Ever since “Romeo and Juliet” made them famous, balconies have been popular additions to our homes and living spaces. For co-op and condo communities, balconies can add an extra perk, a few more feet of living space that allow us to enj…
The mortgage crisis has been felt throughout the country, and markets and individuals alike have moved from denial and bargaining to acceptance of the recession and its attendant challenges. And while New York City’s co-op and condo mar…
Oh how we love our pets! From common household pets—dogs, cats, birds and fish to even rodents and reptiles, Americans looks to their pets as a source of companionship and entertainment. Studies show that pet owners have lower …
It’s such a simple idea—covering your roof with plants—that it’s no surprise people have been doing it for millennia. From the hanging gardens of ancient Babylon to the terraced farmsteads of the Andes, working greenery into everyday ar…
For a building to run in accordance with the law and to deliver its owners and tenants the rights they deserve, good management is crucial. Most co-ops and condos hire a management company to provide the guidance they require; manageme…
Everyone is feeling the crunch of the ongoing recession and as building communities look for ways to raise revenue without adding to their residents’ current financial worries with large assessments, flip taxes are becoming a hot topic.…
Bad economic news is pretty much inescapable these days. You can’t turn on the TV without hearing about another round of layoffs or plummeting consumer confidence. The stock market is a roller coaster, retirement funds are shedding valu…
On September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers investment bank went under in the largest bankruptcy of all time. The economy was already on the decline, other august companies had already foundered, and both presidential candidates were procla…
Despite the collapse in housing prices in much of the country and a definite slowdown in sales, new residential development in New York City—and Manhattan in particular—continues, though at a much more modest pace than in recent years. T…
The year 2008 is likely to go down in history as one of the most disappointing (or maybe flat-out alarming) for the U.S. economy in general. To be fair, the city hasn’t suffered as much as most of the nation has—but the co-op and condo …