With inflation still elevated, home prices parked near record highs (despite some recent softening, particularly at the higher end), and insurance costs climbing, more homeowners are running out of cushion—heightening the risk of mortgage d…
In another indication of the ongoing slow-motion softening of the NYC co-op market, high-end co-ops are increasingly considering—and in some cases have already enacted—loosening their restrictions on financing. Buildings that previously man…
According to a recent press release from the National Housing Coalition (NHC) the Trump administration added another set of tariffs expected to increase the cost of housing, this time targeting both lumber and timber imports, as well as…
While the COVID-19 pandemic briefly shaped housing policy with protections like mortgage forbearance, the challenges homeowners face today are driven less by temporary disruptions and more by persistent affordability issues. With inflation …
Markets rise and fall, and rise again, and fall again—that’s the natural order of things in our economic system. But what about value ? Are price and value the same thing? In a word, no. After all, there are lots of ways to define value…
Q. I live in a Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC) building in the Bronx. My building has no meetings or elections, and shareholders are not informed of our financial status at all. The treasurer’s son has taken complete control a…
As the weather cools and the leaves change, it’s time to make like the squirrels and start preparing for winter. For shared interest communities, in addition to the more in-depth pre-season inspections of roofs, boilers, and other major bui…
Civility goes a long way in life, and in a co-op or condo community, constructive communication is especially important. Residents, board members, on-site staff, and managers all deserve to be treated professionally and spoken to respectful…
The stability and value of a shared interest community hinges on a lot of things; financial solvency, good governance, and proactive physical maintenance, to name a few. But another key component, and one that may be less obvious to the eye…
Residential co-op, condo, and HOA board members volunteer to help manage day-to-day life in their building or community, allocating their time to actively participate in decisions that affect the place they call home. They oversee crucial a…