California has its landslides, the Midwest its tornadoes, and along with hurricanes, Florida has...sinkholes. They’re sort of like your own personal earthquake. There are many famous sinkholes, both large and small. The largest in the world…
Constructed as they are out of materials like brick, concrete, or even stone, the exterior walls of an apartment building or row of townhomes might seem nearly indestructible. But despite their hardiness, walls are not immune to assaults fr…
Rule enforcement can often be a point of tension in a condo, co-op or HOA—but when it comes to the potential for sheer acrimony, nothing beats a pet ban. Enacting one can be a heated affair, leading to fights and arguments across the commun…
Hardly a day goes by without hearing the latest news about the Zika virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Zika can be transmitted through bites from an infected Aedes species of mosquito (Ae. aegypti and…
There has been a recent push by federal, state and local legislators to get reverse mortgages or Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) approved for residential cooperatives. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) h…
Secure. The word has many meanings. According to Google definitions it can mean “to fix or attach something to something else. It can mean to protect against threats or make safe. Or it can mean to feel free from fear or anxiety.” Perh…
Everyone is right to be concerned with the safety of their communities, whether they live in an area highly susceptible to crime or a sleepy Mayberry-esque hamlet. Condominiums, cooperatives, and homeowners’ associations are no exception; i…
Consider where you live and how your home and lifestyle interacts with the surrounding natural world. Now, think about what that world contains in terms of wildlife. Depending on where you live, this could mean ‘nuisance’ animals as commonp…
Whether interior or exterior, well-built, properly-maintained woodwork can last for centuries but if wood-boring pests like beetles, termites, and carpenter ants find their way into the wood, they can wreak all kinds of havoc. Wood-destroyi…
Whether you live in a suburb or in the heart of the city, life is expensive. Sometimes it can feel as though everybody from the barista at your favorite coffee shop to the kid who bags your groceries is trying to nickel-and-dime you half to…