Welcome to The Pyramid Press

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1 THE Press Volume 6 Issue 1, 2016 The Newsletter for Clients and Friends of Pyramid Property Management Welcome to The Pyramid Press Dear Community Resident, Owners & Tenants: Pyramid was busy in We publish this year-end newsletter to share highlights of how we ve improved the services we offer you. Welcome New Management Properties - Pyramid has expanded the number of condominium complexes, commercial buildings and homes under its management to 122 with the addition of the following Condominium Communities: Town & Country in Greenwich, Kingsley Court in Norwalk, Lofts on Lafayette and Regency in Bridgeport and Schooner Cove, Hayes House and Seaside Landing in Stamford. The seven new properties contain 594 units. Management Investing in Added Tools for Managers For Hands On Clients Pyramid has incorporated Smart Notice by ECN Network, which allows the company to call multiple telephone numbers, send text messages and s when there is a need to quickly distribute a notice. Ask the Experts - Lunch Training Sessions During 2015, Pyramid hosted lunch training sessions for its staff involved in residential property management. Sessions included attorney Mark Sank, collections; attorney Bill Ward, condominium legal issues; attorney Steve Berg, condominium legal issues; and Dave Pilon, condominium insurance. Another topic was Pyramid s online condominium document service for resale certificates and lender questionnaires. More Improvements in 2016 We ll be adding more tablet computers in the field for our managers and maintenance staff to have easy access to your community s information in the field. Board Meeting Conference Calls & Video Teleconferencing Want easier scheduling of board meetings? Try Conference Calls or Video Teleconference with up to 8 people. Annual Board Survey Results Once a year we send out a simple survey to our property management clients asking board members how they would rate various services we offer on a scale of 1 10 ten being the highest score and our goal. We started doing this in We use the methodology developed by Fred Reichheld on his measurement called the Net Promotor Score used by world class companies like Intuit, Enterprise Rental Car and USAA Federal Savings Bank. We take the feedback and use it to make adjustments, investments and training to improve each year and it is working. Over the last 3 years the areas of Accounting, Property Management, Maintenance & Responsiveness have improved each year. And are all scoring in the mid to high 8 s out of Board Training Pyramid hosted the Community Association Institute's ABC's of Condo Operations courses in March at the Stamford branch of the University of Connecticut. The event was attended by 28 members of condominium associations. Pyramid offers the class for board members to help them better understand their roles as leaders of their condominium associations' governing bodies. Speakers included attorney William Ward of Ackerly & Ward in Stamford, Dave Pilon of Bouvier Insurance in Stamford, Michael McGovern, a Pyramid Property Manager, Kathy Mandel, of the Pyramid accounting department, Charles Mullen, Director of Pyramid's building maintenance and construction department, The next class will be held in September at a date to be determined. For more information, please contact Patty Coleman at , extension 137

2 Accounting Community Web Portal In 2013 we transitioned to new software. One of the benefits of the change was to provide an optional web portal for your community. This feature allows unit owners to view their account balances and pay their bill as well as see newsletters & other info the Board would like to distribute to the community. The Boards will be able to view proposals they are discussing, board info packages, meeting minutes and retrieve various financial reports. The portal is free for our Hands On /full management clients and our Value clients can add the service for $29/mo. by contacting Asst. Manager Natali at ext Online Payments As a reminder we provide the option for online ACH payments that transfer the same day if done before 1pm. After 1pm, payments will process the next day. Accepting Credit Cards for: Did you know we accept credit card payment for Common Charges? This new option is to help owners make payments during harder financial times so they can avoid legal action. There is a convenience fee for this benefit paid by the unit owner. We also take credit card payment for work performed by Pyramid Maintenance for unit owners. ed Common Charge Statement - If your association receives monthly statements (as opposed to coupons) you can sign up for ed statements instead of receiving paper statements. The benefits are: 1) convenience you don t have to be home to get your statement, 2) paperless reduces waste and is better for the environment and 3) your community may save money by reducing fees in your annual budget. To sign up follow the instructions on the top right corner of your paper statement. Board Bank Account Viewing Access - In addition to providing a bank statement monthly to Boards with the financial statements, we also offer access for the Board to view bank accounts online. This is another feature in step with our commitment to financial transparency. If you are a current Board member and would like to have this access please contact the Pyramid Bookkeeper who provides your financial reports. Currently only 10% of Boards are using this feature. Maintenance & Construction Maintenance Emergencies - ATTENTION: If you have an emergency CALL OUR MAIN PHONE NUMBER (203) AND FOLLOW THE PROMPTS do not / text our staff or post on our website / web portal. We can only assure service thru our Answering Service. Pyramid Real Estate Group expanded its Maintenance and Construction Department staff in the fourth quarter of 2015 with the hiring of Corrine Gaete as a service coordinator and Joe Warren as clerk of the works. Corine Gaete Gaete, formerly a Property Manager for Greenwich-based Urstadt Biddle, has six years experience in commercial real estate. She has a positive attitude and provides a happy response to callers. Warren, who works in the Construction Department, has the goal of improving communication, follow-up and customer service, as Pyramid grows to help more people improve their real estate value. Joe Warren Warren attended Johnson State University in Vermont and was formerly employed by William Raveis Realty. Gaete can be reached at , extension 132, while Warren can be reached at , extension 119. Community Maintenance Made Easy - Want to tackle a service for all unit owners at once? Let Pyramid Maintenance develop, schedule & manage a program for your community. Two of our most popular programs are: Inspection and hot water heater replacement w/ drip pan & shut off valves Washing machine hose replacement Energy Efficiency Projects Here are a few ways we are helping communities save money: Improving insulation can save on average 15% on your heating and cooling bills; LED light bulb and fixture replacement program can lower electricity consumption for lighting up to 60% and reduce your cost of bulb replacement (bulb life of 5-7 years vs years); Heating & AC unit and boiler upgrades and/ or converting from oil to gas have produced savings as high as 40%!

