It’s been a roller-coaster ride wild enough to churn even the sturdiest of stomachs: Unemployment is up, property values down, bankruptcies rising, sales dipping and then lurching upward again. For many community associations,…
When it comes to our homes, nothing is more important than feeling safe. We want to know that our kids can ride their bikes, that we can walk the dog at night, that we can go on vacation without wondering what will happen when we’re gon…
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…
When it comes to residents’ safety within a condominium community, it’s the tragedies such as pool drownings, fires and floods that make headlines. But the real villains – measured by the number of actual accidents – are the subtle flaws…
In today’s high-tech world, security can look a lot like a sci-fi movie. Golf carts can be equipped with laser systems that will read license plates and check them against a computer list of approved vehicles. Elevators will only travel…
“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…
Q I live in a top floor apartment of a condo building. There has been a leak from the roof for a few years. The condo has been trying to stop the source of the leak over that time period, but to no avail. They have now hired a roofer, w…
When it comes to the windows in your complex, like most people, you’re probably focused on energy conservation – keeping the air conditioning inside in the summer and the cold air outside in the winter. While you’re probably aware that not…
Saving money by going green sounds great, but who has that initial capital in these tough economic times? The average person can’t afford the luxury of buying solar panels or driving a hybrid car, however, there are many energy-saving cha…
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…