OCTOBER 2019

Folks, please please pay your monthly condo fees in a timely manner by the first day of the month in which they’re due. If your payment is received after the 10th a late fee will be added. We don’t have a huge problem with non-payers, but we plan a pretty tight budget for the Association so we can pay our bills each month. When even one owner doesn’t pay, it can create a problem that eventually reflects on the credit of the Association. If fees remain unpaid, the state of New Hampshire allows the delinquent owner to be denied services normally provided by the Association including (but not limited to) on-site parking.

We’ve mentioned this before, but unfortunately the units at Farmstead aren’t as soundproof as we’d like. Please try to be a good neighbor and keep the noise level from your unit as non-intrusive as possible. Avoid running on stairs (your children, too.) Use potentially noisy appliances such as washers, dryers, vacuum cleaners etc. after 8 in the morning and before 9 at night. Keep the volume on TVs, radios and “music machines” as low as possible. And please be aware of how annoying a dog that barks constantly can be.

Please remember we have a special dumpster for card board and the boxes need to be broken down before they are thrown in the bin(s). Right now there are three large boxes in the regular dumpster that haven’t been broken down and they’re taking up a lot of room.

Dennis is winding down his outside work for the Association, but if you’re planning an inside project for this winter and you need help (such as painting, general handy-man assistance, etc.) Dennis is available. He’s talented, innovative and prides himself on doing your work as efficiently, quietly and cost-effectively as possible. Call us at 358-0040 to make an appointment.

I’m sure you know this, but if you have an “Association issue” please contact CBPM to address it. I will get in touch with the Board if it’s a request.

L & G Propane’s locked-in rate for the 2019/2020 season is $1.399 per gallon.

We don’t mean to rush through fall, but winter is coming and you’re reminded to move vehicles for the snow plows when they’re working on site so our parking lots stay clear and safe. When you move your vehicle you can park it temporarily in the “safe parking” area on the Entrance Road, then return it to the usual spot when the plows leave. You do not have to move when the plows are working in the middle of the night, but you do have to move when they return for the cleanup. It would be great if we could give you a specific time for the return, but each storm is different and comes at different times. However, cleanup is usually done during the day, after a storm ends. When there is a storm residents just have to be alert and keep an eye out for the plows.

“Trick or Treating” in Keene will be 5:30 to 7:30 pm on Halloween. If you want youngsters in costume to visit you, leave your outside light on (which will keep them safer, too!)

Happy Halloween!!

SEPTEMBER 2019

I’ll be on vacation September 20th ‘til the 30th with limited access to e-mail or contact availability. Courtney and Dennis will be here to handle day-to-day work and any emergencies. If you have something “odd” it’d be great if you can wait until I return, but Court has been here nine years and should be able to help with any situation.

Director Allison Green had a conversation with Matt Durling at Durling Cleaning recently. He mentioned our dryer vents and told her he charges $150 to clean one vent, but if he has 5 vents to clean at Farmstead on the same day, the charge is $100 each and 10 vents or more, the charge is $89 each. He doesn’t need interior access but will also include the lint collector unit in your dryer if you wish. He’s scheduled to do Allison’s dryer vent on September 18th. You can contact Durling directly 762-3433 should you want to schedule a cleaning.

Some of you may have noticed the bears are still out and about the Common area, so please please make sure nothing is left on your patio that will make them feel welcome. This includes no food, no bird feeders, and no treats for dogs or cats. Just be sure there’s nothing tempting on your patio and that should discourage them. It may take awhile, but you should have no bear problem within a few months.

When you pay your monthly condo fee to Farmstead, please be sure the check is made payable to Farmstead Commons and not to CB Property Management. Condo fees are Association income and when you pay them to the property management company it really creates a problem for us.

Everybody: please squish your trash to dispose of it and recycle correctly. If you need a copy of the Recycling Guidelines, call us and we’ll be sure you get one ASAP. Have a large item you want removed? Call CBPM, we’ll arrange proper disposal and invoice you for the cost. You pay what we’re charged, with no mark-up.

L&G should be providing the rate soon for Propane for the 2019 - 2020 season. When it’s determined and we’re notified, we’ll send the information to all Farmstead owners ASAP.

This is your community newsletter and you’re encouraged to use it in whatever manner works for you: wish someone happy birthday or anniversary, congratulate them on a marriage, engagement, graduation or addition of a new family member. You can also use this newsletter to sell items or provide services, look for something you want to buy or whatever else you can think of. If you want to include something we haven’t thought of, call my office and we can add it to the next newsletter.

Now we’re coming to my favorite time of year (isn’t it everyone’s?) I love the beautiful fall colors that appear on trees and hillsides and perfect sunny days that slip in unexpectedly as the weather gets cooler. Back to school is always exciting. Changing wardrobes just as summer clothes and flip-flops become inappropriate. Looking forward to autumn holidays and receiving Christmas-themed catalogs that inspire dreams of purchases to come.

