Condo Living 101

There are a lot of AC products on the market today that provides not only cooling but air quality improvements allowing germs and other contaminants to be filtered out effectively making for a healthier life. Products from many consumer electronics manufacturers have integrated air purification systems with their AC’s combining the work done by the normal AC and air purifiers using some nifty technologies such as ionization and silver filters that kills germs and bacteria while filtering dust and other contaminants with improved re-usable filters. More filtration for traditional AC’s can be achieved with the use of after-market filters that are treated for bacteriological contaminants and have smaller pores that allows only the air to pass through but traps contaminants in the fibers getting them out of the air we breathe. Read the rest of this entry »

The many developments around most metropolitan areas have created a man-made weather phenomenon known as micro-climate which tends to trap heat within these urban areas making them hotter than they used to be. The many buildings and spread of concrete and other structures disrupts natural airflow creating islands of heat and smog where pollution from our cars and other activities preventing heat from properly dissipating into the air trapping it beneath our concrete floors and parking lots. that is why we spend billions of dollars for cooling our urban dwellings so cooling it or maintaining the ambient temperature is of utmost importance. Adding more green zones where native plants and trees allows more heat to escape or be absorbed is a good idea and it also helps with the pollution problem to some extent. Read the rest of this entry »

The many glass windows we have in our major cities making up most of the facades of buildings and homes are a fair enough insulator yet with the addition of temperature control films or tint, they become better at reflecting the sun’s harmful rays. This keeps the interior of structures cooler be a few degrees, saving electricity and thus lowering our carbon footprint. Old windows in homes can be replaced with double-glazed ones that has an air pocket in between the two panes making it a very good insulator, keeping heat/cold in and the external temperature out. New AC technologies that incorporate not only environmental control but active filtering technology that kills and traps pollutants in the air makes Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most effective ways to make your condo unit become more homey and livable is to do away with clutter. Even Feng Shui experts say that clutter disrupts the flow of chi, or energy in your home. Having a neat home make it easier for one to live in it and work in it. Simply develop habits that prevent you from leaving clutter, like returning magazines or books to the shelf after they’re read, or washing the dishes at once so that the dirty dishes don’t accumulate in your sink. Untidy habits also invite all sorts of pests like cockroaches and rats and ants, all of which thrive in a dirty and untidy environment. Having less clutter also keeps you away from accidents, like accidentally stepping on a glass you left on the floor while you were watching a movie.

The two share a lot of similarities except for the ownership part where in condominium associations, you are part of a group of owners who owns the units per se. In housing co-op’s the cooperative owns the unit and you are merely a renter, when you move, you either have to sell the unit back to the cooperative or to other buyers and pay the cooperative the cost you bought it for and keep the profits should you have gained any. The ownership of a condominium is similar to single unit homes except for the fact that your piece real estate is on a vertical rather than a horizontal plane.
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More and more people are opting to save money due to the recession and condo living people are feeling the pinch. not only are the ones living within them finding it difficult, the property owner who gets a vacant unit seldom gets a replacement in time to make all necessary payments.
The hard economic times has resulted in many losing jobs even from some of the world’s biggest companies who have been forced to trim down their workforce rather than face closure. The government is trying to alleviate some of the pressure but it might not be enough to hold of foreclosure on your mortgage. Time will tell if we can weather the storm that is in full force, hopefully not too many will be left out on the streets of the broken American Dream.

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Plants in pots do not get the same nutrients from the soil like plants grown in regular soil. Since they are in a controlled condition, very little natural fertilizer is available in the soil. To correct the situation, you can use slow-release fertilizers into the soil according to the size of the plant. Rotting vegetation and insects have a symbiotic relationship with different organisms and root systems which makes nitrogen and minerals available to plants. An adequate soil mixture is made up of 10 parts cheap regular soil, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part peat moss and 1 part sand. Put in the fertilizer and follow the package instructions because too much fertilizer can burn roots even if it is from a natural source.

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One of the factors that lending institutions look at is how much downpayment can a buyer make. A downpayment is a borrower’s “goodwill money” and a sign of his intent to make good on a loan and a lender’s assurance to lessen the risk in case the borrower defaults on his monthly payments. The bigger the downpayment, the bigger the chances of getting a higher loan amount or a lower monthly amortization. Generally, borrowers do not have big amounts of cash on hand to be given as downpayment. However, they do have other sources of funds aside from their own savings. It could be from family, friends, relatives, money from sales of stocks or bonds or a qualified co-maker.

To accomodate buyers with a limited downpayment, lending institutions and other mortgage companies have come up with innovative solutions:

• Zero downpayment loans. As the name implies, this loan does not require a downpayment. This is usually offered to first time buyers who can make the monthly amortizations but have no family , friends or relatives who can lend them the downpayment.
  The downside however is that the interest rates or the monthly amortizations are usually higher.
• Rent to own loans. A buyer starts off as a renter with the option to buy the property any time during the term of the lease, at a price acceptable to the owner. In most cases, the rent amount you paid will be fully or partially applied as downpayment.

Subsidy programs are sometimes even offered by cities that are hoping to expand their communities.

If you’ve just bought a condo, or are planning to buy one, you might have overlooked the cost of your monthly dues. These, in addition to your mortgage, are major costs you cannot afford to miscalculate. Monthly dues can vary according to the amenities and services a condominium has. It’s usually calculated per square foot or meter. Think of these as fees as membership fees you need to pay to use the amenities your building has. After all, you have a pool, gym, jogging track, tennis courts, etc, amenities you would usually need to pay a country club for. Also, these fees will go toward building security, maintenance, disposal, gardening & landscaping, etc., all services you would normally have to do in a regular home, but is now being handled by a property manager. You’ll need to consider this part of your monthly expenses, remember too that these dues can’t be taken off, even if you’re not using the condo or it’s amenities.

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Your stylish new home at the Emerald Chicago condos and residences on Green Street puts you right in the middle of the New Loop, from which you can easily walk to the financial and business districts of downtown Chicago, which means no hassle with driving or parking after work. All you have to do is just…go. Living at the Emerald Chicago condos also gives you a front-row seat to the fine dining establishments of Restaurant Row on Randolph Street and shopping boutiques, not to mention everyday sort of things that you need like grocery stores and the major transportation routes around the city. One of the things that you will have easy access to just by living at one of the Emerald Chicago condos is the Hancock Observatory at the John Hancock Center. You will see some of Chicago’s most inspiring cityscapes, enjoy the pleasure of using the center’s talking telescopes and see the wonderful historical exhibits. You can also get a look at the largest and most complete T. Rex ever to exist in human possession, or learn about NASA and the universe at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, or check out the Omnimax screen at the Museum of Science and Industry.