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The Bronx-Manhattan North Association of Realtors
You know that old adage, "It's not what you know but who you know that makes the difference." By joining trade organizations, you have an opportunity to get to know more people and network, and you can become an invaluable source of information and support to others.
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Leak Lessons: A True Story
Leaks happen all the time. American Leak Detection, a nationwide company (unrelated to the Scooter Libby trial), claims to have discovered 1.4 million leaks last year alone—and that's just one company! Common as they are, leaks can cause quite a bit of damage. The drip-drip of a leaky bathtub is literally the sound of money going down the drain—and if the leak is hidden deep in a wall somewhere, the damage can worsen and spread for months before you even know there's a problem. Read More
A Word on Holiday Tipping Etiquette
According to some sources, the word “tips” is actually an acronym—it’s short for “To Insure Prompt Service,” and the list of people who are commonly tipped—at least in the United States—includes everyone from hair and nail salon workers to bellhops, cab drivers,
newspaper delivery people, porters, valets, bartenders, and, of course,
restaurant wait staff.
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Preserving a Unique Heritage
New York City has long been defined by the wide array of ingredients and
seasonings thrown into its cultural pot. Though the flavor of the Big Apple has
changed and evolved constantly over the years, at the city’s center are the deep-rooted ethnic neighborhoods that make New York the diverse
place it’s always been. And of those neighborhoods, Little Italy has always held a
special place in the city’s history. Read More
Letting the Sun Shine In
From paying $15 to travel 10 gridlocked blocks in a taxi to shelling out about
$10 for a kosher deli sandwich, New Yorkers are used to paying through the nose
for the privilege of living in their beloved city. But the dollars really add
up, and they don’t stop at transportation and entertainment. Fuel prices continue to climb as
well, and as city dwellers are forced to pay more and more to heat, cool, and
power their homes, real estate developers and building administrators are
looking for alternative ways to power their buildings while saving themselves
and their residents money. Read More
Who's Responsible
As the cycle of work from the most recent Local Law 11 deadline expires, buildings inevitably must resolve issues over fees they owe to the contractors who did the work, completion of the work and questions about the quality of the work itself. There may also be open issues to resolve with certain shareholders or unit owners claiming damages from the Local Law 11-related work. Read More
Proactive Winterization Checklist Saves Time and Money
Despite the heavy rains, which kicked off this summer season, the thoughts of
beaches, vacations, barbecues, family picnics and ball games still permeate the
air. The last thing on most people’s minds is the icy chill of winter. However, for those in the know, the summer
months are actually the best time to prepare buildings for the harshness of the
coming winter season.
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Care and Maintenance for Marble Flooring
Nothing says luxury and elegance quite like acres of polished marble— particularly in the lobby of an upscale co-op or condo building. Marble has been used in palaces, temples, and homes for thousands of years, and is prized for its beauty, durability, and vast variety of colors and patterns. Stone floors need maintenance, however, and knowing what they need can make them look better and last longer. Read More
Safety in Numbers
Over the past five years, we've driven crime down to historic lows. And as our city's crime rate continues to fall, positive economic indicators continue to rise. One of greatest signs of confidence in our city's future is the record number of construction projects going on throughout the five boroughs. This is great news for the more than 100,000 men and women who work in the building trades. But, as the number of construction projects has increased, so too, unfortunately, has the number of construction accidents. Although public safety is at an all-time high, we can and must do more to ensure worker safety. Read More
Essential Elements of Your Building's System
Water damage can wreak havoc on any co-op or condo. When it leads to serious problems like mold and structural damage, it can be a costly problem to address. To avoid the cost and hassle of dealing with water damage after the fact, it's not enough to simply trust in the waterproofing elements integrated into your building during its construction. Read More
Out with the Old, In with the New
As presidential candidates on the national scale rally around the idea of "it's time for a change," so too is the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB), rolling out its first major set of changes to the city's building code in 40 years. The new Construction Codes will ensure that, among other things, qualified technicians perform building inspections. Read More
Creating a Seasonal Plan
One of the most confusing subjects of property management is maintenance. Engineers make it such with fancy names to various types of maintenance, such as "Reliability Maintenance," "Routine Maintenance," "Predictive Maintenance" and "Total Productive Maintenance" to mention a few. These are new buzzwords found in the maintenance jargon today and they may very well fit for manufacturing plants but not for residential buildings. Read More
Managing Laundry Contracts
Having a well-lit, well-maintained laundry room in one's building is a definite plus. Residents don't have to traipse out to the overcrowded Laundromat in the dead of winter or in the pouring rain to spend hours waiting for machines when the facilities are right in their own building. Residents will depend on their building's facility to be clean, modern and in good working order. The building's board and management company will expect that the laundry vendor will provide new machines, good service, updated technology—bye-bye coins, hello smart card!—and regular maintenance. Read More
New System Tracks Down Hard to Find Rodent Entry Points
Keeping your property free of rats and mice is a perpetual problem for home and property owners. New York City recently put noted rodentologist Bobby Corrigan on the payroll fulltime to combat its burgeoning rat problem. Heading a beefed-up squad of special inspectors known as the “Rat Pack,” Corrigan and his crew are patrolling the city to root out rodent infestations, visiting as many as 200 buildings a day. If cited, property owners have two weeks to evict the varmints or face a fine. Read More
Tips for Seasonal Sprucing Up
The snow is gone, the thermometer is inching higher, flowers are blooming and you’re ready for springtime. Unfortunately, your building may not be. Thanks to winter’s sand, snow, grit and lack of attention, things may be in less-than-gorgeous shape. Warmer weather is a great time to get out and see what needs to be done to restore your building’s curb appeal. Here are a few tips to get you organized and on your way. Read More
A Ten Item Punchlist
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, but the prime contractor still remains liable, and the subcontractors are liable to the general contractor, not the client. Subcontractors have what is called "privity of contract" with the general contractor. The general contractor also has privity of contract with the client. Read More
Keeping Your Boiler Efficient All Year Long
Now that winter is drawing to a close, residential and
commercial buildings will soon be switching their heating systems off and
their air conditioning systems on. This is the ideal time of year to begin
preparing your boiler for the next heating season assuring the building
that the boiler will continue to operate at peak efficiency which
translates into meaningful dollar savings. Recent inflated oil prices have
alerted many buildings to the basic fact that an inefficient boiler will
cost a building unnecessary wasted dollars that could be saved with proper
maintenance. Read More
From Start to Finish
Whether you are looking out over New York City from New Jersey or looking out from New York City towards New Jersey or Long Island, the skyline is lined with high-rise cooperatives and condominiums—the majority of which are now close to 30 years old. Subject to the harsh environmental conditions common along the coast, age, natural wear-and-tear and lack of maintenance, co-op and condo boards are now faced with upgrading and repairing their plaza decks. Read More
A Serious Problem for Boards and Homeowners
Over the past three years, bedbug infestations have increased exponentially in New York City, causing panic among homeowners, co-op/condo boards and property managers. In 2004, there were 1,800 bedbug complaints recorded by the city. By last year, complaints had more than tripled, topping 7,000. Concern that 2008 will see even more bedbug activity recently prompted the city government to sponsor educational seminars for residents and property managers aimed at preventing and eradicating bedbug infestation. Read More
Drawbacks of the Boom
In case you haven’t noticed, there is currently a building boom taking place in New York City. With so many scaffolds and cranes dotting the skyline, it seems like everyone wants to get into the real estate game and be a developer. Read More
