Matters of finance are difficult enough without the added stress of worrying about whether that deal you thought might be too good to be true is—in fact—too good to be true. With the onset of the recession and the revelations surrounding l…
Think back to when you were younger and got your first job. You worked your hours—perhaps flipping burgers, taking orders or cutting the grass—and then earned your first paycheck. You went to the bank, signed the back and had it cashed and…
As we hopefully move into warmer weather, lucky New Yorkers living in condos or co-ops with pools can spend all day tanning and swimming in the indoor or rooftop pools housed in their buildings. A swimming pool is a rare and valuable…
Condos and HOA communities can be a great setting to own a home, enjoy privacy and the comforts of your own personal space. But, there will always be tension between the desire to make your unit your own, and adhering to the rules of the c…
Many suburban homeowners have dreams of that legendary white picket fence, but those who live in the city can also definitely appreciate the importance of demarcating their property. Many condos and co-ops around the five boroughs have fen…
Patches of green, living things are pretty rare in the city. Outside of Central and Prospect Parks, New Yorkers don’t generally get a lot of leafy goodness in their lives—not all of us have a key to Gramercy Park, after all. Some co-op and…
In a city known for its expanses of steel and concrete, despite that giant expanse of parkland at its center, it can be easy to forget the importance that greenery plays in the life of New Yorkers. For many co-op and condo residents, the f…
Managing risk is one of the most important things you can do to maintain the viability of a business, and what many board members sometimes forget is that their association is just that, a business. Risk management—the process of identifyi…
More than a year after “Superstorm Sandy” wreaked havoc along the East Coast, many communities throughout the region remain focused on recovery efforts. The storm was catastrophic and the ongoing media coverage highlights the fact that the…
According to the old admonishment, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and that’s sage advice in just about any situation; but when it comes to how your building and its on-site staff present themselves to residents, visitors, and pros…