Whether because of convenience, the desire for autonomy, or a tight budget, some condo and HOA communities opt not to retain an outside management company or an agent to handle their respective day-to-day administrative and maintenance need…
We all know that 'greener' energy is better; it's cleaner, more sustainable, and often cheaper than more traditional sources -- but it can cost a pretty penny to install new, greener equipment, or to retrofit existing equipment to upgrade i…
Under the Façade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP), formerly referred to as Local Law 11, all New York City buildings six stories or higher must have their exterior façades (including balcony enclosures) inspected every five years. A rep…
Just a few months ago, according to various media reports, property manager Steven Dym of the Queens-based Gabriel Management Corp., was facing a lawsuit for allegedly taking approximately $22,000 from a client. The ultimate result from thi…
Creating and adhering to an operating budget is a delicate financial balancing act that boards, management, and staff do every year in buildings and associations all across the country. The object is to predict expenses, balance cash inflow…
Community living – the very basis of co-op, condo and HOA life — is based on the idea of trust. In a community of potentially hundreds or thousands of residents, every resident can’t be involved in the making of every decision. Too many coo…
Upgrading, retrofitting, or replacing building equipment and fixtures can be a tough sell -- sometimes it's hard to get residents to understand that money spent now can mean even more money saved later. In this quick clip, find out about te…
Like just about everything else we encounter and use every day, the lines of communication in a co-op or condo building have been scrutinized, analyzed, and updated for the cyber age. The question is whether that new approach has made co-op…
Property management may not be aircraft control or open-heart surgery, but anyone who tells you it's 'easy' is either lying, or not playing with a full deck. Managers of communities both large and small face an array of challenges every day…
Co-op and condo boards must remain vigilant against all kinds of potential hazards in their buildings; everything from Legionnaires' disease in rooftop cooling tanks to deteriorating pointing on brick facades, to unsecured window-unit air c…