Those who’ve lived through a Chicago winter know they don’t call this the Windy City for nothing. Winters here can be brutal, and most building's exterior structures, or 'envelope' are the first area to suffer wear-and-tear. Allowing leaka…

In Chicago,buying a co-op or a condo goes something like this: Your realtor takes you to see your dream home. You put in an offer—along with a bunch of other people. After a ferocious bidding war, your offer is finally accepted. You submit…

Q Can you videotape condo board meetings in Illinois? Are there any restrictions or rules permitting it and is it legal? If taping is permitted, do the parties in the room being taped have to be told beforehand? —Camera-Shy A “T…

Q How do you go about amending a board’s condominium documents? Our condo has often voted in favor of making amendments to the declaration but has never followed up to do so. The general understanding is that amendments must be handled th…

A short trip from downtown Chicago, Lake Zurich has evolved from a popular resort for affluent Chicagoans into a community with above average wealth that attracts young families with its low crime rate, superior school system and strong co…

Ask any realtor what their customers are looking for in a condo or HOA and they will quickly point out the importance of the latest and greatest 21st Century technology as one of the top requests. Much like the inherent evolving nature of …

Whether you live in a suburb or in the heart of the city, life is expensive. Sometimes it can feel as though everybody from the barista at your favorite coffee shop to the kid who sacks your groceries is trying to nickel-and-dime you half …

This country was founded with a heavy dose of independence and a strong “Do-It-Yourself” attitude. The DIY mindset, with roots in Europe and European culture, crossed the Atlantic Ocean with the earliest immigrants and became part of the A…

As readers of this publication surely know, well-run condo buildings and HOAs need to have adequate amounts of money in both their operating funds and their reserve funds. The operating fund covers most of the day-to-day costs of run…

Nothing lasts forever, and though you can’t predict the moment a piece of building equipment will break down, you can prepare for it. Even the toughest boiler, HVAC unit, or elevator will eventually tucker out and need major repairs, or ju…