Important Dates to Remember
Updates at Hales Property Management
How To: Practice Condo Safety This Year
Maintenance Tip: Cleaning Refrigerator Coils
From the Desk of Keith Hales

DATES TO REMEMBER

Jan 11 – 21: Sketch Comedy Festival
Jan 12 – 14: Cubs Convention
Jan 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Jan 20: Polar Bear Plunge
Jan 26 – Feb 8: Chicago Restaurant Week

UPDATES AT HALES PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Web-Portal- Did you know the web portal is mobile friendly? Click here to view instructions on how to access the site through your phone!
Office Hours- Our offices are open Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5 PM. For after hours emergencies, contact 312-666-0149 option 3. The online web portal is available 24/7 for any non-emergency requests.
Rentals- As a friendly reminder, owners who are currently renting or plan to rent their unit need to contact renting@halesinc.com prior to moving a tenant in or out of the building.
If you are selling or refinancing please visit www.halesinc.com/selling.

HOW TO: Practice Condo Safety
This Year

A new year means new resolutions and a renewed sense in ones health and safety. Here are a few new habits to get into that can help keep you safe and calm in a crisis:

- Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm. You should be testing the alarm monthly (which many people don’t actually do) and replacing the batteries twice a year.

- Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen. Grease fires happen rarely, but when they do, they can be tough to get under control. That’s why every kitchen should have a small fire extinguisher ready at a moment’s notice. Use a metal lid as a glass lid will shatter. Pour on baking soda for a small grease fire (it takes a lot of baking soda to do the job). Spray the Pot with a Class B Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher.

- Place flashlights or candles in several areas of your condo. If the power goes out, it can be hard to get around without proper lighting. Be prepared with a couple of different ways to illuminate your living space.

- Know the emergency exit plan for your building. In case of emergency, when everyone is running around frantically, it’s crucial to know the shortest and most direct way out of the building. If you don’t have this information, ask your property manager for it.

- Keep an eye on the building as a whole. Your condo is a part of a community, and your building relies on you to keep an eye on anything that could be a safety problem. From exterior doors that fail to lock to slippery surfaces that others may not see, if you notice any of these issues, simply report them to your property manager.

Q & A

Q: What property tax increases can Chicago homeowners expect this year?

A: The first installment for the 2017 taxes will be due in February 2018 and after several years of tax increases, Chicagoans are understandably concerned. Unfortunately, it looks like property taxes are again set to increase, though not as much as they have in the past couple of years. As with previous years, and with few exceptions, tax appeals have been / will be filed on behalf of all owners.
SEE MORE FAQS >

MAINTENANCE TIP:
Cleaning Refrigerator Coils

It’s easy to think of activities that are more exciting than cleaning your refrigerator coils and that’s exactly why they frequently go uncleaned, interfering with the efficient performance of your fridge. Ideally, they should be cleaned at least once a year and here’s how to make the process quick and painless.

FROM THE DESK OF KEITH HALES

Wow, it’s cold! And unfortunately the extreme cold weather causes locks and pipes to freeze, furnaces and boilers to work overtime, and overall challenging conditions when operating a building. Fortunately we are hard at work staying steps ahead by winterizing areas prone to extreme temperatures as well as helping to educate residents on specific action to take. More information can be found on our blog post above titled “Frozen Pipes and How to Prevent Them“.
As of today, we have 29 reports of pipes freezing, 16 frozen locks and 35 other cold weather related issues through our portfolio of buildings. With the slight increase in temperatures this weekend, we are anticipating even more issues as pipes begin to thaw. Please continue to send us any signs of potential issues in your building through our online web-portal at www.halesinc.com/requests as that is the best way to contact us. Your inquiry goes to a team of people ready to assist and assign to the appropriate party in a timely fashion.
As always, your opinion matters to me. Please let me know how we can improve our services by sending an email or contacting me directly at 312.757.4651 with any suggestions.
Thanks!
Keith J. Hales | President | CAM | Managing Broker