Insurance is a relatively simple concept that any homeowner can understand. You purchase a policy paying a premium to an insurer, and when a claim gets filed, the insurer pays. So in theory, insuring a condominium or association propert…
Spring is here, which means the sky is blue, the grass is green, and the flowers will be blooming—that is, if you plant them. From knowing which plants do best in which location to keeping up with everyday care and maintenance, keeping …
When it comes to weather, Chicago's climate conditions are as changing as an adolescent's emotions. One day it's 55 and sunny, the next day you are shoveling snow off your sidewalk. This turbulent weather combined with poor landscaping…
Since the 1950s, American lawns have been “hooked” on petroleum-based and synthetic chemicals. A plethora of post-war pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers were eagerly embraced by both homeowners and landscape professional…
In the face of rising water costs, maintenance costs, and a continued depressed housing market, many community associations are finding long-term savings through new landscape strategies that also help our environment. Eco-friendly lan…
In these times of economic uncertainty, nothing is more important than planning for a rainy day, especially when that rainy day might involve repairs to multimillion dollar buildings. That is one of the many reasons why having an adequ…
Just think about this—you go to a doctor’s office for the first time and, hanging on the wall is an empty frame where his medical degree should be. You question him about it and he tells you, sure, he graduated from med school. He's tot…
In Chicago, urban high-rises with sidewalk frontage and suburban HOAs containing walking paths, parking lots, and service roads are reliant on their paved surfaces for conducting their everyday business. Therefore, it's crucial that bu…
There was a time when most large residential developments relied on glaring floodlights to brighten parking lots, front porches and entryways. Today, there is more to exterior lighting than just chasing shadows away and discouraging cr…
When you consider all the different exterior components that a condo association has to deal with, decks are sort of like the Rodney Dangerfield of the list—they rarely get any respect. “Decks are definitely something that peop…