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To spread the news and resources that we find useful throughout the week, we have decided to utilize Paper.li and create a free weekly newspaper. It will be a digital release and trees will still be saved, yet you will have a weekly dose of informative articles that pertain to condos, stratas, homeowners associations, and property managers.
Below is our first official issue. We hope that the content we aggregated will help and benefit you.
Not too long ago as a condo board we needed to upgrade our outdated condominium gym. We spent some time trying to figure out what we really needed to replace, to buy, or get rid off. Well, it's really hard to come to a conclusion with only a handful of board members. Especially when we are trying to make 120 condo owners and renters happy.
So what would a condominium board usually do? Simple. They would assume that their decision is the right one and do what they feel is right. Replace the current equipment and be done with it. Why? Because it would be too hard or time consuming to ask for feedback. How would they do it? Slide surveys under each door?
We are fortunate enough to use GeniePad as our condo website and communication portal. So the task was quite simple. All we had to do was post a question in our message forum and wait for our resident's feeback.
The feedback came instantly. We knew what we had to replace, remove, and add in a matter of few days. It made our job and decision process quite painless, because we knew exactly what our residents wanted and needed.
If you don't have a tool that can help you in making certain decisions it's time you put something in place. Implement a tool that will help your residents communicate with each other, with the board, or the property manager. Make it seamless and make the communication transparent.
From one condo board member to another...
Many condominium owners do not know where their condo fees are going. They know that they have to make a monthly payment, and that their fees generally increase, but that is about it...
Warren Phipps from Mountain Park Real created a great short video explaining the basics of what condo fees cover. I encourage you to watch it. It is a short 3 minute video that gives you some education that every condo owner should know.
"The first point is that condo fees are like saving for a rainy day. When you own property, things always come up that are unexpected. A pipe bursts. The roof leaks. A portion of your condo fees are saved for surprises just like these. When something unexpected happens, the money is there and there's no big out-of-pocket expense."
You can read the full article here: http://mtnpark.ca/blog.html/calgary-condominium-management-why-you-should-like-condo-fees-1684806
So you have set up your condo / HOA website and communication portal. You have selected a theme and added custom pages with information for your residents and visitors. All is great, you are happy, the condo board is happy, but you feel that something is missing.
We provide as much as possible from the start, and let you fill in the blanks. Properly selected colors, layouts, and images make a great looking website. The last step you take is adding a photo of your condo. This photo can certainly enhance your site and give users a clear representation of your condominium. Not everyone can be a great photographer, after all, that is a skill and art of its own.
We have realized this, and to give you the best looking website, we have been offering the services of a professional photographer to condos in the Edmonton area at no charge. Whenever we have a board member, property manager, or resident create their GeniePad website and communication portal, we ask if they would like us to send our photographer to create a great photo of their condo.
99% of the time our users take us up on the offer. When they receive their photo they ask us about the photographer, as they would like to thank them personally. Well, I think the time has come to make this public. We have been working with Kinga at Images By Frost. Kinga specializes in Wedding Photography, but we twisted her arm a little and she agreed to help us out.
The majority of times, when taking a photo of a building, can be challenging due to angles, nearby buildings, lighting, locations, etc, but she is doing a fantastic job so far. Thanks a lot Kinga :)
So, if your condo is in the Edmonton area, and you would like to use this service, let us know :)
If you are a photographer outside of Edmonton, and would like to offer your services, gives us a shout.
Poor communication, whether it be at home or at the work place, can create an environment of uncertainty and discouragement. We all have the best intention to communicate effectively on a daily basis, but we are not always given the tools to do so. Being able to effectively communicate is not a natural ability, and often, we need help in this area. In today's tech savvy world, there is no reason why an association cannot perform at their best. Paper based notes, and playing telephone tag are a thing of the past, so why not look to a simpler, yet more powerful communication method? A web-based communication portal & condominium website can be the missing link that you've been looking for. The internet is fast, accessible 24/7, and can provide ample information to condo owners at their convenience. What better way is there to earn your owners trust then to provide them with information in seconds? By taking the lead in providing information, you are setting the foundation for excellence in leadership, performance and management. A great corporation will want to exercise detection, action and prevention when dealing with their clients.
You want to be pro-active in detecting any problem areas within the community. This is sometimes a very difficult area to address as a small group of people are trying to look after the common good of the corporation. Why not have everyone on board? There is a high level of motivation for owners to protect their greatest asset, their home. A great website will not only display static information, but will have a fully interactive portal that continues to grow on a daily basis. As the site becomes larger and more information is available to owners, you can detect your problem areas sooner. Owners will also have the ability to contact the board and property manager through the site, and they will receive an automatic notification via email. This allows the corporation to act as soon as possible, as they are made aware of an issue instantaneously. Early detection is key to address a problem area, and goes to show your responsiveness to your clients.
Once you have detected a problem area, you can now address it. You should be able to create tasks and track the progress of the problem area. You should also keep the person who addressed the issue in the loop. By effectively communicating to the concerned, you build a level of trust. This person knows by visual confirmation that you are addressing his/her concerns. By indicating the progress online, you do not have to follow up through a telephone conversation, and should you wish, every owner can be made aware of this situation. We realize that certain issues take some time to address or fix, but there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to keep the concerned in the loop. Once the issue has been addressed, you can notify the person of the status of their concern. You now have historical data for future use, should a similar issue arise again, or should you need this information for legality purposes. You can't prevent all situations from happening, but you can do a great deal in addressing future issues.
