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…
Removing a multifamily community's trash and recyclables is an important job, especially in a private development that is not served by municipal or city-run sanitation services. And though it is crucial to their daily lives, most peopl…
Energy efficiency has become a “buzz word” over the past couple years throughout Chicagoland and more and more gadgets and devices have come on the market that are specifically designed to use less energy. Saving energy does a lot more …
We as a culture produce a lot of trash—and not just in the form of reality television shows, late night infomercials and bad romance novels. Whether it’s the candy wrappers we toss into the trash bins outside on the sidewalk, the newspa…
Going green doesn’t have anything to do with choosing a natural paint color for your kitchen, or planting herbs in your community garden. But the phrase can have many different meanings across a broad spectrum. Turning off lights in roo…
With the green movement in full swing across the country, it is not surprising that incorporating energy saving and improved efficiency measures has trickled into condominium development. Today, many buildings in the Chicagoland area p…
When the power goes out and city dwellers are left in the dark, people assume they won’t be stuck in cold apartments for days. Just as we expect our hospitals to have backup power generators to save patients who are on life support syst…
Noise is a key quality-of-life problem for almost anyone living in a densely-packed urban environment. It's the bane of many a condo-dweller’s existence, and over the years engineers, architects, and designers have tried any number of w…
Legendary funny man Benny Goodman once said, “I don’t want to tell you how much insurance I carry with the Prudential, but all I can say is: when I go, they go, too!” The comedian hits on all-important issue: how much insurance is too mu…