Connected Management Blog

  Chicago’s housing market took a plunge with the rest of the nation in 2006, and it has yet to fully recover.  2017 won’t see much of a change in that.  According to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago will be at the bottom of the list for the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas housing markets in 2017.  In 2016, average national home price levels returned to what they were before the 2006 crash, but Chicago remained 19% below the pre-crash values.  Despite this outlook, a slow and steady rise in home sales is projected to cause a favorable change towards a healthier...

Chicago is a city that is well known for deep dish pizza, wind, good music, a big silver bean, and snow. Winters in Chicago can be harsh, and snowfall has reached as high as 23 inches in a 1967 blizzard (January 26-27). In more recent times, a 2015 Chicago blizzard (January 31 - February 2) produced over 19 inches of snow. In fact, for exactly as long as the Chicago Cubs baseball team has existed, it has snowed each Chicago winter. That’s 146 years to be exact. So, is it ironic that the year they break a long losing streak, the...

Electricity costs are something that we all want to minimize. No one wants to receive an expensive electricity bill. The good news is that you have more control over the outcome of your bill than you may think. We often forget that it is our own actions (or lack thereof) that, at least in part, determines the final amount listed on the invoice. We’ve all heard of the age-old tips to avoid over-using electricity. “Turn off the lights when you’re not in the room,” “Don’t go to sleep with the TV on,” and “Unplug your appliances,” among others. These tips are...

  As freezing temperatures begin to move across the United States, condominium owners in Chicago should begin considering what steps should be taken to properly weatherize their units. By not taking the correct precautions, individuals leave their units open to the possibility of damage caused by cold weather. Listed below are several tips condominium owners may follow to protect their units from the harsh effects of Chicago winters.  Maintain Air Circulation One simple step condominium owners can take to weatherize their units is to leave interior doors open in order to create healthy air circulation. By opening all household doors such...

This article provides a brief overview of Chicago’s energy benchmarking program and links to resources where further details can be obtained. Instructions are also provided for board members of condo associations that are required to participate in the program. The practical requirement for most boards is to hire an energy-certified company to complete the benchmarking work on behalf of the association. While it is possible for a board to perform some of the required energy benchmarking steps directly, most will find it far easier to hire a firm to handle the entire process on their behalf. Ordinance Overview Information about the...