A new year begins…and with it more activity in the New York City real estate market. Many are asking about progress in the market, especially with co-ops and condos, and the prognosis for 2015. What new projects are under way? What are buy…
As the co-op/condo market continues to heal after the setback it experienced during the most recent financial crisis of the mid-aughts, many management firms and independent property managers are looking for ways to distinguish themselves …
Individual commitment to a group effort; that's what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. Legendary Green Bay Packers football coach Vince Lombardi left cooperative and condo boards and managers off…
There is an old adage that claims, "The more things change, the more they stay the same," and that is not a happy thought for a board of directors or an association looking to change property management firms. The turmoil of replacing a ma…
Whether you live in a Midtown high-rise or in a more spread-out outer-borough HOA, security—for both property and physical safety—is an important issue in any condo community. Who can come in, at what times, how long they can stay, and how…
A fire breaks out in an apartment building; A broken water pipe floods several floors; A resident collapses in the lobby with a heart attack; An intruder roams the premises, possibly with criminal intent. In each case, fire rescue and poli…
It’s often said that safety starts at home—and while many HOAs spend lots of money on sophisticated security and access control systems to protect residents and their property, others opt for lower-tech solutions to neighborhood security…
While September 11th probably stands as the biggest emergency New Yorkers have faced to date, many other, less-catastrophic crises arise in the city every day, from fires to water main breaks to building collapses. And whereas residents ha…
Legal issues, maintenance challenges and the ever-present Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and Department of Buildings (DOB) compliance requirements are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the obstacles condo and co-op boards, a…