December 2011 - Some Tips to Carry into 2012
With the economy in its recent state, statistics show that more and more people are downsizing from home ownership to renting apartments or condos. While this is great for many of our property owners and managers, it's important to know laws and regulations which may lead to your property being designated as an illegal lodging house. Too many renters inside one unit is not a good thing. Then there are people who decide to downsize from a house to a condo. Owning a condo has definite perks, but not everyone is aware of some of the technicalities of it. We'll highlight one such case. View our December 2011 newsletter.
November 2011 - Did You Hear about the Dryer Fire in Boston?
Luckily, no one lost their lives in the inferno that caused $1.2 million in damages and displaced more than 100 residents and 30 pets. But, things could have been much worse. To help make sure this disaster does not happen to you or any of your tenants, we'll go over this developing news story and provide you with some important tips to help keep your property and tenants safe. View our November 2011 newsletter.
October 2011 - In Your Property in Accordance with the Law?
When is the last time you had your fire escape inspected? How about your furnace or heating system? Are your carbon and smoke alarms in working condition? Do you have window guards to prevent small children from falling? Read through our newsletter and perhaps you'll think of a few things you should be doing as a property manager or condo association board member to help keep your property and tenants safe. View our October 2011 newsletter.
September 2011 - Power Restoration Estimates, Reverse 911 Information and More
For those of you still without power, we've included links to power restoration estimates published by NStar and NationalGrid. Our office building was actually without power up until yesterday, but Brownstone had prepared prior to the storm and we were armed with generators and a disaster recovery plan in place to ensure that we could be here to serve our customers following the storm. It was a little uncomfortable working without AC, but we were here for you! Hurricane Irene is the perfect example of why you should also ensure that you are included in your city or town's Reverse 911 system. This is a service to help prepare citizens for emergency situations or to spread important information quickly. You'll find important information about it in our newsletter. View our September 2011 newsletter.
August 2011 - Top 3 Hurricane Protection Myths and Mold Exposure
With hurricane season now underway, many of you are probably wondering how best to protect your properties and families after the devastation many local areas faced following the June tornados that swept through Massachusetts. We've included a simple hurricane check list as well as a list of some hurricane preparation myths that you should not heed if you want to keep your family and your property safe. And as mold is always a huge concern for property owners, we've included an article that details how mold grows and what you can do to stop it. View our August 2011 newsletter.
July 2011 - Pool Accidents, Grill Fires and Burglars, Oh My!
With summer officially here, it's important to take safety seriously. Summer months bring plenty of opportunity for injury, burglary and insurance claims. Between accidents related to pools, grill fires and burglars taking advantage of all the summer vacationers, plenty could go wrong. Stop problems before they happen by reading the tips contained in this month's newsletter. View our July 2011 newsletter.
June 2011 - Brownstone Will Prepare You for Severe Weather
In light of the recent severe weather that has devastated many communities across our country, including local cities such as Springfield and Sturbridge, Brownstone would like to share with you some tips you can follow to prepare yourself and your family for emergency situations, as well as the protocol for what to do after such an event. Be sure to check our Twitter feed and our daily blog entries for information regarding severe weather that may affect you, safety tips and breaking news. View our June 2011 newsletter.
May 2011 - April Showers Bring...Maintenance Issues?
This month our newsletter features Property Manager Expense Coverage. Are you prepared to pay overages if your property manager has to work overtime or incurs additional expenses due to a claim? Many associations and building owners are not, and even more are unaware of this coverage. Speaking of claims, take a moment to read through our tips to protect your property from flood damage! With all the April showers we had, preparing yourself for possible problems is always a good idea. View our May 2011 newsletter.
April 2011 - A New Look and New Tips
This month our newsletter focuses on spring and all the changes that this season brings. Spring is usually synonymous with "spring cleaning." For many of you, this means landscaping the grounds of your building, painting hallways, checking fire alarms etc. But you could be forgetting some very important steps that ensure the safety of your property or unit! View our April 2011 newsletter.
March 2011 - We Solve Problems Before you Have Them
Here at Brownstone Insurance, we try to solve problems for you before you even know you have a problem. Hence the focus of this month's newsletter: social media policies. Many of you own, manage or live in a community that utilizes social media outlets to connect with your tenants. But do you know the risks involved with participating in social media activities? Brownstone Insurance is here to enlighten you so that you may protect yourself. View our March 2011 newsletter.
February 2011 - February is American Heart Month!
In honor of American Heart Month, Brownstone would like to share some recommendations with you, courtesy of the American Heart Association. Protecting your property and your assets goes hand-in-hand with protecting your health! View our February 2011 newsletter.
January 2011 - Old with the Old and In with the New!
2011 is here and we hope you are excited as we are! The New Year always serves as a sort of reminder that opportunities are always present to better ourselves. Do you have any New Year's resolutions? View our January 2011 newsletter.
December 2010 - Winter Tips to Save you Money
Don't be caught off guard by Mother Nature. Take appropriate steps as outlined in this month's issue to safeguard your property, your unit and/or your tenants. We even included some tips to help you save money on your utility bills this season that you may not have thought of! View our December 2010 newsletter.
November 2010 - Tips for a Safe Holiday Season
With the holiday season quickly upon us, Brownstone Insurance would like to remind all of our customers that holiday festivities result in an increase of unfortunate incidents, such as cooking fires. Please remember to take the necessary precautions to ensure a safe and joyful season for you and your family. View our November 2010 newsletter.
October 2010 - Halloween Safety Tips
October brings beautiful foliage, cool, crisp air, apple cider, pumpkins and Halloween. With Halloween comes responsibility as a property owner or tenant to make trick-or-treating safe for the children and families of your neighborhood. Take the tips in this newsletter into consideration to ensure a safe, happy event for everyone. View our October 2010 newsletter.
September 2010 - A Growing Problem...
In this newsletter, we will provide tips to help decrease your risk of mold infestation, as well as highlight some key benefits of personal renters' insurance, which is key to ensuring that your personal belongings are protected. View our September 2010 newsletter.
August 2010 - Condo Maintenance Fee Coverage
Can you guess what the #1 cause of insurance claims in multi-unit buildings is? Hopefully you have not experienced it yourself: water damage. In this newsletter, we will provide tips to help decrease your risk of water damage claims, as well as outline the necessity of Maintenance Fee Coverage, which many condominium associations neglect to add to their policies, and explain why it is so important to have. View our August 2010 newsletter.
July 2010 - Director's and Officers Coverage
About one in six Americans live in an association-managed community, according to the Community Association Institute (CAI). An estimated 4 out of 5 residential buildings built since the late 1990s are governed by a homeowners' association. However, as more Americans live in privately-owned communities, more lawsuits arise. Therefore, it is important to make sure the directors and officers of your board are protected against monetary damages incurred through lawsuits resulting from their actions as board members. View our July 2010 newsletter.
June 2010 - Earthquakes can Happen
Earthquakes, even small ones, can cause serious damage to homes, apartment buildings, cars, businesses and people. In this issue, we will outline the affect that an earthquake could have to your property and why the option of adding earthquake protection to your existing Brownstone policy is worth exploring. View our June 2010 newsletter.
