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If you ask anyone to describe what a great community looks like, they are likely to paint the picture of happy homeowners, smiling residents enjoying amenities, and well-kept neighborhoods that look amazing.

Do you know what you should expect from your management company during staff transitions?

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.

Boards are finding that they prefer to hire a quality property management firm than to self-manage. It's not an easy decision for Boards to make, but it is a wise decision and the best one for all involved parties.

There are many benefits to living in a master-planned community. Master-planned living clearly focuses on offering a certain level of convenience, lifestyle and quality of life.

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

New to a condo or homeowners association, or need a refresher? We put together some vocabulary you will want to be familiar with.

You may not be able to control rising utility rates, but your condo or homeowners association (HOA) can take measures to make your energy budget go a lot further. Just follow the four strategies described in this article. They’ve already worked for many Illinois properties managed by FirstService Residential.

Pat Bialek, VP Property Management, was named Community Association Manager of the Year at the Excellence Awards and Winter Gala hosted by the Community Associations Institute (CAI), Illinois Chapter. As the first-ever winner of this prestigious award, Pat was recognized for her exemplary knowledge, ethics, professionalism and skills in financial, administrative and facilities management.

It’s that wonderful time of year! Many of us are shopping online to get that perfect gift for our loved ones. And, for those doing last-minute shopping, we don’t want to have to worry that something will go wrong with our deliveries.

Whether you're on the board of a high-rise or community association. you want to hire a property management company that will provide the best service for their community. What does that really mean?

As a homeowner, you want to live in a place that accentuates your style – from a beautiful entrance monument or exquisitely decorated building lobby, complete with freshly pruned trees and lush landscaping – but unless your association board has strategically planned out your community’s budget, you can forget all of that. The budgeting process is a valuable opportunity to explore the current financial condition of your association and ensure its financial stability for the future.

The spring season is a time for renewal and a fresh look, so being able to properly landscape around the building is of utmost importance.

Having an integrated plan is the key to proactively addressing your property's maintenance needs. Here are six things you need to do for an effective preventive maintenance plan.

Reserve components are association maintained major property components with a determinate useful life. The analysis of the reserve components results in accurate and supportable annual reserve fund contributions.

Maintaining the health of your Minnesota community homeowners association’s finances is similar to the way you keep yourself healthy: make good choices, don’t overindulge and exercise good judgement.

It’s that wonderful time of year! Many of us are shopping online to get that perfect gift for our loved ones. And, for those doing last-minute shopping, we don’t want to have to worry that something will go wrong with our deliveries.

Some self-managed associations believe they can't afford to hire a professional property management company to manage and maintain their community's operations, assets, finances, common areas and other day-to-day activities. However, as you'll learn in this article, a professional property management company is one thing many communities can't afford to be without.

The Board Secretary is responsible for meeting the Association’s legal and financial obligations and maintaining the Association’s records. Depending on the Association’s requirements, some of the following tasks may need to be distributed to other Board Members or it might be necessary to appoint an assistant to the Secretary.

Maintenance issues are something every Twin Cities community association deals with, whether it’s damage caused by a harsh Minnesota weather or regular upkeep, on average, maintenance can account for 25% or more of your association’s overall expenditures.

It’s that time of year again – budget season is upon us. You know the things to consider when creating your budget, but what drives your process? Are you focused on achieving a particular vision for your community? Avoiding conflict in the community? Solely looking to avoid increasing dues?

The holiday season is upon us, and nothing puts you in a festive like pulling your holiday decorations out of storage. Many people derive a sense of community and comfort from seeing familiar decorations at the same time each year.