Most kids these days have never had more options when it comes to fun: video games and electronic entertainment of every kind are ubiquitous, and all sorts of mobile toys, too. But amid a national childhood obesity epidemic, the need for ch…
Your home defines you. It’s where you spend most of your time. It’s where you hang your hat. It’s where you make precious memories with friends and family. And what your home looks like – whether it’s made of glass and steel or terracotta a…
With the end of winter comes relief. No more snow or sleet or slush or sludge; it’s sunshine and windbreaker season, baby! But the board of a condo, cooperative or homeowners association cannot be content with simply waiting for April showe…
Tastes and styles change with the decades—and sometimes with just the seasons—and what is considered fashionable now may seem hopelessly dated in just a few years. (Just look at bell bottoms.) That said, innovations and re-imaginings in res…
Like people, buildings age. Even under the best of atmospheric conditions, dust, dirt and grime accumulate, changing a building’s appearance over time. Often it’s not until a building’s façade is cleaned that one notices how it was dirty to…
Oftentimes co-op, condo and HOA boards are faced with difficult choices when it comes to enforcing their community’s rules and regulations. Board service isn’t an easy thing, and while board members want to be understanding of their fellow …
Jack and his wife Rachel live in Chicago, happy in a two-bedroom, two-bath condo with a parking spot. Assessments are criminally low, the building is dog-friendly and it is literally a half block from a Chicago train stop. While they have a…
Q. What do you do when the president of the board, property manager and super are all one family? I tried waking up the shareholders with memos and flyers about the conflict of interest to no avail. Our beautiful Garden of Eden has become…
Q. I was recently made aware that a sex offender has moved into my building. He moved into his girlfriend’s apartment. I made the board aware of this, and even gave them a printout from criminal justice. We have a lot of children living …
Q. I purchased my condo unit in 2005 with amenities, including 24-hour security, two pools, a parking lot, and a children’s playground. This past summer, our board destroyed the children’s playground and made it into additional parking sp…