Some co-op boards and their attorneys are reluctant to allow their tenant-shareholders to obtain reverse mortgages. They tend to apply a forward mortgage criteria and a forward mortgage mindset to such a request - but this type of thinking…

In today's fast-paced world, it seems technology is moving faster than it ever has. Just when you think you have the latest equipment for anything from telephones to televisions to computers, along comes something else designed to be bette…

In the past, if you were considering buying a co-op or condo apartment, you would have relied mostly upon the classified ads in the local newspapers and journals to find your broker and your new home - or perhaps you would have passed seve…

Advances in technology are influencing virtually every area of our lives and for decades, condos and co-ops have taken advantage of technology to make their buildings run smoother. Things that are now commonplace - like intercom systems, v…

Property managers have a lot to keep track of - board and shareholder meetings, maintenance issues, and a host of other concerns that go along with managing a building - or in some cases several buildings - in a metropolitan area like New …

They say you can have it all in New York City, but sometimes that's a tough proposition: You want to live in Manhattan, but you want your home to be an idyllic retreat. You're looking for an affordable co-op, but you think it should be spa…

Every co-op or condo community in New York City has its own personality and character, from the tiny 20-unit brownstone co-ops of the West Village to the towering modern high-rises of the Upper East Side. The wide range of sizes, demograph…

Mistakes happen - they're part of everybody's learning curve. There are plenty of opportunities to make mistakes in the course of running a residential building; in nearly three decades in the building operations field, I've both made and …

There's a lot of paperwork that's involved in running a co-op or condo building - everything from financial records to legal documents, shareholder correspondence and management statements from board meetings - and it's important that the …

Six years ago, a scandal rocked the New York State real estate management industry for the second time in a decade. Thirty management company owners, agents and contractors were indicted for taking kickbacks for contract work at many New Y…