3 Unit Owner Services All the services we provide to communities are also available to unit owners we have helped with honey do lists, fixing broken items and renovating units for owners. Condo Unit Remodeling If you are interested in improving your unit s flooring, kitchen or bathroom give us a call for a price quote. Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning - Along with our capability to repair and replace heating & air conditioning as well as plumbing systems we also offer: Discount & Preventative Maintenance Service Agreements. Why should you invest in a planned Service Agreement? 1) Save on monthly heat & air conditioning bill (In many cases the savings will more than pay for the agreement); 2) Extend the equipment life by as much as seven years with proper ongoing maintenance; 3) Reduce repair costs with a well maintained comfort system and 4) Save on parts and labor as an agreement customer. For more information about our Discount Club call extension 133. Flat Rate Plumbing & HVAC Pricing In 2015 we added the ability to provide an upfront price quote for heating & air conditioning as well as plumbing issues. After a diagnostic visit we are able to give unit owners a price quote right away. This takes the guessing out of the repair cost and allows you to make a decision and repair quickly. Construction Most of our clients with properties built more than 25 years ago and many building components are reaching the end of their useful lives and need replacement. We wanted to upgrade our capabilities to help you face these challenges so in August 2014 we hired an additional expert to focus on doing capital projects in a high quality way. Mike Trombetta Before After Michael Trombetta Senior Construction Manager Michael Trombetta brings to Pyramid over 30 years of experience in the construction industry. Mike has built from the ground up: condominium communities, commercial properties and single family homes, which gives him a complete understanding of the field. Mike s philosophy on a good construction job is to listen to the client, discuss it in layman s terms, provide options and communicate often. He holds his contractors accountable to keep a clean job site, stay on budget and stay on schedule. Got a tough problem or upcoming project? Ask Mike for his opinion and a price quote. You can reach him at MikeT@pyramidREgroup.com or ext Areas of Expertise: Unit Remodeling Replacement of Siding and Windows Shingle and Flat Roof Replacements Deck Replacement Construction Administration & Project Supervision Construction Project Examples Here are three projects that showcase Pyramid s expanded capabilities: Example: Flat roof replacement Client: Norwalk community Problem: Multiple roof leaks in an old roof Solution: Install a new silicone roof over existing roof at a 30% savings with a long term warranty Before After Example: Asphalt replacement Client: Trumbull community Problems: Worn out roads with cracks and potholes Solution: Remove road surface, repair substrate, and install 3 of asphalt

4 Example: Deck & balcony replacement project Client: Stamford condominium Problem: Deteriorated wood components and potential safety issues due to age Solution: Replace all decking with treated lumber Being familiar and aware of today s latest building technologies provides us with the ability to provide the most effective protection for community associations. No Bank Loan Project Financing - To help communities get things done in 2015 we are offering NO COST project financing If you choose Pyramid as the contractor for your project we will spread your payments over several months during a calendar year. This allows you to pay out of common charges or special assessments without having to get a bank loan. Don t waste money on repairs, fix the problem permanently call our Team to discuss your project at extension 133. Residential Realtors Residential Rentals & Sales During 2015 we helped unit owners sell 3 condominiums 1 House for a total of $4,560,500 We also helped unit owners lease 19 units For Sale or Rent No one is better at explaining your property than your management company Commercial & Residential Brokerage - We added a Broker Ellen Wink who works homeowners as well as business owners to help them take advantage of the good deals in commercial real estate now (better locations at lower prices). Ellen lives in Norwalk and can be reached at Ellen Wink ext Pyramid Cares In 2015 Pyramid and its employees donated time and money to these causes: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Friends of Karen In Support of Terminally Ill Children and Families Shatterproof Fight Against Addiction Trinity Catholic High School Walkathon Student Support Sloan Kettering Pediatric Cancer Center Girl Scouts of America Bennett Cancer Walk Hope In Motion Mill River Park Multiple Myeloma Research Foundations (MMRF) CT AMVETS Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters CT State Fraternal Order of Police Stamford Police Association Residential Realtors Include Kathryn Mandel, Mark Liberman, Craig Leppla & Ellen Wink DISCOUNTED SALES COMMISSION did you know we charge a reduced 4.5% commission for our clients this puts more money in your pocket. Sold in Rowayton

5 Our goal is to make real estate easier for you and we appreciate your using our services. We are here if you need us. From all of us at Pyramid Real Estate Group we hope you had a Happy Holiday Season and wish you a great Sincerely, Russell Munz Co-Owner / President And the entire staff of Pyramid Real Estate Group Ways Pyramid May be of Service: Fix your unit Improve your unit Rent your unit Sell your unit CALL (203) TO DISCUSS YOUR NEED WITH ONE OF OUR PROFESSIONALS Accounting Extension 123 Property Management Extension 138 Maintenance Extension 133 Rentals & Sales Extension 110 Talent Wanted We are always searching for talented people to add to our growing team. If you know a handyman, licensed plumber or HVAC technician who would be an outstanding candidate please resumes to (info@pyramidregroup.com) Happy with our improvements & service? Our business is referral based and we d appreciate any referrals you make