HOMESTEAD HAPPENINGS
September Blog 2022
Work has officially begun at an eight-acre site on the northern edge of Italian Village. The property will soon transform from an industrial lot to “Lusso”, a 255-unit apartment and townhome community!
In The News: Construction Begins at the Lusso Site in Italian Village
Work has officially begun at an eight-acre site on the northern edge of Italian Village. The property will soon transform from an industrial lot to “Lusso”, a 255-unit apartment and townhome community. The project is a collaboration between local development firms Homestead Companies and The Lykens Company.
“Lusso will bring a new energy to Italian Village,” stated Dave Anderson, Founder, and CEO of Homestead. “Residents will be within walking distance to notable dining and nightlife destinations including Budd Dairy, Fox and the Snow, and 7th Son Brewing. It will cater to young professionals but also have offerings for established professionals who want to continue downtown living.”
The developers boast that the project is located on the largest remaining plot of undeveloped land in the neighborhood, and will include the largest clubhouse amenities with over 3/4 of an acre dedicated to interior and exterior community space that includes a fitness center, sauna, pool and lounge.
Lusso was first announced back in September of 2020 and the first phases received conditional approvals in March of 2021. The project is the latest to break ground along Fifth Avenue with several others currently under construction nearby, including 4th & 5th, Crossline, and the second phase of Crossline. Once fully completed, these development projects and others nearby will add over 3,000 new residents to Weinland Park, Italian Village, and the University District along this 1.5-mile stretch of Fifth Avenue.
Leasing at Lusso is expected to begin in early 2023 with the first units available for move-in during the fall of 2023.
Monthly Trivia - National School Photo Day!
We took a trip down memory lane for National School Photo day! All photos were hung up in the home office for everyone to view and guess who’s who. Winner received a Starbucks gift card!
Congrats to Qian Zheng for winning September’s Trivia!
Left to right: Donna Stage, Doug Falor, Emily Jones, Garry Kimber, Greg Burchwell, Jennifer Radcliffe, Love Proctor, Marykate Kramer, Matt Canterbury, Penny Ritz, Qiletha Caston, Qian Zheng, Ryan McGahan, Steve Wright, Leisha Maynard, Sandra Millwater, Steve Turner, Lisa Mosley, TJ Manfrass, Dave Anderson, Eve Detter, Halle Hunter, Makenzee Green, Megan Williams
OSU Food Truck Tailgate
The Home Office kicked Labor Day weekend off with an Ohio State vs Notre Dame tailgate with the Paddy Wagon food truck, backyard games, and some famous chocolate Buckeyes. We had a great time getting all the departments together for some fun team bonding!
Columbus folks - If you’re hungry for some delicious food, we highly recommend checking out Paddy Wagon!
HU Portfolio Hits a Record 96% Preleased
It was another successful year for the HU teams! Move-ins are now in the rearview mirror and the teams begin to focus on leasing for 2023.
The portfolio had a 96% preleased average for the fall of 2022.
Shannon Latsko, Regional Manager for HU stated "this was one of the most successful leasing seasons we've had and we owe it all to the onsite teams. Providing a fantastic resident life experience throughout the year has paid off and has set us up for success in 2023."
A few notable communities that hit the 100% Club. Shout-out to...
SkyGarden - Charleston, SC
The View - State College, PA
The Valley - State College, PA
River's Edge - Athens, OH
River Annex - Athens, OH
University Village - Columbus,OH
HU August Champ Chain Winner: Todd Jessup
Please join us in congratulating our August "Turn" Champ: Todd Jessup, University Village, in Columbus, Ohio! Go BUCKS!
"Todd has not only stepped-up during turn to make sure his team is organized in leasing, shuttle, and Maintenace, but he has also stepped up tremendously this past year. He was able to overcome a HANDFUL of changes within all departments. In the midst of move-ins and move-outs this month, Todd and his team were able to hit and exceed budgeted occupancy goals for Fall 2022. They are well on their way to hitting 100% which is PHENOMENAL in the Columbus Ohio market. It has been amazing to watch the way Todd has adapted his leadership style to ensure his team is as successful as possible. I have loved working with Todd over the years and watching him from afar this past month and year and think he is ever so deserving of The August Turn Champ Chain. " - Nominated by Shannon Latsko
We are so happy to have Todd as part of our Homestead Family. He truly illustrates what it means to be a CHAMP!
Employee Spotlight: Cindy Toler
Name: Cindy Toler
Job Title: Community Manager
Community: Helix Starkville
How long have you been with Homestead? Since June 2022
What were you doing before Homestead? I was a Community Manager for a different management group at a property in Oxford, MS.
Where are you originally from? Red Banks, MS
What are your favorite hobbies? Horseback Riding and cruising with the doors off in my Jeep on favorable evenings ❤
What would you most likely tell your 13 old self? Stay future-focused. Don't let any outside people influence your dreams! You got this!
