Triple Win Property Management Blog | Second Nature

The 4 Best Property Management Associations to Join

Property management associations are membership-based organizations that provide opportunities for networking, education, and advocacy for property management professionals. There are many advantages to being a member of one. The business and personal development opportunities available through the many conferences and educational opportunities present great avenues to grow and optimize your property management business. Many of these associations blend in-person networking with online communities, and some even offer professional certifications that can help you prove your expertise to new clients. Different property management associations have stronger presences in different geographic areas, while others tend to cater to specific portfolio types. Which one is the right fit for you will depend on your particular market, personality, and business, so take a look and see what piques your interest. Here are four property management associations we recommend looking into. NARPM: National Association of Residential Property Managers The National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) is the single-family rental industry’s leading association. It’s a national organization dedicated to the SFR industry with countless regional chapters and over 6,000 individual members. NARPM was founded in 1988, and has a rich history in the industry. NARPM bills itself as the only national organization exclusively focused on residential property management, and they require all members to be actively engaged in property management and fully licensed (in states that are necessary). They also require an ethics course for all new members, reflecting their commitment to bettering the practice of property management as a whole. NARPM’s National Conference and Expo every October is the largest event and trade show in the SFR industry, and the Broker/Owner Conference and Expo each March provides additional opportunity to learn and grown your business. The association also hosts countless other regional and local events and trade shows that serve as networking opportunities and increase chapter engagement. If your region has a local NARPM chapter, joining can be one of the easiest ways to further yourself and your property management business. You can search for your local chapter right on NARPM's website, or join as an at-large member if you don't have a chapter close by. National Rental Home Council The National Rental Home Council (NRHC) is a national trade association specifically for single-family rental property managers. It's a newer association, but it's one of the few aimed at the single-family industry. The NRHC's goal is to strengthen the rental market by helping property managers provide high-quality homes to residents while educating the public on the societal benefits of a strong SFR market. They aim to provide advocacy and strengthen the availability of single-family rental homes, while helping members navigate changes in the landscape. This is partly driven by first-party research reports that the NRHC publishes multiple times per year. Much like NARPM, NRHC has numerous local chapters as well as an at-large membership option, with both basic and premium membership levels. The council hosts several events annually, including an Industry Leaders conference in Washington, D.C. NRHC is open to owner-operators, builders, vendors, and service providers, so long as they work in the single-family market. Information Management Network Information Management Network, more commonly known just by the acronym IMN, is not technically an association, as it does not offer membership. Instead, IMN hosts a wide variety of networking events all across the U.S. and Canada for both single-family and multifamily property managers. Now part of Informa's Real Estate division, IMN hosts real estate events both in and out of the property management industry. It's single-family forum will be in its 13th year in 2025, hosted in Scottsdale in December. IMN has over 30 years of experience organizing rental and real estate conferences across the country and now hosts over 60 events annually. National Apartment Association If you’re in multifamily property management, the National Apartment Association (NAA) is an advocacy and trade association with excellent member benefits including exclusive training courses, access to legal assistance programs, and member-only content, including a dedicated magazine. NAA is focused on improving the property management industry through legislative advocacy, professional development, and fair housing and compliance resources. Much like NARPM and NRHC, the National Apartment Association operates primarily through local affiliate associations. NAA also hosts a number of events and trade shows throughout the year. These events focus primarily on advocacy and regulatory work for multifamily managers, but include valuable learning and networking sessions for other professionals in the apartment space. NAA's national trade show, Apartmentalize, is one of the premier industry events each year. Final thoughts Whether you're in single-family, multi-family, or a mix of both, there's definitely an industry association that can help you build your business and continue your professional development. We recommend starting with the list we've provided here, but feel free to do some research and find an association that works for you, even if we didn't mention it. If you're looking for an opportunity to network with peers and learn from other professional property managers, consider joining the Triple Win Property Managers group on Facebook.

July 28, 2025

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5 Valuable Property Management Courses, Workshops, and Certifications

Continuing education is vitally important for property managers, but with such a wide variety of online property management courses available, how can you know which are worthwhile? There are plenty of online courses and certifications worth pursuing, and we've outlined some of the best here. These are courses that provide opportunities—sometimes for free—to network, stay ahead of the curve, develop specific skillsets, and learn about vendor products that can help your business grow. Certified Property Manager designation "CPM" is an accreditation overseen by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) that stands for Certified Property Manager. You may have noticed that many consultants and broker/owners of large companies carry the CPM designation. IREM's CPM course is a large undertaking, but it’s a well-renowned, highly respected designation in the industry. There are eight courses required to earn your certification, and the full process takes between 12-18 months according to IREM. The course list features sessions covering everything from real estate law, maintenance, and risk management to being an effective leader. Courses focus on real-world application and skillset development rather than theory, and many property managers have cited both the lessons and networking opportunities as tools that have advanced their career. Learn more about the CPM Becoming a Residential Management Professional Another popular certification is Residential Management Professional (RMP), a designation managed by NARPM. RMP is the most accessible of NARPM's designations, designed for newer members. The primary requirement to be eligible for an RMP designation is to manage at least 100 doors for a two year period or longer. If you're eligible, you can start the process of obtaining your RMP by taking a set of courses focused on helping you grow your business. From there, there are a few events to attend before you select your path to course completion. The whole process can be completed in a year, and you must complete all requirements within a three-year window. The process of earning the designation is valuable itself, and shouldn't be seen as simply a means to an end. There are valuable teachings, networking opportunities, and takeaways throughout. Learn more about the RPM The Master Property Manager designation Property managers who have already completed NARPM’s RMP designation have the opportunity to continue their learning and development through the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation. PMs are eligible if they’ve managed over 500 doors for at least a five-year period. The MPM is an advanced designation that is not for the faint of heart. It's designed for true experts in the field, and is the highest level designation that NARPM offers. Master Property Manager is a simple concept... this is a professional with years of experience and commitment to the industry. This person is one who can be trusted to provide quality service and care to you and your valuable asset. - Andrea Caldwell MPM, RMP, former NARPM President Learn more about the MPM Second Nature's RBP Workshop For property managers looking to grow their profit per door, a Resident Benefits Package can be an incredible tool. Second Nature hosts a monthly workshop for property managers in all stages of managing an RBP. At an RBP workshop, you’ll learn how an RBP creates value and grows profit per door while positively affecting turnover rates, along with what’s included and how to manage a rollout. More importantly, you’ll hear from real property managers that have successfully rolled out an RBP and seen the results, so you can better understand whether it's the right path for you. The best part is that it’s completely free. The Certified Apartment Manager accreditation For multifamily property managers, the CAM, or Certified Apartment Manager, is an industry credential used to demonstrate high levels of competency and expertise in multifamily property management. Offered by the National Apartment Association (NAA), CAM courses cover everything from inspections and maintenance to employment regulations and accounting practices. Once you've completed the course, you must sit for the CAM exam, which is a four-hour timed exam taken in a proctored setting. NAA offers free practice tests online, so property management professionals who are curious about the exam can get a feel for it before committing to the coursework. In 2025, NAA released a refreshed version of the CAM course, proving their commitment to serving an evolving industry. With both online and in-person options, CAM a very accessible program for property managers who want to demonstrate their expertise. Learn more about the CAM

June 3, 2025

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Four Keys to Successfully Scaling a Property Management Company

