It's going to rain on Saturday, which means you should probably postpone your planned mowing and gardening. If you were thinking of golfing on Saturday, I am sorry to report that I heard someone say that every course in Seattle aerated their greens, so golfing's out, too. Oh, and don't even think about skiing or hiking--the snow has melted and the mountains are closed, plus the 520 bridge is also closed so traffic will be murder. read more

If you're a listener to "Condo and HOA Buzz" you heard over the past two weeks that Congress recently passed a bill that includes important provisions affecting all condominiums in the country. On February 2, 2016, HR 3700 was approved by the House of Representatives 427-0. The proposed law would streamline the FHA's certification requirements for condo projects, allow more commercial space in FHA-approved condo buildings, and relax current owner-occupancy requirements. read more

As my wife is apt to do, she recently gave our house a good spring cleaning. Luckily (for me), I wasn't home. The first sign I had that the purge was underway was when I pulled into the driveway and opened the garage door. There was a rather large plant (fake apparently) taking a prominent spot near the garbage. I asked my wife where the plant came from. Much to my surprise, the plant had been residing in the corner of my bonus room for several years. Despite the fact that I had entered that room every day for the past several years, I honestly could not remember ever noticing it. I'm sure at some point in my life I noticed the plant. Maybe it was on the first day, maybe the tenth, but I must have noticed it at some point. Like many things in our lives, the more we see them, the more they fade into the woodwork and fail to grab out attention. At this point, you are probably wondering what the heck this has to do with insurance. Bear with me. read more

In times of crisis, Boards generally try to solve the specific issue in front of them, sometimes overlooking basic principles and procedures. So the best time to focus on these basic principles and procedures is before a crisis. Those times may be few and far between, but just after the annual meeting at which new board members were elected is the perfect time for basic board training or, as we like to call it, Board Boot Camp. Boot Camp is also good as a refresher for incumbent board members. read more