In most cities, traditionally, the choicest pieces of real estate are owned by native sons and daughters, people who are from the area. Money comes in from everywhere, but the entrepreneurs making that money are homegrown. Heinz and Carn…
Recent studies of energy usage in multifamily buildings have revealed that the least efficient buildings use up to seven times the energy of the most efficient—even when those buildings are otherwise similar. It should surprise few …
While increasing energy costs are financially painful, they do help motivate all of us to think a little bit more about resources and conservation. The combination of increasing energy costs and a general increased consciousness of …
The phrase “jack of all trades” could have been coined simply to describe the profession of residential property manager. To succeed in this fast-paced business, a property manager has to master a wealth of information and skills. More i…
New Yorkers are obsessed with real estate development. We all pause to stare at the listings in our local real estate office window, and everybody knows the average price of an apartment in Manhattan (currently $1.7 million). Citywide, m…
New Yorkers live in an ever-changing city that’s been building and rebuilding continuously since its inception. Today, throughout the five boroughs, according to the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB), there are more than 950,00…
Keeping your property free of rats and mice is a perpetual problem for home and property owners. New York City recently put noted rodentologist Bobby Corrigan on the payroll fulltime to combat its burgeoning rat problem. Heading a beefed-up…
The “Green Movement” has quickly gone from fad to trend to global initiative. In the U.S., corporations as well as commercial and residential property owners are being challenged to find ways to embrace ‘Green Initiatives’ in response to…
Nothing says luxury and elegance quite like acres of polished marble— particularly in the lobby of an upscale co-op or condo building. Marble has been used in palaces, temples, and homes for thousands of years, and is prized for its beauty,…
A good redesign of an outdated, obsolete, or run-down common area in your co-op or condo building can be a thing of beauty. Spiffing up a lobby, hallway or elevator can not only inspire residents to take more pride in where they live, bu…