Scaling a property management company is not easy. Between finding the right clients, hiring new team members, and keeping your processes up to date and efficient, there's a lot involved. We sat down with industry expert Patrick Freeze to get his take on how to successfully scale a property management company. Patrick Freeze was once a professional poker player. Now he is the CEO of Bay Property Management, a Baltimore-based firm that has scaled to over 6,000 doors and is one of the largest PMCs on the east coast. While his personal origin story is one of the most interesting in the industry, we're focused on his company’s growth story and the tactics used to go from zero to thousands of units under management. Bay Management took a marketing-focused approach, complemented by intentional and detailed process optimization. Freeze was a wealth of information, and we've tried to boil down our conversation to four top strategies. 1. Focus on SEO and digital marketing From day one, Bay Property Management has invested in its organic marketing efforts to help attract new business. Freeze himself became an expert in SEO early on, and today it remains a primary focus of his marketing team. “I started reading everything I could on online marketing, so SEO, pay-per-click, etc. Over the course of a year, I became really skilled at doing all the marketing on my own,” says Freeze. “So if you were to type in property management companies, Baltimore property management companies, or any variation of those keywords, we could come up number one. And then we started getting phone calls 24/7.” Bay grew rapidly as a result of its ability to generate web traffic and organic leads through SEO. Freeze doubled the size of the business each year for several years after the initial launch, eventually expanding into four different markets. Freeze credits his and his team’s investment in top-of-funnel digital marketing tactics as the catalyst for his rapid business growth. The CEO estimates he gets between 120 and 140 new single-family leads a week, almost exclusively from online sources. “We have 10 people in our marketing department that solely focus on that. Google is actually going through a big algorithm update right now, and you have to be on top of those. If you’re not, you’re not going to rank well in search. We spend a lot of time on that. Someone could probably argue the other side and say you should be more diversified, but it’s worked for us.” 2. Never stop examining your processes One of the biggest challenges for a growing business is process development and refinement. Scaling requires careful, deliberate processes, and that can often be more difficult than growing the client list. A rapidly growing PMC has already optimized its process for finding new business. Defining the systems your company will depend on to be efficient is a new kind of undertaking, something Freeze learned quickly as Bay grew to nearly 200 employees. “When you’re managing 500 units, you know everyone at the company very well, and you can get away with not having systems, policies, procedures. When you have 190 people, you really have to have your systems down,” says the CEO. Freeze notes that the challenges that come with a large company are not universal, and what you have to be prepared for at 50 employees is different from 150. It pays to focus on continuous improvement and always be optimizing; process management is never something that’s done. “So I think probably scaling from five employees to fifteen, to 50 To 100. You have to keep iterating. You have to continuously make improvements on what you're doing. So what worked for 200 doors is not going to work for 1,000. So a good example: when we started out, we had one person handling maintenance, one person handling accounting, one person as the property manager, right? And I would go out and get new business. Well, as the company continued to grow then we had two people on maintenance. And then we had two property managers. And as we were growing, we realize, wait a second, when a work order comes in, whose work order is that?” Defining roles and minimizing redundancy Early on in the company’s growth, Freeze sought to define the exact responsibilities of all positions within the company in order to minimize overlap. Overlap in roles leads to inefficiencies, which can be avoided with clear guidelines as to exactly what role is responsible for what upcoming tasks. “We have a handbook for our property managers that’s probably 80 pages. We have a procedural guide for every single position,” says Freeze. “I don’t think anyone whom I’ve talked to that has scaled has not had very, very defined policies, procedures, handbooks, because if you don’t, it’s going to be a total mess.” Structure has helped create more traceable outcomes, which results in processes that are “more easily optimized and improved as the company continues to grow. “We made a change when we had about 1,000 or 1,200 units from having maintenance coordinators and property managers to just having the property managers handle everything. It was a big switch for the company, but I think it was for the better because we know exactly when there’s a mistake that’s made. We can trace that and see exactly who was responsible for the problem instead of having four hands in the pie.” 3. Take the time to hire the right people “I don’t think there is anything more important than having good quality employees,” says Freeze. “You can get all the new business you want, but if you don’t have good employees managing the new property, you’re going to lose it as quickly as you gained it.” Bay did not grow to almost 200 employees without a developed process for finding highly skilled team members. While the hiring process has become much more role-specific now, Freeze credits a unique interview design—one that’s much more action-focused than response-focused—for helping him pick the people best suited for property management. “I had a list of 30 to 40 questions that had nothing to do with property management. I would ask questions like ‘who is the vice president?’ ‘What is 46 times 24?’ I used to have this brick wall in my office and I would ask how many bricks are on the wall. I would ask them to name something that’s complicated but you know really, really well, and take five minutes and explain it to me. And I would just keep going on and on for probably 30 minutes with these questions.” Freeze never particularly cared if the candidates got the answers correct. He was much more interested in their process for getting to the answers and how they handled the unusual interview. “In property management, you’re constantly dealing with problems. You’re basically problem-solving when you’re a property manager, and if you can’t deal with complicated questions, you’re probably not going to be able to deal with complicated situations. So I would just start blasting off for 30 minutes all these random questions, and some people did great with it and we would hire them. We probably had 25% of all people who wouldn’t even finish the interview.” Resilience is a key trait for a property manager, but also one of the harder traits to identify in an interview setting. Bay’s interview process succeeded in testing for it. Freeze’s process also includes a timed writing test designed to see if candidates can write clearly and quickly when applying for a company that’s very email heavy. The process is designed to test ability more so than experience, and it’s helped get the right people in place from the beginning, allowing Bay to offer a better property management service that is more marketable. 4. Invest in legal and compliance Compliance is hard enough in the heavily regulated world of property management, but one of the biggest challenges as you expand into other markets is managing the different laws and ordinances in each individual market. Freeze believes that compliance is “far and away” the biggest challenge of scaling. “All of our leasing agents have to know different things in different jurisdictions that we’re in, because the requirements are different,” says Freeze. “We have attorneys review our stuff every single year, all of our lease documents, addendums, etc. Even with all that said, there is so much legislation that is passed every quarter that it can be tough to stay up on it.” Managers at Bay’s regional offices are required to be remain current with the nuances of local leasing laws and ordinances, which can change monthly. “They really are changing that much, as crazy as that sounds. And then when COVID happened, it was a complete and utter nightmare. They were changing weekly, and the odds of getting hit with a big class-action lawsuit go up, and you can be sued for something that you don’t even know you’re doing wrong. So always make sure you are totally buttoned up and spending extra money on compliance. I can’t say that enough. You can’t spend too much on that.” Advantages of scaling a property management business With these tips for scaling a PMC, you can increase the size and scope of your business, achieving higher levels of efficiency, profitability, and growth. Let’s look at what benefits you stand to gain from scaling your business. Improved profitability: As a business grows, it can benefit from economies of scale, which can help to reduce costs and improve profitability. Whether you're negotiating rates with a maintenance vendor or ordering air filters for your properties, you can usually get better deals when buying in bulk. Competitive advantage: Larger businesses can offer a wider range of products or services, enter new markets, and achieve greater brand recognition, all of which help you stand out from the competition. Plus, investors may be more likely to trust a business with more doors under management, which they see as more professional and more experienced. Improved access to capital: A larger and more successful business is often able to attract more investment and secure better financing terms, which can help to fuel further growth. In the case of property management, it can also draw clients. Attracting and retaining top talent: Scaling a business can help to create new professional growth opportunities for employees, increase job security, and improve overall job satisfaction, which can help to attract and retain top talent. Increased innovation: As a business grows, leadership can spend more time working on the business, rather than in the business. That means more time can be spent identifying opportunities, building efficiencies, and developing ancillary revenue streams. Tools you need to scale your property management business The property management industry is an enormously tech-savvy group of people. In our network of property management companies, we’ve seen quick adoption of new tools and tech like AI, cloud-based systems, and more. Of course, the property management tools you choose will depend on the specific needs and goals of your PMC, but here are some tools and property management software solutions that we’ve seen most highly rated in our industry. Slack: A cloud-based platform that makes communicating with your team easy. You can get immediate responses from team members, and even vendors or clients you add to your channels. LeadSimple: Sales CRM and process automation RentCheck: Automating property inspections Process Street: No-code, simple process and workflow management Airtable: a low-code platform to build collaborative apps to visualize data, processes, and more. Zapier: A tool that allows you to integrate all your applications and set up automated workflows between them. These are just a few of the many property management tools available. It's important to evaluate the specific needs and goals of your business, and choose a tech stack that best fits those requirements. How Second Nature helps with scaling Second Nature was built on the idea that we can make property management easier for everyone involved—residents, investors, and especially property managers. To that end, we’ve built fully managed services that generate greater value for your PMC by delivering better resident experiences. Second Nature’s Resident Benefits Package aims to provide tools that are customizable across multiple property management levels, needs, and niches. With fully managed and integrated services that add value for residents and investors, you can much more easily see the benefits of scale. Our team takes care of the details for you so that your team can focus on growth, reputation, and quality. Learn more about Second Nature’s industry-leading RBP and how it can help you scale with greater ease.

