Category: Association Operations

 Despite the due diligence of boards and property managers, building code  violations can occur during routine inspections—be it a faulty pipe, broken step or rusted fire escape. It is the speed and  accuracy of addressing these infraction…

 If phones can be “smart,” why not buildings? With the ever-expanding array of consumer technology  available today, it should come as no surprise that residential buildings are  incorporating more and more cutting-edge technology into the…

Brickwork is everywhere across the Chicagoland area. Around since the early 1600s, the popular building material is commonly used not only because of its aesthetic appeal, but also because of its practicality. Naturally weatherproof, b…

 Warranties for products are simple to understand, most people might think. You  go to the store, buy a computer or a DVD player or a TV, or even a larger  appliance like a refrigerator, and you get a piece of paper describing a  one-year …

Q In December 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research announced that the United States was in a recession that had started back in December 2007. The official announcement was old news for most Americans. Most financially-savvy …

 One of the most rewarding aspects of living in an urban area is the opportunity  for people from a broad array of ethnic and sociological backgrounds to get to  know each other as neighbors. That doesn't mean that managing a building or  …

 In your own household, you have money coming in and money going out. You have  things you want to save up for—say, a new cool high-def, flat screen television or the latest iPad. Yet you owe  your car company and your creditors. To keep i…

 Whether they serve a co-op, condo, or HOA community, board members have a  responsibility to govern and make decisions on behalf of that community—a charge that is often referred to as the board's 'fiduciary duty.' Decisions  made on beha…

 In the tough environment that has characterized both the national and world  economy over the past few years, many condo owners have faced job loss, reduced  salaries, or just financial uncertainty. While the situation has made things  ex…

 For the most part, it's human nature to be somewhat fearful of change. People  tend to stick with what they have and what they know, rather than explore new  possibilities.    That’s definitely the case with condos and co-ops in re…