Category: Association Operations

 Property managers handle a wide array of tasks, from the physical to the  administrative. While many of these jobs are outlined in black and white (send  out monthly bills, attend meetings, file paperwork), one important component is  not…

 Hardy Chicagoans stash their winter coats away as soon as spring temperatures  allow; and, come fall, they resist pulling out those parkas again until their  teeth are chattering. Buildings, however, need preparation that’s a little more …

 For building owners and managers in Chicago, winter weather not only refers to  the white stuff that falls out of the sky—but rather, the white stuff that collects in a building’s lobby.    That’s right—ice and snow can be a buildi…

 It’s a well-known fact that Chicagoans are tough. But even the bravest among us  shivers just a little bit when the first signs of winter settle over the city.  Winter and the inevitable snow and ice that accompany it take their toll not …

 In many ways, a building’s boiler is like the heart is to the body: it provides heat and circulation; it  works unseen; and if it is not functioning, it won’t take long for life to go away. Maintaining this heat source of the community  i…

 There are approximately 22,000 elevators and moving conveyances in the city of  Chicago—and that number almost doubles when you add in the surrounding communities in  Illinois. A great number of these elevators are in condominiums and it’…

 Keeping indoor air clean is critical to maintaining a healthy environment. The  inner workings of a building’s operating system is often a mystery to the untrained person or board member.  Since it’s easier to determine the cleanliness of…

 Rick Wilberschied of All That’s Wildlife in Chicago once had to catch a raccoon that had climbed 64 stories  and was sitting on an apartment building balcony. Three months ago, in Chicago’s Boystown, a mother deer found an unlikely spot t…

It’s time to turn our attention to The Chicagoland Cooperator’s first annual Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo, a must-attend event for the Chicagoland area’s property managers, board members, real estate professionals, shareholders and unit owner…

 The key to achieving savings in your home is a whole-house energy efficiency  plan. To take a whole-house approach, view your home as an energy system with  interdependent parts. For example, your heating system is not just a furnace—it's…