As homeowner insurance costs continue to escalate in the coastal regions of New England, it has become harder to successfully wade through the morass of deductibles and policy lingo on storm insurance coverage. But with a little knowledg…
Afire sweeps through a row of condominiums, some of them partially-built units that were caught in the financial downturn. What happens when empty condo units, finished or otherwise, suffer damage? Who pays to rebuild them? Ac…
Ah, summertime! It’s a great time for property managers to kick back and relax! Except for that out-of-control grill fire on the deck of unit 31 that nearly jumped to adjacent units. And that pesky 13-year-old who broke his finger durin…
In today's harsh economic times, maintaining a healthy reserve fund is more important than ever. A community association’s reserve fund can be used to cover any number of emergency expenses from sudden repairs to legal costs. In additio…
When these decisions have to be made, boards must consider the best way to include residents in their thought process. And when the board of trustees comes to the conclusion that fees must be raised, hopefully they’ll announce it in a m…
Bad economic news is pretty much inescapable these days. You can’t turn on the TV without hearing about another round of layoffs or shaky consumer confidence. The stock market is unstable, retirement funds are shedding value, the housin…
Even in the best of economic times, preparing a condominium's annual budget is a tiresome task, fraught with uncertainty, estimations and shifting numbers. Now, factor in one of the most challenging economic downturns in a century with …
So you’ve just moved into your new condo and you want to hit the ground running in terms of energy and water conservation. But you’re realizing that it’s not quite as simple as when you owned a single-family home. You’re now be…
Why not cover the roof with plants? It’s such a simple idea; no wonder it’s been around for millennia. The United States, of course, has developed an architecture that exults in its mastery of Mother Nature. We build bridges ac…
An attractive, verdant lawn – or the lack of one – can make a lasting first impression on potential homebuyers. Grounds that are unkempt, weed-infested and showing more brown than green will likely lead visitors to believe that it’s not…