December 2019 marks my final issue as Editor-in-Chief at units magazine. I was hired to produce this magazine in 2002 and have published well over 200 editions. It has truly been a pleasure learning about and reporting on the apartment industry for all these years – from the economic cycles to the technological advances. Here are 10 Things I wrote about that personally were memorable and hopefully impacted your day-to-day operations.

This column appears in the Dec issue of UNITS. If you'd like a link or copy of it or any of these 10 articles below, let me know at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Working with everyone in the multifamily network has been truly rewarding. I will miss it more than you know! 

1. Airbnb: Here to Stay (Dec 2015)
Earlier that year at an apartment industry conference, I asked several apartment operations and technology veterans if they thought Airbnb would be a big deal for our industry. They said, “What’s Airbnb?”
2. Hurricane Katrina (Oct 2005)
Our industry really is at its best during awful situations such as the flooding in New Orleans. This event unfolding on TV over Labor Day was heartbreaking. However, apartment professionals throughout the country banded together to bring relief and comfort to so many. The industry continues to deliver during the many times of emergency ever since. 
3. “Do You Still Like Facebook” (March 2012)
Admittedly, I was not a fan of social media back in 2012. While clearly not just a short-term fad, reporting on what many apartment marketers had to say back then was fascinating. And wow, so much of that they said came true.
4. “Talking Trash” (Feb 2019)
I’m a devout recycler. But figuring out what the tiny numbers inside the small triangles on product packaging meant was confounding. I visited a regional recycling facility run by Waste Management. It wasn’t a waste. The effect trash pick-up has on apartment communities and their bottom lines was eye-opening.
5. “Artificial Intelligence, Get Real” (Apr 2017)
Weren’t we all amazed by Alexa in 2016? – and not just as a cool holiday gift. Slowly but surely voice-enabled function, virtual assistants and artificial intelligence overall is taking over our lives as much as we’re willing to allow it.
6. “Clearing the Air: Smoke-Free Housing” (Dec 2007)
Rare are examples for which freedom could or should be taken away, but in this case, smoking is proving to be one of them. With enough nudges from government regulations and the spirit of supply and demand, the result is a healthy one.
7. “Issues Behind the Icon” (Oct 2007)
On the other hand, well-intentioned but confusing, inconsistent and even unintelligible government regulations about accessibility design (that blue, box wheelchair icon) can throw a costly policy wrench in businesses such as housing that all the while are seeking to comply. Damn lawyers.
8. Managing the Y Factor (Mar 2007)
I had just hired a few Gen Y staff for the magazine when I wrote this. They were excellent! But boy, what a mind-blowing task sometimes to truly maximize their tremendous skills and adjust to their attitudes. But guess what: A dozen years later, and we see that they pretty much had it right all along.
9. Boom or Bust (May 2012)
This article ran in tandem with “Where’s there’s a Williston, There’s a Way.” It was a look at the insane boom town that was Williston, N.D.—and all because of energy exploration that took over that remote part of the country. It’s an economic cycle that has played out many times in Texas, as several veteran NAA members pointed out to me.
10. Stop It (Jan 2018)
Taking a trending news item that dominates national headlines and applying it to our industry is one of the best things about units Magazine coverage. The #MeToo movement is one such example. Those horrifying accounts, particularly in the entertainment and political world, brought into public view how destructive inappropriate workplace behavior can be. This article explored the topic.

My goal for 2020 is to continue my reporting, content creation and publishing career elsewhere, either inside or outside the apartment industry. Reach out to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..