April 18, 2025

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Six Ways to Make Your Vacancy Stand Out on Zillow

Every property manager wants to minimize days on the market, and a great listing can be a critical component of accomplishing that goal. If you've spent any time looking at real estate listings, whether rentals or not, you've no doubt seen some well-done ones and ones that have five photos, three of which appear to have been taken for the TV show Hoarders. What makes a listing strong? If you're asking this question, you're off to a good start, and you're in the right place. Be thorough but concise Your listing should strike a balance between being thorough and concise, but it’s important to never leave out critical information that could lead to a negative experience down the road. First and foremost are any upfront fees, then things like pet rules, HOA considerations, and other relevancies that you don’t want a prospective resident to learn about later after they’re further into the process. Be concise about these so your property description doesn’t become too long, but be sure to include what a renter needs to know regarding costs in the application and move-in process. Take quality photos Photos are the golden goose when it comes to property listings. Quality, considerate photography will create stronger first impressions from potential renters. Fortunately, getting quality photos isn’t super difficult, it just takes some planning and forethought. You don’t need to stage your property. In fact, many property managers outright recommend against it. Photos of vacant, clean rooms are usually the way to go. They allow prospective renters to view their stuff and their layout in the photos, which can make them feel less like they’re looking at someone else’s home. Vacant rooms also tend to look bigger, and low angles with wide-angle lenses can add to this effect while showing the whole room. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Never post pictures with boxes, garbage around, open toilet seats in the bathroom, or anything that just doesn’t look inviting. Always open blinds and include window views from rooms when possible. You don’t need to hire professionals for these processes, but it can be worth investing in a quality camera to take nice photos. Again, this will be the first impression a renter has of your property. They’re not going to look twice if it looks small and uninviting. Don’t overdo the property description Be thoughtful of what goes into a property description and how you organize it. These things can get long, and if you’re a property manager, you’re keenly aware of the general public’s lack of interest in reading. A short, one-to-two-sentence description of the property will do for an opener, and you can follow that with bulleted lists of the property’s amenities. Lists are easily consumable and where the eyes of the reader will go first if they’ve decided to skim the description instead of reading through it. In addition to the features of the home, be sure to include nearby amenities in the listing. In single-family property management, schools and school districts tend to be important. Beyond that, nearby shopping areas, outdoor spaces and parks, and distance to highway access are things that property managers have found matter to prospective residents. Don’t list the property until it is move-in ready This is an easy one to check off, but making sure a home is fully ready for a resident before it gets listed is an advantageous process for property managers. You may be tempted to list it as fast as possible, but this has risks, and the theoretical shortening of time-to-revenue may end up backfiring if a great resident moves on because the home wasn't ready when they were. Renters aren’t always proactive. They tend to be looking for properties closer to their actual desired move date than maybe they should be. Listing a property before it’s move-in ready is a great way to create a negative experience if a quality resident seeks it out and it’s not ready when they want to move in. Include a floor plan Employing a third party to create floor plan drawings isn’t a super expensive or difficult undertaking, and it’s worth your while. A floor plan helps a renter understand how the house as a whole is set up, how they might use the space, and how their stuff fits in the home. There is inexpensive software that makes this process easy, or if you’re like most property managers and crunched for time, there are third parties available. This goes back to the idea of being thorough and clear in your listing. You don’t need 100 photos of the home, but you want to tell the whole story of the house as concisely as possible. A floor plan can help you do that. Think outside the box Ask yourself how you can make your listing unique. Checking all the boxes that make a quality listing is step one, but once you’re comfortable with that, you can ask yourself how to be a little bit different and stand out in the sea of property listings. While not a property manager, Trent Miller has developed a viral video series that blends content marketing with property listing strategies. He calls it the speed tour, and it is exactly what it sounds like. @trent_miller__ It's Time For Another SPEED TOUR‼️💨 Thank you guys for all the love and support!! More videos coming soon! Looking To Buy Or Sell Real Estate?? DM ME‼️🏡 ~Price Is Estimated Down Payment~ #realestate #homesforsale #RealEstate #HomeForSale #RealtorLife #DreamHome #Property #HouseHunting #NewListing #ForSale #HomeSweetHome #InvestmentProperty #OpenHouse #LuxuryLiving #HomeBuyer #HomeDecor #HouseGoals #BuyersMarket #SellingHomes #Homeownership #RealEstateAgent #speedtour ♬ original sound - trent_miller__ Garcia Property Management adds colorful overlays to the cover photos for their listings. They don't do this for every photo, so they're still following general best practices for their photo sets for each property, but also trying to stand out within the listings thanks to some color.

August 23, 2024

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Property Management Companies that are Winning on Social Media

