Apartment Blog

When you got ready to leave home today, you knew there was the possibility that someone could wrongly come into your home to steal things, so you probably locked your door, and perhaps set an alarm.  Then, when you got behind the wheel of your car, you knew there could be an accident, so you buckled your seat belt.  No one is telling you not to leave home or not to drive, but both of these activities pose risks.  Everyday we take risks, and the better informed we can be about risks, the smarter and safer we are. 

The same is true for advertisers as they embrace social media to promote their apartment communities.  Social media is a great innovation, but it does have its risks, and the better informed advertisers can be about those risks, the smarter and safer they are.

Remember that a website is a form of advertising.  As a practical matter it is no different than any form of traditional advertising, and the same rules apply.  The things you say must be true, because if they are not, it is libel; you have to be aware of consumer laws (watch out for sweepstakes that are really illegal lotteries); and, you have to honor the trademarks and copyrights of others.

And of course, don’t forget about fair housing considerations.  The point of a website is to advertise the community; what is posted on a website (and that means both words and pictures) must therefore be fair housing compliant.   Quite simply, that means that a “reasonable person” looking at the website cannot see anything that would suggest “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin.”  Therefore, the words that are used, the directions that are given, the symbols that are depicted, and the photos and pictures that are shown cannot indicate that type of preference, limitation or discrimination. 

The bottom line is that if there are fair housing issues with a basic website, the apartment community will be liable, since this is essentially an “ad,” and the community (its owner or PMC) is the “publisher.”

But what about a website where others are able to post information or are invited to blog?  Who is liable for what others post?  The answer is “it depends.”  It depends upon how much control the owner of the website (the “Publisher”) is exerting over the external posting by others.  It’s all about control.  The more the message is controlled, the more likely the accountability. 

Now, what about Facebook®, Twitter™, YouTube™ or a blog?  Are these a form of advertising?  The answer to that question is “it depends.” It depends on what a judge or jury might say about this.  The folks in the apartment industry who are using a fan page on Facebook or who are sending “Tweets” would ultimately have to admit that the ultimate goal is effective marketing of a community or PMC, and that sounds like advertising.

Social media can be a brilliant form of marketing, but people need to make informed business decisions.  They need to know what questions they should be asking before they take the leap into social media, questions like:

1. Who at the community/with the PMC will be its “voice”?
2. Where will this “voice” be heard?  On your own website or blog?  Or will this “voice” speak through posts at the websites and blogs of others?
3. If you will have your own website/blog, how much time will be committed to monitoring and promptly responding?
4. If you will have your own website/blog, how much control do you plan to exert regarding what is posted by others?
5. What will you do if someone says something bad about you or the community?
6. What will you do if someone says something bad about their neighbors or prospects–a lie, a slur, even an over-the-top compliment?
7. When is your employee your employee?  Are you responsible for their on-line actions?
8. When is your employee “on their own time”?  Are you responsible for their on-line actions?
9. Are you going to provide training for your employees on the proper use of social media as it relates to your website/blog?
10. Are you going to provide training for your employees on the proper use of social media as it relates to the websites and blogs of others?

Lock your house?  A good idea.  Seatbelts–ditto.  And take advantage of the wonders of social media and advertising, but do that with an understanding of the risks and a plan to address them.

REQUIRED LANGUAGE FOR ALL REPRINTING OF THIS ARTICLE: “Social Media- Don’t Take Risks” is written by Nadeen Green, Senior Counsel with For Rent Media Solutions. The information contained in this article is not to be considered legal advice, and the authors and their companies strongly suggest that you consult with your own counsel as to any fair housing questions or problems you may have.

If you are a husband or wife trying to convince your spouse to move hundreds of miles from either coast so that you can work at one of 12 Fortune 500 companies in Dallas, or you are living the single life and want a city where you can “Live Large (and) Think Big”, maybe a little preview of the city will help.

According to Yahoo Travel, Dallas has more “shopping centers per capita than any other major city nationwide and four times more restaurants per person than New York City”. Home to the flagship Neiman Marcus store and 15 Macy’s locations, Dallas should keep the wife/girlfriend happy while the husband/boyfriend enjoys the aura of the Dallas Cowboys.

Galleria Dallas shopping center has been recognized by USA Today as “One of the top 10 places to spend it all”.  According to Visit Dallas “Galleria Dallas is the only North Texas home of Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Thomas Pink, Baccarat, Versace, Tourneau, Sony Style, Zara, Karen Millen and the all-new American Girl Boutique and Bistro.”

Shopping and eating until you drop will complement your work in or alongside the Fortune 500 companies in this business Mecca, and the local pristine apartment accommodations add to the experience.

We recommend you start your apartment search here:

Dallas Apartments

The Verandahs Apartments in Dallas, TX

The Elan at BluffView Apartments in Dallas, TX

City Scape Apartments in Dallas, TX

Fox Hills Apartments in Dallas, TX

The Woods Apartments in Dallas, TX

Get more information and search tips on Dallas Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in Dallas, TX.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s population estimates, Utah was the fastest growing state in the United States as of 2008. Major industries that help Utah’s economy are mining, cattle ranching, salt production, and government services; which is probably why it’s such a growing state.

Tourism is also a major industry in Utah as it is well known for its year-round outdoor and recreational activities. It has five national parks, which are the Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Utah is well known for its winter activities such as ski resorts are primarily located in northern Utah near Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, and Provo. As you can see Utah is buzzing with outdoor activity which is one of the reasons why many look to keep residences there.

So if you want to live “Life Elevated” as the state slogan would say, then we recommend you checking out these apartments for rent in the great state of Utah!

