Category: Association Operations

 It’s end of a sunny day in June, and the sun is setting over the Windy City. A  gentle breeze is coming off Lake Michigan, and a gorgeous evening beckons. You  pour a glass of wine and throw open the door to your condo's balcony to take i…

 With multifamily buildings, who is in charge of the property and how well those  people are trained are critically important factors in the successful operation  of the community. Board members are a part of this management class, which i…

 It's a common enough story: the condominium was relatively new, but from the  start its board of directors was stingy with maintenance and repair dollars.  Then the recession struck, and the percentage of unpaid maintenance fees  spiked. …

 As spring dawns anew on a frigid Chicago landscape, many condo dwellers will get  their first prolonged looks at Mother Nature’s wintery ravages. Nowhere is this better seen than on a property’s exterior siding, much of which might need c…

 They say a house is only as strong as its foundation. While it's true that a bad  roof or shoddy plumbing can set your building back a lot of money, a foundation  in disrepair can put the entire structure at risk, and can cost tens—even h…

 After the four walls of a given structure, the roof is sometimes referred to as  the “fifth plane”—and just like the walls that hold it up, the roof is an all-important structure  that can make or break a building’s performance. Chicagola…

 April showers may bring May flowers, but the snow and ice storms of December and  January are certain to bring a busy work schedule to Chicagoland condominium  properties.    Whether the region experiences a typical winter—with its…

 Condominium and cooperative management companies are plentiful in Chicago. And  since there are hundreds of management companies vying for your attention and  your business across Chicagoland, it can be tough for them to set themselves  a…

 How can you tell whether the on-site property manager at a condominium or  homeowners association community is doing a good job? And what is “a good job”? Whether a manager is well-liked and whether he or she manages well may not be  the …

 These days, there are few people who don’t have a business website, a Facebook account and even a Twitter handle. It’s the same for buildings.  As the rise of online social media invades nearly every aspect of our daily  life, co-o…