A lot of us feel like everyday life keeps getting more and more complicated, and finances are no exception. In Illinois, there are strict limitations to what boards can do with their association’s funds, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t …
While the majority of condo buildings and HOA communities choose to partner with professional management firms to provide guidance and counseling and oversee their day-to-day operations, other boards take the reins themselves and choose se…
It’s only logical that if something goes wrong and needs fixing at a condo or HOA, it's the board or manager’s job to do some due diligence and choose the contractor that makes the most sense for the community's needs and budget. Thi…
It was January 1977 when the Center for Disease Control (CDC) first identified and isolated a previously unknown strain of bacteria found breeding in the cooling tower of a hotel air conditioning system. The bacteria, subsequently named Le…
In terms of wear and tear on buildings, winter is the harshest season of the year. Snow accumulation and ice damming on roofs can be a major headache, pipes freezing and bursting could spell disaster, and just about any accumulation of wat…
Funny thing about human nature—it’s not impulsively "natural" at all. Despite knowing that 1.1 billion people lack clean drinking water and thousands of children die from the diseases in that dirty water, people living in better circumstan…
Energy is money. And in big condo buildings, energy is big money—we’re talking thousands upon thousands of dollars in waste or savings. Most folks know that turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, taking shorter showers, and turning down t…
There’s probably not a condo, HOA or co-op board that doesn’t worry about money at some point or another, which is why staying on top of the latest money-saving opportunities is vital for any building or community to be successful. One of …
Individuals, associations and other entities carry insurance coverage to protect them from liability, loss, and other financial and legal threats—that's pretty basic. What isn't always so basic is deciding when to file a claim versus payin…
Sometimes insurance and the terms that accompany it can feel like a completely foreign language. It can be mystifying and overwhelming, whether for individual condo residents or the board members who oversee the community as a whole. The i…