It's a fact: Americans love their cars. American cars, just like American pets, are often cast as pampered members of the family, ensconced in attached garages that adjoin the living space set aside for humans. Americans often feel …

Condominiums that pay their full share of taxes but get shortchanged in municipal services like garbage pickup and snowplowing are an old story. So, too, are a lack of interest in local politics and a feeling of general dis-empowerment b…

The weather is warming and as the temperatures moderate, New England residents everywhere are finally venturing outdoors again. After a winter that many people elect to spend indoors and largely on the couch, the urge to get physical aga…

Hundreds of condominium units heated and cooled by geothermal power have recently hit the market in New England, heralding the wholesale arrival of the "green" alternative energy system in this area. A Case in Point Most prominen…

In today's world, it seems that everywhere you look someone is walking around with the latest gadget in hand, be it a BlackBerry or iPod, to make them "more connected." I am guilty of the practice myself, particularly with my latest purc…

Consider the developer who has decided to tackle the conversion of a historic property into a condominium. Perhaps the property previously served as a church, a school, a factory, or a manufacturing facility, and now the developer i…

Where there's smoke, there's fire, right? Not always. Smoke and soot damage are the obvious aftereffects of a fire, but they are also the by-products of many other domestic mishaps, including residue build-up in a furnace or chimney…

Insidious is not a word that usually comes to mind when think of community association living. But then again, we don't generally think of any insidious phenomena around us as being insidious. Need an example? While majority of Americans…

One of the most important elements in the operation of a community association is the meeting process. The success of an association is often reflected in the quality and tenor of its meetings. Surprisingly, the meeting process is often …

Maybe it starts with complaints about guest parking, or too much noise from next door, or neighbors smoking. Whatever the reason, the condominium rules and regulations— also known as the CR&Rs—in your community probably need updating. C…