Founder & Principal · CAM · CMCA · AMS · Licensed Chicago Stationary Engineer
Mirsad Cerimovic.
In Chicago community association management since 1997. Founder and principal of Stellar Property Management, a firm devoted exclusively to condominium, HOA, and townhome associations.
Biography
In Chicago associations
since 1997.
Mirsad Cerimovic entered the Chicago community association industry in April 1997 and has worked in it ever since, managing portfolios that have exceeded fifty associations. In 2007 he founded Stellar Property Management on a conviction that community association management deserved to be someone’s only business rather than a side line of a brokerage. The firm has never managed rentals. It manages condominium associations, homeowner associations, and townhome communities — nothing else.
Starting with a handful of North Side associations, the firm grew through board referrals to the 42 associations and roughly 2,450 residences it manages today across Chicago and the North Shore. Mirsad still reviews the financial reporting standard applied to every association in the portfolio and leads each incoming board through its transition personally.
He is a licensed Illinois Community Association Manager and holds both the CMCA certification and the AMS designation. He is a member of the Community Associations Institute and its Illinois Chapter, where Illinois statutory changes affecting condominium and common interest community boards are tracked each session.
He is also a licensed City of Chicago stationary engineer and a NIULPE-certified power engineer — qualified to run the boilers, chillers, and mechanical plant of a commercial building, not merely to hire someone who can. From 2007 to 2024 he taught the exam-preparation course for that same Chicago license at the SEIU Local 1 Training Fund — July 2007 to November 2024. From the program’s first cohort onward he took roughly 700 engineers through the city examination: the people who now run the boilers, chillers, and life-safety systems in Chicago’s commercial and residential buildings.
That combination is unusual in this industry and it changes the work. Most association managers read a reserve study as a spreadsheet. He reads it as a building — which components are genuinely near end of life, which contractor bid is describing work the plant does not need, and which deferred repair becomes an emergency in the next cold snap.
He writes the firm’s board guides on Illinois condominium law, reserve funding, and association governance — the library published in the Stellar journal and The Owner’s Companion.
At a glance
- Role
- Founder & Principal, Stellar Property Management
- In the industry since
- April 1997
- Founded Stellar
- 2007
- Taught
- City of Chicago Stationary Engineer’s License prep, SEIU Local 1 Training Fund, July 2007 – November 2024 · roughly 700 engineers
- Credentials
- Illinois CAM · CMCA · AMS
City of Chicago Stationary Engineer · NIULPE - Illinois CAM license
- #261000524 · Active
Verify with IDFPR - Firm license
- Illinois CAM Firm #291000211
- Office
- 5107 N Western Ave, Suite 1S
Chicago, IL 60625
Licensing & Credentials
Verifiable, and
worth verifying.
Illinois licenses community association managers and the firms they work for. Any board can confirm a manager’s standing before signing a management agreement — and should. Search license #261000524 in the IDFPR license lookup: the record shows an active license and no disciplinary history. The CMCA certification can be confirmed separately in CAMICB’s Find a CMCA directory by searching the surname — the same directory that publishes every CMCA revocation.
Illinois Licensed Community Association Manager
Individual license #261000524, active and with no disciplinary history on file with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Stellar Property Group Inc. separately holds Illinois CAM Firm license #291000211.
Certified Manager of Community Associations
The international certification for community association managers, administered by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board. The certification is listed and current in CAMICB’s public Find a CMCA directory, which also publishes any revocation — so the absence of a sanction is part of what the record shows.
Association Management Specialist
A Community Associations Institute designation recognizing advanced experience and education in community association management. Awarded March 2020 and currently active; the designation lapses without ongoing continuing education, so an active status means it is being maintained rather than simply held.
City of Chicago Stationary Engineer’s License
Licensed by the City of Chicago to operate high-pressure boilers, chillers, and the mechanical plant of a commercial building — the same license he taught the eight-week exam-preparation course for at the SEIU Local 1 Training Fund from July 2007 to November 2024.
National Institute for the Uniform Licensing of Power Engineers
Certified power engineer under the national uniform standard, covering boiler and pressure-vessel operation, refrigeration, and building mechanical systems.
What He Handles Personally
Where the principal
stays involved.
Board transitions
Leads every new association through its transition personally — records handover, bank and lockbox setup, vendor reassignment, and the first budget cycle under Stellar.
Financial reporting standards
Sets and reviews the reporting standard applied to all 42 associations in the portfolio, so treasurers see the same statements in the same format every month.
