Category: Building Operations

In this challenging economy, many co-op and condo buildings are struggling to pay their bills while planning for future needs. Still, most building boards are loathe to raise maintenance fees or levy special assessments on their residents u…

There are plenty of reasons why a co-op shareholder or condo owner might want to make changes to their unit. Maybe it’s a new owner who wants to do major renovations to make the unit a better fit; perhaps it’s a long-time resident who buys …

The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation proudly, and quite rightly, boasts about the many film scenes that have been set in the numerous parks and green spaces in the five boroughs. From Washington Square Park in When Harry Met…

When most people think of landscaping, they think of shrubs, trees, meticulously laid-out and maintained flowerbeds, and artful plantings scattered around a building or development. However, landscaping doesn’t need to end with the things t…

In short, the past year was a good one in the real estate market as far as condos and co-ops were concerned. Both buyers and sellers were confident, brokers were enthusiastic, and properties moved quickly. All in all, things seemed to be on…

Parking in New York City can be the pits. The spot-to-car ratio is unfavorable for the modern motorist, to say the least. Those who invest in property within condominium or cooperative properties may well one day want to start a family, pac…

The Community Associations Institute’s Big Apple chapter (www.bigapplecai.org) met on Tuesday, March 1 at the General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen library in Midtown to discuss emotional support animals and ridding your building of draf…

Rooftop water tanks are such a common sight atop New York City’s residential buildings that they often blend right into the cityscape. But these overlooked structures are an essential part of many buildings’ plumbing systems, providing wate…

Before embarking on a real estate hunt, most prospective buyers craft lists. The “must have” list (square footage, operational plumbing, windows), the “would love list” (lots of natural light, Jacuzzi bathtub, doorman) and then the “probabl…

There are certain perils—fires, major weather events, and so forth—that announce themselves clearly; others are more subtle, if no less hazardous. Things like gas leaks, electrical shorts and surges, and water leaks may not be as dramatic a…