Americans have always loved high-tech gadgets. Whether it’s an elaborate crime being solved on CSI or James Bond using a laser-guided device to defeat the bad guys, razor's-edge technology is endlessly entertaining. But when i…
For New Jersey residents—as with residents anywhere—every neighborhood and town has its own personality, its own perks and its own downside. When it comes to the question of security, it’s no different. The urbanite living in the 20-stor…
In today’s high-tech world, security can look a lot like a sci-fi movie. Golf clubs' carts can be equipped with laser scanners that can check license plates against an online database of the approved member's vehicles. Elevators will st…
Exhibitors for The New Jersey Cooperator's Annual Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo recently gathered for Exhibitor University, a day-long workshop to teach the benefits of exhibiting in trade shows and making their appearances a success. …
Many New Jersey HOAs were originally built with grading and drainage that for the most part pitched away from buildings, toward a roadway, rear lawn area swale, or sheet flow drainage area, ultimately collecting in a storm water retent…
One of the most important things to understand as a member of a condo or HOA is how responsibility for maintaining and repairing various building systems is divided between individual unit owners and the association at large. …
They eat a lot and cause a mess. They overstay their welcome and can become aggressive when challenged. No, they’re not your no-account relatives—they’re resident Canada geese. These 12- to 15-pound birds were once migratory an…
There may be a distinct charm to weathered clapboard and rustic-looking wooden siding, but from a practical perspective, that pleasing patina is really the sign of decay and deterioration. For an HOA board, it’s also the sign of major e…
Ever since Romeo and Juliet made them famous, balconies have been popular additions to our homes and living spaces. For condominium and HOA communities, balconies can add visual zest, as well as a few more feet of living space that all…
A building is, in many ways, like a body. If its residents are the soul, then certainly the mechanical systems that keep it running are at its heart. And just as one cares for one’s body by eating right and exercising, management must c…