Illinois statutory compliance
Works with association counsel on Illinois Condominium Property Act and Common Interest Community Association Act obligations — Section 22.1 disclosures, records requests, meeting and notice rules.
Reserve and capital planning
Translates reserve studies into funding plans boards can actually adopt, and prepares associations for facade, roof, and mechanical projects before they become special assessments.
Published Guides
Written for Illinois
boards.
Financial Management
How Illinois Association Boards Should Adopt an Annual Budget
Budget season is where most association disputes are either prevented or created. Here is a repeatable process Illinois boards can use to build, notice, and adopt an annual budget without last-minute chaos.
7 min readFinancial Management
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Condo Eligibility: A Board Readiness Guide
Lenders selling loans to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac must confirm the whole project is eligible, not just the buyer. Here is what your board should have ready before the next questionnaire arrives.
7 min readIllinois Association Law
Illinois Section 22.1 Disclosures: A Board Guide
Section 22.1 of the Illinois Condominium Property Act governs the information a condominium association must provide when a unit is being resold. Here is how boards should organize for it.
7 min readIllinois Association Law
Which Illinois Law Governs Your Condo, HOA, or Townhome Association?
Condominiums, HOAs, and townhome associations in Illinois do not all operate under the same statute. Here is how boards identify the governing law and reconcile it with their own declaration and bylaws.
7 min readChoosing Management
How to Compare Chicago Condo & HOA Management Companies
A board-ready scorecard for comparing Chicago association management companies on manager capacity, service, controls, references, and total annual cost.
7 min readMaintenance
Condo Repairs in Illinois: What Owners Fix vs. What the Association Fixes
More condo disputes start over repair responsibility than anything else. Here is the three-zone map — what is yours, what is the association’s, and where the declaration decides.
8 min readBuilding Operations
Moving Into a Chicago Condo: The Complete First-Month Guide
Condo buildings have moving rules for good reasons — and knowing them turns move-in day from an ordeal into a checklist. Here is the complete first-month playbook.
7 min readRules & Leasing
Renting Out Your Chicago Condo: Association Rules and City Law, Explained
Between your association’s leasing rules and Chicago’s rental ordinances, leasing your condo has a right way and several expensive wrong ways. Here is the right way.
8 min readFinancial Planning
The 22.1 Disclosure and Beyond: A First-Time Chicago Condo Buyer’s Guide
You are not just buying a unit — you are buying into a business with a budget, a board, and a balance sheet. Here is how to read that business before you close.
9 min readBoard Leadership
How to Switch Condo Management Companies in Chicago
A board-ready process for replacing a management company without losing records, missing deadlines, or disrupting owners and vendors.
10 min readTechnology
The Technology Behind Our Management: Why Stellar Runs on Portier369
Boards often ask what software we use and why it matters to them. Here is an honest look at the platform behind our day-to-day management — and what it means for owners and board members.
4 min readLegal & Compliance
Illinois Condo Law in 2026: What Every Board Must Know
Illinois condo boards face a dense web of legal obligations. Here is a practical, plain-English rundown of the rules that matter most in 2026 — and where boards most often get into trouble.
8 min readTechnology
AI Is Coming to Condo Management — What Boards Need to Know
AI is starting to reshape how associations are managed. Here is a clear-eyed look at where it helps, where it does not, and how boards should approach it.
6 min readInsurance
Why HOA and Condo Insurance Costs Are Skyrocketing in Illinois
Master-policy premiums and deductibles are climbing across Illinois. Here is what is behind the increases — and the practical steps boards can take to manage them.
7 min readReserve Planning
Condo Reserve Funds Explained: Why So Many Associations Are Underfunded
Reserve funding has become one of the most important issues in community management. Here is what reserves are, why most associations fall short, and how to fix it.
8 min readBoard Education
Condominium Property Management in Chicago: What Board Members Should Expect From a Professional Management Company
Serving on a condo board in Chicago is a significant responsibility. Learn what to expect from a professional property management company and how to evaluate the right partner for your association.
8 min readFinancial Planning
Special Assessments: Why Illinois Condo Owners Are Suddenly Paying Thousands
Special assessments are hitting Illinois condo owners harder than ever. Here is what they are, why they are rising, what the board can and cannot do — and how to prevent them.
7 min readProperty Management
The Hidden Problems With Self-Managed Condo Associations
Self-management looks like an easy way to cut costs — until the hidden risks surface. Here is what boards should weigh before going it alone.
