Community Associations Network Industry News

Acquisition of California's Largest Residential Property Management and
Consulting Organization

TORONTO, April 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - FirstService Corporation
(NASDAQ: FSRV; TSX: FSV) has significantly increased the size and breadth
of its residential property management business through the acquisition of
an 80% interest in The MERIT Companies, California's largest provider of
residential property management and consulting services. Melinda Masson,
Founder and CEO, will retain the balance of the equity and will continue to
manage day-to-day operations and join the FirstService leadership team to
contribute to the strategic direction of America's leading residential
property management business. During the last 12 months, The MERIT
Companies generated more than $35 million in revenues. Terms of the
transaction were not disclosed. Additional information on The MERIT
Companies can be found on their website at http://www.meritpm.com.
"The MERIT Companies acquisition is a key strategic move to provide us
with an excellent platform for growth in California and throughout the
western US region," said Gene Gomberg, CEO of FirstService Residential
Property Management. "In addition to being one of America's most admired
residential property management companies, MERIT has always distinguished
itself by offering an integrated suite of services - everything from
front-end consulting to builders and developers of large master-planned
communities to providing management services to homeowner associations once
the communities are operational. Melinda and her management team are a
great fit with our strategic direction and we look forward to working with
them."
Founded in 1980 and based in Orange County, California, The MERIT
Companies currently contracts with more than 240 community associations
representing over 130,000 homes through a network of nine offices and more
than 400 employees located throughout California. The MERIT Companies
customer base will join FirstService's industry leading platform which
manages more than 3,500 community associations and more than 750,000 homes
throughout the US, including some of the finest and highest profile
properties in the nation. FirstService Residential Property Management is
the leader in luxury hi-rise management, active adult communities and
large-scale homeowner associations.
"I am very excited to be joining FirstService and its highly successful
residential property management group. We were attracted by their proven
track record and a unique model of partnering with strong management teams
that want to accelerate the growth of their businesses," said Melinda
Masson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The MERIT Companies.
"FirstService has a strong and committed team of operating partners who own
equity in their businesses providing them the incentive they need to
provide the highest level of service available. It also has a strong
performance driven culture focused on differentiating their services from
those of its competitors - all important elements of an exceptional
business model."
"Consistent with our disciplined approach to acquisitions, we did not
enter the strategically important California market until we were able to
partner with the market leader", said Jay Hennick, Founder and Chief
Executive Officer of FirstService. "Melinda Masson is an icon in the
industry. She has been a prominent influence in defining legislation in
California and has been the recipient of numerous personal and corporate
awards for her many accomplishments. We are extremely proud to have Melinda
join our team and we look forward to sharing our combined best practices
and working with her and Merit's talented management team going forward."
About FirstService Corporation
------------------------------
FirstService is a leader in the rapidly growing property services
sector, providing services in the following areas: commercial real estate;
residential property management; property improvement; and integrated
security services. Market-leading brands include Colliers International in
commercial real estate; The Continental Group, The Wentworth Group and The
MERIT Companies in residential property management; Consumer brands
California Closets, Paul Davis Restoration, Pillar to Post Home
Inspections, Certa Pro Painters and Handyman Connection, in property
improvement; and Intercon Security and Security Services & Technologies in
integrated security.
FirstService is a diversified property services company with more than
US $1.4 billion in annualized revenues and more than 13,000 employees
worldwide. More information about FirstService is available at
http://www.firstservice.com.

Posted by Joe at 12:04 PM | Permalink

In order to provide their diverse properties with superior communications capability using the latest on-line technology; Bowen Property Management has partnered with AtHomeNet Inc. to provide their communities with innovative new web sites.

Bowen Property Management Company, founded in 1977, is a full-service management organization specializing in the management of multifamily property investments. Bowen has developed an excellent reputation for professionalism by consistently providing quality property management services through effective, result-oriented management. Bowen manages over 5,000 units located throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Montana. Bowen offers a diverse group of different property types, furthering their mission to provide professional management services tailored to the individual goals and objectives of each client.

AtHomeNet is an industry leader in providing Community Web Administrators, Home Owner’s Associations, and Management Companies with individually customized websites at affordable prices. AtHomeNet sites can be found all across America representing Apartment, Condo, and Homeowners in a way that reflects both the beauty and the technology of their communities. Known for their knowledgeable support staff, excellent customer service, and monthly product updates; the AtHomeNet team’s reputation precedes them as they continue to turn the corner in pioneering easy user friendly web site design and enhancement.

