By Bob Cain
www.rentalprop.com
Copyright 2000 Cain Publications, Inc., 
used by permission

Why is it important to know the demographics of your customers? Knowing income levels, marital status, familial status, ages, etc. of the tenants in each of your properties will certainly help in tenant selection. But it will also show you how to serve your customers, your tenants, better.  Full Story.

What Do Apartment Renters Want? The Same Amenities as Home Buyers
by Al Heavens

If you are considering investing in multifamily, here's the scoop on what renters want:

Pretty much what homebuyers want, according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders, its first formal pulse-taking of the rental market in a decade.

Nearly half of America's apartment dwellers say they choose to rent because it "suits their lifestyle," according to the NAHB survey. And the three things they look for when choosing an apartment home are an attractive price, location and design.  Full Story.

Cheap 'Mini-Medical' Policies Cover Drugs And Doctor Visits, But Little Hospitalization

By Vanessa Fuhrmans
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
January 17, 2006

Employers are increasingly turning to an affordable type of health insurance that has a big catch: If you get really sick, it won't cover your major expenses.

These low-cost offerings, called "mini-medical" or "limited-benefit" plans, are catching on as employers struggle to restrain the rising cost of health insurance. Available as group plans or individual policies, they typically cover four to 10 doctor visits a year, a certain amount of prescription drugs and some lab work or other tests.  Full Story.