Kathleen Stanley

Kathleen Stanley's Posts

  • If Curtis R. Kemeny has learned one thing in his years as a multifamily manager and developer, it's that first impressions matter. "When someone drives up to a piece of property, an essential set of visuals washes over them," says the president of Boston Residential Group, whose family has been developing properties in downtown Boston and its western suburbs for three generations. "That first impression is the most important. The way a property is maintained and organized–the exterior of the buildings, the landscaping, the driveways–those things hit people all at once to form an impression before they open the front door. You either turn them off or turn them on with that first impression."

  • When it comes to countertop materials, the one-size-fits-all concept does not apply to multifamily builders and renovators faced with a host of choices. Installation cost is a prime concern, of course, but maintenance and customer preferences also factor into the decision. The trick is to straddle the various concerns and come up with a product that makes sense for all parties.

  • When Robert Montagne and his colleagues at Walnut Street Development in Fairfax, Va., first contemplated building Clarendon 1021, a 420-unit condominium building in Arlington, Va., deciding whether a fitness center would be included wasn't up for discussion. "With a building of that size, a fitness center was an absolute necessity," says Montagne, company president. "It was a no-brainer. With all the competition at that level you need those kinds of amenities."

  • Gone are the days when bathrooms could be taken for granted as plain-Jane necessities. Apartment developers led the way with upgraded kitchens, and that trend toward higher-style fixtures and finishes has definitely trickled down the hall to the bath.

  • Every summer, the movie theater becomes a battleground, as action flicks and romantic comedies duel for box-office dollars in the crowded summertime movie market. It's not much different at an apartment property, where the prime leasing season brings a gaggle of renters looking to move. And in a relatively weak rental market saturated with new apartment buildings, you need to use every advantage you have to attract people to your property—and turn them into residents.

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