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…
From damp basements to flooded walkways and backed-up storm drains, too much water without a place to go can be a huge problem for condominiums. In recent years, rain gardens have come to the fore as a make-ready solution to those prob…
It seems like a scene from a sci-fi or fantasy movie — giant bugs infesting the trees at the edge of a forest and endangering an entire ecosystem. Unfortunately, there is nothing fictitious about the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB), which …
The current economic climate has associations looking under every rock for cost savings, including their landscaping budgets. Landscaping expenses vary greatly depending on the location, size and terrain of the community prope…
Ever since Romeo and Juliet made them famous, balconies have been popular additions to our homes and living spaces. For condominium communities, balconies can add an extra perk, a few more feet of living space that allow us to enjoy the …
Everyone wants to talk about Newport—the people who live there, the musicians who play there, the tourists who visit there. The city’s slogan is “America’s First Resort,” and this label seems to have held true in some manner or …