How would you say your social media marketing is performing? As a constantly changing medium beholden to trends that can peak and die in a heartbeat, it can be a tough area to win. Truthfully though, it's underused in the property management space. Content creation for social media doesn't have to be super intense, and it doesn't have to be super polished. It just has to have intent and understanding of who you're marketing to. If you're looking to develop a more robust social media program for your PMC, you're in the right place. Here we break down three companies with three distinct strategies, all of which are unique in the PM space. These companies are crushing it, and learning from their successes can help you develop a strategy that works for you. Home Ladder's Creative Video Content Home Ladder’s “Chaos and Disorder” video series is a hit and a great example of creativity that can sometimes be lacking in property management marketing. Co-founders Travis Bohling and Brandon Graham are among the most creative content marketers in the property management space. While they may be relatively new to the content side of things (Chaos and Disorder is less than a year old), they've hit the ground running with a unique video series that's both relevant and genuinely entertaining in addition to leaning hard into Facebook reels. Short video content has been trending up in social media marketing since the rise of TikTok, although it's not heavily used in the SFR property management space. Home Ladder has taken this on with sets of short, straight-to-the-point thought-leadership content. The Chaos and Disorder video series is really fun, though. Home Ladder is starting to spearhead a creative approach to content marketing that the industry could really use more of. The idea here is really to engage the inability of self-managers to be effective tenant screeners, and they've told this story with two destructive characters affably named Chaos and Disorder. A constant battle in professional property management is trying to keep ahead of the self-managing landlord as self-management tech expands their capacity. Home Ladder is keyed in on that messaging here as a play to position their professional services as more reliable and thorough, and they've done it in a way that's genuinely entertaining and relatable to anyone who has ever had a bad tenant, which is anyone who has ever managed a property. RL Property Management's Authority Play on Twitter RL Property Management CEO Peter Lohmann is crushing it on Twitter. Executives being active in the content creation space can be a big win for companies, and RL Property Management’s Peter Lohmann is a prime example. While this is a popular LinkedIn approach, Lohmann is one of very few who has taken ownership of the property management discussion on Twitter. A tougher nut to crack than Facebook and LinkedIn, Lohmann has found success and amassed over 21,000 followers via a content strategy that seamlessly blends an authentic connection to the property management space with expertise Lohmann has acquired over years in the industry. The word relatability gets thrown around a lot when it comes to any kind of content-based marketing, but being relatable isn’t a goal so much as a strategy. The power of relatability is that it establishes trust, a challenging thing to create in many online spaces. If you can establish a familiarity with what affects the people you’re speaking to on a daily basis, that establishes a trust that helps build interest in what you have to say. Lohmann’s 21K follower count didn’t come purely from expository property management tips. There's a relatability to his content that helps create that trust, which adds value to his thought-leadership content. He’s naturally an authentic person and a master communicator, and while the expertise is valuable, that lies downstream of a personal connection to other industry professionals. Property management in a nutshell: Owners with 40 units: "call me if it burns down" Owners with 1 duplex: "why did you pay $45 to cut grass? My guy only charges $30 please call me asap" — Peter Lohmann (@pslohmann) March 11, 2024 When Lohmann does get into thought-leadership content, he's an open book, which also helps establish trust. Lohmann, like many leading property managers, believes that propelling the whole industry forward is more important than holding any kind of trade secrets. He does not shy away from granular details of his company, including sharing the what and why of his entire tech stack. Cheat code for starting & growing a property management business. This is a complete list of our software stack. This is how the magic happens & how we can calmly and effectively manage ~600 units. pic.twitter.com/aTHYAp9MwH — Peter Lohmann (@pslohmann) December 23, 2021 Grace Property Management's Informative YouTube Series Marc Cunningham is the YouTube king. Cunningham has been in property management for over 30 years, and his YouTube strategy is arguably the best in the game. The CEO of Grace Property Management is approaching 5,000 YouTube subscribers. Part of the value of Cunningham's channel is that you know exactly what you're going to get when you go there. His content is built with a very consistent format and length. He has over 100 videos, almost all of which are between five and ten minutes long, and address a very specific issue or question in single-family property management. Cunningham's approach is expert-forward, demonstrating that there is more than one way to win in social media and property management marketing. He provides a combination of content that addresses specific questions and issues in the PM space and offers windows into his own operations and the decisions he's made. His channel's most popular videos, often having thousands of views, cover management topics like how to explain a rent increase to a resident and why you should never charge a pet deposit as well as industry trends like average rent trends and predictions for the coming years. Because YouTube content is indexed by Google, Cunningham's strategy is built more around capturing search engine traffic than the above two strategies. It's self-sustaining to a degree now because of the size of Cunningham's following, but YouTube is an excellent way to capture search traffic, something Cunningham has leveraged well.

August 15, 2024

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The Good and The Bad of Virtual Property Management

Scott Hampton, who founded Hampton and Hampton with his wife in 2004, has seen the continued growth of the rental proptech sector over the last 20 years. With virtual becoming a buzzword in basically every industry, property management included, Hampton and Hampton has had to challenge some its preheld notions about the industry and learn how to best leverage virtual processes in the business. There are good parts and bad parts of an increasingly virtual world, and Hampton was kind enough to share his experiences trying to navigate this. Related: What is the Resident Benefits Package? Virtual showings One area where Hampton has committed to the benefits of a virtual approach is in showings. The rise of the virtual showing during COVID changed quite a bit for Hampton and Hampton, and Scott was very honest his old-school nature creating some qualms about the process, but the benefits were real as well. “Before COVID, people were still uncomfortable,” says Hampton. “They wanted someone to show up and shake their hand and open the door. Now, people are perfectly fine with getting a code on a code box. And I can sit on a Zoom call or Google Meet call with you on my phone. I can do it on a laptop.” The flexibility is really the big win with virtual showings. The logistical burden gets lifted quite a bit. The concept may not have unpopular in the past with prospective residents, but Hampton has seen a shift in how open renters are to more virtual processes. “I've seen our staff show houses on their phone at lunch and just walk the people through the house, literally, anywhere they're at and the people are fine with that. And then obviously just send them a link for the application and do everything digitally for that right there and to grease the skids as I say, to make that transaction as easy as possible for them. So you know, I think virtual showings have been a huge change for us.” While there are drawbacks to virtual showings that Hampton will touch on, the win here for the PMC is ease of logistical management. You no longer have to get an agent to a place and coordinate that. It just helps remove so much of extra legwork. "Logistically, it's hard when you're in two cities," says Hampton. "Even though you have staff in two cities, it's still logistically difficult to do that, to coordinate those things and to get that many people around. So that's helped." Related: Benefits of Property Management Outsourcing Services Virtual Assistants A lot has gone virtual over the last four years, for better or worse, and the geographic reach of the hiring companies has seen some of the biggest change. This virtual outsourcing has helped Hampton and Hampton be more efficient in the post-sales process, which in turn allows their salespeople to be more efficient and do the things they are more cut out to do. “We now work a lot more with virtual people. Not virtual companies per se that are out there, but currently, we have more virtual folks that are more like sales agents that are in other cities. They write contracts for us. They handle closings. I've never met some of our virtual closing people. They literally are US-based real estate agents and they write the contract they get handed the contract once it goes, they go to get the inspections done, and they get the financing in place. So the salespeople can kind of just move on to another sale and not be bogged down dealing with, you know, did the inspection get done today? Did the electric get turned on? And so we do a lot more with that." Drawbacks of Virtual Property management will also be a people business. Good PMs understand optimizations and processes built on tech is not a golden ticket. Relationships matter, and one of the drawbacks of a more virtual world is the spiking difficulty of managing relationship. "That's really hard to do," says Hampton. "It's just really hard to to convey that to people. I used to know the tenants' names and they used to know me. I rented them the house and, you know, I knew their boys. Same with the clients. I used to know their voice, but you lose that touch. So it's very hard and that's the one thing too that I think we all lose is that personal touch of a human relationship."