If you could have coffee with three people, dead or alive, who would it be? Jesus Christ, (I mean, who wouldn't wanna chat over coffee with Him?!) Albert Einstein, My Mom's mother - I never had a chance to meet her since she passed away before I was born.
Who is the most famous person you have ever met? Christopher O'Donnell
What is your dream vacation? Bora Bora
What is the one THING, you can't live without? Sweet Tea!!! (NO LEMON!!!)
What is your proudest moment at Homestead? Seeing how well my team really came together at Turn and rallied to me in support during the situations that arose.
What is on your retirement bucket list? Travel! Go scuba diving with my son, be totally debt free by retirement so I can breathe easy and enjoy life with my family.
Lindsey Scott, The Valley, 1 year
Nicole Geer, UV, 1 year
Chris Hagaman, River Park, 1 year
Sarah Schaffner, Georgetown, 2 years
Wilbur Taylor, UV, 3 years
Tommy Carter, College Station, 4 years
Terry Kellenberger, UV, 5 years
Leisha Maynard, Clintonville Commons, 6 years
Ed Rutter, River Park, 8 years
August Blog 2022
Homestead America came together for the annual HA Summer Outing at the Scioto Mile in Columbus, OH for an afternoon of Hoggy's BBQ, giveaways, and some competitive ladder golf competitions! Within HU move-ins creeping up on us, check out some tips for a successful move-in experience!
BBQ and Babies at our HA Annual Summer Outing
Homestead America came together for the annual HA Summer Outing. The event was held at the Scioto Mile In Columbus, Ohio, and included Hoggy's BBQ, giveaways, and some competitive ladder golf competitions which ended up with TJ Manfrass from Development closing out a win and running to the hospital to welcome the newest addition to his family. Congrats on the baby, TJ, and we hope everyone enjoyed this year's HA Summer Outing. We look forward to next year and thank you for all of your hard work.
Tips For a Great Move-In
Why is a smooth move-in process important?
Moving ranks amongst the top most stressful life events. So, streamlining the tenant move-in process for your residents will ease their stress, in turn increasing their satisfaction. The days leading up to move-in day are your chance to make a great first impression on new residents.
After all, you’re the face of their new home!
Critical move-in day procedures you must follow:
Arrive early. This’ll ensure that you have time to prepare your welcome packets and go over your checklist before you greet your new residents.
Complete your move-in checklist. Don’t rush this step — it’s better to be over-prepared than to forget an essential item.
Review the welcome packet with your resident. Make sure they understand how to fill out their inspection form and where to submit it.
A smooth move-in process is the foundation of your relationship with new residents. So, practice efficient, informative engagement before and during move-in day. This allows you to begin the resident retention process before they’ve even arrived!
A great move-in process includes:
Completing necessary repairs to the unit and hiring a professional cleaning crew before your resident moves in.
Maintaining clear, open communication with your new resident.
Following a robust move-in process checklist to ensure you don’t forget any responsibilities.
Good Luck and Happy Move-In!
Rentgrata’s Best Practices
Rentgrata is a platform where prospects can message current residents to get a feel for what the resident experience is like at your community.
When the prospect moves in, both they and the current resident earn a reward.
How do we access the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard?
The Rentgrata Manager Dashboard is accessed via the following URL: manager.rentgrata.com.
You’ll need a login and if you don’t have one or can’t remember it, reach out to your Rentgrata Client Success Manager, Kim (kim@rentgrata.com) for assistance!
How often should we login to the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard?
We recommend logging into the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard at least once a month. If your property is active and you have more than 10 residents signed up and decent availability, we recommend upping that to twice monthly to help you stay on top of pending rewards.
Who is responsible for paying out Rentgrata Rewards?
The community pays out rewards. Your team will pay our rewards 30-90 days after the prospect moves in via either Rent Credit, Gift Card, or Check.
To see which specific method and payout period is in place at your community, hit “Change Amount” on the Property Info tab of the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard or reach out to your Rentgrata Client Success Manager, Kim (kim@rentgrata.com) to confirm!
What is the Rentgrata Link and how can we make use of it?
The Rentgrata Link is a URL unique to each property that leads prospects to a page with the Rentgrata Messenger already expanded to display your active residents. It’s a way to get prospects to engage in conversations quickly and works as a great follow-up tool!
The Rentgrata Link has a corresponding QR code? Where can we find it and is there collateral we can add it to?
The Rentgrata Link’s QR code for your property can be found at the top of your property’s profile in the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard. See screenshot below!
And yes, there is digital collateral where the QR code can be added! You can access Rentgrata’s Digital Collateral Library via this link:
In the Prospect Facing folder, click on the section titled Prospect Collateral with QR Code Space.
