2003 Nov
Focus on... Working With Professioanals

Management Relations Stand in Judgment
2003 Nov Stand in Judgment

Every home is an investment, but for co-op shareholders - and, to some extent, condominium unit owners - their home is also part of a business. As with any business, good management can make or break it and in a co-op or condominium, a big…

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Management Relations The Dream Team
2003 Nov The Dream Team

Oftentimes, co-op shareholders forget that their building is not only a home, but also a business. And while running a home is a big responsibility in itself, with financial, legal, and managerial elements, running a cooperative corporatio…

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Management Relations Coming Clean
2003 Nov Coming Clean

Two condos are the same price, in the same neighborhood, and are equally pleasing to the eye. What makes someone buy one and not the other? Amenities. One of the most important amenities for many homebuyers is an on-site laundry room. No o…

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Security Guarding the Gates
2003 Nov Guarding the Gates

As one of the doorman for the residents of 565 West End Avenue, Michael Cunniffe has been opening doors, accepting packages, hailing taxis and shoveling sidewalks for over twelve years. "I like my job; I'm a people person," says Cunniffe,…

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Management Part of the Whole
2003 Nov Part of the Whole

They're inside your favorite restaurant and out in the streets. They stand inside doorways and behind desks. They're up in the sky and far below ground level. They're everywhere. From the classic diner waitress apron to the busboy's jacket…

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Design It's All in the Planning
2003 Nov It's All in the Planning

Stephen Carter, principal and founder of the Carman Group, a Manhattan- and Connecticut-based firm that specializes in design and project and construction management is well accustomed to applying his creativity and passion for details to …

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Maintenance Tips to Avoid Home Remodeling Fraud
2003 Nov Tips to Avoid Home Remodeling Fraud

During a large scale remodeling project, there are many questions that a homeowner may forget to ask, says the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). You would think that launching an entire remodeling project would s…

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Maintenance Avoid Home Improvement Scams
2003 Nov Avoid Home Improvement Scams

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) offers homeowners these top ten warning signs that a home improvement contractor may not be reputable: 1. You can't verify the name, address, telephone number or credent…

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Maintenance The Short List
2003 Nov The Short List

When a client hires a general contractor to build or renovate property, that company is legally responsible for completing all of that work. The contractor may go out and hire different companies or subcontractors to help execute that work…

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Finance Challenging Your Real Estate Taxes
2003 Nov Challenging Your Real Estate Taxes

Tax certiorari. Even the name remains obscure in Latin, perhaps in an effort to make the entire process seem difficult and hard to manage for the average real estate owner. For co-op and condo boards, however, the tax certiorari proceeding…

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Management Relations Hands On or Off?
2003 Nov Hands On or Off?

It pays to have a competent, active board at the helm of a building community - a strong, stable board translates to better value for shareholders. But just how hands-on should a board be? Sometimes the daily management of a co-op or condo…

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Neighborhoods A Little R & R in DUMBO
2003 Nov A Little R & R in DUMBO

The area of Brooklyn known as DUMBO, short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, has been named renamed and named again throughout its history. As early as 1642 as the Dutch settlers moved into Long Island and began establishing fa…

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