Calendar icon February 6, 2023

The Complete Guide to Air Filters

From sizes to types to qualities and more, here is everything you could ever need to know about air filters.

 

The world would look different without air filters. Air wouldn’t be as clean, HVAC systems would be blowing up all over the place, and I, the author, would be unemployed.

Thankfully, we have air filters, though, and if you’re new to the world of air filtration, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Second Nature, we’re not experts in a lot of things. We don’t know anything about movies, nobody here can teach you quantum physics, and the meaning of life is still a mystery to us too, but air filters? We’ve got that.

What is an air filter?

An air filter is a semi-permeable shield that stands between your HVAC system and the air inside your home. It looks like this:

air filter on white background

What does it do?

It filters air. As your HVAC system pulls air from your home to cool or warm it, the filter intercepts that air in your ductwork. It acts as a barrier for anything carried by the air that you don’t want in your home. This includes things like dust, mold spores, pollen grains, pet dander, and a bunch more junk. That stuff gets caught by the filter and clean air moves on without it.

Why do I need one?

Because Indoor Air Quality is an increasingly significant problem in the United States. According to the EPA, the air inside your house can be significantly more polluted than the air immediately outside. This is because of the concentration of pollutant sources and the fact that air can stagnate inside a sealed building. An air filter helps remove pollutants and particles that would otherwise freely float about inside your home.

Not only does this make the air you breath most often cleaner and safer, which promotes personal health and home wellness, but it also keeps gunk from reaching your HVAC system. HVAC breakdowns can occur because of particle buildup on the actual coils of the system, and breakdowns are costly to fix (assuming they can be fixed at all). We can all agree that being without A/C in the winter or summer sure would suck.

Yes, A/C is used to heat and cool your home. It stands for Air Conditioning. It’s quite literally conditioning your air to be warmer or cooler. You’re welcome.

So I just buy one and leave it in there?

Nah, you got to change that filter. A filter will eventually fill up with gunk and become less permeable, allowing less air through and forcing your HVAC to work harder. This can, at best, drive your power bill up and, at worst, burn out the motor, which again will cost you thousands. Second Nature recommends using a pleated air filter (you can read more about what that is below) and changing it every three months. As stated by the Department of Energy, this will keep your HVAC system running smoothly and can actually lower your power bill by 5–15%.

Oh, and did we mention the health benefits?

So what does this all get me? Well, a healthier home for starters, which in turn delivers a healthier you. Filters catch allergy inducing pollutants like pollen and dust, but they also catch pathogens like bacteria if you’re using a sufficient quality filter. According to a NAFA Foundation Report, a filter with a high MERV rating can significantly reduce the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as influenza, rhinovirus (common cold), and tuberculosis. According to the study, upgrading from a MERV 4 filter to a MERV 13 filter can cut the risk of contracting influenza almost in half. Just from using a different air filter. So pick a quality filter and get started protecting the air in your home.

