Synopsis
BOOK REVIEW: "For anybody thinking about buying a condo, or even anybody serving on a condo board, or anybody who has any connection to a condo, this is must reading. Thanks a lot for a great book!" -Steve Sanders, "Your Money Matters" WGN TV, December 22, 2014 BOOK HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: * The Dozen Duties of the Board * The 10 Hallmarks of a Healthy Association * 18 Budget and Energy-Saving Tips for Association Boards * 15 Secret Exit Strategies * Top 10 Money Making Improvements to Maximize Your Home's Value * Critical 10-Point Pre-Purchase Buyer Checklist—(Don't buy without it!) * 35-Point Manual on How to Bulletproof Your Association’s Biggest Asset: THE MONEY Can you imagine putting your neighbors—who are strangers—in charge of governing your life AND your money? Today, four out of five real estate sales are in condominium or homeowners association communities. There are lots of great communities out there, but you need to know that there are some very real horror stories, too. A big shocker: Most homeowner associations are run by unpaid, untrained volunteers who are managing their share of an annual $90-billion industry. That’s your real-estate investment and your money! Co-authors, RealtorŪ Sara E. Benson and veteran journalist Don DeBat, have made real estate the focus of their professional lives. Both are veteran condo and homeowner association owners, and it is their own experiences with the underbelly of condo and homeowner association living that led them to write Escaping Condo Jail. The book provides valuable in-depth financial discussions, governance instructions, plus a 35-point checklist to bulletproof your association's finances. Whether you’re a property owner now, or considering buying a condo—or a property in a homeowners association—you need Escaping Condo Jail to help you protect yourself and your real estate investment as you learn about the myths and the truths of how condominium and homeowner associations work. And sometimes don’t.
Review
"Written by journalist Don DeBat and Realtor Sara E. Benson, the myth of the carefree, glamorous condo life is painstakingly debunked and replaced with cold hard facts. The authors don't condemn all condo, cooperative apartment and homeowner associations. They want prospective buyers to get the information they need; owners to know their rights; and board members to know what they're doing. The book is carefully researched and full of information sorely needed by the one in five Americans that have bought into the lifestyle." -The New York Times "For anybody thinking about buying a condo, or even anybody serving on a condo board, or anybody who has any connection to a condo, this is must reading. Thanks a lot for a great book!" -"Your Money Matters" WGN TV "This is far and away the best book I've seen in my years of covering real estate on the subject of condos, co-ops and community associations. Don't even think about buying into community real estate -- a condominum, a co-op apartment or a PUD -- before reading this book. "Eyes wide open" trumps "eyes wide shut" every time! And speaking of "Trump," yes, on Pages 134-135 the book discusses the Trump Tower luxury project built on the site of the former Chicago Sun-Times building. The anecdotes DeBat and Benson provide are not only informative -- they're entertaining in the "Hot Property" sense."-Huntington News "I am deeply impressed. "Escaping Condo Jail" is a contribution of highest purpose and profound mission. Both of you have brought to the forefront a level of awareness, which, under the circumstances, cannot be ignored...that must be addressed. I can see this book not only as "required reading" in the university classrooms of our U.S.A.--and other countries--but as an instrument for the improvement of peoples' lives all over the world. Your vision is admirable. We congratulate you and we thank you for the care you have demonstrated." -Mary Mikros, Ph.D. Retired award-winning school principal at J.C. Orozco Academy, Chicago(Letter to the authors)
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
