Page 3 - Chicago Cooperator Spring 2020

CHICAGOCOOPERATOR.COM THE CHICAGOLAND COOPERATOR — SPRING 2020 3 Subject to credit approval. inlandbank.com No Prepayment Penalties • Fast Loan Approvals • Expertise • Flexible Terms and Conditions If your association is in need of improvements, please contact Tim Haviland 630.908.6708 or thaviland@inlandbank.com at LOW COST CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION LOANS TABLE OF CONTENTS Yale Robbins Publisher Henry Robbins Executive Vice President Joanna DiPaola Associate Publisher Hannah Fons Senior Editor Darcey Gerstein Associate Editor Pat Gale Associate Editor Shirly Korchak Art Director Anne Anastasi Production Manager Victor Marcos Traffi c Coordinator Alan J. Sidransky Staff Writer Peter Chase Director of Sales The Chicagoland Cooperator is published quarterly by Yale Robbins Publications, LLC, 205 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016, (212) 683-5700. President: Yale Robbins, Executive Vice President: Henry Robbins. Subscriptions are available free by request to co-op and condo board members and homeowner associations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Chicagoland Cooperator, 205 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016. ©Yale Robbins Publications, LLC 2020. All rights reserved. Application to mail Periodicals postage rates is pending at New York NY. FREE Subscriptions for Board Members, Property Managers and Real Estate Decision Makers. To Subscribe, please visit us at: Chicagocooperator.com/subscribe C OPING WITH ONFLICT C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Life in a co-op or condo is in many respects a microcosm of the larger world outside. It can su er from the same factionalism and power struggles as any political entity, only on a much smaller and more intimate—and thus potentially more damaging—scale. Even seemingly minor disagreements can upend a residential community. When such confl ict and partisanship in co-op and condo communities infi ltrate the board of directors, e ective governance of the propertycan be compromised. A IRBORNE RRITANTS I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Home Sweet Home can become un-sweet very quickly when the physical environment you’ve worked hard to create becomes a source of environmental toxicity. Chemicals, smoke, pet dander, and mold— along with other allergens and irritants—can make a person’s life miserable. In a private home, it might be easy to get rid of the cat, remove the plant or bush, or use only hypoallergenic products for cleaning and exterminating. T E HE VOLUTION OF EAL STATE R E M ANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Like so many other sectors of the economy, residential real estate management has changed and evolved since the turn of the millennium. And also like in those other sectors, much of that evolution is related to the development and adaption of technology. Yet for a manager, the fundamentals of the role remain as they always have been: those of close interpersonal interaction. While technological advances have sped up response times and analytics in many situations, good, old-fashioned personal contact still remains the keystone to e ective management. C ULTIVATING A OMMUNITY ARDEN C G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Whether a community is surrounded by suburbs or big-city high-rises, a little greenery can go a long way in adding visual appeal—and value. In fact, given the lack of space and the challenge of keeping plants healthy and thriving, urban gardening is perhaps even more valuable. I NDUSTRY ULSE P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Q UESTIONS & A NSWERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5