tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53094165967631209082024-03-13T06:11:33.602-05:00Townhome Associations - MinnesotaTownhome Association Information for Minnesota. Includes information for Townhouse Association Property Managers and Townhome Board members.Lawn Care for Townhomes, Landscape for townhouse associations.CAI, MHA and CICMidwest Membersdutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-25589782522538078102010-10-24T16:16:00.000-05:002010-10-24T16:16:00.559-05:00Figuring out Salt DeIcers for commercial propertiesThe use of salt as a deicer on townhome roads and sidewalks is the preferred method to promote safe motor vehicle and pedestrian travel during winter months. The most commonly used deicing salt is sodium chloride (NaCl). Sodium Chloride effectively depresses the freezing point of water to melt ice. But what are the impacts of salt applications to drinking-water supplies and watershed ecosystems?dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-56403821443717970422010-10-21T16:18:00.000-05:002010-10-21T16:18:00.659-05:00Budgeting options for commercial snow removalThe vast majority of property managers think of only 1 or 2 ways to specify snow removal services. This article talks about the good and bad of some interesting methods! The best methods to budget snow removal for your sites this winter: There are innovative ways to budget your snow removal that most property managers are unaware of. They are (in order of wildest swings in meeting budget to most dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-24468505262179245932010-10-18T14:15:00.000-05:002010-10-18T14:15:00.281-05:00Summer swelter damages lawns in 2010Summer Swelter Stresses Lawns Inside our company, we’ve been discussing mother nature’s effect on our lawns. It’s no surprise that it’s been a strange season for weather. Honestly, every season seems strange. This one started out with over 400 funnel clouds early in the season, followed by plenty of rainfall, and an extended period of hot, humid weather. The item that’s caught our attention is dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-46983521620857843132010-10-08T13:14:00.000-05:002010-10-08T13:14:00.784-05:00Townhome living maintenance free? I think notMaintenance Free Living! Really? “When a member asked me to address the belief of homeowners, that HOA living is maintenance free living, the zippy Green Acres theme song came to mind immediately. “Green Acres is the place for me, farm livin’ is the life for me… It continues on “The Chores.. The Stores.. Fresh Air… Town Square…”I mean, the whole premise of the show was about Eddie Albert & Eva dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-14770972067461241142010-10-04T16:08:00.001-05:002010-10-04T16:10:26.598-05:00Standardizing Specifications as your competitive advantageUsing Standardized Specifications as a Property Managers Unique Service Proposition.By Steve Hoogenakker Steve@Landscape.ProIt was a hot Monday afternoon in July and the humidity made it feel like an Indian sweat lodge. The air conditioner was refusing to work through another day, much like the temp that was hired here last week. My desk, looking like it belonged to Andy Rooney was strewn with dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-17749904225089537922010-05-24T10:07:00.001-05:002010-05-24T10:07:00.459-05:00Emerald Ash Borer and Property Managers. What's next?TO BE PUBLISHED JUNE 15, 2010 Emerald Ash Borer’s effect on common interest communitiesBy Steve Hoogenakker and the MDAWhy should I care about EAB?All ash trees are susceptible to EAB and millions of ash trees have been killed in infested areas already. It’s estimated that townhome associations may have as many as 40% of their trees as ash trees. Minnesota has one of the highest volumes of ash ondutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-72933846877262238152010-05-22T09:52:00.004-05:002010-05-22T09:57:48.881-05:00CAI Community Associations Institute and LinkedIn for property managers& By Steve Hoogenakker Concierge Landscape EnvironmentsLinkedIn and CAI – The link to the top professionals in the CAI CommunityWhat is LinkedIn and why is it so important to property managers & HOA’s? First of all, it’s the best way to post your questions and have them answered by your peers. Second, there are members of groups like CAI and CAI Minnesota that you can join for free and get timelydutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-64477402525161454512010-04-08T11:23:00.000-05:002010-04-08T11:23:00.442-05:00The case of the missing specsThe Case of the Missing ContractBy Steve HoogenakkerIt was a hot Monday afternoon in July and the humidity made it feel like an Indian sweat lodge. The air conditioner was refusing to work through