Insurance is a hassle and an expensive necessity for any condominium. A great way to bring costs down and to keep them down is to reduce liability. Many things that can help with insurance costs are along the lines of common sense, and…
The importance of insuring one’s personal property is rarely grounds for debate, as people regularly make out checks in varying sums for policies they hope they will never have to make use of. And in theory, the concept is simple: You b…
Say you’re a new association trustee in your condo. It’s a great honor—you’ve been recognized as a leader, and now you can try to put some of your ideas into effect. However, in your new position, you could now be sued because of your fi…
For people with no experience in managing a community, understanding the fine print and the more obvious aspects of a building’s insurance policy often can be a challenge. To the uninitiated, it sometimes may seem like the details of one's …
The scenes are indelible: uprooted trees strewn across roadways. Windows broken. Streets flooded. Roofs torn from the homes they were designed to protect. Hurricanes are chaos machines, generating fear and destruction wherever and when…
Any manager or trustee who has been around for at least three years has noticed the recent sharp turn in the real estate marketplace—from red hot in 2005 to ice cold in 2008. How could that have happened? What are the politicians saying …
When the city of Newburyport incorporated in 1764, it encompassed less than 10 square miles and had a population of about 3,000 people. Today, the city still covers less than ten square miles and has a population of fewer than 18,000 res…
Looking for miles across tree-covered mountains and valleys. Heading up the slopes for a bracing day of skiing. Buyers who have long entertained dreams of finding that ideal New England vacation home are discovering some great opportunit…
Maybe it’s not as annoying as that trip to the dentist, but the annual budget comes around every year just like that dental appointment. And the budget process, say trustees, officers and accountants who are charged with completing it, d…
The Harbor Towers, a pair of 40-story residential buildings designed in part by noted architect I.M. Pei, offer some of the most exquisite views of the Boston harborfront and skyline. Once out of place in what was a district of warehouse…