with comm uwNe STYLE A SURVIVAL GUIDE to Buying, Owning and 2006 Selling a Condaminiuni sr:coma IL seuitme, COOKING with STYLE A condominium can be The Culinary Team of The Ritz-Carlton, Dearborn invites you into "their" kitchen for hands-on instruction in the preparation of an array of foods from around the world. Participants will sit down to a fabulous dinner, joined by the culinary team, and learn about wines to accompany the meal as well as tablesetting and presentation ideas from Leslie Jacobs of Leslie Jacobs Associates. Guests may join the group for dinner only. Classes are held on Mondays, 5:30 - 8:30 pm Cost: $120 Dinner only: $75 April 17 - Cuisine Chinois May 22 - Iron Chef American Style #2 June 19 - South of the Rio Grande July 17 - Summer Superstars August 14 - Taste of Sicily a wonderful home...or a disaster. It's up to you. ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR September 18 - Epicurean Delights of Michigan October 16 - Cuisine of Champagne To make reservations or for additional infrrmation, please contact Leslie Jacobs at 248.646.4517 or at ljredhead@aol.com. Dates and themes are subject to change. 1094280 Is your adjustable mortgage coming due? Is the new payment driving you to the edge? Don't let the new payment put your finances into shock! We have the solution! 1 year arms at 4.95% No Points, No Joke! Call Julie Plotnik 248.593.2911 VICTORY Home Loans www.victoryhomeloans.com EOW. MOUSING LENDER 880 S. Old Woodward No application fee! Apr. 6.5% - based on the MTA Certain restrictions apply Birmingham 1090760 Men ino fresh, informative, redesigned check it out @ inonline.com 12 HOME & GARDEN { MARCH 30 2006 obert Meisner owns two condominiums — in West loomfield and Naples, Fla. It might be easier for him to know the nuances of owning a condomin- ium. After all, he's been an expert in condominium law for nearly 40 years, helped draft Michigan legislation on it and has written a weekly newspa- per column about it for more than 25 years. An attorney in Bingham Farms, he's taken his experience and incorpo- rated it into a 178-page, easy-to-read paperback that should be a must-read for anyone contemplating buying a condominium — whether attached, detached, a site condo or any other form. His book, Condo Living — A Survival Guide to Buying, Owning and Selling a Condominium, is a little scary. Maybe the word should be informative. "It's good for the pur- chaser to know what he's going to run into',' Meisner says. Part One of the book includes chap- ters on "Buying and Selling a Condo" : • I'm Buying What? • I Know My Rights • Location, Location, Location The section on "The Operation of a Condominium Association" includes: • The Cast of Characters • Skeletons in the Closet • Words of Wisdom Meisner expects that most new home construction will be condomini- ums. With changes in state laws in the last two decades, it is easier to develop new subdivisions as condos, rather than as platted home sites. "Most pur- chasers may not even realize that it's a condo project:' he says. "And, unless you see a condo lawyer before you sign the purchase agree- ment, you're not in a position to ask the right questions." Nearly 50 percent of the book is devoted to condo associations. Meisner believes owners must take an active role in the governance of their property, or face unwanted conse- quences. RB November 13 - Italian Countryside December 11 - The Perfect Buffet Visit our new office: taa. Does the condo board run the prop- erty in a business-like fashion? Are they somewhat aggressive in enforcing the rules? Do they have their policies in writing so there is continuity? Are board members more interested in saving money or in maintaining the property? "Boards can go from well-run to disaster in one vote says Meisner. He's a firm believer in boards that call in management and legal experts. "My central theme is that condo- minium living is not for everyone. Condominium living is replete with pitfalls, trials and tribulations. "Anyone who is interested in buy- ing a condominium, regardless of his socio-economic, religious, geographic or age group, should birsgorg of the legal and practical aspects of life in a con- dominium. "What should be emphasized, as well, is that one must have Robert Meisner a particular personality and disposition to enjoy condomini- um living." The author concludes his book with maxims about condo boards. Such as: "If something can go wrong in the condominium, it will." Meisner is a lifelong member of Oakland County-based Congregation Shaarey Zedek. His office, which has four attorneys and two legal assis- tants, advises purchasers and devel- opers and provides facilitation and mediation services. "The perception out there is condo- Minium living is care-free living. I call it care-ful living!' ❑ - "Condo Living - A Survival Guide to Buying, Owning and Selling a Condominium," 178 pages, $24.95, is available from Momentum Books, 2145 Crooks Rd., Suite 208, Troy, MI 48084 (momentumbooks.com) and bookstores.