2013 March
Focus on... Real Estate Market/Expo

 The Cooperator’s annual Co-op & Condo Expo, which is now in its 26th year, is the premier event for education,  networking and learning all you need to know about managing and maintaining  co-op and condo properties in the Greater New Yor…

 After the four walls of a given structure, the roof is sometimes referred to as  the “fifth plane”—and just like the walls that hold it up, the roof is an all-important structure  that can make or break a building’s performance. The tri-s…

 It’s true that a building is as only as strong as its foundation—and while New Yorkers don't have as much active concern about the foundations of  their buildings as residents of an earthquake-prone area like California might  have, it's …

 Residential buildings are constantly under attack—not by barbarians or marauding bandits, but by a force far more subtle and  insidious. The most tenacious enemy of a residential building is not fire or  structural collapse—though a build…

 While recent reports point to signs of economic recovery, many co-ops and condos  are still feeling the financial burden that has accumulated over the last few  years due to increased operating costs, residents in arrears, defaults, and n…

 Green truly is the new black in New York City. As more and more co-ops, condos  and HOAs look to save money as expenses rise, more and more boards,  shareholders and unit owners are exploring ways to incorporate “greening” into their buil…

 There are a few things that New Yorkers just take for granted as part of life in  Gotham: Traffic is one. Noise—whether from the street outside or the neighbors upstairs—is another.    And so are swarming, fluttering, cooing, pecki…

 Every time someone enters or leaves a building, they travel through at least one  of the common areas. Multiply that times the number of units in a building and you can get a rough  idea of how much faster these areas may wear out than an…

 Everyone has experienced disorganization at one time or another. Say you have to  go somewhere, and you forgot your driver’s license, only to find it in the pocket of another jacket. Or you can’t locate your cell phone because you turned …

 Accountants are a norm for most people around tax time. And then, post-tax  season, we rarely think about them. But for co-op and condo owners, this  shouldn’t be the case. It’s crucial that large buildings hire an accountant to help with…

 New York's co-ops and condos are both governed by a multitude of laws and rules.  For co-ops, the primary governing documents are the bylaws and the proprietary  lease. For condos, they are the condominium declaration and, once again, the…

 For most New Yorkers, the search for housing is perhaps the least favorite part  of the New York experience. If the size is right, the price is wrong; if the  price is right, the neighborhood’s wrong. And then there’s that hideous wallpap…

Q “Recently our association dues went from $166 to $275, and the main reason we  were given was that the last board was 'corrupt' and money wasn't being  allocated correctly. Another reason we were given was that others in the  complex we…

Q I recently encountered an unfortunate situation with a co-op apartment sublet,  and hope that someone may have some advice. I recently signed a two-year lease  to sublet an apartment in a co-op building in Manhattan, with the expectatio…