American churches are finding that their buildings are no longer the community social landmark they once were. A decrease in faith is partially to blame; the percentage of adults who identify as Christian dropped from 78.4% in 2008 to 70.6% in the …
Creative Ways to Improve School Attendance
After all the lesson planning and class preparation that teachers do to help students succeed, sometimes the biggest challenge is just getting students to show up. Studies show that students who miss school score lower on standardized tests and are ultimately less …
Uber vs. Church – The Sharing Economy
On average, cars spend 95 percent of the day parked, doing nothing. That’s a big part of why Uber has taken off. It gives drivers the opportunity to put those wasted hours to use. Think about your church building. On average, how …
Does Your Residential Real Estate Agent Prioritize You?
Back before smartphones and electronic document signing, Humberto Vasquez had a real estate client who needed to sign a contract offer on a short deadline. He was flying into town on a red eye and had a full day planned starting early …
Four Reasons to Explore Workforce Housing
Research shows that teacher-student relationships are vital in creating successful learning communities, and both teachers and students gain an advantage when teachers are able to live in the communities they serve. School employees who are part of the community stay invested in …
Why You Should Check Your Church’s Property Title Report
Correcting out-of-date and inaccurate property titles isn’t on the top of many to-do lists, but the consequences of ignoring them could prove dramatic, especially if the congregation decides to sell the property. The best way to avoid any property title pitfalls is …
When to Lease an Unused School Property
When a school district has a piece of property it isn’t using, the school board members must ask themselves two basic questions: Will they need the property anytime soon and would the property be worth something if it were to be repurposed …
When to Put Unused School Property Toward a Community Benefit
School districts have the disadvantage of building schools that last for decades to meet student enrollments that can shift tomorrow. Sometimes that leaves districts with unused properties that once served an important purpose but don’t any longer. When that disuse is more …
San Francisco Increases Tax on Commercial Rents
Voters in San Francisco recently approved Proposition C, a ballot measure that will increase commercial rent tax in order to fund childcare and early education programs in the city. The Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) is a tax on the total revenue a …
