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…
Following the nationwide mortgage crisis, there is a lot of concern across the country about communities being faced with the prospect of foreclosure. Many states have enacted legislation relating to how to handle properties in arrears…
Earlier this year, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg presented his Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Executive Budget and an updated four-year financial plan. The mayor outlined the plan, which costs $64.7 billion and would balance the budget with a clai…
No matter if they're overseeing a towering high-rise or a sprawling suburban association, co-op and condo boards usually have their fair share of problems to be solved and emergencies to be defused. Talk to enough people who have dealt…
Owners of New York City co-ops or condos with parking garages in or adjacent to their building are blessed in so many ways. The ability to drive right into your building without the aggravation of hunting down a parking spot provides a …
During the real estate boom of the last decades, many new condo buildings used to use extravagant amenities as a tool for new buyers. Marble-top counters, exercise rooms, Jacuzzis, free cars for buyers, childrens' playrooms, computer lo…
As the recession has lingered on since 2008, co-op and condo buildings throughout the city—from luxurious downtown buildings to middle-income and lower-income walkups—have found more of their residents in arrears with their monthly fees.…
The day-to-day costs of running a multifamily residential building are significant. There’s the fuel oil, electric, cleaning supplies, equipment maintenance and service calls for repair and upkeep. Then there are the insurance costs, la…
Tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes—these are just a few of the devastating disasters that have made headlines already in 2011 and the emergency situations that resulted many never thought possible. As the past year’s calamitous …
Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of the recent recession was the sudden evaporation of credit from major banks and lending institutions. The logic behind it was understandable: too much easy credit had led, in part, to the col…