With this exciting new partnership, the Oregon based company is poised to seize the momentum of an industry that continues to expand using the expertise of a proven veteran company. This relationship will undoubtedly cater to the growing demands in technology and communications that communities and property managers face daily.

###

If you would like more information on Bowen Property Management and AtHomeNet please contact Sales@AtHomeNet.com or call AtHomeNet at 1-800-556-7852

Posted by Joe at 8:16 PM | Permalink

ENCINITAS, Calif., April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- After months of looking, you have found the perfect condo. The price is right, the layout is spacious, and the commute to work is easy. What you see looks great. But what you hear -- or don't hear -- could make the difference after you move in.

Getting an approximate idea of the noise -- or lack of it -- in a multi-family residence can be accomplished by looking for a few things and asking a few questions, said Mike Komula,
an acoustician with Dudek, an Encinitas, Calif. environmental consulting firm that works with homebuilders.

While Komula employs sophisticated instruments and techniques to measure and analyze noise for builders designing multi-family housing, he offered tips for the weekend condo shopper:

* Have a companion go to the adjacent unit to run simple tests -- turn on a radio at various volumes; flush toilets; walk along the floors and turn on bath and sink taps. Plumbing noise can be an issue when pipes are too small or transmit vibrations to the walls. * In multi-story complexes, see if compatible rooms are stacked above your rooms to minimize occasions for possible footfall or pipe noise. For example, you want another bedroom above your bedroom rather than a kitchen or a bath. * Check the windows for single or dual panes. Dual panes absorb more sound. Thicker panes and wider air gap between the panes will increase sound reduction. * Expect to find hollow doors on the interior; swapping them out for solid-core doors will help reduce interior noise.
"Some key issues won't be visible because they are between the walls and below the floor," Komula said. Komula said condo shoppers can ask the following questions if the builder is accessible:

* Are the shared walls "double walls"? Two rather than one 2 x 4 stud walls are used to absorb more noise by creating an air gap and separating the walls. * How many layers of drywall are on each side? Two layers absorb more noise. * Do the walls and ceilings use resilient metal channels? These inserts act as shock absorbers to reduce sound and vibrations from passing through the wall or ceiling. * Does the floor have a lightweight concrete layer on top? This adds more mass to the floor to reduce the transmission of airborne noise and impact noise of people walking, even on a carpeted floor. * What is the Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating for party walls and floor-ceiling construction? California and the Uniform Building Code require a minimum rating of 50. Komula said a 60 STC rating indicates the acoustical privacy between the units is considerably better than 50. A 65 STC rating indicates very high quality in terms of noise reduction, he said.
"The builders we work with are increasingly aware that managing noise makes their multi-family projects much more attractive to buyers," Komula said.

Dudek is an engineering and environmental consulting firm that works with land developers, builders and public agencies. The firm is headquartered in Encinitas with offices in Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Placer counties. For more information, e-mail info@dudek.com.

Contact: Christine Clinton Dudek 760.479.4275

Posted by Joe at 10:37 AM | Permalink

1. Thursday, April 19, 2007 , we are offering "Selecting a Management Company & Other Vendors"— This class teaches the steps in selection a management company and other important vendors who work for the association (landscape companies, pool maintenance, etc.), how to determine specifications, request bids, review and analyze bids and make the final selections.. The class will be held in L101 (please note that this is a new room number) at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. For a map of the campus go to: http://www.cgc.edu/maps/pecos.shtml

This class will be instructed by Les Presmyk, Councilmember Town of Gilbert, and Stephanie Fee, VP Capital Consultants Management Corporation.

Class registration is $25. A light dinner is provided. For more information and to register please contact The Leadership Centre at http://www.theleadershipcentre.org or by phone at 480-732-7174.

This is the final class in our 2006-2007 series. Our 2007-2008 class and event schedule will be posted on our website in July. Stay tuned!

2. Solve-It! Community Mediation is offering the 40 - hour basic mediation course May 26 - June 2. For information call 480-732-7296

3. Neighborhoods Arizona! 2007 "Creating Neighborhood Resourses" will be held May 19 at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Attached to this email is information and a registration form.

Posted by Joe at 10:51 AM | Permalink