Because we value the social communication with our tenants, each week Atlas will give away a $10.00 Tim Horton’s Gift Card (while supplies last) to one lucky individual who “likes” us on Facebook or follows us on Twitter. It’s that easy!

]]> http://www.atlasproperty.com/2011/fall-bbq-tv-winner/feed/ 0 http://www.atlasproperty.com/2011/fall-bbq/ http://www.atlasproperty.com/2011/fall-bbq/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:19:27 +0000 admin http://www.atlasproperty.com/new/?p=144

Join us on Friday, September 23rd at 25 Bricker Avenue in Waterloo for the annual Atlas Property Tenant Fall BBQ!

Don’t forget to ‘Like’ Atlas Property Group Inc. on Facebook and/or Follow @atlas_property on Twitter for a chance to win a 42″ Flat Screen TV! Facebook and Twitter each count as separate entries. No purchase necessary.

1. What type of living accommodation best suits your needs?

• HOUSE (older houses will have much higher utility bills, although they can provide a nice private backyard, typically more friends are needed as homes usually have over 5 bedrooms to fill. *Caution: does your landlord provide proof of a LODGING LICENSE? If not, you may be looking for alternate accommodations mid-way through your term)
• APARTMENT (most apartments in Waterloo are brand new, cleaned by the owner and include property & ground maintenance free of charge. Apartments are a small community and a great way to meet new friends)

2. How many friends will you be sharing your living space with?

• SINGLE (it’s often difficult to find single dwelling accommodations without breaking the bank, houses tend to offer basement-style bachelor accommodations)
• MULTIPLE (most apartments offer multiple bedroom options, three to five bedroom is standard, finding friends or others in a similar situations can give you greater options while shopping around)

3. What amenities will you need?

• PARKING (will you need a vehicle parked at your building, how many spaces are available per unit/home?)
• BATHROOMS (shared or private en-suite?)
• KITCHEN (shared or private kitchenette? How much cupboard space is available? Does it include a dishwasher and/or microwave?)
• LAUNDRY (coin-operated, free, or non-existent?)
• UTILITIES (partial, inclusive, not-included?)

4. How far am I willing to travel to get to class?

• WALKING DISTANCE (within few km)
• ON BUS ROUTE (rapid transit to school)
• VEHICLE (provides unlimited options)

It’s important to be respectful of your roommates and eveyone sharing your building. Take a look and see if you have considered all of the following:

Studying and Sleeping Habits:

When choosing the right roommates, consider your long term goals both at school and socially. Try to find other individuals who have similar objectives. While it may seem like a good idea to put together a group of party people, chances are they’ll want to party during exam time too. So, try to find a balance that’s right for you. Remember during your term that not everyone will want to be up late, so be aware of your roommates and respect their wishes. Noise should be kept to a minimum after 11pm, always.

Visitors:

Remember that anyone you let into the building is your responsibility. If your guest damages anything while on the premises, you are accountable for their damages. Be advised that all residents will have their own keys and will not ask to be let in. For the security and safety reasons, do not let any persons inside you didn’t personally invite. Politely ask unknown individuals or groups to wait for their friend to let them in.

Cleaning and Trash Removal:

Just like any regular household, your apartment will require some upkeep. Duties should be divided up equally among roommates. The easiest way to accomplish this task is through a “Cleaning Schedule”. Separate each task that will be required (trash removal, cleaning common areas, dishes, bathrooms) equally. Each person should have their duty clearly defined, days which they need to be done, and initialled when completed. To make it fair for everyone, try revolving duties each week.

Sharing Items:

One of the most common problems that arise amongst roommates is undefined sharing rules. Sometime you need to remember that you are no longer at home; don’t use/eat what doesn’t belong to you. This comes back to the overall theme in Student Living 101, RESPECT. Often, roomates do share items, such as furniture, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and even food. But sharing is not to be assumed, this is another topic for discussion in the early stages of common ground living. Devise a plan if you wish to allow others to use your belongings, or make purchases together (i.e. detergent) and split up items equally (i.e. bottled water) depending on your sharing guidelines. Either way, make it clear from the beginning to avoid problems arising later.

Sharing Bills and Utilities:

Utilities that aren’t covered by the building owner (sometimes electricity, cable and/or Internet) will need to be paid for by the students. It will be required by the utility companies that one student opens up a new account. Utilities are to be split evenly amongst ALL students. It is essential that if your apartment would like additional (i.e.cable TV) or required (i.e. electricity) utilities, that eveyone agrees to pay an equal share of the monthly bill. Atlas would suggest you put it in writing that each person will pay exactly their portion before the required due date. Utility bills will arrive at least one week before the due date. This should give everyone enough time to arrange payment. These rules should be discussed as soon as possible once moved in. Remember to respect the person who is taking on the contract with the utility company; be a good roommate and pay them on time.

Personal Values and Beliefs

Get to know your roommates as best you can early on. Find out their goals with school, socializing habits and religious beliefs. These are very basic areas that need to be understood and respected quickly.  Everyone will come from various backgrounds, religions, cultures, and have instilled in them values and beliefs that could potentially be different from yours. Respect differences as it will help build a unified and lasting roommate/building community.

