It's hard to imagine that seven months from now, the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy hitting the East Coast will be upon us. The memories of that day on October 29, 2012, and its immediate aftermath, are still vivid for those who sur…
Spring is around the corner, and with warmer weather and sunnier days come lots of decisions about how to care for your building or HOA's landscaping elements. Here, landscaping and lawn care pros share some ideas about what boards can do b…
Making sure your building or association has adequate funds to carry out major capital projects - roof repairs, boiler/HVAC replacements, new windows, etc. - is a crucial part of your board's fiduciary duty, and conducting a capital assessm…
In late February, as reported by the Associated Press , a Massachusetts man crashed a homemade aircraft into the roof of a condominium building, resulting in the tragic death of the pilot. Because this happened in the middle of a Tuesday…
While most purchasers of condos and co-ops prefer conventional fixed-rate financing, there is a substantial market for variable rate co-op and condo mortgages. Generally referred to as ARMs (adjustable rate mortgages), these instruments ca…
Spring is coming, and for communities both large and small, urban and suburban, it's time to start thinking about beautifying their exteriors. Avoid some common - and often pricey - landscaping-related mistakes with this sage advice from pr…
A primary rule of cooperative living is that everyone pitches in their fair share. This applies to monthly maintenance payments, special assessments, and any other monetary obligation that allows the association to maintain quality of life…
On January 9, shortly before the end of his second and final term, President Barack Obama sent a directive to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), ordering a reduction in FHA mortgage insurance premiums by a quarter of…
Over 45 years ago, when New York City was entering a dangerous financial decline that nearly culminated in municipal bankruptcy in 1975, the 421-a tax exemption program was created to incentivize developers to enter into new residential dev…
New York City's residential real estate market had a moderate fourth quarter in 2016 to finish a record-breaking year, as the average home sales price (pertaining to co-ops, condominiums, and one-to-three-family dwellings), went up 10 perce…