They say a house is only as strong as its foundation. A bad roof, or shoddy plumbing can set your building back a lot of money. But, a foundation in disrepair can put the entire building's structure at risk. It can also cost tens of th…
Condo owners don’t generally exude enthusiasm over their roofs. In fact, they don’t pay much attention to them until there is a problem. However, a roofing problem can cause a major expense. Roofs in New England condominiums br…
Snow, ice, freezing, thawing, refreezing all take such a toll on New England properties that it’s practically a cliché—but it’s a cliché that condo trustees and managers have to deal with every spring. Paul Carraccio is preside…
It’s Murphy’s Law that when a homeowner is on vacation or away for the day, the unexpected happens. A pipe bursts and water starts dripping through the ceiling of the unit below. It’s essential that the management firm gets into the uni…
As the economy continues its slow recovery from the struggles of the recession, companies are faced with the all-important task of reexamining services and respective best practices. One reason for this exercise is the fierce competiti…
How can you tell whether the on-site property manager at a condominium or homeowners association community is doing a good job? And what is “a good job”? Whether a manager is well-liked and whether he or she manages well may not be the …
For most people, there simply are not enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done. We rush to pick the kids up from school, make it to that impromptu work meeting that just got called or even find the time to grab som…
Small and medium size community associations have many choices when they consider how to manage the day-to-day operations of their properties. Do they keep fees as low as possible and save money by being self-managed? Or find a way to …
Like any community, large or small, condominium associations can face a wide array of emergency situations. They may be internal conditions such as fire, water pipe breaks or stuck elevators, or external events such as floods and hurri…
In a condo or community association, socializing among owners sometimes is limited to quick chitchat by the mail slots or saying hello over eggnog in the lobby come December. That’s why some residents who live there—whether in…