Congratulations! You’ve just been elected to the board of directors, and given your first monthly financial packet. Like many new board members, your first thought is, “This is so confusing. Glad I’m not the treasurer - I don’t have to unde…
Whether you’re a manager or a board member, running a co-op, condo, or HOA has never been an easy job. There’s always a capital project to fund, a contractor to hire, a dispute to resolve, a leak to repair...the list can feel endless. …
The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) has enacted a new rule relating to façade maintenance and safety - this one directed at parapet walls. The parapet is a low protective wall along the edge of a roof, bridge, or balcony. The ne…
It takes a small army of professionals—everyone from on-site handymen to licensed professional tradespeople and engineers—to maintain multifamily buildings, both large and small. The question is, who does what, and when? Everyone likes to s…
Nobel Prize–eschewing poet and folk-rock music legend Bob Dylan might have been the first person to be known as “going electric” (at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965), but as with much of his oeuvre, the world is now following in his foots…
In his 1971 book Future Shock, author Alvin Toffler describes a society undergoing enormous structural change as a result of technological advancements—and the social stress and disorientation that came with that change. A half-century late…
As the push to reduce our carbon emissions and maintain livable conditions intensifies, sustainability has become an increasingly important concern for multifamily buildings—including condos, co-ops, and HOAs. More and more legislation and …
A new report , Best Practices: Community Association Maintenance , is now available as a free download on the Foundation for Community Associations Research (FCAR) website. Authored by a consortium of legal, engineering, finance, and mana…
Your building’s lobby and hallways are the first things residents, guests, and potential buyers see - and as the old saying goes, first impressions matter. In a multifamily residential setting, be it co-op, condo, HOA, or rental, cleanlines…
The quest to achieve a zero carbon footprint by 2050 - the holy grail set by New York City to battle global climate change - is far reaching. So far reaching in fact, it involves nearly every component of building function and construction…