Go down any major shopping street and chances are you’ll see five or six bank branches within two or three blocks—big banks like Chase and Citibank, smaller community banks, foreign-owned banks, you name it. Add to that investment banks, on…
Even before the economic meltdown and the media storm swirling around the thievery of money men like Bernie Madoff, financial mismanagement and fraud have been destructive problems for many associations and unit owners. An HOA or con…
While there's ample warning before something calamitous happens in a community -- such as a major weather event, for instance -- that's not always the case. A bad situation can be made immeasurably worse when a building or association isn't…
With natural disasters causing catastrophic property damages becoming more common, associations must be prepared for unexpected expenses, such as a major roof repair, or the installation of a new heating and cooling system. These major cap…
If you want to find out about the history of a town, region or country, head to a museum or look it up on the Internet. If you want to find out about your family’s history, look at your photo album, whether it’s in a book or online. And…
The foundation of any properly run condo association or HOA rests on residents paying their monthly fees on time and in full, with no delays or delinquencies. However, thanks to the lingering effects of the ebbing recession, many buildin…
The vast majority of both one-time projects and long-term service contracts involving vendors and service providers and their community association or HOA clients go smoothly and either conclude or continue without incident. However, a sm…
Even in 2013, with the economy slowly recuperating and markets improving, the words “housing crisis” still have the power to send shivers down the spines of homeowners still feeling the effects of the 2008 market collapse. That collapse …
Accountants are a norm for most people around tax time. And then, post-tax season, we rarely think about them. But for associations, this shouldn’t be the case. It’s crucial that large associations hire an accountant to help with multip…
It’s the same dilemma that single-family households across the U.S. are facing: What bills need to be paid immediately and what bills can wait? And should we stretch ourselves thin, taking more out of our bank accounts to pay for privat…