For years, the hospitality industry has been fighting a chemical war against bed bugs. Now, with the growing menace of pesticide-resistant bed bugs and increasing documentation of human injury from harsh chemicals, the question to consi…

 The good news is, after a fallow period in the depths of the recession, the  construction industry in New York City is starting to come back. However, with  that activity comes the potential for disputes and property damage, especially  w…

It’s not necessarily to the degree of the Hatfields vs. the McCoys, the famous mountain clan involved in a decades-long blood feud, but living side-by-side in a co-op or a condo can, needless to say, get pretty heated on occasion. …

 When you speak of Hell’s Kitchen and the far west side of Manhattan, the stories that come to mind are  of longshoremen, the notorious Westies and dark deserted urban streets, but  now, thanks to a the 7 Subway Line extension, a massive p…

 Williamsburg suffers from multiple personality disorder. Just one subway stop  away from Manhattan in the Brooklyn neighborhood, you’ll find a large Hasidic Jewish community, a glut of ethnic enclaves, including  Polish, Puerto-Rican, Dom…

Insurance is a relatively simple concept that any homeowner can understand. You purchase a policy paying a premium to an insurer, and when a claim gets filed, the insurer pays. So in theory, insuring your co-op or condo building should …

 The leading factor responsible for the Great Recession—fraudulent mortgage lending—remains a thorn in the side of the nation’s fledgling economy. It started with the false promise of home ownership to many  susceptible, under-financed peo…

 As the winter months fade into spring, it’s easy to try and forget about heating and all the costs it incurs. For  managers, board members and others with an eye on a co-op or condo building’s budgetary bottom line, now may be the perfect…

Congratulations, you’ve been elected to serve on your building’s board. You managed to convince the rest of the building that you know enough about building systems or law or economics or even people-pleasing to make them vote for you a…

When someone says 'landscaping,' the first thought that comes to mind probably isn't the front entrance of a New York City co-op or condo building, but greenery and other design elements definitely add to a building's 'curb appeal' and…