Everyone knows the old phrase about April showers bringing May flowers, but what the saying doesn’t tell you is that the rain in April can also bring a lot of damage to your HOA's gutter system. Hard rain and blustery wind are always ar…
“Sleep tight—don’t let the bedbugs bite" used to be an innocuous children’s rhyme but these days, it's a nightmarish refrain for a growing number of co-op and condo owners and their building administrators. Virtually unheard of for deca…
When the days finally lengthen and the mornings lose that bitter chill, it’s time to assess the damage wrought by another New Jersey winter. For the board members and the property manager of a community association, that wintertime dama…
These days, when a condo’s fencing, decking or siding wears out and needs replacement, smart boards are looking well beyond “apple-for-apple” replacement materials. Wood siding, a favorite for decades, is frequently being repla…
Good information and clear communication are crucial for anyone involved with the administration of a cooperative condominium or homeowners association—crucial not just to thriving, but surviving in today's challenging economic times. F…
The winter months bring us a more heightened awareness of what a major snowstorm can do to our commute to school or work and, our voicemails if we are a property manager. However, with the heavy snow comes a very real potential for stru…
Condominium associations and their property managers have shown that, like owners of other types of buildings, they are eager to do their part to be good stewards of the health of the planet, as well as the health of the occupants of t…
Do you have an elephant in the living room? That is a way to describe something that everyone knows about, but nobody talks about because it is too awkward. Community association budgets, and particularly reserve contributions and disc…
As buildings age, small and large maintenance issues arise, and HOA boards are called upon to address these situations. The questions frequently revolve around whether to use in-house staff or to hire an outside company to fix the prob…
It’s hard—if not impossible—to plan a budget for your association and stick to it, especially if maintenance problems and structural crises are constantly taking you by surprise and depleting your community’s bank account. Capital budge…