There are two ways, and only two ways, to balance a budget: increase revenue or decrease spending. Whether you’re the treasurer of a co-op board or the President of the United States, those are the only two levers at your disposal. Energy …
Surprise. Surprise. The major storm events we’ve experienced in New England may give condo owners and trustees a very good reason to look at the insurance coverage for all of their association properties. While protection for major inci…
All professional contractors and service providers are required by law to carry insurance to cover their activities. Any condo building should also carry its own insurance to cover accidents or other incidents on the property—this could…
When you decide to run for a board, you’re usually thinking about all the great changes you’re going to make to your building community, along with all the time and effort that you’re prepared to sacrifice for the good of your home. …
It’s a sad fact that the artisans and craftspeople who created some of the most beautiful, distinctive interior and exterior architectural elements for residential buildings are an endangered species. The proliferation of sleek, glass-…
Sometimes condominium units become “home” to people who really don’t belong there. With the proliferation of “over-55” communities in recent years, aging baby boomers and an economy marked by unemployment and foreclosures, there may be r…
If you want to find out about the history of any town, region or country, head to a museum or look it up on the Internet. If you want to find out about your family’s history, look at your photo album, whether it’s in a book or online. A…
Walls are the only separation between you and your neighbors when you live in a densely-populated area, and privacy sometimes goes out the window. People hear their next-door neighbors talking, footsteps from above or even music blaring…
While the vast majority of one-time projects and long-term service contracts involving vendors and service providers and their condominium or HOA clients go smoothly and either conclude or continue without incident, a small percentage …
When Superstorm Sandy hit the New England states last fall, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was quick to offer federal disaster assistance to the states affected to supplement the lo…