It’s the same dilemma that single-family households across the United States are facing: How much money can we afford to pay for the services we want? And should we stretch ourselves thin, taking more out of our bank accounts to pay fo…
It's no secret that HOA board members are often forced to balance the interests of individual residents against those of the community as a whole—and that can make prioritizing projects and community budgets a tricky task indeed. The re…
They are the glue that holds the whole process together, the ones who make sense of the world for board members, for vendors and consultants and for the families who make up South Florida’s condominium communities. They are community as…
Too often a condominium community takes a hard look at its security only after the damage is done. “Our business is an event-driven business,” says Andres Vidales, district manager for ADT Security Services in the Miami/Fort L…
Meet the residents of the fictional Manor Woods condominium. Mrs. Jones loves her unit. She’s been living there for 30 years and while she’s still independent, she walks and talks a little slower than she used to. Next door, David was i…
It’s often said that safety starts at home—and while many HOAs spend lots of money on sophisticated security and access control systems to protect residents and property, others opt for lower-tech solutions to neighborhood security and …
As Hurricane Wilma churned across southeast Florida on October 24, 2005, four maverick residents of a coastal Pompano Beach condominium under a mandatory evacuation order opted to stay. They brought along some booze, broke into the off…
Despite what film noir and gritty nocturnal crime dramas would have us believe, sunny venues and beach vistas are as fertile grounds for criminal activity as dark alleys and deserted piers—especially those typically referred to as “whit…
Property managers handle a wide array of tasks from the physical to the administrative. While many of these jobs are outlined in black and white (send out monthly bills, attend meetings, file paperwork), one important component is not …
There’s nothing quite like making a first impression. For those living in condominiums or homeowner associations in South Florida, a great deal of creating this important impression is often out of a resident’s hands, so it’s necessary …