Sonoma County Residents Seeking Marin County Advice!!

Here is one Marin resident reaching out to another! My friend & colleague Kaylee (yes, from PRANDI too) and I have recently founded our own "hiking class" for an after-work, work-out! But we are finding we're running out of great spots to go! The problem is, we are both Marin implants (gasp!) from Sonoma County, so we want to get the skinny on some "secret" spots Marin folks know of....

We are seeking advice from you--trails and hiking paths in Marin--something strenuous but that we can do after work while it's still sunny outside. We've tried our hand at yoga, but we crave the burn....after all, I am getting married in June!


P.S. Thank you to Matt for telling us about the trail off Paradise! Thank you Google Earth, or we would have never found it!

Erin Leidy named California’s 2011 Big Sister of the Year!

Director of Business Development & Marketing at PRANDI Property Management, Erin Leidy, has recently been named the California Big Sister of the Year for Big Brothers Big Sisters. This honor is in recognition of her tireless support of the agency, and more importantly, of her “Little,” 11-year old Trayvon.

Each year agencies across the state, nominate 1 Big Brother and 1 Big Sister for their exemplary mentoring and advocacy. There are 19 agencies in all, representing over 13,000 matches. The individuals nominated are judged at the state-level by a panel of agency Executive Directors. Winners from each state are then eligible to be named National Big Brother or Big Sister of the Year.

Erin has been working with the organization for roughly five years spawned by her husband, Jonathan’s, involvement on the Board of Directors. She and Trayvon are far from the average pair. Although not the first “mixed-match,” traditionally, the organization has focused on pairing Bigs and Littles of the same sex. However, with over 200 children on the North Bay waiting list, mostly boys, the organization has been compelled to become more creative.

“When we have fantastic mentors, like Erin, willing to donate their time and talents, we want to get them involved with a child as soon as possible,” says Executive Director of the North Bay agency, Eddie Kaufman. “Pairing her with Trayvon was natural, given that she is the elder sister of 3 brothers. And the results speak for themselves.”

In the relatively short time that Erin and Trayvon have been together, they have done quite a bit. They have gone hiking, to Warriors games and amusement parks, visited museums, baked holiday cookies, and much more. “Over the course of our match, there have been many firsts for Tray,” says Leidy. “He has learned how to play tennis, make scrambled eggs, and even some less complicated things, like the importance of looking someone in the eye when you speak with them. Most recently, we took him up to the top of Tam, where he was able to experience snow for the first time.”

Of all of the things that she has brought to Tray’s life, the most valuable is stability. He has officially become a part of the Leidy family, never missing a holiday. “When we go out together, I notice others watching us, trying to bring context to a relationship that, on the surface, seems a bit peculiar. That’s fine with Tray and I; in fact, it often leads to a great opportunity for the both of us to share our story.”

Erin will be talking about her match a great deal over the course of 2011, including at both of the Inspiration events held by the organization as well as the upcoming Bowl for Kids’ Sake at Country Club Bowl in San Rafael (April 2-3). “Winning is a great honor and I would like to share this recognition with the staff at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Bay as well as all of my family and friends that have supported the organization along with me.”

The judging for the National Big Sister of the Year also takes place in April. If selected, Erin and Tray would be taking a trip to the White House, where past winners have had the opportunity to shake hands with the President.

Accounting | In Review

As the PRANDI Client Account Manager, which really means the resident bookkeeper, it has been an extremely busy year for my accounting team. We just finished up last year’s 1099s from 2 different software programs, together with annual Summary reports, after our 2010 switch-over in July. The new software has been quite a learning curve for all involved and we appreciate the patience and understanding from our owners. Now, we are busy filling special requests for our owners’ tax accountants to help everyone complete the year.

New this year, the CA Franchise Tax Board made it mandatory that we collect and send 7% of rent income to the State for our out of state owner. Not a popular task!

Property taxes are just around the corner, so we’ll be starting our “Hold-Back” of funds this month, if you’re one of the owners who have specified that we pay taxes for you.

As of the first of the year, we started updating our vendor business licenses and liability insurance to make sure they are current. Our vendors have been hand-picked by us, and are the best in their respected fields, so as to give you the best service you deserve.

We are off into year 2011 with a great start and ready to take on new challenges and excitement – but we always have FUN in the process!

Project Re:Brand | Part 1

The logo is very important for any company. Here at PRANDI, we always double check to make sure our image, and in essence our “brand,” is as consistent as possible. We want our look to be noticed and recognizable. We want people to know our name and see us as the respected leaders we strive to be, in Marin’s leasing and property management field. We want people to see our logo and say “Let’s call PRANDI!”

Our marketing team is always sure to communicate our branded-name in several different places, such as on our: Website, Business Cards, Stationary, Email, Newsletters/ Press Releases, Advertisements, Mailers, Company Clothing, even our social networking sites (ie: Facebook, PRANDI Blog, Twitter).

Branding is technology. We recently changed the image of our website, updating our logo to make it modern. We also switched our in-house software services to an e-platform in order to be readily accessible for our clients 24/7. We’ve made this change universal, and sometimes it’s hard to remember how many places we’ve put the PRANDI logo over the years! But our marketing staff has certainly been hard at work, making our image consistent across the board and everywhere you look! (See our old logo on the left)

Branding is innovative. When creating a new look for PRANDI, we had to figure out how far we could drift from the image we previously held in the eyes of the community. We needed to change with the times, yes, but we also needed to update ourselves in a way that didn’t confuse or compromise our existing image either. We wanted to stay modern, and still similar enough that our clients would still recognize our image. Our colors took a more “21^st Century” darkening and switched to richer colors; we changed our solid home icon in our logo and made it a more of a “refined” outline.