another day, much like the temp that was hired here last week. My desk, looking like it belonged to Andy Rooney was strewn with paperwork facing every direction. Emails had come in over the weekend dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-86941356004876357622010-04-06T12:04:00.001-05:002010-04-06T12:04:55.864-05:00LEADERSHIP and THE BOARD: A Story for board members and company owners:By Steve HoogenakkerThere comes a point in time in every leaders time when he or she is tired of spearheading every initiative and dragging and cajoling the other members to help. At that point, they look to take their board or company to another level, either to create more energy, creativity or create more balance in their dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-70591530556310822062010-04-02T11:17:00.001-06:002010-04-02T11:19:09.476-06:00Property Mangers a way to cut back phone calls and emailsProperty Managers, a FREE method to cut your workload, phone calls while making customers even happier. By Steve HoogenakkerAs I was cleaning out emails from 2009, I noticed I had about 100 emails from a multi-family townhome customer from this summers’ service. Wow, I thought, I didn’t realize we had as many back and forth communications. Besides, this didn’t count the 40-50 phone calls over thedutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-11965885835234599402009-03-29T19:22:00.000-06:002009-03-29T19:24:05.717-06:00Fraudsters Beware, State Proposes Condo CopsCould this happen in your state?) A new police force could soon be deputized to monitor the operations of thousands of Florida condominium associations, some of which are victims of fraud. Florida State Rep. Julio Robaina, R-Miami, and his counterpart Florida State Sen. Rudy Garcia, R-Hialeah, have filed companion bills in the state legislature to create a four-person police force to be based in dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-78191001482669053232009-03-05T19:31:00.000-06:002009-03-05T19:32:43.779-06:00Is it time to ask vendors to cut rates?The short answer is Yes, kind of, When Dan Greenstein brought the subject up yesterday about freezing contractor prices for 1-3 years or doing an outright cut, there were nervous coughs from the vendors in the audience. Can I afford a bidding war this year? No, Will my service come in as low bid most of the time, No. Do I make a ton of money, No, so there's no room to cut, right? My cost for fueldutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-5338917916191429542009-03-05T19:28:00.000-06:002009-03-05T19:31:29.304-06:00Half the room, all the assessment in RosevilleBy JEAN HOPFENSPERGER, Star Tribune Last update: January 25, 2009 - 10:48 PM what you do not know What was not in the article, there are 47 units of the 47 five are small, about half the size as the larger units. The Board members all … read more live in the large units. Many of the large unit owners have been here for 40 years. I am an owner in a small unit and I did read and understand the dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-46972642091881193602009-03-05T19:14:00.000-06:002009-03-05T19:28:09.617-06:00VACANCIES SPIKE, PRICES PLUMMETFor renters with leases about to expire, it's time to negotiate. Landlords are working extra hard these days to keep units filled. More from BusinessWeek.com : • Rents Drop Nationwide as Vacancies Spike • The Best and Worst Housing Markets of 2008 • How Much Home You Can Buy for $500,000 Of course, your ability to hold on to an apartment—especially a luxury unit—depends on how secure you feel dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-25529845240700480842009-02-09T20:38:00.001-06:002009-02-09T20:39:28.864-06:00Free Help from KARE 11 if you're afraid of foreclosureForeclosure Prevention Telephone seminar, KARE-11 News provide two chances for worried homeowners to seek help this weekThis week, homeowners will have two opportunities to have their questions answered from the comfort and convenience of their home. On Tuesday, the Minnesota Home Ownership Center is offering the first of its 2009 series of telephone seminars. The following evening, KARE-11 will dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-70885476224384487572009-02-09T19:53:00.003-06:002009-02-09T19:56:48.665-06:00JOIN LINKEDIN. It's Free and it's great for businessThe CIC industry has need for a lot of knowledge and a lot of contacts.Joining LinkedIn is free. Sign up at the site, then lookup Steve Hoogenakker and link with me. You can look through my list of other property managers, and link with them.You can also go to groups. There are 3 groups that serve your community.1 Townhome and CIC site, THIS SITE IS YOURS2. CAI - Minnesota3. CAI - NationalAt dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-70699897407603358792009-02-09T19:50:00.002-06:002009-02-09T19:52:22.319-06:00Metro Extension Agent Phone numbersAnokaYard and Garden Line 763-767-2891General Info 763-755-1280 Leave message.Calls returned. Note: Your phone line must be able to receive blocked callsBunker Hills Activity Ctr 550 Bunker Lake Blvd NW Andover, MN 55304CarverMG Yard and Garden Line 952-466-5308Leave message 24/7. MG will return call.11360 Highway 212 W Ste 4Cologne, MN 55322Dakota651-480-7700Leave message. MG will return dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-54591757816345498252009-02-04T12:27:00.003-06:002009-02-04T12:34:24.926-06:00Links and articles for the CAI February LuncheonHere are the links you'll want for future lawn and landscape information. There are also many articles below this posting that apply only to Common Interest CommunitiesFeel free to read, comment and "share".www.cai-mn.com For the homeowner session coming up February 25th Taylor Made Landscape website link for University of Minnesota Extension site (Trees and Shrubs)http://www.extension.umn.edu/dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-26078948402600868752009-01-27T11:28:00.000-06:002009-01-27T11:28:39.690-06:00Townhome Associations - Minnesota: Half the room, all the assessment in RosevilleTownhome Associations - Minnesota: Half the room, all the assessment in Rosevilledutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-24929125732714461052009-01-27T11:10:00.003-06:002009-01-27T11:20:19.815-06:00Half the room, all the assessment in RosevilleHalf the room, all the assessment in RosevilleA Roseville townhouse owner is questioning the fairness of a city "housing improvement" plan that lends townhouse associations cash for renovations but doesn't assure balanced assessments. By JEAN HOPFENSPERGER, Star Tribune Last update: January 25, 2009 - 10:48 PMFeatured comment what you do not knowWhat was not in the article, there are 47 units of dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-13706462679789778122008-10-08T09:27:00.003-05:002008-10-08T09:31:19.184-05:00Taylor Made for Townhome Associations<!--[if !mso]> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} b\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--><!--[if pub]> 281 7772400 10058400 259 261 257 276 262 279 1 0`````````````````````` 5 1 0 285 282 1 False 0 0 0 0 -1 304800 243 dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-56789858728234694262008-02-24T10:56:00.002-06:002010-04-02T12:28:37.696-06:00Prepare Your Landscape for Spring Part IIDa Garden” If you have a personal garden, ‘tis the season to till it up. Consider doing a soil test yourself for best results. Here’s a little secret: Why does Miracle Grow grow 700 pound pumpkins? I know you don’t actually want a 700 pound pumpkin this fall, but if you want to give your garden every chance of providing pleasure or juicy tomatoes, then the secret is this: Most fertilizers carry 3dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-63088084721164289922008-02-22T17:04:00.004-06:002008-02-22T17:08:29.264-06:00Preparing your townhome association for spring part IYOUR LANDSCAPE – WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW COULD KILL MILLIONS PART IThat’s right. As a homeowner, you’re responsible for millions of living organisms. You’re the “Jack Bauer” of the show “24” protecting millions of innocent lives!Grass plants, ornamentals, trees, annual flowers and shrubs. Your decisions also affect insect and biotic populations. Most importantly, you’re in control of how your dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-7031997317594073202007-09-21T15:20:00.001-05:002007-09-21T15:20:53.103-05:00Preparing Your Townhome Association for SnowIMPORTANT LANDSCAPE and SNOW PREPARATIONSIt’s been a hot, dry summer. Many landscapes suffered damage this summer. While the turf will show the damage right away, the trees may take a year or more to show stress.Tim Pearson of Concierge Enterprises advises that if brown areas of the lawn haven’t come back, then the fall (August 20th – Sept 20th), is really the best time to re-seed the lawn. dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5309416596763120908.post-35318836671950480542007-04-26T16:20:00.000-05:002007-04-25T16:25:48.140-05:00Common Interest Community - Give up your Free SpeechI found this article on free speech interesting. It's a little long, but who would have thought of Free Speech as being endangered in a CIC? SteveEditors' Synopsis: Common interest communities ("CICs") include condominiums, gated communities, and cooperatives that are governed by contractually agreed-to covenants, conditions, and restrictions. This Article explains that First Amendment dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0