2011 January

New England Condo Expo

 With the New Year under way, New England Condominium’s 2011 Expo is quietly taking shape as this spring’s must-attend event for New England’s property managers, trustees, and unit owners. Read More

Hitting the Books

 These are hardly the best of times for those who manage community associations,  charged as they are with overseeing financial well-being, maintenance goals,  legal issues and an almost unpredictable kaleidoscope of other daily concerns,  in an economy stressed by many months of lean times. Read More

Managing in the Economic Downturn

 Job losses. Bankruptcies. Foreclosures.

 These are tough times for everyone, but when homeowners fall on hard times, they  are often late paying condo fees. Some can’t even afford to pay them at all.

Negotiating Management Contracts

 Drawing up a contract for management services looks at first glance like a  simple task. Such contracts usually follow a particular format and outline  similar services. But what about contract areas where there’s room for negotiation? How can a condominium board and a management company  arrive at a contract that helps foster a cooperative relationship?   Read More

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read All About It!

 Most community associations have emergency preparedness plans in case of fires,  floods, or hurricanes. But there’s one form of disaster that very few have an organized response for: the public relations  disaster.   Read More

Keeping in Touch

 As recently as five years ago, traditional phone logs and Rolodexes were a common part of a property manager’s daily communications arsenal. Yet, with recent advances in condo management  software, such anachronistic methods are rapidly disappearing. Today’s tech-savvy manager can handle large volumes of communication, track and  prioritize messages, schedule maintenance, and interact with vendors via modern  web-based applications. Some of these applications can even serve as one-stop solutions for every aspect  of condo communication.   Read More

Hazardous Caulk Poses a Threat to Older Condos

 Condominium associations and their property managers have shown that, like  owners of other types of buildings, they are eager to do their part to be good  stewards of the health of the planet, as well as the health of the occupants of  their buildings. Read More

Q&A: Can't the Board Ease Up on Late Fees?

 I ran into financial difficulty a while ago and I failed to pay my regular  monthly condominium fees for two months. I subsequently paid these two months of regularmonthly condominium fees, but our association board levied late payment fees – so, the only outstanding charges on my account are late fees. The association  board has threatened to bring a legal action against me to collect the modest  outstanding amount on my account attributable solely to late fees. Can the  association do so? Read More