Hunters Woods Apartments in Salt Lake City, UT

Somerset Village Apartments in Salt Lake City, UT
Seasons at Pebble Creek Apartments in Salt Lake City, UT
Palladio Apartments in Salt Lake City, UT
Brigham Apartments in Salt Lake City, UT

Pinnacle Canyon View Apartments in Orem, UT
Colonial Court Apartments in Ogden, UT
Broadmoor Village Apartments in West Jordan, UT
Sunset Ridge Apartments in West Jordan, UT
Candlestick Lane Apartments in Midvale, UT

To see other terrific apartment communities available, check out our YouTube channel and get more information and search tips on Salt Lake City Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in Salt Lake City, UT.

Information gathered from Wikipedia.org

“Baby boomers aren’t technology Luddites. More than 60 % of them consume socially created content. You’ll find them leaving their opinions on Web sites and joining social networks.”
- Jeremiah K. Owyang (@jowyang), researcher with Forrester Research

There is this perception that adults over 50 only dabble on the Internet, but research is finding that they are spending more time online and interacting in robust social networking communities. Baby boomers using social networking sites such as Facebook™, MySpace™, LinkedIn®, Twitter and YouTube™ are not as uncommon as you may think.

According to The Pew Internet and American Life Project, boomers now account for 35% of all Americans online. A consumer survey of U.S. consumers, from the NPD group, Inc., a leading provider of reliable consumer research, shows that 61% of baby boomer Internet users (age 44 to 61) had visited sites that offer streaming or downloadable video, while 41% had visited social networks.

Baby boomers are finding social networking sites appealing for the same reasons most people do- to stay in touch with people. They are interested in reconnecting with old friends and classmates whom they haven’t talked to in more than 30 years. They enjoy sharing photos with family and friends and staying connected to their children and grandchildren. High school and college reunions are also being organized via Facebook. Nielsen Reports that moms (aged 40-50 with 3+ children) are heavy online shoppers who stay connected via social networking more so than mom’s 39-54. Some are even replacing e-mail with social networking sites for staying in touch with people on an ongoing basis.  In addition to sites like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn, they are also using boomer-specific sites like eons.com, boommj.com, boomertowne.com and the aarp.org social network. 
According to Facebook, women over 55 remain the fastest growing group on the site, and growth among the teen and college-age set has been relatively paltry. In absolute numbers there are now even slightly more members between the ages of 45 and 65 than there are 13-to 17-year-olds. Analytics company iStrategyLabs has examined the demographics stats from Facebook’s Social Ads platform, and they have found staggering results. Interestingly, they found that the number of users aged 25-34 has grown 60.8%; the number of users aged 35 to 54 has grown 190.2%, while the number of users older than 55 years has grown a tremendous 513.7%.

Baby boomers are making themselves known in the social media space of the online world. Marketers who neglect to speak to them in the language they are now adapting to will miss out on a rewarding opportunity!

ForRent.com posts our apartment videos on various social networking and video sharing sites!  We upload videos to our video syndication network which consists of a variety of sites such as: YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo, Dailymotion, AptsVideo and many others! Why do we do this? ForRent.com wants to make sure that we are reaching renters and prospective renters in as many places as possible so that it makes the apartment search easier.  These videos really provide a rich cinematic view of both the apartment community and the surrounding area.

The way people search for information has changed and ForRent.com wants to make sure that we provide you with apartment information when you want and how you want it. So next time you are logged into MySpace or watching a funny video on YouTube, check out apartment videos by ForRent.com!

This week we are going to be spotlighting all the wonderful apartment communities in Texas! If you’re considering a move within or to the Lonestar state, check these out:

Wind Tree Apartments in Irving, TX
Woodchase Condominiums in Irving, TX
Delante Apartments in Irving, TX
Hillcrest Apartments in Irving, TX
Tower Village Apartments in Irving, TX
            
Carrollton Oaks Apartments in Carrollton, TX
Wood Meadow Apartments in North Richland Hills, TX
        
Southern Hills Apartments in Arlington, TX
Parks at Treepoint Apartments in Arlington, TX
      
Fox Hills Apartments in Dallas, TX
Town East Apartments in Mesquite, TX
Riverbend Apartment in League City, TX
Overlook at Bear Creek Apartments in Euless, TX
Village West Apartments in Lewisville, TX
              

Summertime means warm weather and fun outdoor activities. But summer is also known for a couple other things. Pesky party crashing mosquitoes and moving! Summer is mosquito season and they can certainly put a damper on your activities outdoor. Not to mention a scratchy night with red bumps! So to prevent yourself from a terrible itch due to mosquito bites, visit Mosquito.org for tips on prevention.

Now what about the other thing we mentioned summer is known for; moving.  Its true, summer is a peak moving season.  Ask any property management company, many people find that moving in the summer months is easier that moving in the winter months. So if you’re itching to move this summer, ForRent.com has the answer for you. There are thousands of apartment listings nationwide on the website and many of the apartment community videos on social sites like YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo, Dailymotion, AptsVideo and many others. Take a look…

Apartments For Rent in Colorado:
Creekside at Highlands Ranch Apartments in Highlands Ranch, CO
Stone Mountain Apartments in Northglenn, CO

Apartments For Rent in Texas:
Trinity Oaks Apartments in Arlington, TX
Tivoli Apartments in Dallas, TX
Creekview Apartments in Dallas, TX
LaVita on Lovers Lane Apartments in Dallas, TX
Blanco Crossing Apartments in San Antonio, TX
Pleasant Creek Corners Apartments in Lancaster, TX
Apple Apartment Homes in Irving, TX
2111 Holly Hall Apartments in Houston, TX
Woods on Lamonte Apartments in Houston, TX

Apartments For Rent in North Carolina:
Berkshire Apartments in Knightdale, NC
Oaks at Weston Apartments in Morrisville, NC