Late/Overnight Plans:

Looking out for your roommates is essential. When going out for the night, it’s important to have a game plan before leaving. Tell your roommates where you will be going, who will be there, and when or if they can expect you home. Safety is promoted both with Atlas and at the Universities. Become familiar with “Walk Safe“, it’s a program that both Universities offer. Have a couple of students with direct communication to University Security dressed in Walk Safe gear accompany home. Safety comes from walking in numbers, knowing your environment, using main roads, and not talking to strangers.  Use common sense, and trust your instincts.

WATERLOO REGION

To Karl Innanen, it almost seems like the recession never happened. A year ago, the commercial real estate market in Waterloo Region was in a serious funk.

Worried about the economic downturn and unsure where prices were going, investors sat on the sidelines waiting for someone to “break from the herd,” said the managing director of the local Colliers International real estate office.

Twelve months later, the market has heated up in a big way, Innanen said Wednesday during a 2011 market outlook breakfast organized by Colliers.

The ice was broken during the summer when Manulife bested nine other offers to purchase part of the former BF Goodrich plant at 800 Wilson Ave. in Kitchener for $20 million, he said. With three tenants already in the building, Manulife wanted it as an investment property.

A little while later, the Alpine Plaza at Ottawa Street South and Alpine Road in Kitchener received 18 offers from bidders attracted by a mix of tenants that includes a liquor store and Boston Pizza. It sold for $8.1 million to Bentall Kennedy, a pension fund adviser, he said.

Over at 500 Pinebush Rd. near Townline Road in Cambridge, a new industrial building erected by Hopewell Developments that sat mostly empty for several years was finally leased by Safety Kleen, which had lost out in a bid for another building on Struck Court, Innanen said.

“The market has accelerated extremely quickly,” he said. “We’re having a tough time finding product for investors.”

Unfortunately, supply hasn’t kept up with demand. The inventory of Class A industrial space in the region has dropped to a “sliver,” and no one is building without tenants lined up ahead of time, said Ron Jansen of Colliers. “We’re running out of space. We need somebody to put a shovel in the ground.”

The shortage has sparked a “flight to quality,” he said, with some potential employers looking elsewhere.

In the office market, one of the biggest trends in 2010 was the move of some high-tech tenants, including Google and Communitech, from Waterloo to Kitchener.

“The wall is down,” said John Lind of Colliers. “Kitchener is as cool a place to be as Waterloo.”

Adding to downtown Kitchener’s cachet will be the “brick and beam” redevelopment of the industrial Breithaupt Block into office space over the next few years, he said.

In Cambridge, 231 Shearson Cres. and 600 Jamieson Parkway have done much to alleviate a shortage of good office space, but 73 Water St., the former home of the Cambridge’s city hall, still has plenty of space available and remains a concern, he said.

In Waterloo, major developments in the office sector include new buildings for Agfa HealthCare and Open Text, Lind said.

CB Richard Ellis, another large commercial real estate brokerage in the region, has also released a report on the local market.

Bolstered by a strong tech sector, the office market remains strong with vacancy rates falling to 5.9 per cent from 6.4 per cent a year ago, the report noted.

The industrial market rebounded from a disastrous 2009 with positive absorption of 1.8 million square feet in 2010 despite negligible buying or leasing from U.S.-based companies, said managing director Peter Hall.

But like Collier, he said speculative construction has dried up completely and won’t likely return until space declines further. The industrial vacancy rate fell to 7.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2010.

In an interview, Hall said major real estate deals in 2010 included Dundee Real Estate Investment Trust’s purchase of Realex Properties, which owns a number of office buildings in downtown Kitchener, and Kingsett Capital’s acquisition of ING’s industrial portfolio across Canada. The latter deal involved seven buildings and 927,000 square feet in Cambridge, he said.

Another major deal in the industrial category was the sale of the former Kitchener Frame plant to MGD Developments in August, he noted.

Still in recovery mode, the region started off 2010 with record levels of industrial space, particularly for units above 30,000 square feet, Hall said. Only in the last quarter did some of the larger properties start to move, although units above 100,000 square feet are still not attracting much interest, he noted.

Part of the problem is landlords charging too much, Hall said. “If you are waiting for 2007 lease rates and prices, which were high, then you will sit with your property until such time as you adapt to the marketplace,” he noted.

“It’s much better, if landlords are smart, to take a lesser lease rate and put somebody in for three years until the economy turns around.”

We will be placing boxes in the entrance of the main lobby starting April 20th at all our Atlas Property locations.

Please only give non-perishable food items. If you are unsure about what constitutes as “non-perishable”, please click on the Waterloo Food Bank link provided. This food helps create hampers and meal programs.

Did you know that over 63,000 people in Waterloo region live below the poverty line?

With the food that is donated, emergency food recipients are:

• 38% children under the age of 18
• 21% working
• 14% disabled
• 3% seniors

Be generous this holiday season! Thank-you for helping our community.