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Winter Maintenance: Key Concerns and Solutions for Communities
As winter sets in, community building managers face a variety of challenges—from frozen pipes and roof leaks to icy parking lots and walkways. At Kipcon, we work closely with our clients to identify and implement effective strategies to mitigate these seasonal issues....
Swinging for Success: How Kipcon Builds Team Spirit
At Kipcon, teamwork isn’t just a corporate buzzword—it’s a core value that drives everything we do. Every quarter, our entire company gathers for a meeting that’s more than just business as usual. We take the time to reflect on our past and future goals, share the...
Plan for Important Projects With Reserve Funding and Maintenance Plan
IT’S BUDGET SEASON! One of the most crucial components of any community association budget is the Reserve Fund. This portion of the budget covers the amount of money your community needs to save throughout the year to meet the target funding percentage. Proper reserve...
Bill S2760 / A4384 Signed into Law: Critical Changes for NJ Building Inspections and Reserve Studies and How They Effect Your Community Association
On January 8, 2024, Governor Murphy signed into law new legislation, bill S2760 and A4384, that will significantly impact community associations throughout New Jersey. These laws address two critical areas: building inspections and reserve funding. This legislation...
Mitch Frumkin of Kipcon Honored with Distinguished Service Award at National CAI Conference
During the National CAI Community NOW Conference, held on May 9th, 2024, in Las Vegas, Mitch Frumkin, PE, RS, a long-time member of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and past president of multiple CAI chapters, was presented with the prestigious CAI...
A Comprehensive Guide to Florida’s Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS) Laws
In the ever-changing landscape of property ownership, Florida's condominiums and co-ops face a paradigm shift with the implementation of the Condo Safety Bill, signed into effect by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 26, 2022. As of December 31, 2024, condos (FL Statute...
A Guide on How to Read Blueprints | Understanding Plans and Layouts
Blueprints play a vital role in many of the major capital needs projects an Association faces. The ability to read and understand blueprints is critical and gives managers and board members an edge when navigating through the various phases of these projects....
How to Identify and Address Water Infiltration in Your Residential Buildings
Water infiltration is a significant concern for many communities. It is defined as the uncontrolled movement of water, water vapor or moisture to areas of a building that are unwanted and undesired. Water infiltration can occur in any type of residential building and...
The Importance Of Contractor Negotiations And Administering Contracts
Selecting the right contractor and navigating contract administration can be a challenging prospect. But at Kipcon we’ve been helping our clients move through each step in this process with ease and peace of mind for years. So today, we’re offering insight into what...
Navigating the Bidding Process
For many community associations, the process of requesting bids can be stressful. After all, you’re sending your construction documents to an array of potential bidders and then spending hours sifting through the responses you’ve received and hoping the bids are...
Understanding the Value of Site and Building Specifications
Each year associations across the country hire firms to create documents that offer contractors instructions on how to address issues with their buildings. These documents, referred to as specifications, outline the materials, scope of work, and other details for a...
Winter Worries: Addressing Community Building Maintenance for Winter Months
Winter brings a variety of concerns when it comes to community building maintenance: From roof issues to frozen pipes to how to treat icy roads and parking areas. At Kipcon we help our clients understand and implement protective measures that help to mitigate the...
Planning Future Capital Replacements Using a Reserve Study
As this year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to begin planning for next year. And as a board member or building manager, this planning should involve a review of your reserve study.Using The Reserve Study As A Budget and Planning Tool You may already know that...
Kipcon Leads the Way as Sweeping Industry Changes Effect the Role of Reserve Studies
In today’s blog, we’re exploring what reserve studies are, how to understand adequate reserve funding, and the changes that lie ahead when it comes to reserve studies and the funding associations may need to consider as part of providing for both the budgetary...
Understanding the Community Association Transition Process
There are approximately 328,500 community associations in the US and that number is growing fast. With all of these community associations forming, it’s vital to consider one of the most crucial processes related to their success: Transition. Community transition is...
Kipcon’s Founder Leads The Way On The Intersection of Reserve Studies, Inspections, and Maintenance
In light of the recent Florida high-rise collapse, The Community Association Institute (CAI) created a number of national task forces to develop public policy regarding reserve studies, building inspections, and maintenance. Notably, Kipcon’s founder Mitchell Frumkin...
Wood Deck Safety Starts With Proper Structure, Inspection, and Maintenance
May is Deck Safety Month and if your community has wood decks, it’s important to understand the common issues that impact deck safety. Wood decks are best described as flat surfaces that extend out from a home and are generally connected to that building while being...
Prevent Spring Flooding With Proper Detention Basin Maintenance
April Showers can bring May flowers and flooding to your community if you don’t maintain your detention basin properly. Just about every community has a detention basin but you may not know much about them. A detention basin is a basin carved into the ground to...
Kipcon Engineering Receives Top Honors at Annual CAI-NJ Event
On February 24th, 2022, CAI-NJ held their annual awards celebration where Kipcon Engineering received the Business Partner of the Year Award. Each year this prestigious award is presented to a Business Partner Member who has contributed significantly to the chapter....
New Lender Requirements for Condominium and Cooperative Projects Introduced by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae
A little over a year ago, Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, FL, collapsed resulting in the deaths of 98 people. A multitude of investigations revealed that construction defects, long-term water infiltration, and years of deferred maintenance may have...
New Year’s Resolutions for Your Community Association
Whether you are a property manager, a board member, or homeowner, take some time to develop resolutions for the physical and financial wellbeing of your community and community association.
The Cost of Ignoring Preventive Maintenance
All communities, big or small, are made of many of working parts. From the pavement on the ground to the roofs on the buildings, each common element connects directly to your overall property values and the monthly fees you pay as part of an association. The key to...
Water Damage: Common Signs of Structural Deficiency
The recent, tragic condominium collapse in Florida has led many to question the structural integrity of their own communities. Water damage is a particularly concerning condition because it is very common and can compromise the integrity of a building. While engineers...