JUNE / JULY 2019

This summer has been VERY busy, and we hope it will soon be back to normal. When we have to do a newsletter combining two months, that’s when things really need to slow down.

At the recent Directors’ Meeting Lynda Sillner told us she spoke with Monadnock Disposal and learned: #1 and #2 plastics can be recycled if they’re clean at disposal and other plastic goes in the trash. Glass that’s clean can be recycled (food jars, drinking glasses, vases and unshattered broken glass.) Clean Aluminum cans are okay, but tin foil is not. Broken-down corrugated cardboard goes in the smaller dumpster and other card-board boxes (cereal, tissue etc.) go in the black bins with co-mingled paper. Lynda’s going to make new wall signs for the Recycling Area and post them where they can easily be seen.

The outside spigots are not for common use. They belong to the unit they’re near and those residents pay for the water used.

Many of the common gardens were started by and maintained by former residents of Farmstead, but since those people no longer live here, the gardens they loved just aren’t kept looking good. If you like to garden, we’d love to have you “adopt” a common garden and bring it back to its original beauty. Or, you could plant your own choice of flowers and it would be truly YOURS. Give us a call if you’re interested in doing this and we’ll talk about the space you want and what you want to do with it.

Now that the cooling season is upon us a number of residents have been asking about air conditioning units for their homes. The Farmstead Board of Directors researched four types of approved air conditioners: in-wall, portable, Mitsubishi and central a/c. The Mitsubishis start at $6,600 and the central air starts at $15,000. More realistically, in-wall and portable are the less expensive options.

One unit owner has just had a 10,000 BTU in-wall installed by Korvin. The new a/c was the same size and brand as the one being replaced (Frigidaire 24 w X 16 h) which made installation very simple. Her cost was $559 plus $30 for installation.

The portable air conditioners are available locally, with 10,000 BTUs costing about $350. The directors require those units to be vented using ¼ inch Plexiglas or Lexan to fill the open window gap with the hole cut for the hose near the bottom. Cheshire Glass charges approximately $100.00 for Plexiglas and Granite State Glass charges about $150.00for Lexan. Carbone’s also offers a Plexiglas unit. Anyone already using something other than Plexiglas may leave it for this summer but will be required to use Plexiglas or a clear material next year (2020).

Note: The portable a/c unit with clear Plexiglas or similar material for venting of the unit is the only type that can be used in the front of the buildings.

Owners wanting to install central air, a Mitsubishi or similar type unit, or a new wall unit will need to submit a request in writing to Management and obtain advance approval from the board.

I will be on vacation from Friday, July 19th to Monday, July 29th. The office will be up and running with both Courtney and Dennis available. Court has been here for more than nine years so she can usually handle anything. However, if you have an unusual problem that doesn’t need immediate attention, it might be easier to wait until I return.

It doesn’t happen often - but we do get emergency calls from owners locked out of their homes. CBPM doesn’t have a master key, so unless you have specifically given us a key to your home, we don’t have access. Good ideas for addressing this problem include giving a spare key to a trusted neighbor or keeping a hide-a-key in a safe spot such as your car, etc. 

Summer’s in full swing and there’s a lot for families to do in and/or near Keene

ENJOY!!!!!!

MAY 2019

WELCOME to Shayla Foss No. 4 and also to Amber Hogenmiller No. 9.

You’ll all be happy to know that Farmstead Commons has been approved for FHA loans, which gives prospective buyers an additional option for financing.

The Annual Yard Sale will be on Saturday, June 22nd this year. If you’ll be participating in the Yard Sale, please let CB Property Management know as soon as possible. You can set up your sale in front of your Unit or in your carport. If you have items left over that don’t sell please dispose of them, but not in the dumpster.

When you call our office for information, please remember that Courtney has worked here for nine-plus years and is responsible for all accounts receivable so if you have a question about your payment, your balance owed etc. she’s the person who can help you. Also she can usually

answer general questions you have about the condos or the rules and regulations. She can also schedule Dennis for work. I am not always available and instead of waiting for a return call, ask Courtney the question and perhaps your issue/ problem/comment can be resolved with one call. By the way, we had the same problem when I was training for this job with Cynthia; it all worked out and (fortunately) I learned everything I needed to know!

The Directors have done their walk around the grounds and are working on a list of “to do” jobs. Remember these are done on a priority basis as time/funds allow. If you have something that needs attention, repair, etc., contact the CBPM office. If it’s not on the “to do” list, we’ll check it out and add it if necessary.

Always walk your dog(s) on a leash away from landscaped common areas and clean up any “packages” they leave

behind. Be especially careful your dog doesn’t get into flower gardens. Many “public” gardens are planted and cared for by residents. Allowing your dog to damage them is rude to those who work hard to make (and keep) the gardens attractive.

Temperatures are warmer and windows are open. Be a good neighbor; keep music and voices at a level that won’t disturb others. The same goes for smoke from the barbecue or grill.