Keep learning

7 Best Property Management Newsletters

Property managers fill many roles and hold many responsibilities. That’s why it can be helpful for them to subscribe to leading industry newsletters and publications. These publications deliver strategic time-savings by providing focused, often actionable updates on market news such as real estate market fluctuations, investment property trends, and resident demographics. They can also keep you informed about updates to legal considerations related to rental properties, so you have a longer runway to adapt to any changing requirements. Finally, they’re an ideal way of keeping tabs on the latest in best practices and tech advancements, so your operational toolbox always has the best tools available, for what can often be a challenging role. In this post, we’ll survey some of the top newsletters in the industry, and provide quick takeaways about what makes each worth the read. 1. Second Nature's Triple Win Newsletter Our very own bi-weekly newsletter is a fun and informative digest of all things property management, with a focus on our "Triple Win" approach, which favors conditions that benefit residents, property management companies, and owners alike. We make it engaging and helpful, with sample content including articles such as "Improving Delegation with the 'Who' Not 'How' Approach," "Property Management Horror Stories," and "How to Install and Manage Processes in Property Management," plus interviews with industry veterans, our take on the best of social media, and the occasional PM-focused meme. Subscribe here 2. Peter Lohmann's Newsletter Peter Lohmann is the CEO & principal broker of RL Property Management, a residential property management company located in Columbus (Ohio). His weekly newsletter has 5,000 subscribers, and according to a recent social media posting on Twitter/X, focuses on “sharing everything that works as we grow our property management business.” A testimonial from one newsletter subscriber describes the content as “honest, objective, and eye-opening,” and this does appear to be the brand of the email newsletter, as it is written in a personable, conversational tone that covers a wide range of meaningful content and marketing strategies, ranging from how daunting it can be to hire a new COO, to extended discussions around client churn (using data from his own company), as well as spotlights on conferences, local events, and new technology. Subscribe here 3. PlanOmatic Monthly Beaker PlanOmatic provides photos, floor plans, and 3D tours for single-family rental property owners and property managers. Their monthly newsletter, The Monthly Beaker, bills itself as “everything you need to know about SFR, once a month, in one place.” Although it is still a fairly “young” publication at just over a year old, it has already garnered over 750 LinkedIn subscribers to go along with their email list. It’s easy to see why – the format makes it a lot of fun to read, with an introductory editorial segment delivered in a conversational tone that nevertheless provides a significant quantity of information. This is typically followed by a series of quick hits consisting of proprietary insights into the SFR space, important data from around the sector, and final bullets providing key takeaways (“Everyone knows this stuff and you should too”) from the property management industry. Subscribe here 4. National Rental Home Council As the non-profit trade association of the single-family rental home industry, the National Rental Home Council (NRHC) publishes a wealth of resources for its different target audiences. NRHC’s intent is to support legislative and regulatory frameworks that incentivize housing providers to augment and enhance accessibility to a range of fair housing options for both homeowners and renters. This means its resources are designed to be of interest to a variety of different stakeholders within the rental market. Members receive a weekly Briefing Report on the single family rental home industry, the Quarterly NRHC Newsletter, and a Weekly Newsletter featuring national coverage and news alerts. For non-members, the NRHC issues regular news releases, as well as resources including FAQs, reports and primers, fact sheets, and videos. With archives dating back to 2015, this site is a valuable and well-established industry resource. Visit the website 5. The Evernest Newsletter Evernest’s focus is on single-family houses, condos, small multi-family buildings, and HOA management. It manages over 15,000 properties for over 6,000 owners, and its HOA and Association division serves over 17,000 homeowners. As for the Evernest Newsletter, its email list consists of over 18K landlords and real estate industry investors, all signed up to receive educational content for DIY landlords and real estate investors. This real estate newsletter also publishes content related to new podcast episodes from the Evernest team, articles and videos, and community content as well as information about upcoming events. Subscribe here 6. Jordan Muela’s Newsletter Jordan Muela has been in the property management industry for over 10 years, and is currently CEO of LeadSimple and co-founder of ProfitCoach. He started his now bi-weekly newsletter in 2021, which counts 4k property manager subscribers, and focuses on “people, process, and profit,” as he puts it. With catchy headlines and informative content, it’s worth browsing his page of posts to get a sense of his coverage. Sample headers include “Why what triggers you is a gift,” “There's a simple test to understand how aggressive your fees are,” “It's ok to want to quit,” and “2023 National PM Pricing Report”: suffice it to say that it’s all highly varied and readable stuff. Subscribe here 7. Marc Cunningham In addition to running the PM Build website, Marc Cunningham is the President of Grace Property Management & Real Estate. He's regularly featured in national real estate publications and podcasts, holds multiple designations, invests in residential and commercial real estate, and was named the 2018 national property manager of the year by Think Realty. At PM Build, Marc publishes a monthly video newsletter that addresses current topics and trends in the real estate property management space. With accessible topics such as “How To Deliver Bad News To Owner-Clients, “Top Tip To Be Successful In The Property Management Business," and “6 Numbers To Measure The Success Of Your PM Business,” his content is of immense value for new and seasoned property management companies alike. Watch episodes here Hungry for more news? Visit Second Nature’s Triple Win Property Management Blog

Calendar icon March 15, 2024

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5 Best Property Management Inspection Software

