According to a recent investigative piece by the Orange County (Florida) Register , Fannie Mae is keeping a secret “blacklist” of condominium, HOA and cooperative properties which the federal agency has decreed that lenders should st…
Successive waves of transformation have swept across the property management industry over the last few years - and while many of these changes can be directly attributed to the pandemic, others seem to come from every direction. These wave…
While few would argue that regular, thorough building inspections are important for the safety of both people and property, the increasing number - and rising cost - of mandatory inspections has co-op and condo boards looking for more affor…
America’s homebuyers have had an extraordinarily difficult few years. Heavy demand and scarce inventory in late 2020 and 2021 led to record growth in prices, while high inflation made it more difficult to save up for a home. As the Federal …
To the untrained eye, renovating a lobby might appear to be a relatively straightforward project. It’s not a huge amount of space, there’s usually no plumbing to contend with, and it serves a fairly narrow purpose: to provide passage from t…
Q. Can a current board member advertise his re-election, or go around knocking on each door and telling owners who to vote for? Is this legal? —Wondering If This Is Appropriate A. “Yes and yes,” says Jonathan H. Katz, a partner …
Color affects human behavior—for better, or worse. Research indicates that practical and aesthetic applications of color in both public and private spaces can manipulate the mood and perception of the people using those spaces. A board plan…
The appeal of multifamily living is not just in the hands-off maintenance and shared general expenses that come with living in a co-op, condo, or HOA. It’s also in the sense of community and the on-site offerings that can be shared among ne…
As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression—which is why the façade of your building should always look clean and in top shape, for both aesthetic and commercial reasons. Important as appearances are, however,…
Like the skin of the human body, a building’s façade is its largest organ (so to speak), offering structure and protection, as well as a first aesthetic impression. It also takes the brunt of extremely harsh conditions: weather, wind, water…