Inside this Newsletter:
- Did You Know?: Keeping Pests Out of the Home
- Important Dates to Remember
- Updates at Hales Property Management
- How To: Promote Building Security
- Best of the Blog
- Maintenance Tip: Changing Your A/C Filter
- From the Desk of Keith Hales
Did You Know?: Keeping Pests Out of the Home
Summer is the most popular time for pests to find their way into your home. In buildings with multiple units, a pest problems doesn’t just affect you – it also affects those around you. So, if you find yourself with a pest problem, or simply want to avoid one, follow these steps:
1. Hide the Food.
The vast majority of the time, pests find their way into your home because they sense that food is readily available. Putting food away takes care of the problem.
2. Clean up.
For pests, other things also fall into the food category, such as crumbs (or that pizza slice) under the couch, or that sticky spill next to the garbage can. Increasing the level of cleanliness around your home will reduce these “problem spots”, lowering your chance of an infestation.
3. Seal any cracks to the outside.
Pests have to come from somewhere, and oftentimes it is easy to spot the window or door crack that is letting them in. If you notice one, seal it promptly, even if you don’t see any insects around it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
These simple steps, when done regularly, should deter pesky visitors from your condo this summer.
Important Dates to Remember:
August 9-10 Chicago Hot Dog Fest
August 16-17 56th Annual Chicago Air and Water Show
August 23-24 Chicago Food Truck Festival
August 28-31 36th Annual Chicago Jazz Fest
Sept. 18-21 EXPO Chicago
Updates at Hales Property Management
Please join us in welcoming the newest addition to the Hales Property Management family. Melissa Meister, a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will draw upon her educational background and experience with marketing and business development as she takes on the role of Property Assistant.
In order to accommodate our growing business and make room for new staff members, we are excited to announce that we have expanded our office to include additional space at 1409 w Chicago Ave. We’ll be posting pictures on our Facebook site once the dust settles.
We are thrilled to welcome the addition of four more associations to our portfolio: Spaulding Court, North California Condo Association, Wrightwood Park 1, and Wrightwood Park 2! We look forward to working with the Board to make your building a better place to live.
How To: Promote Building Security
Building security is in the interest of all tenants, and all tenants benefit from it. Even if your building has a doorman, ensuring security by staying attentive is crucial. Here is a brief list of things to watch out for:
- Malfunctioning door locks, especially if these are on an external door
- Doors meant to be closed that are regularly propped open with objects
- Broken windows
- Suspicious individuals in your building
- Any other activity that is out of the ordinary
If you notice any of these, please contact your building manager. It truly is a case of better safe than sorry.
Best of the Blog
Our blog is still posting weekly advice for owners and residents, at https://halespropertymanagement.com/blog/. Here are 4 recent posts we were particularly proud of:
Urban Gardening for Small Spaces
Get some tips on how to make the most of your urban space for gardening purposes.
Chicago Real Estate: Mild Temperatures, Hot Properties
The Chicago real estate market has been heating up, but still offers some great deals for buyers willing to look.
What You Need to Know About Board Meeting Minutes
Read about the importance of association meeting minutes, what they contain, and how they’re usually distributed.
Can Retirees and Condos Work?
Condo buildings can provide a valued sense of community for some retirees, but retirees should look to retirement communities if they need the extra amenities.
Maintenance Tip
Changing your A/C filter regularly is one of the easiest ways to help the unit work efficiently and cut down on your electricity bill. Here is a simple video on how to complete the task:
From the Desk of Keith Hales
We’ve had quite the busy summer thus far knocking out a record breaking number of property tasks and requests by residents since June 1. The cooler weather has been conducive to construction related work at most of our buildings. Over the past couple of months, the managers have executed, and/or are currently working on, many large projects including tuckpointing, roofing, window replacements, painting, and deck rebuilding for various Associations. By doubling our office size by expanding into a neighboring building, we are now able to accommodate Board and Association meetings right at the office. Check out several of our workplace buildout photos that are posted on our corporate facebook page along with quick tips for your condo, townhome, or rental unit.
I’m delighted to welcome Melissa Meister as our newest property assistant. She’ll be spearheading the transition process for new buildings as well as contributing to the marketing team.
It’s nearing budget season now and we’ll soon be diligently combing through each of the buildings expenses to develop realistic budgets. My goal is to personally look at each building in order to help develop a capital improvement project plan for your building in conjunction with the managers. If you have an idea or project in mind to add overall value to your building, please contact your manager.
Finally, solar power is here in Chicago! If you haven’t heard, the City is sponsoring a solar power discount program. We have already evaluated several buildings for feasibility and will be following up with respective Board members over the next few months. More information about the program can be found on our Google plus page.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions you might have.
