With the possible exception of fire, nothing is more damaging to residential  buildings and the property of their occupants as leaks. Whether it’s a torrential deluge from the upstairs neighbor’s overflowing bathtub or a slow, seeping lea…

 Once a Rogers Parker, always a Rogers Parker, it seems. Whether a current or  long-removed resident, folks seem to take pride in their links to the community  bordered by the lake, Western Avenue, Evanston and Devon Avenue.    It m…

 Chicago is known for having some of the very best urban opportunities in the  world—among the best colleges and schools, museums and libraries, as well as some of  the finest parks, the most interesting architecture, the most intriguing m…

 Stores and other commercial businesses on the ground floor of a condo building  used to be a rarity but now they are becoming a hot new amenity, even a  standard for newer buildings. Restaurants, food markets, drugstores, clothing  stores…

 For a crystal-clear picture of how an association is doing, there are few better  lenses than the community's budgets and financial reports. From an investment  perspective, they show the shareholders, managers, tenants, owners, and board…

 In the tough economic environment we've been struggling through over the past  few years, many condo owners have faced job loss, pay cuts, or just financial  uncertainty. Unfortunately, the sign of the times sometimes leads to an owner  n…

Money is a topic people are often skittish about discussing—especially when the discussion involves rising fees, or having to pay more money for something. When you’re a board member or the property manager of a condo building or residen…

Q I am the president/secretary of our condo association in Chicago. We have a unit  that was foreclosed by the bank last summer and the owner moved out. We only  have outdoor parking. The assigned space for this unit is right outside the …

Q Our board is planning to sell a basement apartment that had been a rental apartment. On the recommendation of the management company, the board authorized the demolition of the internal and perimeter walls, ceiling and wood floors. A…

 You don't have to walk far to find architectural gems in Oak Park. With its  patchwork of stucco, frame and brick homes punctuated by Victorian and Prairie  Style structures, the community is an architecture geek's dream. "Oak Park is  an…