The discovery of fire is considered a major turning point in man's evolution from cave dweller to outer space explorer. Control of fire allowed early man warmth for his habitat, a way to cook his meals, and light for his surroundings. Fi…
According to some sources, the word “tips” is actually an acronym—it's short for “to insure prompt service,” and the list of people who are commonly tipped—at least in the United States—includes everyone from hair and nail salon workers t…
Sooner or later, every resident living in a condo association ot HOA community will have to deal with the inconvenience of living through a major capital improvement project—a roof replacement, an elevator rehab, serious exterior work, or…
In December 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research announced that the United States was in a recession that had started back in December 2007. The official announcement was old news for most Americans. Most financially …
Unless it's a thoughtful gift or a party in their honor, nobody likes surprises. That's especially true when it comes to sudden, serious, or non-negotiable repairs to a condo building or HOA. A community must have enough money saved to d…
“We have 500 condo accounts and I can count on one or two hands the number of the ones that are not having issues with arrears,” reports Karen Sackstein, CPA, whose accounting firm, The Condo Queens, is based in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. “A…
In any sizable community, people from a broad array of ethnic and sociological backgrounds live in close proximity, sometimes under the same association roof. Managing a community association that’s home to a diverse population poses some…
For the most part, human nature is fearful of change, and that’s why people are more likely to stick with what they have and what they know, rather than explore new possibilities. That’s definitely the case with community assoc…
Legendary funny man Benny Goodman once said, “I don’t want to tell you how much insurance I carry with the Prudential, but all I can say is: when I go, they go too!” The comedian hits on all-important issue: how much insurance is too muc…
The Community Associations Institute (CAI) estimates that 74 million Americans live in communities managed by homeowners associations, of which condos account for 35% to 40%. That’s a lot of people - many of whom may be in for a nasty shock…