At first glance, concrete obviously seems like a very dense material. In reality however, it absorbs water, behaving more like a sponge. This can easily be observed on a summer day. Pour water on a sidewalk, and you can actually watch th…
As of November 2, new lending guidelines from HUD mean that FHA loan requirements will be significantly tightened for condominium sales. The new requirements could have a profoundly negative effect on the ability to sell or bu…
“So you think hip-hop had its start out in Queensbridge?” According to seminal rap artist and South Bronx native KRS-One, you are mistaken. In fact, according to his aptly titled 1986 track, “If you popped that junk up in t…
In today’s harsh economic times, maintaining a healthy reserve fund is more important than ever. A co-op or condo’s reserve fund can be used to cover any number of emergency expenses from sudden repairs to legal costs. In addition, a re…
The Malvern, Pennsylvania-based Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) Society is a community of credentialed property and casualty insurance professionals formed in 1944 to promote ethical practices and continuing education a…
Shareholders often find themselves “butting heads” with the board of directors at the co-op buildings in which they live. Often the disputes, which arise are disagreements over a shareholder’s personal agenda, and a board not allowing th…
When you’re a superintendent or a member of a building’s support staff, your educational background is not always that important when you’re hired, as long as your experience is enough to impress those doing the hiring. But once you do …
It’s no secret that in this economic climate, everyone is trying to find a way to save money. For the city’s co-op and condo communities, this has meant a great deal of scaling back on budgets, cutting some projects and reshuffling plan…
Sometimes, living in one of those enormous, labyrinthine co-op or condo buildings can make a resident feel like one among the many, indistinguishable from any other. While many people prefer the anonymity of a large building, others se…
When a crisis arises in a building, however large or small, calling the super is almost as reflexive as dialing 911 in an emergency. After all, it’s the superintendent who literally holds the keys to a building’s successful operation—he …