Condo Living Made Easy

For condo associations, positive communication is essential to maintaining a healthy, cooperative community. One of the most effective tools condo boards have is simple: gratitude. Showing appreciation helps reduce conflict, increases resident engagement, and strengthens relationships with property managers and vendors.

1. Thank Residents for Their Support: Recognize residents when they follow building rules, adapt during maintenance projects, or contribute ideas. Regular appreciation in newsletters or email updates boosts community morale.
2. Highlight Condo Volunteers: Condo board volunteers and committee members deserve acknowledgment. A “Volunteer Spotlight” or thank-you message can increase participation and support.
3. Appreciate Property Managers & Building Staff: Property management teams, maintenance workers, and cleaning staff keep the building running smoothly. Boards should offer consistent praise, recognition, or small incentives.
4. Show Gratitude to Trusted Vendors: Reliable vendors: snow removal, landscaping, plumbing, roofing, etc. are essential to a well-maintained property. Thanking them can strengthen long-term relationships and improve service quality.
5. Promote Community Achievements: Share updates on completed projects, budget improvements, or building enhancements. Celebrating wins helps residents feel more connected to board decisions.

Creating a culture of gratitude helps condo associations strengthen communication, increase satisfaction, and build a more collaborative community. From all of us at Chicago Condo Resource and HausFS, thank you for being here. We hope to continue serving you with industry insights, expert guidance, board communication strategies, and more that keep your condo association communities thriving.

Chicago’s winters can be long, harsh, and unpredictable, which means condo associations should prepare well before temperatures drop. A little planning now can prevent big headaches later.

Here are the key steps every association should take to get winter-ready:

1. Tune Up Heating Systems: Schedule inspections for boilers and HVAC units, replace filters, and make sure emergency service contracts are up to date. Encourage residents to report heat issues early.
2. Check Roofs, Gutters & Drainage: Clear out gutters, inspect roofs for weak spots, and ensure drainage paths stay open to prevent ice dams and winter leaks.
3. Confirm Snow Removal Plans: Review snow removal contracts, clarify service expectations, and stock up on salt and ice melt. Good planning reduces slip-and-fall liability and keeps residents safe.
4. Winterize Outdoor & Common Areas: Shut off exterior hose bibs, store outdoor furniture, and seal cracks in walkways or parking lots. Inside, check weatherstripping to prevent drafts.
5. Update Emergency & Communication Plans: Make sure emergency contacts, vendor lists, and resident notifications are current. Clear communication is essential during storms or outages.

Preparing now protects your building, prevents surprise costs, and creates a safer winter for everyone.

If your association needs to find, hire, and/or manage professionals for your HOA needs, Condoly.io offers property management & maintenance solutions for your community.

Visit Condoly.io to find vendors to make your winter readiness as easy as can be.

As insurance carriers continue tightening underwriting standards, many condo associations are facing non-renewals or higher premiums, especially when it comes to aging roofs, outdated electrical systems, and weak financial controls.

The CISA Fall Newsletter highlights several red flags that could put associations at risk, including:

• Roofs more than 20–30 years old
• Aluminum, cloth, or knob-and-tube wiring
• Outdated electrical panels (Federal Pacific, Zinsco, Sylvania)
• Missing or inadequate fidelity insurance coverage

These issues can make your building harder to insure and more costly to maintain. Proactive boards are addressing them now; commissioning system inspections, updating maintenance plans, and ensuring compliance with Illinois’ fidelity insurance requirements under Section 18.8 of the Condominium Property Act.

Read the full article 

Strong financial oversight is key to maintaining compliance and staying insurable. Haus Financial Services helps Chicago-area associations with financial management, budgeting, and transparency — so your board can focus on protecting your building and your owners’ investments.

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