REMI

Financial Management

first-time buyers

Home buyers mull alternatives in overheated market

Some Canadians who are dreaming of buying a home are considering their options as housing prices remain out of reach in many markets over the past year.
condo collapse

Could a Florida condo collapse happen in Ontario?

How would this scenario unfold in Ontario? Leaving aside the construction process itself, there are vast differences between Ontario and Florida condominium laws that would have given the Champlain towers significant added protections following registration.
procurement

Three red flags of risky procurement practices

Federal scrutiny of condo procurement should be sufficient reason for diligent condo boards to examine their procurement practices.
windows

Condo windows: repair or replace?

For condo buildings built in the 1980’s or 1990’s, there is likely a window project coming up in the reserve fund study.
communication

Cases spotlight cost of poor communication

In some condos, communication channels break down or don’t exist, causing unnecessary expenditures that corporations and owners must incur.
waste

Multi-res tackles zero waste during COVID

A growing number of multi-res high rises across Toronto have continued to reduce waste during the pandemic.
condo finances

Condo finances feel the COVID effect

The pandemic has altered an interesting and often overlooked item in the budget, which is not a cost at all, but a loss of revenue.
real estate

Insurance crisis affecting reserve fund planning

The insurance crisis in condominiums is affecting how boards are planning for disasters in Ontario.
repairs

Condos in precarious spot if small repairs sit idle

Should the corporation move forward with certain maintenance repairs if the issue has the potential to become exponentially worse?
elevator repair

Ontario advances elevator repair legislation

Ontario is kicking the dust off of elevator repair legislation, which was passed under the Liberal government in May 2018 but never proclaimed into law.
burnout

Condo managers face pandemic burnout

I am a licensed condominium property manager, I am in my early 30s, and I am completely burned out.
Celebrated attractions convey spinoff real estate value

Iconic sites convey spinoff real estate value

Niagara Falls, and Jasper are the two Canadian entrants on a largely European and American list of locales associated with celebrated global attractions.
mentorship

What the new Construction Act means for condos

Construction is a billion-dollar industry in Canada. While most large projects at condominiums proceed relatively smoothly, there is always risk of friction for contractors and
building permits

How to avoid a DIY renovation disaster

The renovation work should aim to improve the property and make it more accessible for residents and visitors.
hydro

Gaps flagged in new CDM programs

After 2022, companies must use their own funds to reimburse embedded energy managers, but will be offered “an enhanced level of technical support and resources.” It's a move some see as more short-sighted.
skills gap

Closing the condo manager skills gap

This pandemic has helped condo managers to identify relevant skill gaps in relation to being prepared for the unexpected.
Ontario endorses competitive mechanisms to trim the price-point of energy efficiency spending

Ontario to stretch energy efficiency spending

A new slate of conservation and demand management (CDM) programs allocates $456 million for commercial, institutional and industrial consumers over the four-year period from 2021-24.