Sooner or later, every co-op or condo owner will have to deal with the inconvenience of living through a major capital improvement project—a roof replacement, an elevator rehab, serious exterior work, or something of that nature. No mat…
Few things are as important to our health and well-being as the air we breathe, especially inside our own homes. That is why it is so important for individual homeowners as well as management to stay up-to-date on issues of indoor air …
As we go about our busy lives, we often forget about everyday physical facts—like the unceasing tension gravity places on the materials we assemble into buildings and other structures, for example. Whether or not we are paying attention…
Despite the due diligence of boards and property managers, building code violations can occur during routine inspections—be it a faulty pipe, broken step or rusted fire escape. It is the speed and accuracy of addressing these infraction…
If phones can be “smart,” why not buildings? With the ever-expanding array of consumer technology available today, it should come as no surprise that residential buildings are incorporating more and more cutting-edge technology into the…
Brickwork is everywhere across the Chicagoland area. Around since the early 1600s, the popular building material is commonly used not only because of its aesthetic appeal, but also because of its practicality. Naturally weatherproof, b…
Warranties for products are simple to understand, most people might think. You go to the store, buy a computer or a DVD player or a TV, or even a larger appliance like a refrigerator, and you get a piece of paper describing a one-year …
Q Are there any restrictions or rules in Illinois that would permit videotaping of condo board meetings? Is it legal? If taping is permissible, do the parties in the room being taped have to be told of it beforehand? —Camera-Shy …
Q I am the secretary of a recently formed condo association board in a mid-sized building (93 units) on the South Side. Due to circumstances I'm sure are common, what money we have is barely sufficient to manage the status quo, includi…
“Location...Location...Location,” is the age old adage of real estate and Jefferson Park's location, affordability, safety and access to transportation are the primary factors that lure people to this lovely corner of the Northwest Side…