Page 5 - NY Cooperator Expo April 2019

COOPERATOR.COM THE COOPERATOR — APRIL 2019 5 TRENDS: 32 WHat tHe MarKet Will Bear By A J Sidransky Publisher Yale Robbins yale@cooperator.com Executive Vice President Henry Robbins henry@cooperator.com Associate Publisher Joanna DiPaola joanna@cooperator.com Senior Editor Hannah Fons hannah@cooperator.com Associate Editors David Chiu david@cooperator.com Pat Gale patgale@cooperator.com Staff Writers Michael Odenthal michael@cooperator.com Alan J. Sidransky alan@cooperator.com Art Director Shirly Korchak shirly@yrinc.com Production Manager Aetna Dowst aetna@yrinc.com Vice President of Advertising Tom Christmann tom@yrinc.com Advertising Directors Rick Levin rick@cooperator.com Fred Marks fred@yrinc.com Peter Chase peter@yrinc.com Ted Olczak ted@yrinc.com The Cooperator is published monthly by Yale Robbins Publications, LLC, 205 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016, (212) 683-5700. President: Yale Robbins, Executive Vice President: Henry Robbins. Subscriptions are available free by request to co-op and condo board members and homeowner associations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Cooperator, 205 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016. ©Yale Robbins Publications, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Application to mail Periodicals postage rates is pending at New York NY. FREE Subscriptions for Board Members, Property Managers and Real Estate Decision Makers. To Subscribe, please visit us at: cooperator.com/subscribe DEPARTMENTS: 6 Pulse/Calendar 7 Questions & Answers 25 EXpo Pull-Out Guide 50 Service Directory TABLE OF CONTENTS THIS MONTH’S FOCUS: LANDSCAPING, LAWN CARE & CURB APPEAL/EXPO ON THE WEB: 8 How to Upgrade Your KitcHen WitHout BreaKing tHe BanK By AJ Sidransky Time to Call It Quits? By Mike Odenthal EXit AmaZon By David Chiu Planning and Maintaining a Community Garden By Mike Odenthal Whether a community is surrounded by suburbs or big- city high-rises, a little greenery can go a long way in adding visual appeal – and value. In fact, given the lack of space and the challenge of keeping plants healthy and thriving, urban gardening is perhaps even more valuable. 10 14 16 Facade Restoration By AJ Sidransky Like people, buildings age. Even under the best of circumstances, weather – particularly water, in the form of rain, snow, and ice – followed by or combined with extremes in temperature can do permanent damage to facades, cornices, parapets and other ornamental features, as well as to rear and side elevations. Th ese problems can be exacerbated by design fl aws or neglected maintenance. Hygiene in SHared Amenities By AJ Sidransky Keeping amenities well maintained is crucial to retaining their value and protecting the safety of those who use them. But that maintenance goes beyond just keeping the fl oors swept and the lights on. What about hygiene? Is the spa as clean as you would like to believe? Is the children’s playroom a real-life petri dish? Is the screening room a stopover for bed bugs or roaches? Spring Maintenance By Mike Odenthal Spring has arrived, which is good news aft er what has felt to many like a particularly hostile winter. In a community association or multifamily building, spring also brings a number of seasonal maintenance and sprucing-up projects that can vary, depending on the shape and size of one’s particular property. Board Operations: Access to Documents By Mike Odenthal A more active and engaged resident may want not only to attend open meetings, but to review association documentation periodically – either because he or she has a personal project or transaction that requires it, or just to make sure everything is on the up-and-up. 18 12 Trends: MarKet Survey By AJ Sidransky Aft er many years of expansion and growth nationwide, most co-op and condominium markets saw both turbulence and some overall decline in 2018. Th e market has turned from one favoring sellers to one more hospitable to buyers. 20 BUDGET & FINANCE: 34 Capital Reserve Funds By AJ Sidransky MANAGEMENT: 36 Managing Mental HealtH Issues By Mike Odenthal TRENDS: 38 GeotHermal Heating and Cooling By Mike Odenthal MANAGEMENT: 40 Keys, Key FoBs, and Door Codes By AJ Sidransky TRENDS: 30 WHat Does tHe Rest oF 2019 Hold? By Mike Odenthal MANAGEMENT: 22 Hiring a New Super By A J Sidransky