2011 December
Focus on... Safety & Security

The Chicagoland Cooperator's Expo Debuts to Rave Reviews
2011 December The Chicagoland Cooperator's Expo Debuts to Rave Reviews

 Thousands of enthusiastic attendees packed The Chicagoland Cooperator’s first annual Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo to learn about new products and services, network with hundreds of  service providers, socialize and exchange information with th…

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Security Community Crime Prevention Strategies
2011 December Community Crime Prevention Strategies

 For any homeowner or tenant, the worst feeling is vulnerability. Association  dues are paid, in part, to provide a sense of safety and security. High fences,  security guards and gates, along with cameras and key codes help to achieve a  …

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Security Planning for Emergencies
2011 December Planning for Emergencies

At 7 p.m. on a Friday evening, Keith J. Hales, president of Hales Property Management, Inc., happened to be checking his email. He found a message from a woman who lives in a four-story condominium building his company manages on Chica…

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Security Keeping an Eye Out
2011 December Keeping an Eye Out

 It’s often said that safety starts at home—and while many HOAs spend lots of money on sophisticated security and access  control systems to protect residents and property, others opt for lower-tech  solutions to neighborhood security and …

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Security At-Risk Residents
2011 December At-Risk Residents

Meet the residents of the fictional Manor Woods condominium. Mrs. Jones loves her unit. She’s been living there for 30 years and while she’s still independent, she walks and talks a little slower than she used to. Next door, David was i…

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Security Creating a Safe Community
2011 December Creating a Safe Community

 Too often a condominium community takes a hard look at its security only after  the damage is done.    “Our business is an event-driven business,” says Andres Vidales of ADT Security Services, based in the Miami/Fort  Lauderdale, F…

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Real Estate Trends Hitting Bottom
2011 December Hitting Bottom

 As the economy sputters along and unemployment rates remain steady at more than  nine percent, there isn’t call for celebration. Whereas the real estate market was also lumped in with  these aforementioned Great Recession causalities, in …

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Q&A: Unfair Pet Policy
2011 December Q&A: Unfair Pet Policy

Q Our rules and regulations state that owners may not have more than 2 pets, one  of which may be a dog. One of the unit owners who also happens to be a board  member keeps 4 dogs in her unit as pets. Since she is a board member, the boar…

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Q&A: Paying for Mold Removal
2011 December Q&A: Paying for Mold Removal

Q I am a shareholder of a co-op apartment building. I have a mold problem which stems from water damage coming through the outside bricks. I had a mold assessment company take air and material samples. It was determined that there is e…

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