Property management inspection software is designed to simplify and streamline the process of conducting property inspections. Typical features of this property management software include customizable inspection templates, mobile compatibility, photo and video capture, scheduling capabilities, and report generation functionality. More broadly, inspection software is an important tool for establishing "Triple Win" conditions that benefit residents, property managers, and investors alike. That's because it improves overall operational efficiency and promotes proactive/preventative maintenance, while also helping to improve transparency. In a nutshell, it’s an indispensable tool for property management companies looking to deliver high-quality services and maintain property value. Today, we’ll provide an overview of some of the best property management inspection software currently available. A note on language: Developers of property management inspection software often refer to "tenants” in their workflows, and for the sake of cohesion, we’ll be picking up on that term in this software review. But here at Second Nature we regularly see the incredible work property managers do day in and day out to make renters feel like they’re so much more than just a tenant – they’re residents. Making renters feel like residents isn’t just a philosophy, it’s also a business decision that encourages them to invest in care for their home and add value to the property. This is why, at Second Nature, we prefer to call renters “residents.” Like you, we think of them as people first – making your property their home. Our Criteria for Choosing the Best Property Management Inspection Software The inspection solutions on this list were selected from top-ranked inspection software on sites such as Capterra and G2, as well as sites devoted to property management solutions. Note that all inspection tools come with pros, cons, and distinctive features. In today’s overview, we’ll confine ourselves to outlining core features, as well as positioning and pricing. However, for true apples-to-apples comparisons of property management inspection software, you should evaluate its performance in the context of real-life requirements and conditions. In particular, focus on the following aspects in your assessments: Workflow templatization Workflow templatization in property management inspection software refers to the process of creating templated automations that sequence common inspection tasks and steps. Essentially a user-friendly "smart inspection checklist," these workflow templates reduce the likelihood of inspection oversights or errors when assessing property conditions. They can include areas and elements to focus on during the inspection process, as well as evaluation criteria. Ideally, users can customize workflow templates as required. Ease of tenant communication Features that focus on ease of communication are central to improving the resident experience, as they streamline communication, save time, and enhance the overall process for both parties. Examples might range in complexity from simple direct messaging capabilities to automated translation features. How fast it is to complete an inspection While workflow templates can help make inspections more efficient, other factors also considerably impact overall process optimization, including features like automatic appointment scheduling, the extent of offline data access, the degree to which report generation is automated, and more. Inspection report readability Readability is key to creating transparent communications and positive overall experiences for everyone involved in the process. Different factors include the general layout and formatting of property inspection reports and inspection data, clarity and concision of language, and accessibility considerations that promote inclusivity for any reader. Customization options No one size fits all out of the box. That’s why inspection software ideally allows user to tailor the app to their specific requirements. Customization capabilities might refer to branding options, changes to the user interface, reporting format, workflow triggers, and more. Ease of syncing between mobile and desktop Not all server capabilities are created equal, which is why it can be helpful to evaluate whether or not information can be seamlessly accessed, updated, and shared across the software’s mobile app and desktop platform. Ultimately, seamless syncing enables better property management practices. Areas to consider include data update latency, offline functionality, consistency of feature accessibility across platforms, security of data transfer, and conflict resolution in case of simultaneous data changes. Value-add services In the context of property management inspection software, "value-add services" refer to any additional services that complement the core inspection capabilities of the software. These services can be offered by the software vendors themselves, or via third-party partnerships. Examples might include yard services associated with HOA compliance, pet screening, or Second Nature’s very own air filter delivery service. Best Property Management Inspection Software 1. zInspector Billed as “the most powerful and affordable property inspection toolkit in the market,” zInspector is designed as a collaborative field-to-office solution for the property management, real estate, and construction trades. Features include the option to upload unlimited date- and time-stamped photos and videos, offline inspection capabilities, and unlimited options for customizing templates. zInspector also provides a number of tenant-directed features, including move-in/move-out inspections as well as periodic and renewal inspections, and remote tenant signing. Property inspection companies can brand zInspector capabilities within their own app, or simply customize zInspector with their logo and color palettes. Featured zInspector integrations include AppFolio, Rent Manager, Rentvine, PropertyWare, Rentec Direct, and Google Drive. Pricing ranges from free (for up to 5 doors) to the “Max” plan at $110 per month. 10% discounts are provided for annual subscriptions. According to users on G2.com, the zInspector property inspection app is “super easy to learn and use,” with “thorough options for evaluating all our units upon turnover, from our smallest and most basic efficiencies to massive 6-bedroom single-family homes.” Learn more about zInspector 2. RentCheck RentCheck is a popular solution for the scattered site property management market. It’s designed to help save time for property management teams by eliminating the need for in-person inspections. In that vein, the mobile app version (available in Android and iOS versions) allows residents to complete inspections (move-in and move-out as well as periodic) using their mobile devices, without having to coordinate with a property manager. Features of the software include the ability for property managers to customize home inspections, set reminders, generate reports, and compare new and existing reports side-by-side. Pricing options range from a free version for up to 10 doors to an enterprise tier that includes advanced API and customization features. Per Capterra, RentCheck scores extremely well (4.7 out of 5) for ease of use, value for money, and customer service. Learn more about RentCheck 3. HappyCo HappyCo is more fairly characterized as a platform rather than an inspection software solution. It’s billed as a “real-time multifamily operations platform” that aims to help property owners and managers unlock more accurate valuations, better returns, and higher property value. The function of its Happy Property suite is to streamline leasing, renewal, and maintenance tasks, and this includes core inspection functionality, including scheduling, notifications, and work order generation. It integrates with several other technologies, including AppFolio, MRI, RealPage, Rent Manager, and Yardi. Pricing is determined based on a consultative process with the HappyCo team. Reviewers on G2.com call out its simplicity and ease of use. Learn more about HappyCo 4. Onsight PROS OnSight PROS is an in-person service for property managers, landlords, and insurance companies. However, they leverage an app to streamline the inspection process. Different types of inspections include move-in/move-out (MIMO) inspections, periodic inspections, acquisition inspections, and exterior inspections (roof, gutters, landscaping, and fencing). Inspection reports can be customized and branded as needed. The service coverage area is nationwide, and pricing for the service is determined based on a consultative process with the OnSight PROS team. Learn more about OnSight PROS 5. SnapInspect Designed for a wide range of markets, including multifamily, residential, commercial, vacation rentals, and student housing, SnapInspect incorporates features such as video recording, custom reports, and custom property inspector workflows. A free trial of the software is available, and multifamily pricing starts at $199 per month, which includes iOS and Android apps, Google and Dropbox sync, report customization, and scheduling & automation options. SnapInspect reviews on G2 describe SnapInspect’s customer service as “above and beyond,” and refer to the app’s user-friendliness. Learn more about SnapInspect Property Management Inspection Software by Second Nature Inspection software by Second Nature is currently in the works! As always, our goal is to create an experience that will benefit property management companies, residents, and investors alike. Drop us a line if you’d like to be among the first to learn about our upcoming release - or take a tour of our Resident Benefits Package to explore the Triple Win experience we’re offering you right now.

Calendar icon March 13, 2024

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