Category: Finance

2012 September Flush with Cash By Anne Childers

In December 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research announced that the United States was in a recession that had started back in December 2007. The official announcement was old news for most Americans. Most financially…

2012 July Understanding Finances By Lisa Iannucci

For a crystal-clear picture of how an association is doing, there are few better lenses than the community's budgets and financial reports. From an investment perspective, they show the association board, property managers, the unit ow…

2012 July Pay Up! By Keith Loria

 In the tough economic environment that has hit our nation over the past few  years, many condo owners have faced job loss, pay cuts or just financial  uncertainty. Unfortunately, the signs of the times sometimes leads to an owner  not pay…

2012 July Cash-Strapped? By George Leposky

True story: a condominium community’s board of directors spent almost $50,000 in legal fees and court costs to evict a corpulent canine that exceeded the weight limit for residents’ dogs...by three whole pounds. In another comm…

2012 May Preparing for a Rainy Day By Jonathan Barnes

 Unless it's a thoughtful gift or a party in their honor, nobody likes surprises.  That's especially true when it comes to sudden, serious, or non-negotiable  repairs to a condo building or HOA. A community must have enough money saved to …

2011 July Prioritizing Projects By Lisa Iannucci

 When money is tight, consumers typically put away their credit cards and take  stock—cutting out non-essentials, such as dining out and luxurious vacations—to make ends meet. Strapped homeowners will limit their funds to emergency  repair…

As Costs Rise, So Do Carrying Charges By Darcey Gerstein

The Community Associations Institute (CAI) estimates that 74 million Americans live in communities managed by homeowners associations, of which condos account for 35% to 40%. That’s a lot of people - many of whom may be in for a nasty shock…