There are two ways—and only two ways—to balance a budget: increase revenue or decrease spending. Whether you’re the treasurer of a co-op board or the President of the United States, those are the only two levers at your disposal. Ene…
A glance at a chart of average temperatures in New York City during the summer months (not withstanding the recent heat wave we’ve had) reveals typically it gets into the 80s during the daytime in July and August, and cools off at night…
It's a sad fact that the artisans and craftspeople who created some of the most beautiful, distinctive interior and exterior architectural elements for New York's residential buildings are an endangered species. The proliferation of sl…
People living along the Gulf Coast have long accepted hurricanes as a fact of life—one that brings with it torrential rain, howling winds, and devastating hailstorms. The Mid-Atlantic has been hit with a few big storms over the past tw…
Mention “problem residents” in the context of a co-op or condo building, and chances are most people will think about the noisy kids upstairs, the perpetually grumpy /litigious guy on the third floor, or the lady down the hall with 12 c…
Not everybody on a co-op or condo's board is an accountant (or can even balance their own checkbook, for that matter.) No doubt, handling large amounts of money for an entire building is a huge responsibility. Residents, therefore, rely…
Green truly is the new black in New York City. As more and more co-ops, condos and HOAs look to save money as expenses rise, more and more boards, shareholders and unit owners are exploring ways to incorporate “greening” into their buil…
Physically, there’s really no difference between co-ops and condos. The savviest property manager in the five boroughs could not walk into a lobby and say for certain if it’s one or the other. When co-ops are converted to condos, or vice…
If phones can be “smart,” why not buildings? With the ever-expanding array of consumer technology available today, it should come as no surprise that residential buildings are incorporating more and more cutting-edge technology into the…
Anyone who lives in a city that is a popular tourist destination has likely played host to a procession of family, friends, friends-of-family, and other assorted houseguests over the years. It's something of a running joke in places li…