Your website should be easy enough for anyone to edit/add content that is beneficial for all owners. Do you have emergency contacts readily available in case of an emergency? Are your owners always asking for meeting minutes and by-laws? Why not post them on your site behind a secure area, where only those individuals that need access, have access. Providing this information readily shows that you are attentive, and you don't have to spend countless hours searching for important documents. What about those phone calls that take you away from serving the needs of the corporation. Perhaps other owners could answer questions in the forum? You would be amazed how effective this feature is, and how quickly you build a community that is unified.
As you can see, a great condominium website could enhance the user experience and greatly help in providing the best possible service through effective communication. There are many benefits to having a communication portal that will help you in increasing the relationship between you and your clients. A condominium website should offer, not only concise information at lightning speed, it should do so with great ease. Communication through technology is possible, it is here and it is effective.
By: Harland Wilkes of sunrisewindow
Buying windows is an investment in your home and good ones are not cheap! But they will save you Energy and Money and will keep you and your family comfortable for years to come. When choosing windows, consider not only initial price but also the warranty, Energy Star qualifications, maintenance
costs and the quality of the company selling them.
A respected builder I know told me how he learned the true value of energy-efficient windows. In the course of his business, he installed a builder’s line of windows from a well-known manufacturer in every house he built. He felt good about his choice; he purchased the windows from a manufacturer with a reputation for quality, but they cost 10% less than another manufacturer’s line of low-E, argon-filled windows, saving him about $600 per house. He even put them in his own new home. The first winter he lived there, though; he noticed that the windows seemed cold. Only then did he compare the U-values and Energy Star qualifications with the manufactures windows. He did some math and concluded that his windows were costing him about $150 a year. By his estimation, the other manufacture’s windows would have paid for themselves in four years and made his home more comfortable for their entire life span.
My friend based his conclusions on widely accepted averages, and although certainly not exact, they were probably not far off the mark. Experiences such as his common, yet they are easily avoidable with a basic understanding of how energy-efficient windows work. When you choose new windows, appearance is often the first consideration. Initial cost is the next issue: Which window within the favoured style costs the least? But liking a window’s appearance is a fuzzy proposition, and cost really depends on durability and on the energy dollars pumped through the windows each year. I am convinced that if we could see energy loss as we see color and shape, energy performance would top the list of window considerations.
Windows are thermal holes. An average home may lose 30% of its heat or air-conditioning energy through its windows. Energy-efficient windows save money each and every month. There are even some cases where new windows can be net energy gainers. The payback period for selecting energy-efficient units ranges from two year to ten years. In new construction, their higher initial cost can be offset because you’ll probably need a smaller, less expensive heating and cooling system. And more-durable windows may cost less in the long haul because of lowered maintenance and replacement cost. Plus, you’ll be more comfortable the whole while you live with them.
The replacement window industry is highly competitive, which can breed bad operators- all the way from the salesperson up to the company itself. Here are basics of buying energy efficient replacement windows.
ENERGY STAR is a voluntary Canadian energy efficiency initiative that helps consumers identify the most energy efficient products available. Administered by Natural Resources Canada, the ENERGY STAR program is internationally recognized and users include various levels of government, public service companies, manufacturers, retailers and environmental organizations.
In addition to administering the program, Natural Resources Canada oversees the promotion of its symbol and compliance with strict certification standards. ENERGY STAR qualified products include home appliances, office equipment, lightning and signage equipment, commercial and industrial products, and windows and doors.
In general, all ENERGY STAR qualified products, not just windows, are amongst the top 20% for energy efficiency of all products of their kind in the marketplace. The ENERGY STAR program has divided Canada into regions according to climate and has four performance levels – A, B, C and D. The better a window performs the more regions of Canada a window will qualify for. A label that lists a “D” rating indicates the highest energy savings and can be installed anywhere in Canada. Again manufacturers don’t necessarily get the same rating on all the products they make, so it pays to insist on seeing the ENERGY STAR label on an actual sample of the product and style you are considering.
Low-E, or low emissivity glass has been coated with low-emittance material designed to reflect heat. A window made with low emissivity glass repels ultraviolet rays that cause heat during summer months, but absorbs them and lets the heat in during winter. This type of glass can help you significantly lower your energy bills all year long.
The U value measures the transfer rate or the thermal conductance of a product. The lower this value is, the more isolating value of the product is.
The energy performance rating assesses a window based on 3 aspects; the solar heat gain contribution, heat loss by the frame, the glazing or the spare and the heat loss by air leakage, no matter the material and the assembly method. Also, the higher the ER value of a product is, the better its energy performance.
In order to get the ENERGY STAR sign on a product, the U or the ER values must be certified by a third party.
Durable, well-made windows from reputable window manufacturing companies have good warranties for their products. Chances are, the better the warranty is, the higher the quality of the windows. Check for the warranty that comes with your house so you can get refunds or replacements if your windows do not live up to the sales pitch.
Although they don’t actually use energy, windows and doors can be a major source of heat loss. This is why more and more Canadians demand high performance windows and doors that meet ENERGY STAR standards. By considerably lowering energy costs, they represent substantial savings while providing comfort to your home or building. In addition, they help reduce potential condensation and attenuate
outside noise. For all these reasons, Sunrise Windows is a proud member of the ENERGY STAR program in the window, sliding glass door and entry door category. This program ensures that energy performance are tested by a laboratory accredited by the Standards Council of Canada.
You can be sure that all Sunrise Windows products bearing the ENERGY STAR symbol are ideally designed to withstand all Canadian weather conditions.
For more information about Windows & Doors see www.sunrisewindow.ca and request the CD – “Sill to Sash”.