7 min readOwner Rights
Can a Condo Board Enter Your Unit? Illinois Owner Rights Explained
Few topics spark stronger reactions than a board entering a private unit. Here is how access rights actually work for Illinois condominiums — for owners and boards alike.
6 min readCommunity Standards
The Most Common Condo Rule Violations in Chicago Buildings
Most condo conflict starts small. Here are the rule violations Chicago boards see most often — and the right way to address them before they escalate.
6 min readLegal & Compliance
Are HOA and Condo Rules Legally Enforceable in Illinois?
Owners challenge condo and HOA rules constantly. Here is what actually makes a rule legally enforceable in Illinois — and the mistakes that get rules thrown out.
7 min readBoard Governance
The #1 Reason Condo Boards Fail (And How to Fix It)
Board dysfunction is the quiet killer of condo associations. Here is the single biggest reason boards fail — and a practical playbook for fixing it.
6 min readBoard Questions
About Mirsad Cerimovic.
Clear scope, clear pricing, and a transition plan your board can evaluate before making a decision.
Who is Mirsad Cerimovic?
Mirsad Cerimovic is the founder and principal of Stellar Property Management. He entered the Chicago community association industry in April 1997 and founded Stellar in 2007. He is a licensed Illinois Community Association Manager holding the CMCA certification and AMS designation, and he is also a licensed City of Chicago stationary engineer and a NIULPE-certified power engineer. The firm manages 42 condominium, homeowner, and townhome associations — roughly 2,450 residences — across Chicago and the North Shore, and he has managed portfolios exceeding fifty associations.
What does Mirsad Cerimovic do at Stellar Property Management?
He leads the firm and stays directly involved in four areas: board transitions, the financial reporting standard applied across the portfolio, Illinois statutory compliance alongside association counsel, and reserve and capital planning. Boards evaluating management speak with him rather than a sales team, and he leads each incoming association through its transition personally.
Is Mirsad Cerimovic licensed in Illinois?
Yes. He holds Illinois Community Association Manager license #261000524, which is active and carries no disciplinary history, and Stellar Property Group Inc. separately holds Illinois CAM Firm license #291000211. Illinois licenses both managers and the firms they work for. Any board can confirm this independently by searching the license number in the IDFPR public license lookup before signing a management agreement.
What do CMCA and AMS mean?
CMCA is the Certified Manager of Community Associations credential, the international certification for community association managers, administered by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board. AMS is the Association Management Specialist designation from the Community Associations Institute, recognizing advanced experience and continuing education in community association management; his AMS was awarded in March 2020 and is active. Both credentials lapse without ongoing continuing education, so an active status means they are being maintained rather than simply held.
Is Mirsad Cerimovic a licensed engineer?
Yes. He holds a City of Chicago Stationary Engineer’s License and is a certified power engineer under NIULPE, the National Institute for the Uniform Licensing of Power Engineers. That means he is qualified to operate the boilers, chillers, and mechanical plant of a commercial building himself. It is an unusual combination in community association management, where most managers can hire an engineer but cannot read the plant, and it is why he approaches a reserve study as a building rather than a spreadsheet.
Did Mirsad Cerimovic teach the Chicago Stationary Engineer’s License course?
Yes. From July 2007 to November 2024 he was the instructor for the City of Chicago Stationary Engineer’s License eight-week exam-preparation course at the SEIU Local 1 Training Fund, helping establish the program and teaching it for seventeen years. Roughly 700 engineers went through his class and sat the city examination — the people who operate the boilers, chillers, and life-safety systems in Chicago buildings. He holds that license himself, along with NIULPE power-engineer certification. That background is why building operations, rather than paperwork, sits at the centre of how he approaches reserve studies and capital planning.
What does Mirsad Cerimovic write about?
He writes the firm’s board guides on Illinois association law, reserve funding, and governance — including Section 22.1 resale disclosures, budget adoption, reserve studies, records requests, and how boards should compare management proposals. The library is published in the Stellar journal and in The Owner’s Companion, a guide written for owners and residents rather than boards.
How do I contact Mirsad Cerimovic?
By email at mirsad@stellarpropertygroup.com or by phone at 773.728.0652. The office is at 5107 N Western Avenue, Suite 1S, Chicago, Illinois 60625. Association boards requesting a management proposal, and owners with a concern their manager has not resolved, can both reach him directly.
Boards speak with the
principal.
Proposals, transition questions, and service concerns reach Mirsad directly — not a sales team. If your association is evaluating management, start there.