What other ways can we use the Rentgrata Link?
Your team can include this link in their follow-up emails - see the linked verbiage above!
Keep a printout of the QR code for your property at leasing desks for prospects who don't look-n-lease to snap!
Stand it up in your models/show units for prospects to grab during tours.
Add links to and a call to action on Linktrees in the community’s Instagram accounts
Have leasing teams strategically provide RG links to any tour who walks out the door without signing a lease. “Why don’t you ask a current resident about their experience”.
What are some ways we can get our residents to engage more with Rentgrata?
Send periodic to your residents that they can earn rewards by chatting via Rentgrata! If you need assistance crafting the communication, reach out to your Rentgrata Client Success Manager for assistance at kim@rentgrata.com!
Access the Resident Facing folder of the Digital Collateral Library for flyers that you can post to common areas. During busy package season, it can also be a good idea to print half-page flyers and slap them onto packages that residents can grab.
Throw a flyer in with renewal offers.
When a resident comes in to compliment your team, ask them if they’re signed up for Rentgrata!
What should we be looking at in the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard when we login?
When you log into the Rentgrata Manager Dashboard, the primary section you’ll want to look at is the Rewards tab.
If there is a red number notification on it, congrats! That means your residents have been influencing prospects through conversations and you now have rewards to process!
The next most important tab is the Leads tab. This tab also has a number notification, but it’s just counting the number of Open Leads (prospects who’ve engaged with the messenger) you currently have.
Since your community has a PMS integration with Rentgrata, you don’t need to do anything with this tab other than give it a once over to ensure that there are no Active Leads (applicants) that haven’t automatically moved over to the Moved In column via the integration.
If they haven’t moved, just click and drag them from Active to Moved In and enter the move-in date. This will get their rewards to populate in the Rewards Tab.
The last tab you’ll definitely want to check when you login is the Residents tab. Peek at this tab to scroll through your residents to see if there’s anyone in the messenger that you might want to remove because they’ve moved out or you feel that they might not be the best community ambassador.
To Report a resident, simply click on their name and hit Report User in the upper right corner.
Have questions and don’t see the answers here? Reach out to your Rentgrata Client Success Manager, Kim Jones Walton, at kim@rentgrata.com!
HU July Champ Chain Winner: Will Clark
Please join us in congratulating our July "Pride" Champ: Will Clark, 2818 and Parkway Leasing and Marketing Manager, in College Station, Texas! GIG EM'
"Will has been the heart-and-soul of 2818 since our acquisition. Will has made the leasing team everything that we are and is adored by all of our residents. He has dedicated everything to his leasing team and the 2818 community. He has made 2818's renovations run better and faster than ever. Without Will, 2818 wouldn't be anywhere near where we are today. Speaking on behalf of the 2818 team, we love Will unconditionally and appreciate everything he has ever done for us. He has trained all of us to be the best that we could ever be, made the best out of the worst situations 24/7, and treated the 2818 community as a family. Will is our diamond-in-the-rough and the saving grace of our renovation process. He is the whole embodiment of every single Homestead Value and has instilled that in his team every day. We couldn't imagine 2818 without Will -- he wholeheartedly earned a place on the podium for everything he has done for us since Day 1. " - Nominated by Kasen Hobson
Will moved across Texas from Lubbock to College Station when the previous property he worked at with Homestead sold, to stay with the company. Talk about commitment, dedication, heart, and PRIDE. We are so incredibly thankful to have Will as part of our College Station team and he deserves a HUGE shout out from the rooftops!
HA Q2 Medal of Excellence: Jeremy Gray
Please join us in congratulating our 2nd Quarter Medal of Excellence Winner, Jeremy Gray, from Worthington Commons! He proved this quarter that he can "SUPPORT IT", one of our most important Homestead Core Values! We are so lucky to have you on the Homestead Team, Jeremy.
Jeremy's teammates gave multiple nominations! Read below to see what they had to say:
"Jeremy has gone above and beyond to make Worthington Commons a better and nicer community. His work ethic is phenomenal. He will take the time to train and explain how things are supposed to be done the correct way, and let's management know how his work is progressing to be able to stay on track with move-in dates. He has stopped to take care of urgent work orders many times and then will let management know so everyone is on the same page. He is not only a great asset to Worthington Commons, but to Homestead America!"
"I can't sing the praises of Jeremy and our "Support It" core value enough! He always goes out of his way to make sure that everyone he works with feels and is supported. He has helped train me and become the maintenance supervisor that I am and I don't think I've ever heard him say no to a request for help. He has always been available to answer a question on property during the workday or when I have been on call."
Thanks for all your hard work!
