F&F Property Management is ready to serve your community
F&F Property Management, a mid-sized company located in Brookline, Massachusetts, has been in business for over 25 years, specializing in all aspects of association management in Brookline, Brighton and Allston. We have always tried to manage properties within a few miles of our office; we have found that proximity facilitates site visits, expedites service calls [...]
Association’s private street replacement conundrum
Most community associations that were established 30 years ago or more have been forced in recent decades to face the costly task of replacing their private streets. While all associations have numerous responsibilities for the replacement of very expensive common area infrastructure, typically including roof replacements, the private street replacement responsibility is perhaps different and [...]
Inexpensive ways to rejuvenate recreational offerings for the retirement community
Recreational programs can make or break an age-restricted community. No longer is it enough to offer the occasional trip to the casino or the weekly bridge club. Today’s retirees want quality of life; they plan to spend their days growing old gracefully with fun and vigorous leisure activities. Active adult communities that combine a variety [...]
Look at all the angles before deciding whether to unlock the gate
Questions from readers The Recreation Committee of the condominium association where I own a unit is considering removing the lock from the gate around the 68,000-gallon swimming pool, after keeping it locked for the last 22 years. As a concerned unit owner, I wanted to check with you to see if you know of any [...]
The communication complication
As I write this, I’m looking at all the devices sitting on my desk: a Blackberry, a Dell Notebook, a hard-wired phone, an iPod and a variety of chargers and USB cables for my current and previous cell phones and other electronic devices. My computer is set to receive e-mail, keep track of the market [...]
Management Monthly: What makes a successful community association manager?
Achieving success as a community association manager ultimately comes through getting one’s feet wet; perseverance, learning the industry and fine tuning clear communication skills are critical. For those new to the field, the key is learning the basics early in the game in order to develop an overall understanding of the management industry. With a [...]
Above and beyond: Creating technology amenities residents can get excited about
When it comes to managing the needs of a condominium’s residents, it can be nearly impossible to find solutions that please every resident all of the time. People take for granted the benefits of the association and consider dues a mandatory assessment. As a result, no one raves to family and friends about the amazing [...]
Pesticides: Know how to use them
In the landscape industry, pesticides are a vital force in the upkeep of plant material. One of the misconceptions of pesticides is that they are only for killing or preventing insects, but they actually perform a wide variety of purposes, such as weed control, mice or other animal deterrents and the killing and preventing of [...]
Managing parking garage issues before they manage you
Since condo association members don’t live in the garage, parking garage issues don’t often get to the top of the to-do list. Jim Stoller, architect/developer and president of The Building Group, a Chicago-based condominium association management firm, warns that this oversight can sometimes lead to costly problems and rancor among members, and it can set [...]
The Association Barrister: An association’s past-due assessments and foreclosure
Community associations depend on collecting assessments from unit owners to ensure they have sufficient income to continue operating. Unit owners in foreclosure often have not paid their assessments to the association. Both condominium and homeowners’ associations face these collection issues. The Florida legislature has limited the liability of mortgagees who hold the right to enforce [...]
An Ounce of Prevention… Managing roofing problems before they become leaks can lead to long-term savings
We’ve all heard Ben Franklin’s adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Nowhere is that more true than in regards to a condominium’s roof. Although it is not necessarily the most visually prominent aspect of building, a roof can account for up to 50 percent of a building’s total surface area [...]
Enhance your complex’s value with cost-effective WiFi
The condominiums along the white sand beaches of Sanibel Island, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico are a vacationer’s dream. At least half of the residents of SunDial East and SunDial West Condominiums rent their condos to people looking for a relaxing getaway or a comfortable spot for a business gathering. Prospective renters, as well [...]
Making the laundry area livable
Now more than ever condo management professionals are working hard to make their developments more desirable by including details that make their units stand out. One major aspect many buyers consider is the laundry area. More and more consumers are selecting laundry rooms closer to their bedrooms or other living quarters. Making the laundry area [...]
Cantilevered balconies – Keep an eye on them
Providing a sleek look with minimal obtrusion and view restriction to lower levels, cantilevered balcony construction has been a popular feature with housing developers in America’s Sunbelt states for the past 25 years. Supported from the structure’s interior, they have been ideally suited to provide outdoor living in multi-family developments where space is typically at [...]
Bird prevention isn’t just for the birds
Most business owners are aware of the problems associated with birds. Canadian geese and pigeons cause the most problems. Healthy adult Canadian geese can produce one and a half pounds of fecal matter per day – sometimes more – and pigeon feathers and droppings can clog drains and ruin ventilation systems. Nothing looks worse then [...]
Defamation claims against boards on the rise
Be it a negative comment made at a meeting or a throw-away sentence in a letter from the board, if a comment made by a board member places an owner or other board member in a negative light, the association itself may ultimately be held responsible for making such a statement, whether true or not. [...]
