Home Sweet Home can become un-sweet very quickly when the physical environment you’ve worked hard to create becomes a source of environmental toxicity. Chemicals, smoke, pet dander, and mold—along with other allergens and irritants—can make…
No matter how well constructed and carefully maintained, no mechanical system lasts forever—and that goes for elevator cabs and equipment just as much as it applies to roofs or boilers. At some point, your building’s vertical transportation…
Some lucky Chicagoland residents can come home from work on a bitter winter’s night and warm their feet by a roaring fire while drinking a hot toddy. A working fireplace is a coveted amenity for many, adding a dash of vintage charm to prewa…
Amid moments of economic uncertainty, a condominium, cooperative, or homeowner’s association may instinctively want to pinch pennies when it can, especially in regard to maintenance projects. Should an association have a full-time, in-house…
When you close your eyes and picture any building, you are quite likely imagining its facade – the outer shell which protects and contains all of the hustle and bustle that goes on within. In a residential property, the facade is what separ…
Home is where the heart is, sure – but it's also where most of where any given owner or shareholder's money is. For most people, their home represents their single biggest investment. And in a community association, both individual units an…
Whether it’s a balcony, terrace, patio or roof deck, outdoor space is many an apartment owner’s dream. Desirable – and valuable – as they are, these spaces do present specific maintenance considerations for individual owners, co-op corpora…
Cities are crowded. That’s a simple fact. In the best of circumstances, there’s noise, dirt, dust, and the usual urban pests. Add to that the construction of a new building next to or nearby yours, and annoyance can quickly become overwhelm…
Real estate brokers are nearly universal when it comes to touting properties with ‘tons of natural light,’ and nearly every apartment-hunter wants a room (or rooms) with a view. Windows let the light in, keep out the rain, and add value to …
Successfully running a condominium, cooperative, or homeowners’ association is no small task. A board and/or management must consider the interests of its residents when making sweeping decisions to benefit the property and those who call i…