2013 March
Focus on... Exterior Maintenance

Maintenance Keeping the Rain Off
2013 March Keeping the Rain Off

 After the four walls of a given structure, the roof is sometimes referred to as  the “fifth plane”—and just like the walls that hold it up, the roof is an all-important structure  that can make or break a building’s performance. Chicagola…

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Maintenance What Lies Beneath
2013 March What Lies Beneath

 They say a house is only as strong as its foundation. While it's true that a bad  roof or shoddy plumbing can set your building back a lot of money, a foundation  in disrepair can put the entire structure at risk, and can cost tens—even h…

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Maintenance Side by Siding
2013 March Side by Siding

 As spring dawns anew on a frigid Chicago landscape, many condo dwellers will get  their first prolonged looks at Mother Nature’s wintery ravages. Nowhere is this better seen than on a property’s exterior siding, much of which might need c…

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Maintenance Don't Neglect Essentials
2013 March Don't Neglect Essentials

 It's a common enough story: the condominium was relatively new, but from the  start its board of directors was stingy with maintenance and repair dollars.  Then the recession struck, and the percentage of unpaid maintenance fees  spiked. …

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Real Estate Trends Green by Committee
2013 March Green by Committee

 According to the U.S. Green Building Council, Chicago had more certified green  buildings than any other city in the United States in 2009—and that number continues to grow.    A whopping 88 projects in the Chicago-area earned Lead…

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Real Estate Trends Exterior Elements
2013 March Exterior Elements

 When you think landscaping, you probably don’t think of a swanky Chicago co-op or condo high-rise building. After all,  landscaping is typically reserved for suburban homes where there is rolling  turf, strategically placed trees, sprawli…

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Board Operations Breaking Bad
2013 March Breaking Bad

 As the old saw goes, one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. The same idea  often holds true for residents who choose to ignore bylaws or house rules, even  if they are well-intended and in place to serve the greater good of the  communi…

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Management Back to School
2013 March Back to School

 With multifamily buildings, who is in charge of the property and how well those  people are trained are critically important factors in the successful operation  of the community. Board members are a part of this management class, which i…

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Maintenance Shoo!
2013 March Shoo!

 It’s end of a sunny day in June, and the sun is setting over the Windy City. A  gentle breeze is coming off Lake Michigan, and a gorgeous evening beckons. You  pour a glass of wine and throw open the door to your condo's balcony to take i…

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Neighborhoods Wicker Park
2013 March Wicker Park

 When Mrs. O’Leary’s cow supposedly in a fictional account set off the great conflagration that  became known as the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, an area subdivision known as  Wicker Park attracted large numbers of Polish immigrants looking…

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Q&A: Late Payer
2013 March Q&A: Late Payer

Q I am the property manager for a medium sized condo association. There is an  owner who is several months behind on their assessment. We have followed the  standard protocol of the association of sending out notices and it is reached  th…

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