In addition to their boards, common interest communities are governed by a set of foundational documents. In a condominium, those documents are the declaration and bylaws; co-ops also have bylaws, as well as a unique document called a propr…
According to a recent announcement by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, by 2060 one in four Americans will be over the age of 65, and two in five adults over 65 live with a disability. In …
According to a recent investigative piece by the Orange County (Florida) Register , Fannie Mae is keeping a secret “blacklist” of condominium, HOA and cooperative properties which the federal agency has decreed that lenders should st…
Among the keys to successful governance of residential communities is continuity. The most basic of democratically elected units, co-op, condo, and HOA boards are the custodians of their community’s welfare, success, and continued operatio…
Community association board members are usually volunteers - and most are not financial experts or accounting professionals. Even with the best of intentions, this lack of experience can lead to some common - and costly - mistakes. This pan…
Like everyone else, condos and HOAs are struggling with high inflation. Costs for everything from regular maintenance, repairs, and supplies to interest rates and borrowing for capital projects are up, as are labor and management costs. Res…
The funding recommendations of reserve studies can be a daunting amount at times. While everyone seems to dread the need to increase reserve contributions, we’ll look at what options exist for Associations to cover these needs. Specifically…
With over 100 new EV models announced by auto manufacturers, there has never been a better time for car owners to start planning to go electric. Samantha Bingham, Clean Transportation Program Director and Coordinator of the Chicago Area Cle…
Adjust the focus of past (very popular) seminars on the topic to include defusing tension and hostility at meetings, the impact (for good and ill) of social media, including platforms like Nextdoor (for neighbors) and Yelp (for management),…
I am often asked by the board members and property managers of my condominium and community association clients to attend open board meetings. I enjoy attending open board meetings because they provide an opportunity to observe how these as…