Thursday, October 26, 2006

Tips for a cohesive group of neighbors Make it easy for residents to stay in touch. Create a newsletter, e-mail bulletins and utilize volunteers to write and distribute them. Make sure everyone is invited to attend all social events and give plenty of advance notice. 11:10:59 AM

IN: Lawn politics at work I also noticed fewer signs in new subdivisions or upscale neighborhoods, possibly viewed as littering their freshly seeded lawns or violating some homeowner association criteria. In those 'hoods I saw more signs explaining who did the landscaping or contracting work. 11:08:44 AM

NC: Fall festival all about community When people think of their neighborhood homeowners association, dues, restrictive covenants and fines often come to mind.  But in the Village of Lake Park, the Homeowners Association (HOA) has worked to improve this image and to foster community togetherness by hosting several community events, including the recent 16th Annual Fall Festival. 11:05:31 AM

Need to sell a condo fast? Auction it! The trend has even prompted one online condo listing site to promote a cable TV show featuring live, real estate auctions, but buyers need to beware of a lot more than getting carried away by auction frenzy. Sales are final, and experts warn that bidders should find out in advance exactly what they're getting into. 10:12:57 AM

TX: Nightmare on Cooper Breaks Drive The line between holiday decorating and recreating a scene from a horror movie was at the center of a neighborhood debate over yard decor Jeff Furth and Susie Moorman's home in the Eagle Spring subdivision in Humble for the last week. 10:04:42 AM

FL: Stratford residents just getting back to normal It took Azmy and Ida Boutros exactly one year to move back into their master bedroom suite.  The Stratford in Pelican Bay was one of the Naples condominiums hit hardest by Hurricane Wilma, which sheared off six and a half floors on Oct. 24, 2005. 10:00:49 AM

CA: Baby boomers change senior housing trends As the specter of retirement and empty-nesting looms large for the 76 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964, these so-called baby boomers are hardly entering old-age homes or assisted living facilities. From downtown condos to active adult communities to age-targeted apartments, developers are scrambling to find a housing type that fits the needs of this less than stereotypical graying market. 9:52:01 AM