Sunday, December 03, 2006

NY: Condo considerations Contrary to the traditional idea of the "American Dream," owning a home doesn't always mean keeping the neighbors on the other side of a white picket fence. 10:30:33 AM

FL: Condo Owners Want Fence Ruling Revisited: Citing Safety Concerns, Owners of a Miami Beach Waterfront Condominium Are Requesting the City's Design Review Board to Allow Them to Keep Up a Fence While Miami Beach city staff has deemed fences blocking public access to a portion of the bay illegal, owners at a waterfront condominium are requesting the Design Review Board to reconsider a decision that would force them to tear down their fence. 10:27:13 AM

FL: Uncertainty still surrounds Sunset Towers Displaced residents of Sunset Towers, the two-building high rise on Cape Coral Parkway that was heavily damaged two years ago, have plenty of questions, few answers and still no place to live. 10:24:52 AM

Trying to clear the air on a burning topic Williams endured the secondhand smoke for years. But after his neighbor moved, he and the other owners of the 12-unit Mendham, N.J., complex amended the condo's bylaws to ban smoking. The Mendham case reflects the growing debate over secondhand smoke in apartments and condos. 10:23:43 AM

Housing Counsel: Condo Owners Need Their Own Insurance Q: We have purchased several single family homes, and our lender has always insisted that we obtain a hazard insurance policy before settlement. We are about to purchase our first condominium unit, and our real estate agent has advised that we do not need any insurance, since the entire association is covered under what they call a "master policy." 10:16:22 AM

FL: Condominium association self-insurance is a mirage With the costs of condominium association insurance continuing to skyrocket, even though there were no significant hurricanes impacting Florida this last hurricane season, condominium associations have been trying to look at any options to rein in the unconscionable increases. 10:15:48 AM