The goal of the Education Committee is to help educate our membership with the best management of their apartment buildings. This will include legal information, Fair Housing, HUD, maintenance, management, etc.

This column will be used to highlight the upcoming events, meetings and programs to help you run your apartment building efficiently. For example, we will help you get up to speed on the new forms needed to comply with the ever-increasing laws concerning our industry or guide you through the ever important tenant screening process.

Some of the upcoming programs we will be offering, which may be of interest to small building owners are listed below:

Monthly General Membership Meetings featuring a guest speaker highlighting different topics each month. The membership meeting is held the third Tuesday of the month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at our brand new location in the First American Financial Corporation complex in Santa Ana. See the General Membership Meeting flyer in this issue.

The annual trade show. This year the AAOC Trade Show & Conference, Las Vegas 2000, will be held at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel on April 25, 2000. Don't miss the vast array of seminars and workshops taking place throughout the day.

Fair Housing Seminar. Find out the do & don'ts when managing Fair Housing issues.

Eviction procedures. Find out the proper way to start and complete an eviction at your property.

Forms Seminar. So many forms, so little time. Find out how to fill them out correctly.

Risk management. Find out how to protect your property from lawsuits.

How to raise rents and not lose residents. The right and wrong ways to raise rents in today's roaring economy.

Landlord-Tenant law Seminar . Know your rights.

How to prepare your building for sale. Find out how to deal with your broker, what paperwork is needed, the importance of curb appeal and what the buyer is looking for.

What to look for when buying a building. Find out what questions you should ask before buying.

Home Depot Pro Training Maintenance Classes. Free plumbing, electrical, drywall classes and more offered. A great way to learn to do it yourself and save money while earning your Master's Maintenance Certification from the AAOC

Lead-Based Paint Seminar. Get the information you need to protect your- self and your residents.

How to tap into free services from the utility company. Free front doors, toilets, energy management etc.

Survival Spanish. An AAOC runaway hit!

How to fill out HUD or Section 8 paperwork. Find out the nuts and bolts of Housing and why it could be an advantage to rent to housing tenants.

The list will give you a rough idea of what will be offered this year. Please feel free to contact the AAOC office about any of these programs. If you have any suggestions or would like to see other subjects discussed, please let us know.

Every month in Apartment News we will discuss a different aspect of the apartment industry for small-business owners. If you would like a subject discussed or have questions you would like us to answer, please e-mail, call or write to: Jerry L'Ecuyer AAOC, 12822 Garden Grove Blvd. Suite D, Garden Grove, CA 92843. E-mail: JERRY@JLE1.com

Jerry L'Ecuyer is the owner of JLE Property Management & Maintenance and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Apartment Association of Orange County He has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988. Jerry can be reached by calling (714) 778-0480 or visit the office a~ 202 E. Broadway in Anaheim, CA 92805.