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As a Board member, you are familiar with the great things your association does for your community. Some times legislators charged with creating policies and laws that directly affect associations have very little knowledge of their inner workings.

Do you hear every single step your upstairs neighbors take? Are they keeping you up at night? Before going ballistic, take a deep breath; it might not be their fault.

Your board took the time to create a vision for your community. You’ve gotten buy-in from your residents and crafted policies that support it. Now, how do you enforce those policies to ensure that the vision is supported?

A comprehensive plan for preventative maintenance is a top priority with great benefits. It helps detect a problem before a failure, anticipates repairs, and extends the life of every critical asset in your building.

It can be tough to balance festive and tasteful, when it comes to holiday décor. Setting policies for decorating will help maintain peace and goodwill for all within your association.

Very few issues and problems that come up seem to have anything to do with pets. However, here are tips to help resolve any pet-related issues.

Trees are an essential and invaluable part of the environment. They provide oxygen, improve air quality, add character to landscaping, increase curb appeal and property values.

As the weather heats up and stay-at-home orders surrounding COVID-19 are lifted, it's important to remember the social distancing guidelines in place.

Nothing lasts forever and you need to have a plan to replace major items and systems before their lifespans end. How do you create that plan? Start with a quality reserve study.

Whether your board is dealing with emergency rules or general community policies, here are some things to consider when addressing change in your community.

As a board member, you know the importance of making rules and establishing policy; these must be clear and sensible. The process for creating and enforcing rules successfully is the same.

The dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke have been highlighted in recent years. Smoking also affects our physical environment by increasing risks of fire and property damage, raising insurance rates and increasing legal liability.

Radon can pose a very real threat to your health and well-being. Here's a basic overview of radon gas – what it is, where’s it’s found, the risks associated with it and how to protect your home and family from it.

The distinct roles of the board and manager can shed some light on the ways the board can develop an effective partnership.

Budgeting is the time for making tough decisions for how your association spends its money, and sometimes those decisions can, unfortunately, lead to contention. Clear communication about the association budget should be provided to all homeowners throughout the year to help solve problems before they begin and smoothly pave the way for needed changes.

It’s a common problem that many condo and homeowners’ associations (HOAs) face: rules that simply don’t work as they were intended. Sometimes it’s because they are enforced inconsistently or aren’t enforced at all. Other times it’s because they go too far. At their worst, poorly instituted HOA policies can even cause neighborhood discord.

Humans are social creatures with a deep-seated yearning for connection and community. This is particularly evident in a condo association or HOA, where a strong sense of community can be the difference between long-standing residency and high turnover.

One of the most challenging aspects of being on the board of your homeowners association (HOA) can be running board meetings. It’s not always easy to keep everyone tuned into the business at hand. In addition, you have to manage the inevitable disagreements among board members. How do you keep these meetings running smoothly?

As community managers begin inspection, they note the necessary repairs for winter damage as they make their rounds through the community.

Cold weather will soon be upon us, so now is the time for your homeowner association (HOA) to make sure your maintenance program is on track. As brutal as Chicago winters can be, you certainly don't want to discover a leak in your roof during a heavy snowfall or have a boiler stop working during a record cold spell. Don't get caught in the cold!

Has your condo association been looking high and low for ways to save energy and money? The answer may be right over your head. Switching to LED bulbs can reduce your lighting costs by up to 75 percent. In this article, we answer common questions and shed some light on the benefits of LED lighting.

Your association should never have to rely on a special assessment for a capital expense that could have been foreseen – or even prevented. Here are five tips to keep your Chicago high-rise condominium association's budget in the black and keep up with maintenance and capital improvements.

Whether you’re on the board of a single-family homeowners association (HOA) or a high-rise condo association, your community depends on volunteers to operate successfully. However, finding residents who are willing to be on your board of directors, join a committee or help at an event can be challenging.

You may be unaware that you are opening up all of your emails to scrutiny. When using a personal or work email address to conduct association business, there is a potential liability involved.