Unless they're self-managed, most urban residential buildings employ professional property managers to handle their books, bid out repair jobs, hire contractors and deal with the day-to-day administrative functions that few unit owners o…
Ask Mark Weisman, the president of Brownstone Real Estate in Boston, what makes a good managing agent, and his answer is simple: "You should be able to solve small problems before they become big problems—that's basically it." This des…
Time was, if the tiles in your building's front foyer got grimy, your super would pour some ammonia or bleach in a bucket, grab the nearest mop, and get down to business. If a drain was slow, out came the heavy-duty industrial solve…
Whether you live in Brookline or Boston, Cambridge or Somerville, major capital improvement projects like façade restoration, elevator refurbishment or roof replacement can be a big problem for condo, co-op and HOA boards and managers—espec…
According to legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi, "The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual." The coach's wisdom can actually be applied to almost any life situation—sports, volunteers, an…
In a city with a history as rich and storied as Boston's, it's no surprise that history is told in large part through its architecture. The face of that architecture, quite literally, can be found in the facades that give each building its …
The Community Associations Institute (CAI) estimates that 74 million Americans live in communities managed by homeowners associations, of which condos account for 35% to 40%. That’s a lot of people - many of whom may be in for a nasty shock…