June 27, 2024

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10 Best Property Management Forums to Discuss PM Business

A property management forum is an excellent place to connect with other property managers in order to gain insight and expertise. These forums can be anywhere on the internet, although the most active ones tend to be on Facebook, and they can focus on anything from broad discussion on property management to specific accounting software. Here are our top 10 property management forums. Triple Win Property Managers Triple Win Property Managers is a private group with over 1000 members, and it’s exclusive to single-family rental professional property managers. There are a lot of property management forums out there today, some better than others. Not many are specifically designed for professional SFR operators. What you get in Triple Win Property Managers is the opportunity to engage with professionals across the country who own and work on companies of varying sizes. The SFR industry as a whole needs to demonstrate a commitment to elevating what it means to be a property manager. If you believe that, Triple Win Property Managers is a way to connect with others who share that view. Reddit r/propertymanagement is the leading Reddit forum for property managers. It’s a great place to get questions answered about a wide variety of property management topics. Really any question about property management can be asked, including questions residents or investors have about their property managers. Go to r/propertymanagement Bigger Pockets Bigger Pockets is generally aimed more at the real estate investor, but there is publicly available property management discussion there as well. The property management forums there are pretty active, with multiple daily posts. Go to Bigger Pockets Property Management Mastermind Property Management Mastermind is the largest property management Facebook group at over 12,000 members, and it’s among the most active. The group tends to lean single-family, but it’s not exclusive to professional property managers. Most of the discussion centers around property managers helping other property managers with issues, but the group has no express purpose other than connecting PMs. You can raise conversation regarding whatever you want. Go to Property Management Mastermind Buildium Users Unite/Appfolio User Group/Rent Manager User Forum Many of the property management accounting softwares have Facebook groups specifically for users to communicate with each other regarding the platform. They’re generally pretty active. Both Appfolio User Group and Rent Manager User Forum have over 2,000 members and multiple posts per day. Buildium Users Unite has almost as many members and gets about three posts per day. Go to Buildium Users Unite Go to Appfolio User Group Go to Rent Manager User Forum PM Health PM Health is a Facebook group that’s very different from the rest of the Facebook groups on this list. It is specific to property managers, but focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and finding time to exercise and be active. Owning a business, especially a property management business, can be high-stress and time consuming. PM Health was created for property managers to support each other in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Go to PM Health NARPM Discussion Group NARPM is the industry’s leading association for single-family property managers, and their Facebook group has over 2,500 members and is pretty active at about a post per day. It’s a great place to reach and engage with property managers specifically in the SFR industry, as NARPM is SFR specific. Go to NARPM Discussion Group Local groups There are lots of property management Facebook groups that are regionally specific, and these are great places to check out as well, especially if you have questions about local law and matters pertaining to regional or state ordinances. Your local NARPM chapter probably has a group, and there are lots of unaffiliated groups as well.

December 4, 2023

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two property managers meet their VIP pick up

2023 NARPM National #SecondNatureVIP Recap

#SecondNatureVIP returned this October for the 35th NARPM National in Atlanta, Georgia. This is one of our favorite weeks of the year, when we get to give back and show our appreciation for property managers who are chronically underappreciated. Check out some highlights below! And don't miss out in 2024 when #SecondNatureVIP comes to Dallas, Texas for the 36th NARPM National! 👑 355 Second Nature VIPs Second Nature welcomed over 350 property managers, nearly half the conference, as Second Nature VIPs. The VIP Shuttle got these PMs to the hotel in luxury, with no need to call a rideshare app or wait around. VIP Shuttle saved property managers approximately $9,500 in Ubers and 14 miles of walking with luggage. 💟 59 Second Nature attendees Second Nature sent 59 purple suit-wearing experience creators to Atlanta to man the VIP shuttle, the VIP check-in, meet with property managers, set up and help run the Second Nature party, and ensure that VIPs had an unforgettable experience. 🛍️Swag bags! VIPs each received a swag bag featuring Cards Against Property Managers, our take on Cards Against Humanity specifically for PMs, Department of Chaos Control hats, a personalized bracelet, and much more! 🚁 32 helicopter rides, 1 incredible party, and $3,496 raised for charity VIPs showed off their creativity at the Second Nature party, where costumes were encouraged. We met the Tinman, Barbie and Ken, the PowerPuff Girls, several other Barbies, and more! The party also featured a raffle that raised almost $3,500 for charity, and winners received a helicopter ride over downtown Atlanta. 32 rides in all were taken. 🏆 Sixth consecutive NARPM Affiliate of The Year! Second Nature was named NARPM Affiliate of The Year for the sixth consecutive year. We're incredibly honored and humbled to receive this award, and while we're grateful, what we really hope to accomplish is to be your personal vendor of the year through outstanding service and value creation! Check out the full highlight video! Want to join us at NARPM National in 2024? Become a VIP today.

October 25, 2023

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Tips for an Efficient Home: Change Your Air Filter

Change your filters already! Learn how to change air filters and do it already! You had to know this one was coming. For our fifth and final installment of Second Nature’s Tips for an Efficient Home, we want to remind you to change your air filters. There aren’t many routine home maintenance practices that are forgotten with more regularity than the air filter change. You should replace air filters in your home at regular intervals multiple times a year, but we all know someone who hasn’t even looked at their air filters in years (that's been us too, once upon a time). How to Change an Air Filter in Your House Changing air filters is one of the easiest ways to keep your home efficient. It’s probably the easiest of any practices highlighted in this series. That’s because home air filter installation is as simple as opening your vent, taking out the old one, and putting in the new one, or at least it’s that simple (shameless plug inbound) when you use Second Nature. Related: What is the resident benefits package? Why Changing Air Filters is Important Air filters do two things. They clean the air that circulates through your HVAC system, allowing you to breathe fresh air inside your home, and they preserve the health of said system by keeping particles and gunk from building up on it. Your system runs more efficiently with a quality air filter installed and will last longer as the result of reduced stress. ‍How to Choose the Best Air Filter for Your Home First, you need the right air filter. Skip the fiberglass and go straight to pleated. Fiberglass air filters is a bit of a misnomer since they are horrible at filtration. They do virtually nothing to keep pollutants out of your air. It’s better for air flow immediately, because it offers so little resistance, but detrimental to the long-term health of your system (and you!), as all the particles that pass through can build up on your HVAC coils and shorten the lifespan. This can result in costly repairs and even replacement. Pleated air filters are the best option for your health and your HVAC’s health. Their construction allows for much more effective and efficient filtration, which keeps that nasty stuff out of your lungs and off your system. Unless your HVAC is quite old (like really old), the more tightly wound construction of a pleated air filter won’t starve your unit of air flow. You've heard that last bit before. We're here to dispel that myth. You ready? Pleated air filters do not restrict airflow to your HVAC system! How does changing an air filter save you money? Great question. It does so in two ways. Efficient air flow through your vents minimizes the work your HVAC has to do to keep your home the desired temperature. An air starved system must run harder and longer to do so, which drives up your energy usage and ultimately your electrical bill. As your air filter catches pollutants, it begins to lose air flow efficiency as it becomes filled with dust, pollen, and any other clean air assailants it has vanquished from your home. It’s good that it’s catching these, but if you leave the filter in too long, the buildup of particle matter starts forcing the HVAC unit to work harder to get air. Now you have a system that’s struggling, thus producing higher energy costs. Learning how to change an air filter that’s dirty for a new one provides an immediate remedy to that and, as a continued practice, can boost the efficiency of your HVAC system by 15%. This boosted efficiency can extend the lifespan of your system as well, which will save you money years down the line in addition to the immediate benefits. How often is regularly? Glad you asked. The answer depends on many factors. Typically, we would recommend you do a new home air filter installation every three months, but certain elements can push this number down. If you live in a heavily polluted area, that filter will get dirty faster. Simply put, a dirty filter does a terrible job of filtering and needs to be changed. Add pets to the equation, and you might need to replace the air filter in your home every one or two months. It will depend entirely on your specific situation. Choosing air filters with higher MERV ratings is also beneficial for keeping your indoor air quality at a healthy level. Not sure which size air filter you need? Learn about the different air filter sizes to make sure you choose the best option for your home. If you want our opinion on your particular case, you can always ask! Tweet us Facebook Message us Email us ‍ And that’s how you can save 15% on your heating and cooling costs. Just swap out your air filters four times a year! If you’re interested in not having to remember this (another shameless plug coming in hot), we’ll ship high-quality, USA-made air filters right to your door when it’s time to change them.

