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…

While homelessness rates in the U.S. fell between 2007 and 2019, the problem has started to increase again. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in 2017, the U.S. began seeing a rise in homelessness year over y…

The coronavirus crisis has brought about many unwelcome changes to households around the world—but it has also allowed or inspired some to make lifestyle choices that were impractical or otherwise out of reach before. One such choice has be…

Despite ongoing struggles across the NYC condominium and cooperative market as a result of both the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple factors depressing those markets even before the pandemic hit, Astoria continues to hold its own.  According …

Q. I live in a three-flat condo. Before I purchased the second floor, the owner of the third floor opened up the wall to the porch, enclosed the porch, and claimed it as living space. It has since been cited by the city and must come down…

Q. I am a shareholder in a Mitchell-Lama cooperative. My question is this: If I have concerns about the results of the board of directors election, how can I get an independent person to recount the votes and confirm the tally? Management…

Q. What is proper payroll procedure for a cooperative employee who knowingly takes a vacation to a state on the COVID-19 quarantine list, forcing him to self-quarantine in his apartment for 14 days upon his return? The new state and feder…

The holidays: a time for upholding long-standing traditions, usually involving festive gatherings of family and friends, communal meals, sacred services, gift exchanges, visitors, and, invariably, crowds—until this year, that is.  The coro…

When a crisis hits a multifamily community—or any other organization—the difference between a good outcome and a disastrous one is often a matter of simple preparedness. Residential communities in particular need to have a plan in case of a…

It’s become axiomatic that over time, technology gets smaller, more efficient, and more capable of multiple increasingly sophisticated and specialized tasks. Think about your mobile phone. There was a time in the not-so-distant past that it…