The Condo Board Survival Guide

Chances are when you joined your condominium board you had no idea what was involved. You might have started out as a disgruntled or enthusiastic owner but soon got overwhelmed with lengthy meetings and endless back-and-forth emails and phone calls. It doesn't have to be that way. Becoming a condominium board director can be a rewarding experience. If you are ready to become a happy and stress-free board member while making a satisfying and meaningful contribution to your condominium, then this book is for you. Discover how to: Run your condo board like a business Understand your role as a board member Have short, successful meetings Manage and track work requests with ease Keep your owners informed and happy Create procedures and policies that work Create a strong and supportive community that helps each other Once you understand the fundamentals of running your board and put effective processes and tools in place, you will no longer have to spend countless hours trying to keep up with the complaints and tasks that seem never ending.

When it comes to understanding the legal rights of condominium owners, as well as the dynamics of condo association boards, nobody knows condos like Robert M. Meisner! An attorney specializing in community association law ... adjunct professor at two Michigan law schools ... extensive lecturer and prolific author ... Meisner is a nationally recognized specialist on condiminiums. In Conco Living, Meisner shares his wit and wisdom accumulated from more than 35 years of practicing community association law. If you've ever thought about buying or selling a condo, or joining a condo board, read this book first!

A stress-free guide to caring for your biggest investment. For many new homeowners, the euphoria that comes with buying the perfect new house can soon turn into total panic. First-time buyers often feel overwhelmed by the amount of maintenance their new home requires—not to mention the nasty problems and surprises that seem to be lurking around every corner (and in every wall). Finally, author and real estate guru Sid Davis provides the antidote for the common worries that plague every new owner. From easy repairs to seemingly insurmountable projects, readers will discover sanity-saving advice on: • improving roofing, siding, walkways, and driveways • fixing or replacing appliances and fixtures • refinancing tips and traps • reducing the costs of home ownership and maintenance • lowering property taxes • working with contractors and not getting taken • insurance tips • budgeting for the unexpected Owning a home should be exciting, not terrifying. Now with this reassuring guide, novice homeowners can experience all of the joy, and none of the trepidation, that comes with having a place of their own.

A completely satirical yet oddly practical guide to surviving and thriving in Canada’s westernmost province. So you’ve arrived in British Columbia. Perhaps you’re just passing through; perhaps you want to stay a while. You may even be contemplating making British Columbia your home. What you need is a well-researched, clearly written, and comprehensive guide to living and even prospering in Canada’s westernmost province. This isn’t it. However, the information contained in this book will allow you to experience British Columbia with minimal damage to your health and well being. Having lived in nearly every province in the country before settling in BC, Ian Ferguson can say with great authority that things work differently here. So differently, in fact, that visitors and newcomers from other parts of Canada may put themselves in physical (or social) peril if they try to dress, act, drive, work, vote, or socialize in the same ways as they would in Ontario, New Brunswick, or (god forbid) Alberta. With practical advice, little-known facts, and personal anecdotes, Ferguson tackles everything from how to recognize a local (and differentiate the various types of facial hair that delineate the male British Columbian) to how to survive both natural and unnatural disasters (whether it’s a light dusting of snow on the southern tip of Vancouver Island or a full-blown hockey riot) to how BC has been governed through the ages (like the time a bootlegger was put in charge of prohibition). Illuminating, hilarious, and only mildly offensive (if you have no sense of humour), The Survival Guide to British Columbia will make you question why you ever came here in the first place.

The author prepares the real estate investor for downturns in the market, survival and even prosperity during this period. Divided into four sections, it provides an understanding of real estate cycles; discusses the nature of problems that owners of real estate are faced with and techniques for dealing with them; examines the actions that can be taken by the owners in an attempt to minimize the effects of the downturn; what purchasers must consider and the protection they need before purchasing distressed property.

A practical, easy-to-follow guide to owning the home of your dreams. With the real estate market exploding and prices soaring, home buyers are faced with endless questions: How can they afford their dream home? How do they find a real estate agent they can trust? Which mortgage is right for them? And how do they avoid being outbid once they find their perfect home? The process can seem overwhelming—luckily, real estate guru Bridget McCrea and the experts at RE/MAX make purchasing the right home simple. This easy-to-understand guide helps buyers determine what they can afford and where they want to buy, as well as the ins and outs of selecting a real estate agent, evaluating mortgages, understanding inspection reports, and keeping closing costs to a minimum. Filled with practical tips and useful checklists, The RE/MAX Home Buyer’s Survival Guide is the ultimate home-buying manual—from America’s most-trusted name in real estate.

For many people, their home represents the most valuable asset in their financial estate, and selling is not a simple matter. This guide identifies hazards associated with the selling process, describes them in sufficient detail, and provides practical guidance in understandable and supportive language. Covers preparing the home for sale, considering purchase offers, and much more.