According to a new report by construction industry advisory firm Construction Coverage, after stiff competition and fast-rising prices—approximately 40% in a two-year span—the residential housing market began cooling in the second half …

Q. Hello, I am a shareholder of a two bedroom co-op. There are two occupants of the co-op unit under me. One goes to work, while the other individual is a malingerer. Neither is of the mindset “live and let live.” Neither has a problem wi…

Q. My mother passed away three years ago. I am handling the sale of her co-op in Queens. We emptied and painted the unit completely soon after she passed. I’ve been paying $850 a month maintenance fee for the empty unit while I was not al…

Color affects human behavior—for better, or worse. Research indicates that practical and aesthetic applications of color in both public and private spaces can manipulate the mood and perception of the people using those spaces. A board plan…

Co-op and condo living is subject to lots of rules—some of which come directly from state laws, some from the building or association’s own bylaws, and some from its house rules. Every state has statutes that govern the operation of residen…

There was a time not so long ago when having ground floor commercial space—or any rentable non-residential space, really—was a huge asset for a condominium or co-op building. The income stream from the space to the community helped offset o…

According to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief (2005), “The holding of assemblies of the elders, fighting men, or people of a tribe, community, or city to make decisions or render opinion on important matters is doubtless a cus…

When it comes to the list of most important systems to maintain—and potentially the most expensive to replace—in a multifamily building, windows are definitely near the top. The useful life of a given window depends on a number of factors, …

Like the skin of the human body, a building’s façade is its largest organ (so to speak), offering structure and protection, as well as a first aesthetic impression. It also takes the brunt of extremely harsh conditions: weather, wind, water…

As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression—which is why the façade of your building should always look clean and in top shape, for both aesthetic and commercial reasons. Important as appearances are, however,…