Category: Association Operations

A green wall in a residential space is like having both an indoor garden and piece of art all rolled into one—and you don’t even have to travel far to a botanical garden or a museum to experience it.  It’s a currently a very popular trend i…

As the summer turns to fall, it can be expected that the falling leaves will die off and herald the arrival of winter. So it’s not surprising that the boards of condominiums, cooperatives and homeowners’ associations are always well-prepare…

While Flint, Michigan may have been the highest profile case of water being contaminated with lead in recent years, lead is an issue that water systems across the country have to navigate and monitor closely. Earlier in the year, there wer…

Few things in life are as precious yet underappreciated as clean air. We take it for granted. Breathe in, breathe out—we rarely even notice the action.  Ensuring that the air we breathe is clean, fresh and safe is one of the myriad respons…

Sustainability is the watchword these days. All over the country, businesses and residences are being encouraged to go green, and condominiums, cooperatives and homeowners’ associations are no exception.  But not all condos/co-ops/HOAs are…

Even with proper risk management best practices, it’s impossible to completely avoid all types of insurance claims from happening. At heart, a claim is like any other business dealing—a negotiation. Your ability to convincingly argue your p…

Just as the ways in which we socialize have changed in recent years, so too have the spaces in which that socializing has traditionally been done. Common spaces and amenities in multifamily buildings and condo associations have evolved to s…

No matter what the size of their portfolio, a property manager must wear a great many professional hats: human resources pro, administrator, mediator, organizer, social director, project manager, sounding board—sometimes even therapist.  I…

A cooperative, condominium or homeowner's association is more likely than not governed by a ragtag band of brave volunteers. Oftentimes, these folks have outside jobs that have little to do with maintaining a residential real estate propert…

I wish someone had told me the nuances of trying to cultivate a community while also trying to manage a business,” said Pat Burke, the current president of the Fieldstondale co-op in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, when asked what he wi…