Category: Finance

Wait a second. You say you bought your apartment, but you don’t own it? Huh?” Explain the concept of the cooperative apartment —you buy shares of a corporation and then rent the apartment to yourself—to a homeowner outside of Ne…

 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg recently released the New York City Executive Budget  for the 2013 fiscal year. While the mayor lauded the $68.7 billion plan as a “balanced budget with no tax increases,” the City Council believes the prelimina…

 For a crystal-clear picture of how a co-op board or condo association is doing,  there are few better lenses than the community's budgets and financial reports.  From an investment perspective, they show the association board, property  m…

Money is a topic some people are skittish about discussing. When you’re a board member or the managing agent of a residential co-op or condo building however, there’s no benefit to skirting financial realities just because they may be di…

 Many regular readers of The Cooperator doubtless remember the struggle that  ensued in the spring of 2011 when co-op officers and elected officials in  Eastern Queens declared a “tax revolt” against the city for huge increases in assessed…

 The leading factor responsible for the Great Recession—fraudulent mortgage lending—remains a thorn in the side of the nation’s fledgling economy. It started with the false promise of home ownership to many  susceptible, under-financed peo…

 Unless it's a thoughtful gift or a party in their honor, nobody likes surprises.  That's especially true when it comes to sudden, serious, or non-negotiable  repairs to a co-op or condo building. A building community must have enough  mon…

 It’s no secret these days that co-op and condo operating costs are going through  the roof, so to speak, and boards and managers are all looking for effective  ways to generate cost savings. Building management looks at fuel and energy  u…

 Organizing and keeping a co-op or condo’s books and other records is, on the surface, not that different than keeping a  budget for one’s home.    But there are many important differences—filing deadlines, tax requirements, reports…

The key to proper financial management of a co-op begins with the presence of a strategic plan. This plan should include, at a minimum, a projection of necessary capital improvements; and a forecast of revenue and expenses over a ch…