Category: Building Operations

If you live in a big city, more than likely you’ll eventually cross paths with urban vermin. Rats, mice, cockroaches—these unsavory annoyances have been icking humans out ever since large groups of people began congregating and putting down…

Back in the late ‘80s, pop stars Milli Vanilli once had a hit song called  “Blame It on the Rain.” And while ‘it’ for the singing duo was about heartache and lost love, the rain can bring a very different kind of pain to the board and resid…

For residents on fixed incomes, or those who are already struggling to make ends meet because of a job loss, illness or divorce, any hit to their already-stretched-to-the-max budget can be devastating. So when a board levels an assessment o…

If you’re a co-op, condo or HOA board member or manager, you have to deal with vendors and service providers constantly; it’s a routine part of the day-to-day running of any building or association. There are always inspections to be done, …

While not every co-op, condo, or HOA is struggling financially, every board should concern itself with the financial health of the community it governs. Here, financial pros give boards some tips on how to fortify their bottom line. 

It's hard to imagine that seven months from now, the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy hitting the East Coast will be upon us. The memories of that day on October 29, 2012, and its immediate aftermath, are still vivid for those who sur…

Spring is around the corner, and with warmer weather and sunnier days come lots of decisions about how to care for your building or HOA's landscaping elements. Here, landscaping and lawn care pros share some ideas about what boards can do b…

Making sure your building or association has adequate funds to carry out major capital projects - roof repairs, boiler/HVAC replacements, new windows, etc. - is a crucial part of your board's fiduciary duty, and conducting a capital assessm…

In late February, as reported by the Associated Press , a Massachusetts man crashed a homemade aircraft into the roof of a condominium building, resulting in the tragic death of the pilot. Because this happened in the middle of a Tuesday…

While most purchasers of condos and co-ops prefer conventional fixed-rate financing, there is a substantial market for variable rate co-op and condo mortgages. Generally referred to as ARMs (adjustable rate mortgages), these instruments ca…