The phrase, “April showers bring May flowers” is a classic—but in real-life condo communities, beautiful, abundant flowers are a bit more complicated than merely a little bit of rainfall, and don’t just spring up overnight. Colorful flow…
Months have slipped by, but it’s not easy to forget the damage that last year’s brutal weather brought to the trees in the New England area. In June, severe tornadoes touched down in Massachusetts, leaving total devastation in their wak…
Since the 1950s, American lawns have been “hooked” on petroleum-based and synthetic chemicals. A plethora of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers have been eagerly embraced by both homeowners and landscape professionals, w…
In the face of rising water costs, maintenance costs, and a continued depressed housing market, many community associations are finding long-term savings through new landscape strategies that also help our environment. Eco-friendly lan…
Just as families are encouraged to set aside a portion of the household budget into a savings account, so are community associations advised to maintain a reserve fund for capital improvements—repairs and replacements of major common-ow…
People say “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” In the same vein, ignorance of contractor illegalities is no excuse—and no comfort—when something goes wrong. Association members are well-advised to bone up on what’s important before they…
Visions of lounging by the pool on a hot July weekend lure many homebuyers into the condominium lifestyle. For families, the attraction may include use of their own, “private,” playground, swing set, tennis court or patio for cookouts. …
Freezing, thawing and deicing undoubtedly take their toll on concrete during typically harsh New England winters. Corrosion of concrete is an issue in the Northeast, and homeowner associations need to ensure that the concrete forming t…
As the ubiquity of the condo “green” movement reaches even greater heights, many property managers find themselves searching for new ways to spruce up their operations. And with the continual advances in lighting technology—each more re…
When you consider all the different exterior components that a condo association has to deal with, decks are sort of like the Rodney Dangerfield of the list—they rarely get any respect. “Decks are definitely something that peop…