Q. Why are co-op board minutes so sparse that others who read them—shareholders, lawyers, brokers—have no real idea what goes on at meetings? This is because minutes are routinely ‘sanitized’ to leave out any troublesome issues, any comme…

Q. In 1999 I inherited a low-income HDFC co-op, which at that time the president told me I could rent out. When my relative passed away in 1998, I had just bought myself a condominium, so I took the president at his word and rented the co…

Q. What can be done when the president of the condo corporation verbally harasses the building’s superintendent?                   —Seeking to Stop the Abuse A.   “Since condominiums are not corporations (although the boards of manager…

For many buyers, a key factor in deciding to purchase a home in a residential community rather than opt for private, single-family ownership is often the appeal of amenities that come with condo, co-op, and HOA living—pools, gyms, clubhouse…

While many condominium associations and co-op corporations hire professional property managers or management firms to handle the routine (and not-so-routine) tasks involved in running a multifamily building or HOA, a significant number take…

Buildings are in many respects like cars; they’re a synthesis of a number of mechanical systems with lots of moving parts. To keep a car running at peak performance, it requires regular maintenance: oil changes, engine tune-ups, regular emi…

The day-to-day life of a property manager—while not quite as predictable as that of, say, an accountant—does revolve around certain cyclical tasks, like building inspections, staff meetings, and keeping boards informed of what is going on w…

The Cooperator Events Presents A Virtual Town Hall: Tax Time - Filing, Paying, and the Income Tax Implications of Working Remotely. Sponsored by Czarnowski & Beer LLP. Thursday January 7, 2021 at 1:30PM EST WATCH ON DEMAND 2020 has been …

Staging an apartment for sale has always been an important factor in getting the best price for your unit, but in the current market, it has become even more so. Many aspects of a condo or co-op unit are static, and while buyers are looking…

When considering whether to buy or rent a home, the rent-to-price ratio—calculated as median annual rent as a percentage of median home price in a given area—can be a useful metric. In locations with high rent-to-price ratios, it may be bet…