreaths welcome visitors at the front door, and strings of sparkly, blinking lights drape balconies and clubhouses at apartment complexes. But what few consider is that these decorations can contribute significantly to holiday fires. Dry holiday trees and lighted candles comprise some of the greatest dangers. Is your property ready for the holidays? The statistics are a stark reminder that decorations – and other holiday festivities – should be approached with care.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. fire departments

responded to an average of 240 home fires per year that started with Christmas trees from 2005-09. Nearly half of these fires were caused by electrical problems, and one in four resulted from a heat source that was too close to the tree. Also, half of all candle fires start because candles are placed too close to flammable objects.

By following a few fire prevention tips and measures suggested by the American Red Cross and NFPA, the risk of fire resulting from holiday fun can be greatly reduced. Here are 10 tips that property owners and managers can use to educate apartment residents and staff when decking the halls:

1) When using an artificial tree, wreath or garland, be sure that the product is labeled, certified or identified by the manufacturer as fire-retardant.

2) When choosing a fresh tree, make sure the green needles don’t fall off when touched. Before placing it in the stand, cut 1-2” from the base of the trunk. Add water to the tree stand, and make sure someone is responsible for watering the tree daily.

3) Make sure the tree and other holiday decorations are not blocking an exit, and that they are at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, space heaters, radiators, candles and heat vents or lights.

4) Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory, and make sure you know whether they are designed for indoor or outdoor use. Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords, or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini-light sets or a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.

5) Never use candles to decorate the tree. Artificial candles are an available and safer alternative.

6) Never leave children or pets alone in a room with a lit candle.

7)Always turn off all holiday lights before leaving the home, office or clubhouse, and before going to bed.

8) After the holidays, get rid of live decorations. Dried-out trees, wreaths, and garlands are a fire hazard and should not be left in the home, garage, storage building, or placed outside on the property.

9) Do not hang decorations from fire sprinklers. Also, make sure smoke alarms are in working order.

10) When hanging decorations, use the correct ladder for the job and have help on hand, especially for tough jobs.

The holidays can quickly turn from joyful to tragic when a fire occurs. By taking simple precautions, property owners and tenants can avoid potential fire hazards and make this time of year a healthy and happy one.

Housing Forecast for 2018

There’s nothing like a new year to pump enthusiasm into your life, so what do the experts say about the housing forecast? Unemployment remains low: Despite tens of thousands of people losing their homes as well as businesses and hospitality services crippled due to the storms, the unemployment rate remains at a low 4.2 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Buyers have the income to shop for homes. New home construction lags demand: Due to costly governmental oversights, lack of skilled construction workers, and increased enforcement of undocumented workers, homebuilders are unable to meet demand for new homes, according to the U.S. Census. There’s currently five month’s worth of supplies at today’s rate of sales. Millennials favor homeownership: Pew Research found that millennials are the largest living generation and are disproportionately renters compared with previous generations. As the generation matures (the oldest are at 34 years of age), seventy-two percent wish to become homeowners. Demand is outpacing supply: According to Freddie Mac research, the hurricane season that hit the southern and eastern coastal areas, is exacerbating a market already short on homes, particularly in the affordable price ranges. Home prices are predicted to rise 4.9 percent. Mortgage rates drop under four percent: Nationally, the average interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages decreased in the fall to less than four percent, reported the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Market conditions suggest near-term winter and spring homebuying will remain brisk. You might be encouraged to buy before the summer rush!

Holiday shopping and events abound in Cobb County

It's hard to believe there is only three weeks left before Christmas, but you still have a chance to find unique gifts and enjoy fun, family-friendly activities and events around the county.

• Mable's Tea Room
  Mable House Arts Center, 5239 Floyd Road, Mableton
  11 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Saturday, through Dec. 9 (reservations available by calling 770-819-3285)
• Christmas House Arts and Crafts Show
  Mable House Arts Center, 5239 Floyd Road, Mableton
  10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 2-6 p.m., Sunday, through Dec. 10
• Empty Bowl Brunch
  The Art Place-Mountain View, 3330 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta
  11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 10
  Tickets: $15; proceeds benefit Must Ministries; to purchase tickets, click here
• Artist Attic
  The Art Place-Mountain View, 3330 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta
  Varying hours, through Dec. 14
• Gift Box Holiday Market
  Art Station-Big Shanty, 2050 Kennesaw Due West Road, Kennesaw
  10 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday and Saturday, through Dec. 16
• "Home for the Holidays: A Christmas Extravaganza" musical revue 
  Jennie T. Anderson Theatre, Cobb Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta
  8 p.m., Friday-Saturday, Dec. 15-16; 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 17
  Tickets: $20. To purchase, click here.