Integrated Pest Mgmt:A trend w/staying power
Integrated Pest Management, commonly referred to as IPM, is a trend that has demonstrated “staying power” within the pest management industry. IPM, as defined by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), is a process involving common sense and sound solutions for controlling pests. The focus is upon finding the best strategy for a pest problem, [...]
Areas of responsibility
Understanding the scope of association insurance coverage is basic to protecting the vital interests of the owners. Do you understand what the association’s duties are when a fire, windstorm or burst pipe damages the common elements or unit interiors? The association’s insurance duties are addressed in the governing documents (sometimes called CC&Rs – Covenants, Conditions [...]
Three bids or something better?
Many contractors serving the HOA industry spend an undesirable amount of time submitting free estimates for jobs that will likely be awarded to other vendors. Associations may incorrectly believe that this service has no cost attached. Over the course of a year, however, these costs with no return can be substantial, and it’s the client [...]
Mail security in multi-unit housing
23 July 2008
Condominiums and multi-unit housing are often at a greater security risk than single-family homes, in part because criminals prey on these facilities, and in part because residents must rely on their boards or managers to provide for much of their security. When boards and managers seek to secure their multi-unit communities, they often take measures [...]
Posted in SecurityComments (0)
Green homes make for safer environments
23 July 2008
Americans are realizing that the way we live today will have an enormous impact on the quality of life for future generations – as well as on our own health and the health of our families today. With this ever-increasing awareness comes a desire to live healthier, more sustainable lives. And where better to start [...]
Posted in EnergyComments (0)
NE Corner:New condo guidelines
23 June 2008
n already difficult condominium market is likely to become more challenging for buyers, sellers and especially lenders as a result of new underwriting guidelines adopted recently by Fannie Mae and mirrored, in key respects, by Freddie Mac. The revised rules respond to the mounting loan delinquencies and defaults that have bruised the bottom lines of [...]
Posted in LegalComments (0)
Tips for interviewing & evaluating a new mgmt. co.
23 June 2008
Before making your initial telephone contact with a new management company candidate, it is an excellent idea to gather your property’s vital details – description, income and expense information – for them so that they are in a position to provide you with detailed responses to your interview questions. Generally, inquiries to a new management [...]
Posted in LegalComments (0)
Finding the right line of credit for assoc repairs
23 June 2008
Questions from readers Q: I’m hoping you can help us. We have 12 privately owned condos where I reside – Lakewood, Calif. – and we are in need of financial assistance for painting, exterminating termites, etc. We don’t have enough monies in our reserves, and I’m wondering if you have ever heard of homeowners’ association’s [...]
Posted in FinanceComments (0)
Coping with MINE!ors
23 June 2008
In many homeowners’ associations, frustration is lurking just below the surface, waiting to explode into anger. Frustration is the result of unfulfilled expectations. These expectations can be reasonable or unreasonable, mature or immature. Mature expectations are thoughtful considerations colored by fairness. These folks will generally resolve their issues in a win-win fashion. Immature expectations are [...]
Posted in CommunicationComments (0)
Allocating insurance deductibles
02 June 2008
The past few years have seen association insurance premiums rise dramatically. Whereas deductibles on association policies were typically $1,000 not many years ago, today it is more common for associations to have $2,500, $5,000 or even $10,000 deductibles. As insurance deductibles continue to increase, associations are reviewing how to allocate those deductibles. Insurance professionals note [...]
Posted in InsuranceComments (0)
Solar heat your pool
23 April 2008
The swimming pool is an important amenity for any HOA. The pool promotes relaxation and social interaction while offering homeowners a place to enjoy much-needed exercise. Swimming is often called the “perfect exercise” because it exercises almost all muscles and burns calories without stressing joints and muscles. However, for this to be possible, water temperature [...]
Posted in PoolComments (0)
Keepin’ it safe!
23 April 2008
Warmer temperatures and sunshine usher in those beautiful spring and summer days we all love. Many of your community residents have not been swimming since last summer and have forgotten about preventing little incidents that can close the pool. Despite our best attempts to educate community residents about proper precautions for using the pool area, [...]
Posted in PoolComments (1)
What’s the buzz? Stinging insects
23 March 2008
As the summer months rapidly approach, association and facility managers must begin taking proactive measures to prevent the presence of stinging insects within their condominium communities. Stinging pests send more than 500,000 people to the emergency room each year. Further, these insects can cause significant property damage, which often has serious financial implications for condominium [...]
Posted in Pest ControlComments (0)
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- F&F Property Management is ready to serve your community
- Association’s private street replacement conundrum
- Inexpensive ways to rejuvenate recreational offerings for the retirement community
- Look at all the angles before deciding whether to unlock the gate
- The communication complication
- Management Monthly: What makes a successful community association manager?
- Above and beyond: Creating technology amenities residents can get excited about
- Pesticides: Know how to use them
- Managing parking garage issues before they manage you
- The Association Barrister: An association’s past-due assessments and foreclosure
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