Owners of New York City co-ops or condos with parking garages in or adjacent to their building are blessed in so many ways. The ability to drive right into your building without the aggravation of hunting down a parking spot provides a …
During the real estate boom of the last decades, many new condo buildings used to use extravagant amenities as a tool for new buyers. Marble-top counters, exercise rooms, Jacuzzis, free cars for buyers, childrens' playrooms, computer lo…
As the recession has lingered on since 2008, co-op and condo buildings throughout the city—from luxurious downtown buildings to middle-income and lower-income walkups—have found more of their residents in arrears with their monthly fees.…
The day-to-day costs of running a multifamily residential building are significant. There’s the fuel oil, electric, cleaning supplies, equipment maintenance and service calls for repair and upkeep. Then there are the insurance costs, la…
Tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes—these are just a few of the devastating disasters that have made headlines already in 2011 and the emergency situations that resulted many never thought possible. As the past year’s calamitous …
Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of the recent recession was the sudden evaporation of credit from major banks and lending institutions. The logic behind it was understandable: too much easy credit had led, in part, to the col…
Despite some admissions of error from the city, and a temporary cap on increases in assessed valuations, co-op officers and elected officials from Eastern Queens who in recent weeks have declared a “tax revolt” aren’t backing down. …
Co-op, condo owners and board members understand certain truths; one is that whether aesthetic, mechanical or otherwise, every building will require repair, upgrades and improvements. Determining what is a capital project versus what is…
Of all the modern conveniences we take for granted, perhaps none is as essential as indoor plumbing. By carrying fresh water into our homes and taking waste water away, the pipes in our buildings are a little-noticed and well-engineered…
A residential building’s roof is its first line of defense against whatever the skies throw at it. Left untreated, roof problems can proliferate and cause thousands of dollars in damages to residents’ property, as well as the building i…