Help turn CobbLinc into Santa's sleigh during Stuff-A-Bus event

You can ensure local children in need enjoy the holidays by donating toys, gifts and monetary funds to Cobb Christmas' Stuff-A-Bus program next week. This local nonprofit organization has partnered with CobbLinc to continue on of the county's most unique holiday programs. During Stuff-A-Bus, a specially-wrapped CobbLinc bus will visit various locations throughout the county Dec. 12-14 to pick up donations to assist low-income families. This year’s schedule of stops includes:

• Tuesday, Dec. 12: Cobb Hospital, Windy Hill Hospital, WellStar Administrative Building, WellStar Corporate Office, Kennestone Hospital, Vinings Health Park and Home Depot in Powder Springs
• Wednesday, Dec. 13: American Heart Association, One Overton Park, Kennesaw State University Marietta Campus, Marietta Square, Acworth Health Park and Philips Respironics
• Thursday, Dec. 14: Traton Homes, East Cobb Health Park, Mavis Lane Realty, Three 13 Salon, Boutique and Spa and the Cobb Community Development Agency.

Cobb Christmas, Inc. is a nonprofit, 100 percent volunteer organization started in 1963 to help less fortunate families in Cobb County during the holiday season. 

Giving the Gift of Warmth in Cobb County

Donate jackets and winter wear to Police Department coat drive

Cobb County Police Department's Community Affairs Unit staff is excited to announce its first annual coat drive: "Giving the Gift of Warmth." Help us ensure everyone in our community enjoys warmth during the upcoming winter season. We need your support to make this project a success by donating gently-used coats and other winter wear (scarves, hats, and gloves) to children and families in need. Your donated items will be shared with numerous organizations throughout Cobb County.

Donations can be dropped off at any of the below locations through Friday, Dec. 1:

Precinct 1: 2380 Cobb Parkway, Kennesaw
Precinct 2: 4700 Austell Road, Austell
Precinct 3: 1901 Cumberland Parkway, Atlanta
Precinct 4: 4400 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta
Precinct 5: 4640 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs
Headquarters: 140 North Marietta Parkway, Marietta

The best times to drop off at the precincts and headquarters are between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding county holidays). If you are unable to make a drop-off donation, please call Sgt. Jeff Tatroe (Community Affairs Unit supervisor) at 770-499-3981 or email him at jeff.tatroe@cobbcounty.org for a scheduled pick-up. 

Identify and Eliminate Vampire Appliances

Some of your electronic devices at home drain energy even when they are turned off, but still plugged into an outlet. The average U.S. home spends about $100 per year to power devices while they are off or in standby mode. Here are some tips to help you identify and eliminate the energy-sucking appliances in your home.

Interesting facts about vampire appliances:

• The average home has about 40 vampire energy electronics. 
• Standby power can account for about 20 percent on your energy bill. 
• Powering devices while they are off or in standby mode can cost you about $100 per year. 

Vampire Appliances in your home:

• Televisions 
• Cable or satellite boxes 
• Game consoles
• DVD, DVR or VCR players 
• Computers
• Devices that turn on automatically with a remote control 
• Chargers (such as your cell phone or camera chargers)
• Printers
• Standby coffee makers
• Electronics with a standby light or clock 

Tips to help you eliminate vampire appliances:

• Unplug your devices - If you have an extra TV or desktop computer you don’t use often, unplug it until you need to use them. 
• Use a power strip - Power strips allow the convenience of powering devices on and off so that they’re not consuming power when you’re not around. 
• Smart Upgrades - ENERGY STAR appliances have a lower standby consumption and use less energy than a general appliance. 

Bridging the Generation Gap with New Hires

“Did you see what she wore to work today? What was she thinking? This is a corporation, not a club!

"How does he not know to bring a notebook and a pen to a meeting? Do I have to tell him everything?"

"What would make her think it was okay to party with clients until three in the morning? Does this woman have no understanding of boundaries?"