Please recycle properly. If you have questions about recycling, please let us know and we’ll make sure you get a copy of the Recycling Guidelines.

Summer will be here in less than a month. School will be out which means more children playing in Farmstead. Drive carefully, keep sun screen handy and whether you’ve planned the vacation of a lifetime or are simply relaxing at home:

ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!

APRIL 2019

Welcome: Nicole Reed and tenant Ben Wichland #10, Amber Hogenmiller #9, Robert Kohl #67.

If you haven’t returned your By-law Amendment Ballot, please do so as quickly as possible. The ballots were originally distributed a couple months ago and we also sent out reminders, together with self-addressed envelopes. If you’re still hanging on to your ballot, please vote and return it now! If you have any questions about the amendments you can contact CB Property Management or any member of the Farmstead Board of Directors. It’s very important that all owners vote on these amendments.

And speaking of the Board of Directors, there is an opening available immediately. If you’re interested in this volunteer position, and want to be active in the Farmstead Community, call Diane at 358-0040 or e-mail me at cbpmdiane@aol.com and I can provide information.

We are very grateful to the residents who plant gardens in the common area. But please bear in mind that the grounds crew from White’s Groundskeeping is re-sponsible for edging and mulching the gardens so if you plant a “common” garden, please be sure all plantings are at least six inches from the outside edge. Otherwise they could be damaged or removed when the edging is done.

Bears can still be a problem, so please don’t leave any kind of food (including pet food) outside, keep your bird feeders inside for a couple more weeks and be sure to slide the doors shut on the dumpsters so bears won’t be tempted.

Please remember to clean up after your dog, don’t leave anything but your vehicle, baby strollers or bicycles in the carport and follow the Recycling Rules as closely as possible. Recently, some-one left 3 paint cans in the recycling area; no one should do that!

The overgrowth along the perimeter of the property had encroached the lawns to a point where grass growth was limited. This has been cut back to open up the areas, dry them out and extend the lawns. It looks a little scary right now, but we’ve already noticed some drying and new grass growth and it will keep on improving.

We recently did a walk around the property and were pleased to see that Farmstead looks great. Residents are abiding by the rules and regulations and we are so proud of you!

April has been rainy, as expected, but May is on the way, followed by what we hope is a summer full of warm days, sunshine and fun for all of you.

MARCH 2019

All Farmstead unit owners should have received a ballot to vote on the proposed amendments to the Bylaws. Every owner who attended the Annual meeting on January 26th received a copy of the proposed amendments and a copy was hand-delivered or mailed to those who couldn’t be there. However, if you don’t have a ballot, call our office and we’ll deliver one to you. No matter how you vote, it’s important you do vote and return the ballot.

There are four proposed amendments so the Bylaws will meet the current and future needs of the Association. If you have any questions about the amendments prior to voting, you can contact me, cbpmdiane@aol.com (358-0040) or one of the Directors: Susan Rondeau, Unit 57, suerondeau2@gmail.com or Judy StGelais, Unit 47 judystg16@gmail.com. You can return your completed ballot to CB Property Management. via regular mail, e-mail or you can drop it off at our office. You can also leave it with one of the Directors in units 29, 47, 57, 64 or 75, but please, please return it as soon as possible.

It really may be spring soon- which means that bears are waking up from hibernation…. Over the years, Farmstead has had a few bear sightings in the spring. Farmstead residents even had bears showing up on patios! Please remove all birdfeeders or other items from your patio and front area that could attract the bears to the buildings. We will let you know when you can put them back up.

There is still a little time left to hire Dennis for inside projects – this is the best month to paint a room, hang that shelf, fix that leak, or any other odd job you may want to use him for. As soon as warm weather hits, he is booked solid with outside repairs and it can become difficult to schedule him for personal work. You can set up an estimate/job by calling my office or emailing me.

Although winter is ALMOST over, we remind residents to call CB Property Management when the snow slides off the carport roofs. White’s Groundskeeping checks the carports/lots regularly when melt is occurring; they will clean up and salt the areas. However, they could be on site and the snow could fall off right after they leave, if the temperatures drop enough before they return to check again - the fallen snow becomes a large ice lump! Added to the frost heaving of the asphalt areas in front of the carport spaces, the fallen roof snow situation can be an issue. We’d prefer three phone calls that the snow has fallen than one call that there is a lump of frozen snow at the perimeter of the carport entrances.

There will be lots happening at Farmstead this Spring, Summer and Fall… We will paint a building, we will begin the asphalt replacement in the parking lot, the decks will be water-sealed, the over growth along the perimeter of the grounds will be cut back a few feet to open the back area and the L & G Propane tank area will be landscaped. The Board and I will walk the grounds in April, adding any repairs or landscape needs and the like to the “to do” list. And, as always siding repairs will continue as time and funds allow from spring until fall.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!