Cities and suburbs can be dirty places – and unfortunately, getting that dirt off the façade of a building takes more than just a scrub-brush and a bottle of Mr. Clean. How a building is cleaned depends on two factors: what materials the bu…

The sun stays up a little longer, the breezes are warmer, and the flowers begin to bloom. The signs all point to the arrival of spring, when we can cast off the dreary grayness of winter and look forward to blissful summer days. It is the p…

Along with the exterior appearance of buildings themselves, landscaping is the first point of contact for potential residents and visitors to a condo or HOA community. While it’s tough to quantify the effect of beautifully curated and maint…

When it comes to purchasing a unit in a condominium, co-op, or homeowners’ association, buyers tend to be (rightly) concerned with square footage, baths, beds, kitchen aesthetics – all of the fundamentals people look for in a new home. But …

Q. Can a board member vote on a change in rules that will directly benefits him/her? For example. the board member is an investor with more than 10 units and needs more parking spaces for tenants, therefore s/he moves to vote to change th…

Q. The Village of Addison inspector has deemed that we must REPLACE (not repair) all our outdoor concrete stairs and landings. Our contractor originally said it would cost $67,000 per building. Now he’s saying it’s $328,000 per building. …

Q. Our declarations state that maintenance the roof, grounds, and common areas, etc., is the association’s responsibility.  The board acknowledges this responsibility. Last year, the roofs had shingles damaged and missing due to wind.  Th…

The last three apartments in your luxury hi-rise condo were sold to a troika of Russian oligarchs, who all paid well above the asking price. But now said oligarchs are on the sanctions list, and have withheld their monthly maintenance fees …

A residential property could have triple-reinforced titanium steel walls, and it still wouldn’t be worth a darn without a sturdy roof. It’s through the roof and rooftop features that many problematic elements can enter a building, from wind…

They say that a stitch in time saves nine. But when dealing with exterior maintenance and repairs for your condominium, cooperative or homeowners’ association, that proverbial stitch can save nines – or tens – of thousands of dollars. Small…