More often than not, when boards or associations broach the issue of their buildings “going green,” images of bamboo flooring, hemp drapes, or solar panels on the roof suddenly spring to mind. The impression seems to be that in a condo,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and for homebuyers, that first impression is almost always the view from the street. No matter how deluxe the accommodations inside, if the property’s ext…
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…
He makes sure you feel safe and secure in your Lincoln Park condo building. He is the building engineer who fixes your bathroom leak. She is the reason you receive your important mail on time. These folks are part of the thousands of u…
Q Our association holds monthly meetings on the same time, day and location every month. Notices are posted in the elevators and common areas one week in advance yet no one attends. If binding votes are required to be in the presence of…
Q When I moved into my condo the bylaws said that vehicles are limited to standard motor cars (no boats, no trailers, no motor homes and no commercial vehicles). That was in 2004 and I have a pickup truck and my wife has a SUV. When we …