Branding is effective. I read while researching marketing within companies awhile back that “big isn’t the only beautiful.” This quote hit home for me. Small businesses like PRANDI can also utilize brands and have an impact on their audiences, just as much as larger corporations can. We too can be innovative, effective and compelling even though we’re smaller than other Marin companies. No matter the small size of PRANDI, we have certainly been effective in our branding, and have been finding ways to reach as many audiences as possible.

Branding is money. We’ve found ways to market in both the paid as well as free markets. Paid marketing would put our name at the top of SEO in such places as Google. But inexpensive routes have oftentimes let PRANDI be found easily as well. Social networks, for instance, are free of charge, and have let us reach large audiences directly. Not to say that these free markets are completely free, as time is always money and sometimes social networks have been “expensive” by their time-consumption. Regardless of exact dollar amounts, where we focus our time and energy is very important too.

PRANDI and our marketing staff have certainly tried to find a balance between cost effectiveness and the audience we are seeking. With this balance we aim to target audiences in many different markets. We aim to use our technology, innovation, effectiveness and time to reach people who we hope will say, “Oh, I remember PRANDI, and I’ll call them!” when they need our services.

Just Listed Rental Listing -- 58 Maple!

Just Leased this Great Property! – 58 Maple Avenue, Fairfax, CA 94930

We’ve just listed this 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home, conveniently located near shops and transportation. Freshly updated with new paint, carpets, and appliances. Refrigerator and blinds to be installed soon. 2 car carport. A well-behaved pet would considered with approval. This is a non-smoking property.

For more information, contact Dana Esquibel at (415) 482-9988 x204 or email her directly at dana@prandiprop.com.

To see our other listings please visit out website at www.prandiprop.com.

Farifax Corner | Hot this Week

What fun and excitement! We listed a Fairfax home and had it leased after our first showing. 23 Oak Tree Lane

FAIRFAX OWNERS: This is a great time to consider leasing your home! We have daily inquiries from potential tenants looking for quality homes to lease in your area. Call PRANDI Property Management at 415-482-9988 for a brief phone consultation and some additional guidelines to help you prepare your home for lease. Having an experienced team on your side will help to ensure that your home will be a wonderful income-generating asset for many years to come. We would love to hear from you!

Spring is Just Around the Corner!

Spring is just around the corner here at PRANDI, and I am certainly looking forward to longer days with more sunshine and day-light to enjoy (less rain!). Not only can I not WAIT for the Giants to start Spring Training, but I also cannot wait to be outside and showing more properties in the upcoming warmer weather!I am looking forward to this time of year not only for myself, but for the properties I work with directly. Now is the time to look at each of our units, figure out what needs to be done at the property, and get ready for the high rental season that comes with this time of year. Spring Clean-Up is a regular occurrence both inside and outside of the home and it is very important to stay on top of yearly maintenance precaution tasks. Taking care of your home now in small steps should protect you down the road from having more maintenance trouble in the long-run. Don’t forget such preparations as cleaning and checking pool filters, or dry vegetation/ weed clean-up in the yard.

Remember to take a break after your hard work too! I always look forward to spending part of my spring/ summertime lunch breaks at the great frozen yogurt places we discover in town! Ask me about my personal favorite locations the next time you come into the office for a visit!

New Carbon Monoxide Detector Legislation!

New Legislation You

Should be Aware Of!

SB 183 - Carbon Monoxide Detectors

As some of you have probably heard, California has recently passed new legislation requiring all single family homes to have a carbon monoxide detector installed by June 1, 2011 if there is presence of a gas-burning appliance (gas range, water heater, dryer, etc.). Similarly, this new law will take effect for all multi-family dwellings by January 1, 2013.

The penalty for not installing proper detectors can be up to $200 for each offense, after a 30 day notice to correct. Fortunately, unlike regular smoke detectors CO detectors only need to be replaced about every 7 years.

Here at PRANDI we are taking appropriate measures to ensure that all our vendors are aware of this new legislation and are installing the proper smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in all PRANDI properties moving forward. We are also going to be sending out reminders and notices to all our clients reminding them that this will need to be done in the near future and to expect this necessary expense!

Please look out for more information in the PRANDI Press this month!

For more information visit: Kimball, Tirey & St. John LLC's website and click on "Legislative Update for 2011" or visit http://www.realtown.com/articles/view/legislative-update

New Year, New Ideas

In 2010 we updated our property management software to stay on the cutting edge of technology. In 2011 we revamped our website to refresh and strengthen our image.

This month, we have made sure the website changes were fully implemented so our clients can efficiently navigate to find the information they need. This week, we have added additional "face-lifts" by updating the site with a modern feel.

Today, our staff will continue to be involved with the Marketing Department, coming up with great ideas that will better our business here at PRANDI. We will continue to strengthen our presence in the areas we are already visible. We will make ourselves known in the places we are less likely seen. We are branding our name into recognition. We are hitting the ground running in 2011.

San Anselmo & Fairfax Markets are Blooming!

For those of you who do not know, PRANDI is broken into office teams. Although we work very closely with one another, and often times our "team lines" are crossed into one another, I work with Dana as her Assistant Property Manager.

There has certainly been a lot going on this month at PRANDI. January has been a busy month for us, especially our team, in that we are listing new properties or have more new listings in the pipeline than ever before for this typically "quiet" month of the year. The San Anselmo / Fairfax market is blossoming, and Dana and I are excited as we both grew up in that area and are very familiar with those areas. We love our hometowns are and are happy to be working there so frequently!

We recently listed three Fairfax homes (just within the last two months), of which two rented quickly and the third will hit the market next week. Watch for the newest 3 bedroom 2 bath single family home!

Along with the business in the other areas of Marin that we do, we are very excited about THIS market!