Will Clark, 2818 College Station, 3 Years
Jordyn Kitko, The Valley, 2 Years
Garry Kimber, Home Office, 2 Years
Tom Reitz, The View, 2 Years
Rafael Rodriguez, Harlow, 1 Year
Gregg Penczak, N 4th St, 1 Year
Andre Norrils, River Park, 1 Year
Chris Beardman, Home Office, 1 Year
John Lamb, Blacklick-HSL, 1 Year
Jeremy Gray, Worthington Commons, 1 Year
Andy Bowers, Farber House, 1 Year
Sam Wilson, UV, 1 Year
Mariah Paolucci-Dougherty, The Valley, 1 Year
Christopher Walter, River Park/River Gate, 4 Years
Homestead Helpers Donates $40,000 to Huckleberry House
This past month, we worked with Huckleberry House, Inc. to help build a brighter future for runaway, homeless, and at-risk youth in Franklin County. We partnered up with a few of our vendors and, collectively, donated $40,000 of materials and labor to the renovation project.
The Homestead Helpers brightened landscaping, painted interior and exteriors, repaired fences, provided TV’s, new beds, and more. Those are just a few of the many ways Homestead gave back.
Our story was featured on ABC 6 WSYX-TV. Click the link to hear more from Donna Stage, Homestead U Regional Manager, about the impact we are making together as a community.
If you are in a crisis situation and need help, call the 24-hour crisis hotline - (614) 294-5553.
Ben Franklin 2022 Winners
BEST CURB APPEAL: OLDE TOWNE
BEST TEAM EFFORT: SCHROCK PARK
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: HOMESTEAD VILLAGE GROVE CITY
Since 2006, teams of judges have traveled around to all our Homestead America properties to determine the best curb appeal, best team effort, and rookie of the year. The annual Ben Franklin has been a testament to the commitment of providing the best resident life experience possible and this year, we were nothing but impressed. We are so proud of the hard work from the on-site teams!
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
In The News: CBF Power100
We are excited to announce our own Dave Anderson, CEO and Founder of Homestead Companies, was named on the Columbus Business First 2022 Power 100 as one of Columbus' most influential leaders! Congratulations to Dave and all the other leaders on the Power 100 making an impact in Ohio.
Construction Round-Up
Construction continues to stay busy with 6 projects in development and several more slated in 2022/2023. Follow along to see the transformation!
LUSSO / STELLA - Italian Village, Columbus, Ohio
HSL MIAMISBURG - Miamisburg, OH
HSL BLACKLICK - Blacklick, OH
HAYDEN PARK - Huber Heights, OH
N 4TH ST - Italian Village, Columbus, OH
Marketing to Students During Turn
Getting through turns while still trying to hit your leasing goals can be stressful.
Here are a few ideas on how to generate more leasing traffic during this hectic time while students have left campus.
Visit Archived leads. If you have good notes, you might be able to reignite a few hot leads.
Run a social media contest: Tag a friend who still needs a place to live (insert image of special). Incorporate Modern Message and increase points to push your message.
If applicable, dig into Rentgrata leads.
Ask your go-to residents if they have any referrals.
Ask every tour for a referral. "Do you know anyone still looking for housing next year? Friends make the best neighbors!"
HU June Champ Chain Winner: Michael Sanchez
Please join us in congratulating our June "Own it" Champ: Michael Sanchez, Floating Leasing Consultant in College Station, Texas!
"Michael started out as an ACE at Parkway and was an exceptional team member. He then randomly approached me one day and expressed how he was ready to take it to the next level and show us what he can do. Full of confidence, he said he wanted to take on the responsibility of the Field House and really make is something special. Michael has been a responsible, positive, and amazing team member in the College Station area. Supporting all 4 of the properties and really grasping the marketing role at the Field House, he has done some remarkable things. Thank you, Michael, for everything that you do for all of us!
Michael just celebrated his first Homestead-versary this month and he's been owning it since day 1. He is the heart and soul of The Field House and helped make the Parkway team what it is now. Every College Station property depends on Michael -- he's worked at all four properties and has assumed every role that he's ever needed to take on. Everyone here in College Station has depended on Michael at some point and he's never let any of us down. Michael has OWNED IT every day here -- from part-time ACE to full-time LC to running The Field House -- there's absolutely nothing Michael can't do nor won't do for Homestead. Michael has dedicated himself to his residents and The Field House. He is the reason The Field House has been all that it has become. He has increased his workload by taking on 2818's renovations on top of running The Field House and has been an absolute essential to everything going on in College Station. We wouldn't be anywhere without Michael and all that he does for us. If anyone is deserving of such recognition, it would be Michael." - Nominated by Kaitlyn Key and Kasen Hobson
Michael, we are so excited to have you holding down The Field House and helping with ALL four of our College Station Properties. You are such a pleasure to work with for everyone. Your commitment, loyalty and dedication show through! We are so happy to call you our JUNE “OWN IT” CHAMP!