Usually, life in a condo goes on uneventfully on a day-to-day basis, with routine maintenance, elections, gardening, move-ins, move-outs and the like taking up most of its attention. Every once in a while, however, something comes up t…
“Survive or thrive,” was the challengeissued to recession-weary exhibitors for the upcoming New England Condominium Expo. The throw-down came during “Expo University,” a recent day-long exhibitor workshop focused on getting the most retu…
Americans have always loved high-tech gadgets. Whether it’s an elaborate crime being solved on CSI or James Bond using a laser-guided device to defeat the bad guys, high-tech is endlessly entertaining. But when it comes to real life – s…
With the arrival of the snowfall season in New England, most community associations are hurriedly pulling out their snow blowers and double checking their plowing contracts. At a few condominiums, however, the arrival of winter is being gr…
These 12- to 15-pound birds were once migratory animals, but they lost that instinct when they were employed as live decoys by hunters. In the 1930s, live decoys were outlawed and the captive geese were turned loose, multiplying exponential…
The drawbacks of serving on a board are well known. For one thing, it’s a lot of work. Hours of work, of poring over spreadsheets, of talking to property managers and vendors and residents and tenants when you could be watching the big …
It’s an unfortunate fact of condominium life: Board members’ responsibilities and their personal agendas intermingle more often than they should. After all, it’s part of human nature to want the best for us or our loved ones. Fa…
Real estate professionals, developers and builders are all reporting the same thing: today’s homebuyers who are looking for maximum value are asking for more than granite countertops and hardwood floors – they want energy savings and green…
If one wants to ascertain the state of the green building industry, shared vacation condos – also known as “fractionals” – are a good place to start. While many will settle for an uninspiring exurb lot near a convenient highway entrance…
With the economy in the throes of the worst financial crisis in decades, it’s no wonder that the world’s second oldest profession – thievery – is on the rise. The nefarious Bernie Madoff and others of his ilk have highlighted the vulnera…