June 21, 2023

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How Do I Know What Air Filter To Buy?

Pleated filter? Fiberglass filter? Electrostatic filter? Which one is for me? Pop quiz. What is the best way to rid your indoor air of pollutants like mold, pollen, and bacteria? Napalm your entire home Walk around the house waving a disinfecting wipe through the air Vacuum the air with a shop vac Purchase the right air filter‍ If you chose D, you are correct. If you chose any other option, then we need to have a separate conversation. An air filter plays a critical role in keeping the air in your home clean. In fact, it’s the most important item to your home’s air that you can purchase, and since your indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than the air outside (and no one likes breathing pollutants), you need a high-quality air filter. There are a lot of different varieties of air filters that you can purchase. Given that the average person ranks air filters right around different types of cement and how cardboard is made on the list of things that interest them, it’s not surprising that many don’t know what makes a quality air filter “quality.”‍ Luckily, all you have to do is read this one article, and you’ll have the answer to that question. Then all you have to do is sign up for Second Nature once, and you’ll never have to think about some air filters ever again. What type of air filter should I get? Filters can only be made so many ways. For home filters, you have three options. You can buy a pleated filter, you can buy a fiberglass filter, or you can buy a washable reusable filter. Each type has its disadvantages, and two of them have their advantages, so let’s take a closer look at what those are. Pleated Pleated filters get their name from their filter media, which is the material inside the frame that is responsible for the actual filtering. A pleated filter’s media is folded like an accordion to maximize surface area. Previously made of cotton, the pleated filters of today are built with synthetic polymers that allow for effective filtering while minimizing the impact on airflow.‍ The advantages of pleated filters include their high filtering efficiency. High MERV filters are almost always of the pleated variety. The pleated filters work to capture an extremely high percentage of large particles and a much higher number of small particles than competing filter types. ‍ Pleated filters are low effort and high functionality. The only thing you ever have to do is remember to change them out, and they’ll keep pulling gunk out of your air. Fiberglass Fiberglass air filters are the cheapest on the market, sometimes costing less than a single dollar. There is a reason they are so cheap, and it is because they are garbage. Yes, fiberglass filters are garbage. Fiberglass filters are the weakest option and are recommended by the National Air Filtration Association only as “prefiltering” devices because of how ineffective they are. Simply put, they are bad at their job. There’s a myth that fiberglass filters are better for your HVAC system because they allow for more airflow. While they do allow for that, advancements in HVAC and filter technology have made the difference immaterial. The extensive amount of pollutants they allow to flow through can actually make them more dangerous to your system than the pleated variety. The reason why fiberglass is often recommended is that people don’t remember to change their filter. As a pleated filter loads with pollutants, it can eventually decrease airflow to a critically low amount. Fiberglass doesn’t do this because of how woefully ineffective it is at actually catching particles. So as long as you’re regularly changing your filters, there is not a single advantage to the fiberglass option. Washable electrostatic Washable electrostatic filters are metal-frame filters that are designed to be washed and reused instead of replaced. The price range for these is wide, with the most expensive ones entering the $90 range. The advantage with these filters is their longevity. While they do eventually wear out, they can be reused for multiple years before that happens. The disadvantage is that you do need to wash them routinely and let them dry completely before reinserting. This can eat into your busy schedule as they don’t dry instantly, and if your washable filter doesn’t fully dry, mold growth can be a real issue. Washable filters also do a poor job collecting large particles. Because static electricity is really the only filtering mechanism they use, they struggle to attract the larger particles that are more difficult to pull with a charge. Thus, washable filters tend to work in reverse of fiberglass as they let larger particles through and filter out smaller ones. What quality of filter should I get? Second Nature offers two different levels of filter: Energy Efficient and Health Shield. Energy Efficient: The easy choice for the average home, our Energy Efficient filters are pleated MagicFilters made in Wilson, North Carolina. They provide a higher level of filtration than most off-the-shelf filters, while maintaining the same level of airflow. They feature a soft-edge frame, helping to ensure tighter seal within your HVAC unit. That, combined with the finely pleated filter media, captures more harmful particles than standard filters: 97% more of the smallest harmful particles 38% more medium-sized particles 16% more of the largest troublemakers. Health Shield: Our Health Shield filters provide improved performance for homes with pets or people with allergies. They capture everything that the Energy Efficient filters do, but they also capture more microscopic contaminants. They have a denser filter media, but the same metal, flexible-edged frame that creates a better seal and lets fewer harmful particles through. Are you an allergy sufferer? More than 50 million Americans have some type of allergy. Allergies are everywhere, and if you’re among the millions of people who suffer from them, your filter can help you keep those nasty allergens out of your home.‍ The severity of your allergies will help determine just how critical filtration is for your home. If you have a significant allergy to something that is prominent in your area, you’re going to want to increase your indoor air quality with a Second Nature Health Shield filter or equivalent level. More minor allergies or allergies to something that doesn’t exist in massive quantities around your home may mean that the Energy Efficient option is sufficient. Do you own pets? Owning a dog or a cat introduces a whole new threat to your indoor air quality: dander. Dander is small flakes or bits of skin that fall off your furry friend when they shed, and some people are violently allergic to it. If you are among that group, a Health Shield filter is a must. Pet dander is small, and a standard filter is likely not sufficient for you allergy sufferers out there. Health Shield will be more effective versus pet dander. If you’re allergic, get the Health Shield. If you’re not allergic, but you own pets, the Energy Efficient option will work well for you. Do you live in a polluted area? Air outside your home will become air inside your home. It is inevitable. No matter how much weatherstripping you install or how well-sealed your home is, there will be particles floating around outside that will get inside. This is particularly important to remember if you live in areas that see a lot of air pollution from things like smog. Those of you in California, as you certainly know already, can get hit pretty heavily with photochemical smog in the summer. The state is often also hit with smoke pollution during wildfire season, which also runs through the summer and fall. The particles that make up smoke are itty-bitty, smaller than a tenth of a micron. For perspective, you would need at least 3,000,000 of those particles lined end to end to equal one foot. If you frequently encounter smoke or smog around your home, a Health Shield is recommended. Still not sure what filter to get? Take our short quiz! Do you have allergies to pollen, dust, mold, or dust mites? Yes, severe allergies +2 Yes, mild allergies +1 No +0 Do you own a dog or cat? Yes +1 No +0 Are you allergic to pet dander? Yes, and I own a pet +1 Yes, but I don't own a pet +0 No +0 Do you live in a polluted area? Yes, very polluted +2 Yes, slightly polluted +1 No +0 Now add up your score. If your total was more than 2, we recommend Health Shield. If not, Energy Efficient will likely work well for your home. What size air filter should I get? As the saying goes, there are three things you can’t pick: your parents, your name, and your filter size. That’s a real saying that we did not just make up eight seconds ago. Simply, you need the filter size that fits in your air return. You can typically find that size on the side of the air filter that you already have in use. This size will be the nominal size, which means it is rounded from its actual size. This is the size you click on at secondnature.com. If you don’t have a reference point from an old filter, you’ll need to use a tape measure and measure your vent. These measurements will be the exact size, and you’ll need to add ¼” to both length and width to get the nominal size. If you have a filter that is four inches thick or thicker, you have a whole house filter. There is no rhyme or reason to how these filter sizes are rounded. Luckily, all you’ll need at secondnature.com is the actual size of the filter. Buying an air filter isn’t always easy, and knowing what air filter to buy is the hardest part. However, if you have read this far, you’re good. So congratulations! Here’s an air filter gold star. You can print it out and tape it to your shirt if you want. You’ll probably get a lot of strange looks, but that’s not your problem.