"Did you know his mother called HR to find out when he would be getting a raise? Unbelievable!”
 
If you have new hires fresh out of school in your workplace, some of that may have a familiar ring.
 
So what’s happening? Are the new hires prompting those reactions just bad hires? Are you just unlucky? Probably not.
 
Rather, the source of the surprises most likely has to do with training (or the lack of training) related to workplace expectations. Before you say, “but they should know,” don’t waste your breath. Maybe they should know, but they don’t. New hires are called new hires for a reason. They are freshly minted employees who don’t know much about the workplace because most of them haven’t been in it that long.
 
Think about it: if the shoe were on the other foot and you found yourself in some kind of Freaky-Friday hell, do you think you would flawlessly understand today’s high-school or college social codes? Dream on, and good luck with that.
 
As someone with more experience than the people you hire, you have a responsibility to get them off to a good start. By consistently following three steps, you can short circuit many of the problems people encounter when they start working with new hires.
 
Step One: Understand something about them
Millennials as a generation are different from those who have come before them. More than a few still live at home and don’t plan on leaving soon. Besides, if they borrowed money for school, they may already owe as much as what amounts to a mortgage. That doesn’t mean they’re clueless about life outside of the nest, but their circumstances are probably very different from yours at the same age. Assume nothing.
 
Next, you must understand these people grew up surrounded by ever-present technology and in an era of instant answers. Sure, you may have had an Atari or Nintendo, but it’s not the same thing. They had and still have Google. They are used to being able to find information and find it quickly. Raised in an era of parents as friends and instant answers, many of these individuals have no problem questioning authority. In the workplace, you may see a new hire ask questions and interact with senior leaders in ways you don’t expect. Maybe you already have.
 
Another difference between millennials and other generations is how they view praise. As children, this generation of people played on sports teams where everyone received a trophy just for showing up. They were also rewarded and recognized with ribbons and certificates at school for being polite, having integrity, and displaying common courtesy. Millennials expect feedback loaded with praise whether merited or not.
 
Longevity in an organization is another difference between this generation and others. Years ago, it was a major taboo to job jump or have gaps on a resume. These days, you will find that this generation will gladly take six months off to go hiking along the Appalachian Trail or volunteer somewhere overseas. Strangers to delayed gratification, they aren’t saving those activities for retirement, and they don’t expect to spend a lifetime with a company. Instead of pretending that millennials will be part of your team for a decade or more, look for ways to make the most of the time you have together while they are.

Step Two: Spell out everything
Millennials are not the Amazing Kreskin. Do not rely on their clairvoyant powers. Again, assume nothing. Take workplace dress, for example. There was a time not too long ago when women wore hose to work and wouldn’t consider crossing the office threshold in open-toed shoes. That was then. These days, if you offer no guidance, some will cross the threshold in footwear you wouldn’t wear outside your house. And when the parade of fashion crimes starts, you will have no one to blame but yourself. You need to tell people that contrary to what they may see online or in a magazine, the flip-flop is not the new Ferragamo.
 
Once you’ve thought about the basics, you’ll need to anticipate the times "on the job” when the new hire will interact with people outside your organization. Is the new hire attending a client function with you? If so, it makes sense to review your expectations before you head out the door. If you expect a certain set of behaviors, you need to make clear what they are.
 
Step Three: Use praise, and do it often
Most people like praise. The difference between millennials and other generations is that they are used to getting it.
 
To get the most out of your new hires, you must learn how to give feedback more often. A word of caution: Millennials know when they are being patronized just as well as the next person, so choose your words wisely. You are going to have to pay attention and recognize good work. It’s more time consuming, but if you put in the effort, you will probably see more of what you want to see.
 
Do not rely solely on feedback on the fly. The reality is it’s easy to get busy. Make the time to have structured conversations with your new hires about their development. Thinking about skipping this step? Don’t. Regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings will ultimately benefit the new hire, the organization, and you.
 
Developing any employee takes time, and working with new hires has its own set of challenges. There are few shortcuts along the road to success in the workplace.
 
How much effort you put in to another person is certainly up to you. But think back to your first days in the world of work. If someone spent the time to work with you early in your career, you were lucky. If you didn’t have that opportunity, don’t you wish you had?

Published by By Kate Zabriskie 
Click Here for Reference