The ferocity of the current recession has touched nearly every aspect of life, from fears about job loss to concerns about health care to homeowners’ worries about foreclosure. With shrinking budgets and worrisome bottom lines, condo co…
Few amenities are as valued and beloved by residents as a private homeowners association’s swimming pool. But pools probably represent the single biggest insurance liability and maintenance expense for associations that have them. …
While more space, cleaner air, and a more relaxed lifestyle may be upsides to suburban living, the ‘burbs are also often synonymous with sprawl—mile after mile of strip-malls, big-box stores, identical office parks, chain restaurants, a…
While it’s not a word listed with Merriam-Webster, hardscaping is as critical to outdoor aesthetics and function as its softer and more oft-mentioned cousin, landscaping. Whereas the latter deals with appropriate weaving and placement o…
There are only two kinds of unit owners in any given condominium: those who live there and those who do not. Resident owners often take measures to tax absentee owners with additional fees, or establish policies to diminish landlord own…
The snow is finally starting to melt after what has seemed like an extra long winter. Of course, that means the grass is thankfully starting to peek through and reintroduce itself. And with this reintroduction comes a required spring c…
In the realms of resource management and environmental concerns, coal, oil, and carbon dioxide get a lot of press—yet water is one of our most precious, most wasted, and least talked about commodities. One of the biggest culprits when i…
It’s like something from a horror movie: a six-legged invader arrives in New York, stowed away in wooden shipping crates from Mainland China. Once ashore, the creatures fan out, looking for food. The beast has no natural predators here,…
These days, nearly everybody is looking for ways to save money. Like many families, some community associations are now dealing with the consequences of not having been thrifty in the past, and searching for ways to pare back their bot…
The first robin appears. The sun stays out a little longer in the evenings, the tiniest nubs of crocus begin to break through the mud, and landscape crews begin mucking out flowerbeds. Just as sure as turning the calendar page to March…