Residential buildings are constantly under attack—not by barbarians or marauding bandits, but by a force far more subtle and insidious. The most tenacious enemy of a residential building is not fire or structural collapse—though a build…
It’s true that a building is as only as strong as its foundation—and while New Yorkers don't have as much active concern about the foundations of their buildings as residents of an earthquake-prone area like California might have, it's …
After the four walls of a given structure, the roof is sometimes referred to as the “fifth plane”—and just like the walls that hold it up, the roof is an all-important structure that can make or break a building’s performance. The tri-s…
There are a number of consultants out there that are “pretending” that they can prepare the energy audit and energy efficiency reports required by Local Law 87. Local Law 87 of New York City's Greener, Greater Buildings Plan re…
While residents may breathe a sigh of relief when winter and its piles of snow, slushy puddles and blasts of arctic air finally exits the scene, co-op and condo buildings can’t always shake off the ravages of the season so easily. …
Time was, if you said that a co-op or condo building was 'going to the dogs,' it was a bad thing. These days however, that's not always the case. According to the American Pet Products Association, 39 percent of all U.S. households own …
It’s the same dilemma that single-family households across the U.S. are facing: What bills need to be paid immediately and what bills can wait? And should we stretch ourselves thin, taking more out of our bank accounts to pay for privat…
With multifamily buildings, who is in charge of the property and how well those people are trained are critically important factors in the successful operation of the community. Board members are a part of this management class, which i…
Everyone wants to feel secure and have peace of mind when they lock their doors each night, but in a multifamily condo or co-op in New York City, you can’t always control who enters your building. Management may have service people come…
Physically, there’s really no difference between co-ops and condos. The savviest property manager in the five boroughs could not walk into a lobby and say for certain if it’s one or the other. When co-ops are converted to condos, or vice…