In a scene from the 1985 historical drama Out of Africa , Lord Delamare (portrayed by Michael Gough) asks the Danish writer Isak Dinesen (played by Meryl Streep) if she had insurance after her coffee farm in Africa burnt to the ground. “…
In residential properties, lighting – both its quality and its efficiency – is often as important as the fixtures in which bulbs themselves are placed. This applies particularly to LED light bulbs, since they’re directly tied to monthly ene…
If you think about it, a multifamily building isn’t that much different than the human body. Both house important complex operating systems and organ-like pieces of vital equipment; both take in fuel and produce waste; and both require regu…
When we think of a co-op, condo, or HOA, it’s easy to picture a towering high-rise, or a suburban development that sprawls across acres and acres, and is home to hundreds, maybe even thousands of residents. While those communities certainly…
Maintaining a residential cooperative or condo association does not come cheap. Shareholders and unit owners contribute regular maintenance payments, to be sure, but that only covers so much. What happens in the event of a rainy day? Well, …
Being a board member, manager, or maintenance staff member for a building or HOA obviously comes with numerous responsibilities. Chief among those is being ready and able to deal with risks, issues, and hazards that pose potential threats t…
As anyone with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop knows, technology makes life easier in countless ways. The management of co-op and condo properties is no different, with new digital tools emerging all the time to streamline, facilitate and i…
Take an architectural tour of just about any major U.S. city, and you’ll get a sense of how trends and tastes in building materials have changed over time. Limestone, brownstone, brick, and terracotta were the earthy materials of choice du…
Can you imagine living in a co-op or condo that doesn’t have a laundry room? These days, having on-site laundry facilities for residents isn’t an amenity – it’s a necessity, and keeping yours functional and well-maintained is just as import…
Everyone loves the turning of the seasons, what with leaves changing, snow falling, pools opening, and the like. But Mother Nature has little concern for the comfort of humans, so fluctuating temperatures bring the need for residential heat…