Company Profile
Incorporated in 1993, R. James Properties, Inc. manages apartment communities throughout metropolitan Atlanta and has been named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s list of ‘Top 25’ Apartment Management Companies for many years. Our company excels in the management of conventional garden-style apartments, but we also have expertise in managing other kinds of communities such as town homes, lofts, and properties subject to government-imposed income and rent restrictions. We cooperate with numerous government and non-profit agencies for some of our residents who obtain housing through Housing Choice, Tax Credit, and refugee resettlement programs. We use proprietary computer software which enables our managers to be more effective and which enables our financial reporting and record keeping to be largely paperless.
We believe that conventional, non-subsidized, apartment communities that range in size from 100 to 400 units offer an optimal housing value for working people with moderate income. Our intent is to operate these properties so as to make them clean, quiet, pleasant and attractive to residents who appreciate what we offer.
Our turnover tends to be low because we care about our residents and they like our communities. Our employee turnover also tends to be low. All of our staff members receive an attractive benefits package as a part of their compensation. To enable us to communicate more effectively with our residents, many of our employees speak languages other than English. Our property managers are responsible for the allocation of over $1,000,000 in operating expenditures each year. The president and qualifying broker of our company is Richard Kelly James (Kelly). Owners seeking management should click here. Brokers with property that would be of interest to our company should contact Mr. Kelly James.
Repositioning
(After)
(Before)
In the past ten years, R. James Properties, Inc. has repositioned many apartment communities in order to make them financially viable for the long term. Repositioning entails rehabilitation of the physical asset to make it more efficient to operate, more attractive to its residents, and more attractive to the surrounding community.
Sometimes, repositioning involves vacating the apartment units because of ongoing construction work. Our company has developed supportive techniques to help existing residents find alternative housing. We often provide financial assistance, enlist help from other housing providers, and coordinate with local municipalities so that relocations can be achieved smoothly and with little disruption. Occasionally, these practices have been given favorable coverage by the news media.
What have been some outcomes of repositioning?
- A water conservation program at a 212-unit property in Clarkston reduced the monthly water bill from over $21,000 to about $12,000. This program has been repeated in thousands of units throughout Atlanta saving millions of gallons of water annually.
- A $1,000,000 renovation program at a 165-unit property in Stone Mountain increased physical occupancy from approximately 50% to 98%, and it doubled economic occupancy.
- A $2,500,000 repositioning program in southwest Atlanta upgraded 350 units, removed numerous drug dealers and other troublemakers, doubled revenue, reduced 911 calls, and returned 35 units to Atlanta Housing Authority approved status.
In short, repositioning is good for the residents who appreciate the upgraded apartments, good for the community because of the elimination of the troublemakers, and good for the owners who appreciate the enhanced profitability. Furthermore, it often supplements the supply of affordable housing by returning previously down units back to a habitable status.
Stewardship of Affordable Housing
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued guidelines describing affordable housing as that for which no more than 30 percent of the occupants’ income is required to pay for rent and utility costs. According to information distributed by the US Census Bureau, the median income for an individual in Atlanta in 2022 was over $54,000. For a household composed of a family of four, it was over $96,000.
Using these affordability guidelines for applicants with 80% of the median incomes, the rent plus utilities for an individual should not exceed $1,350, and the rent plus utilities for a family of four should not exceed $1,920. Our Availability Web Page shows that the rents in our apartment portfolio fall well within the guidelines which would classify them as affordable for median incomes in the Atlanta area.
Many people confuse subsidized housing with affordable housing. While we have experience with tax credit properties and we participate in the HUD Housing Choice program, over 90% of our residents actually pay their own rent and receive no government subsidies. In other words, most of our residents pay their own way.
Since most of our residents are unlikely to be able to afford a single-family home, they will probably stay in our communities if we offer them a good value. Accordingly, we operate our properties to make them attractive for the long term, and this results in high occupancy with low turnover. In fact, turnover on our stabilized properties after repositioning is typically less than 30%. Our goal is to be stewards of affordable housing by offering “Great Apartment Values” to the residents in our communities
.
Refugee Support
R. James Properties, Inc. works with a number of agencies to assist in the housing of newly arrived refugees in the US. Many of these people are fleeing areas of the world where their homes and communities have been destroyed by war. They come to the US to literally “start over,” and they typically are independent and self-supporting within 90 days. We have found them to be excellent residents, and they eventually become excellent American citizens.
To facilitate the transition for refugees to life in the US, we cooperate with numerous non-profit organizations which provide English as a second language (ESL) classes, sewing classes, early learning, home economics training, transportation, and many other support services. Several years ago, our company was the recipient of the Heroes of Hope award from Lutheran Services of Georgia.
As a result of our involvement with this community, R. James Properties, Inc. has employed a number of former refugees in both management and maintenance positions. Currently we have employees who were originally from Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Nepal, Afghanistan and other war-torn countries.
If you have an interest in assisting in any of these efforts, please contact us.
Why Choose R. James Properties, Inc. to Manage Your Property?
Not all apartment management companies are alike. Incorporated in 1993, R. James Properties, Inc. has been in this business for more than 25 years. Apartment management is our specialty. Consider a few of the characteristics that set us apart from our competition:
- Comprehensive Financial Reporting –
- Every owner’s statement includes the complete general ledger.
- Reconciliations of general ledger cash accounts with bank statements are always included.
- Revenue on our income statement ties to the revenue on our rent report.
- Proprietary Computer Software –
- Specialized screening procedures discourage poor credit risks and encourage good ones.
- Paperless document management improves information access.
- Proprietary software empowers on-site managers and facilitates an ongoing internal audit.
- Ethical Management –
- All supplier and contractor discounts are passed on to owners.
- No extra fees are added for leasing, renewals or evictions.
- Every property has its own bank account thus ensuring no commingling of funds.
- No management contract lock-in. If you don’t want us on your property, just give us 30 days’ notice.
- Stewardship of Your Property –
- We manage your property to increase its long-term value.
- We don’t puff rents by leasing to unqualified applicants who won’t fulfill a 12-month lease.
- If you plan to keep it, we can fix it and manage it!
And we are veterans in this business! Senior managers in our company average over 20 years of experience. If you are seeking management of an apartment community in the Atlanta area where your monthly collections should exceed $100,000, contact us!
Employment
Current openings may include:
- Property Managers (We encourage managers to live on site.)
- Leasing Consultants (We prefer applicants with relevant experience.)
- Maintenance Technicians (We prefer that you have your own tools, truck, HVAC certification.)
R. James Properties, Inc. has ongoing staffing needs for good people who are flexible and career-minded. We pay competitive compensation that includes medical benefits and an opportunity to participate in a tax-deferred retirement plan. If you have experience working in the property management field and would like to be considered for one of these positions, please submit your resume in the text of an email message. We look for applicants with good credit and stability in their former positions.
Please send your resume and cover letter via e-mail to [email protected]. Please include your resume in your email text rather than as an attachment. Resumes sent to us by fax will not be considered.
If your background matches a current employment opening, you will be contacted by return email. Before hire, references will be checked and a drug test will be given. We are a tobacco-free company. If you use tobacco products, please do not apply.
Thank you for your interest in working with R. James Properties, Inc.!