Thursday, December 4, 2008

Condo Associations Can Save Money in a Down Economy

By Chris Lim

Close Unused Amenities - Close the pool in the winter if no one is using it. Cut hours for the fitness center if there are times when no one is there. If there are amenities no one is using or times when people truly are not using them no one will really mind when they are cut.

Sell Memberships - If you amenities are nice enough you can sell memberships to the pool tennis courts and fitness center, you can also allow guests to use them for a small fee.

Sell advertising - Sell advertising in the newsletter, in common areas and on the website. One easy way to sell advertising on the website is through Google adsense.

Landscaping - Look into lower maintenance landscaping. Many time the developer is only interested in making the property look good until it sells. Once the condo association takes over the landscaping is their worry. When replacing it look for low maintenance solutions.

Collect Monies Owed. Past Due fees can hamper a condo association. You can often hire an attorney to handle collections for a percentage of what is collected. Attorneys may even be able to recover attorney fees. Attorneys may even be able to recover attorney fees.

Insurance Claims - If in the last five years your association had to get a loan (like those from SBA or FEMA) for repairs (Storm, Hurricane, Natural Disaster, Tornado or any accident) your regular condo lawyer many not be enough. Contact an attorney at law who focuses on insurance claims. Many insurance companies deny underpay insurance claims. The law may state that the insurance company has to pay the legal fees. Also many attorneys will handle insurance claims in a way that no funds will be out of pocket.

Rehabilitate instead of Replace. Copper pipes can be restored to better than new condition with epoxy pipe lining from CuraFlo. It is generally 30% cheaper than re piping and is much less obtrusive. RLS Solutions offers sewer rehabilitation which can increase their life and save on costs.

Property Manager - Get a property manager who is experienced in lowering costs. A property manger with experience will also know which contractors come in on budget and which ones have a history of not competing jobs on time.

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