The Landlord’s Almanac is Creating a Better Community for Landlords and Renters
Contributed by Kassandra Taggart, Group Administrator
In the spring of 2020, as the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading around the world, thousands of Alaskans lost their jobs. That job loss shocked the rental market – suddenly, and unexpectedly, many Alaskans couldn’t pay their rent. And their landlords found themselves unsure of how to move forward.
“When COVID happened, a lot of landlords had a lot of fear. They didn’t know what they could and couldn’t do or where to go,” said Kassandra Taggart. Taggart is the President and Broker in Charge of Real Property Management Last Frontier. She’s also the driving force behind The Landlord’s Almanac, a virtual community of Alaska landlords that has been active for years but became a lifeline for advice in the early days of the pandemic.
“It became a place where landlords could go ‘hey I’m scared, how can I get help?’ It really helped them with the fear of everything that was happening,” said Taggart.
According to the American Community Survey, there were an estimated 90,266 renter-occupied units in Alaska in 2021. And according to Taggart, many of the people who own those properties don’t necessarily have a background in real estate or in being a landlord – and many of them have another job. The Landlord’s Almanac provides a safe and accessible forum for landlords to ask questions, seek advice, and help others.
Taggart started the organization at a kitchen table, with just a small group of real estate investors and landlords. As it grew, Taggart turned to Facebook to help accommodate the large numbers of people interested in being part of the community. Since its inception in 2016, the Facebook group has grown to 1,300 members.
Taggart, who works as the group’s administrator, says the platform allows landlords from all backgrounds to come together to participate in a friendly and helpful forum with the goal of educating each other on best practices, regulations, and general advice.
“We want to provide landlords with the tools to create really good, quality, affordable housing for the public,” said Taggart.
Technically, many of the people who engage in discussions on the Facebook page are competitors, but Taggart said, for a number of reasons, they are still willing to help each other out.
“I think the reason why is because they no longer feel alone and they feel they’re connected to resources,” said Taggart. “The mentors like to give back because they learned the hard way and there’s plenty of rentals for everyone.”
One of those mentors is Michele Raven. She’s been a landlord in Alaska for more than 20 years, and she’s considered a “group expert” on The Landlord’s Almanac Facebook page.
Raven, who lives in McCarthy, said she sees helping her peers as an important step in building better communities.
“The idea is to lift people up and help them be quality landlords,” said Raven.
Raven said she tries to approach her job as a landlord with empathy and excellent communication, and she shares that wisdom with others.
“If you treat your renters well and establish a compassionate relationship with your renters, they’ll care about you and the rental,” said Raven.
Realtor and landlord Matt Miller is also a frequent contributor to the group – in fact, his participation goes back as far as the original gathering at Taggart’s kitchen table.
“I love helping out new landlords like people helped me,” said Miller.
Miller said he sees strength in numbers; the ONLINE group allows Alaska’s landlord community to bounce ideas off each other – and to help each other avoid making expensive mistakes. They stop short of offering legal advice, focusing instead on shared experiences and lessons learned.
Group administrator Taggart believes that kind of community will elevate Alaska landlords, creating a safer, more affordable, experience for renters. If you are a landlord in Alaska, you can join the conversation by visiting The Landlord’s Almanac.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kassandra Taggert and husband Eric Boltman own Real Property Management Services in Anchorage, Alaska. She is the founder and group administrator for the Facebook page, The Landlord Almanac – Alaska.