February 6, 2023

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What Type Of Air Filter Should I Order?

There's a lot of options out there, not all of them good. There's a bewildering range of different air filter types out there and it's easy to get confused. We've done the homework for you and simplified the process so you can make the right choice. First things first: Economy fiberglass filters compared to pleated filters There really is no comparison to be made. Cheap fiberglass filters are usually sold in multi-packs for a few bucks and, in this case you definitely get what you pay for... very little quality. They are not efficient for two reasons. The relatively open weave of the fiberglass mesh does not filter out much dirt at all and the micro-particles and contaminants present in your home just get sucked through the filter and into your HVAC system. Over time, the inside components of your HVAC equipment and the air ducts get coated with crud and your system can't work at peak efficiency. This means higher energy bills and expensive sanitizing and repair bills. In short, this cheap type of filter doesn't filter very well at all, and you won't find them here at Second Nature. If you are in the habit of buying them, it's a habit you should break!‍ Pleated filters are the only way to go We only offer reliable, high-quality pleated filters, which are made right here in the USA. They are up to 60% more efficient than fiberglass and have a denser, larger surface area (imagine the pleats ironed out flat) that ensures better filtration. But remember, these higher grade filters are more efficient at capturing the bad stuff, and by doing a better job they get dirty quicker. That's good news … not bad news. They are both more efficient and faster at doing what they are supposed to do. Picking the grade of filter Your filter type depends on a number of considerations. The number of people in your home, whether you have pets, and any allergies will all need to be taken into account. Also, the possible presence of smoke, smog, and microscopic contaminants that may carry odor usually call for a higher grade of filter to trap the smaller stuff.‍ We've simplified your filter choice Second Nature offers two key types of MagiFilters: Energy Efficient and Health Shield. That makes it easy for you or your residents to select what filters are best for your property. Both are high-quality filters manufactured in Wilson, North Carolina. Energy Efficient Our Energy Efficient filter takes care of basic contaminants like dust, pollen, pet dander and virus carriers, while still allowing good airflow through the HVAC system. It's a great all-purpose filter that works well for most homes. With a soft-edge frame that creates a tighter seal, our Energy Efficient option is capable of capturing 97% more of the smallest harmful particles, 38% more medium-sized particles, and 16% more of the largest troublemakers. Health Shield Our Health Shield option traps all the contaminants that our Energy Efficient filter does, but it goes even further, capturing microscopic allergens that can irritate allergies and sensitivities. If someone in your home suffers from allergies or respiratory problems, or if you have pets in the house, the Health Shield filter is a great option. The denser filter surface means that Health Shield filters will get dirtier faster (because they're capturing so many more particles), and will need to be changed more frequently. In return, you will be rewarded with the reassurance of sustained, super-fresh indoor air quality similar to hospital standards. If you're a property manager looking to offer a fully managed, high-quality filter delivery service to your residents, look no further. Talk to a member of our team today to learn how to get started.

February 6, 2023

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What Does MERV, MPR & FPR Mean?

Air filters are rated by several different metrics and systems, depending on a variety of factors. Second Nature makes filters easy by breaking these ratings down and utilizing one standardized metric-MERV. What is a MERV rating? MERV ratings were established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in order to aid consumers understanding of what type of air filter will best fit their home’s needs. ‍ MERV is the worldwide standard rating system for air filter quality. The MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, tells the consumer how effectively a filter can catch household contaminants such as dust, pollen, and pet dander. The higher the MERV rating (anywhere from 1 to 16), the more and smaller particles are filtered from the air. ‍ MERV Ratings. Typical Applications 1-4 Residential Window Units 5-8 Better residential, commercial & industrial 9-12 Superior residential, better commercial, hospital labs 13-16 Hospital, general surgery ‍ It is important to keep in mind that MERV indicates the minimum ability of a filter to catch airborne particles. Over time, a filter begins to fill with dust and dander, therefore increasing its ability to stop contaminants from passing through. However, the higher the MERV, and the more a filter has already caught, the harder it becomes for your system to draw in air. A high MERV rating may seem like a good idea to a homeowner who wants to ensure they are breathing fresh air, but it is important to make sure that your HVAC system is capable of handling the restrictive properties of a high MERV filter. Home air filters with higher MERV ratings also need to be changed at a higher frequency due to their higher efficiency and particle-catching abilities. Simply put, they catch more contaminates over a shorter period of time. ‍Related: What is the resident benefits package? MERV vs FPR FPR, or Filter Performance Rating was developed by the Home Depot, based on independent lab test results comparing MERV ratings. It is used strictly in Home Depot stores and does not correlate directly to MERV ratings. ‍ MERV vs MPR MPR, or Microparticle Performance Rating, was created by 3M to rank their filters’ ability to catch the smallest airborne particles. MPR is helpful when comparing one 3M Filtrete filter to another, but it does not directly translate to MERV. ‍ MPR vs. MERV vs. FPR The chart below shows the associated values for each of Second Nature's filter types. MERV MPR FPR Essential MERV 8 MPR 600 FPR 5 Essential+ MERV 10 MPR 1000* FPR 7* Health Shield MERV 13 MPR 1500 - MPR 1900 FPR 10 *approximate values

February 6, 2023

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How Do I Know What Size Air Filter I Need?

Where do I find my size? Air filter sizes can look a bit intimidating, especially when a great deal of homes have multiple filters of different sizes. Second Nature is here to make filter buying EASY. Once you enter your filter sizes with us just once, not only will you not have to remember when it's time to change them, but you will no longer need to remember those tricky sizes. In order to find the size of pleated filter(s) used in your home, you need to look no further than your existing filters. On the outer frame, you will see at least one set of numbers. If you see two sets of numbers, the filter size needed to order replacements is the nominal size, not the actual size. You can ignore the actual size printed on your filter for this task, as the nominal size is the number set needed to order new filters. Your filter size (again, referencing the nominal size for your filter here) will look something like this: 20" x 20" x 1" or 20" x 25" x 1" or 14" x 20" x 2" The size of your pleated air filter is always presented in a string of three numbers, with the first number representing the length, the second number representing the width, and the last number representing the thickness. ‍ If you’re still not sure what size filter(s) your home needs, feel free to reach out to us.

February 6, 2023

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What is HVAC & What Does it Mean?

HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. Whether it’s the dead of winter and the elements are as harsh as your mother-in-law’s criticism or you’re a walking puddle in the middle of August, a home’s HVAC system is what ensures your family is provided with a temperate, pleasant refuge from the great outdoors. Your HVAC system is critical to the comfort your home provides. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and it simply refers to the system that heats, cools, and ventilates your home. HVAC systems vary and there are various manufacturers, styles, and types. The HVAC (generally) includes the heating and cooling unit itself, lots of ductwork through the home, air returns, and air filters. ‍Related: What is the resident benefits package? Types of HVAC systems There are three main types of HVAC systems: split and window AC, packaged heating and air conditioning systems, and central AC systems. ‍ Split and window air conditioning systems Split ACs are used in larger areas than window ACs. The split AC focuses on splitting the cold from the hot side of the system. The cold side has the cold coil and the expansion valve. This is usually placed inside a furnace or any other form of air handler. The handler blows air over the coil and the cooled air is distributed to various rooms in the building through the air ducts. ‍ Window air conditioners work by fans blowing air through the coils, improving how they separate the heat and cold. Heat gets lost the outside air and is replaced with cool air for the room. ‍ Packaged heating and air conditioning systems Hence the name, this type of system is the total package, they possess both heating and cooling equipment in a single unit. Users can place them in mechanical rooms, on the rooftop or at a grade close to the conditioning space. The package AC has all the components in one unit, unlike split systems in which the cold and hot units are separate. These elements have a centrifugal fan or blower that helps distribute the air throughout the elements of the structure. ‍ Central air conditioning Most of the air conditioners in residential buildings are in the form of split systems. The compressor and condenser are combined as a single condensing unit mounted outdoors. The evaporator, a finned coil, is mounted in a section of ductwork within the furnace blower. Two flexible refrigerant lines, one for gas and one for liquid, connect the components. When the furnace is electric, a blower is included in the system. The compressor uses electricity as its source of power to pump the refrigerant across the system collecting indoor heat and removing it from the home. The heat dissipates outdoors by the coil in the condensing unit. ‍ Warm air indoors gets blown through the indoor coil (cold) to remove moisture and heat. The heat in the air transfers to the coil and thus the air cools. The water vapor condenses on the coil and collects inside a drain pan. It goes outside through the condensate drain. The heat, after flowing to the evaporator coil, pumps outdoors while the now cooled air inside the room circulates through the fan on the air handler. Thus, the indoor temperature is maintained. ‍ Give your HVAC system a big thank you When all is working as it should with an HVAC system, it is a silent soldier for the home's comfort. However, if your HVAC system has ever malfunctioned or broken in the middle of the winter or summer, it’s likely you have developed a deep love and appreciation for the essential service your HVAC system provides. So, take care of your system; baby it, even. Be sure to change your filters frequently and on a regular schedule, as well as get your system cleaned, inspected, and serviced annually!

February 6, 2023

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Does Higher MERV Rating Restrict Airflow?

How will a higher-quality filter impact the airflow to my HVAC unit. ‍ The short answer is that it can, but it's not really an issue except under extreme circumstances. Most modern HVAC systems have no problem working with higher MERV filters, which is why millions of homeowners depend on them. The primary risk with high-efficiency air filters comes from them being left unchanged for long periods of time. If you stay on top of changing your filters, It's unlikely you'll experience any filter-driven issues with your HVAC system. ‍ Try Second Nature You want to achieve a nice balance Like everything in life and nature, we want to strive for an ideal balance. In this case, you want to have your air as clean as possible without restricting the airflow to your HVAC unit and wasting energy. Some could compare the situation to the fairy tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This home has less than clean air but is energy efficient, this home has fresh air, but an inefficient HVAC, and this home is just right! Although it is not that straightforward and there are other factors to consider, do not worry! We are here to help you make the best decision for your home! ‍ Get to know a filter's quality Before making any choices, one must first understand the quality of a filter. Any air filter you purchase will have a grade on it as a tool to show its quality. The most common measurement scales that you will find are MERV, MPR, and FPR. For this blog, we will be referring to the MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating scale but it can easily translate to other measurement scales that you may see used. The higher the rating of the filter is, the smaller the particles that it will capture as well as the higher the percentage of particles captured. Low-efficiency filters typically lie within MERV 1-4 and high-efficiency filters are MERV 13 and beyond. The scaling of MERV is not linear; the difference between a MERV 6 and a MERV 8 is nearly double in the percentage of particles captured. Be aware that as the MERV rating increases, the filter gets more restrictive and it will take more pressure and energy to push air through. ‍ Low-efficiency filters These filters will maximize your airflow but will do very little when it comes to cleaning your air. Filters in this category can sometimes be referred to as "rock-catchers" because their job is to make sure that nothing too significant and devastating gets sucked up into the HVAC unit as the bare minimum. They will stop the large debris, but the majority of other particles will be free to enter your HVAC unit. The dust and dirt will either land somewhere in the system or circulate back into the house. Dust and dirt on critical parts of your HVAC system will increase demand on your system, which can lead to repair and maintenance bills that you’re not looking to pay. Also, particles being circulated back into your home is just plain unhealthy. These filters are certainly better than no filter at all, but that is not saying much. ‍ Ironically, the effectiveness of low-efficiency air filters increases as the filter loads up with dirt and dust. There are two problems, though. First, it takes time for the filter to be loaded enough to get a beneficial effect so that everything that gets by the filter ends up either in your system or back in your home. Second, eventually, the filter can become so dirty that the system experiences a pressure drop which can burn out the fan motor. To prevent this, you have to change the filter, which takes you right back to the first problem. For the brief time that you get a small benefit from your low-efficiency filter is far outweighed by the problems it creates. ‍ So why use them? The main reason is that some older units can only handle these filters. A couple of decades ago, filters of lower quality were nearly the only kind used for homes. Technology for HVAC units has progressed since and most modern units of the last few years should be capable of a MERV 8 filter at the least. But older units may not be capable of enough air pressure to force air through a higher efficiency filter. Trying so could cause significant issues as well as a need for repairs. ‍ Some HVAC technicians have a preference for these low-efficiency filters due to their low resistance to airflow. When these filters get dirty and need to be changed, air will still be able to flow through them and not clog as easily. Some technicians are anticipating that people will forget to change out their filters and using low-efficiency filters regularly could help minimize damage to a neglected HVAC. Filters of this category are recommended to be changed every two to four weeks, which can be challenging to maintain for some. It may be comforting to know that your overdue filter is not as bad as it could be, but it is not doing anything else for you until it is replaced. ‍ High-efficiency filters A more efficient filter will be more effective at removing particles from the air as they enter your HVAC system. They will improve the air quality in your home as well and keep your lungs happy. Since the filtration is more thorough, it will take more energy and effort from your HVAC unit to use them. How much more can vary by home and HVAC system, but with modern technology, the increase in airflow resistance that you get with a high-efficiency filter is typically marginal. This is important to note, because many homeowners believe the relationship is simply linear, meaning as filtration efficiency increases, so does resistance to airflow at the same rate. This is not accurate, though, and it's the reason why millions of homeowners use high-efficiency filters with no concern. For example, Second Nature's Essential filter is roughly 450% more effective at capturing particles than a cheapo low-efficiency fiberglass filter, but its resistance to airflow is only about 20% higher, a marginal difference. ‍ An important note with a higher MERV filter is that you need to remember to change it. A consequence of a very effective air filter is the speed with which it can load with pollutants and begin to increase pressure drop. This is just fancy talk for "the filter catches more stuff so it clogs faster." If you leave a clogged filter unchanged for a long time, that's when you can start to see issues with resistance to airflow. This is, of course, a very easy issue to prevent. Just remember to change the filter and you're good to go. In summary So which filter should you consider? If your unit is older and/or very sensitive with airflow, use a filter that ranks from MERV 1 up to possibly MERV 6. If you want your air to at least be cleaned and handle dust, mold, pollen, and bacteria, then a MERV 8 will do the job. Having pets would require a MERV 10 to manage their dander, which tends to have smaller particles than the pollutants previously discussed. Air filters that are MERV 13 and higher are recommended for those that prioritize air quality and may have to handle asthma, severe allergies, and other similar circumstances. Try to not go beyond what you need for your situation. Otherwise, it would be a waste of energy, money, and give unneeded stress to your HVAC system. The factors of every home can vary, so you can always contact a local HVAC technician if you are ever unsure and want a second opinion. ‍ The cost-benefit equation is simple: For a few extra dollars, you can ensure that your HVAC system is as clean as possible and the air in your home is effectively filtered just by using an efficient air filter that is changed regularly. It's an easy task that Second Nature makes even easier.

February 6, 2023

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