It's no secret that the insurance industry is big business; there are approximately 2,000 companies competing for market share, which means that co-op, condo, and HOA boards have their work cut out for them when it comes to understandi…
With the sun beating down on the shores of Lake Michigan and the mercury nudging the top of the thermometer, it may seem strange to think ahead toward late autumn and beyond, when the Chicagoland area's condo and HOA communities will b…
Serving on one's condo or association board is sometimes a rough job; there are tough decisions to make that impact the lives of one's own friends and neighbors, priorities to set that cannot possibly please everyone, and financial cha…
It was time for the the Chicago-based senior association's annual meeting. The board and residents, men and women, some in their 70s, were emotionally charged and concerned about various issues that the board would discuss. The issues d…
Anyone who has ever circled the corners looking for a parking spot in Chicago, especially in the brutal winters, understands the importance of having a regular parking spot. In a city as crowded and fast-paced as Chicago, parking is a …
Not everybody on a co-op or condo's board is an accountant (or can even balance their own checkbook, for that matter.) Handling the money for an entire association is a big responsibility however, and residents rely upon their board to…
Chicagoans pride themselves on the ability to withstand bitter winters but sometimes Mother Nature just does get the better of us. For proof, just look at the pictures from this past January of abandoned cars along Lake Shore Drive and…
In the language of retail, it’s called shrinkage—the percentage of loss experienced by a business due to theft. Co-ops and condos may not use the same term for it, and they don't have displays of handbags or jewelry to safeguard, but th…
The dreaded phrase “maintenance increase” are two words that most condo and co-op owners don't want to hear, but sometimes it is necessary for a building’s board to make the unpopular decision of raising fees. With rising operating costs…