Congratulations! You’ve just been elected to the board of directors, and given your first monthly financial packet. Like many new board members, your first thought is, “This is so confusing. Glad I’m not the treasurer - I don’t have to unde…
For many, glass façades are the epitome of contemporary urban architecture and design. Sleek, clean, modern—sometimes super-modern—a glass exterior gives the impression of an Emerald City of the future, rising above the bricks and mortar of…
Nobel Prize–eschewing poet and folk-rock music legend Bob Dylan might have been the first person to be known as “going electric” (at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965), but as with much of his oeuvre, the world is now following in his foots…
Living in close quarters can—and often does—lead to conflict. In co-op, condo, and HOA communities, conflict can occur between residents, or between a resident and the board. And to complicate matters, a seemingly isolated conflict between …
It takes a small army of professionals—everyone from on-site handymen to licensed professional tradespeople and engineers—to maintain multifamily buildings, both large and small. The question is, who does what, and when? Everyone likes to s…
A new report , Best Practices: Community Association Maintenance , is now available as a free download on the Foundation for Community Associations Research (FCAR) website. Authored by a consortium of legal, engineering, finance, and mana…
Your building’s lobby and hallways are the first things residents, guests, and potential buyers see - and as the old saying goes, first impressions matter. In a multifamily residential setting, be it co-op, condo, HOA, or rental, cleanlines…
While nobody will deny the importance of formal education and training, talk to enough professionals across the property management industry, and you’re likely to hear that while school was definitely useful, the experience gained on the jo…
The topic of insurance can provoke fear in the most steadfast of board members. It’s both terrifying in what its purpose implies, and yet at the same time mind-numbingly boring. It’s also one of the most important components in protecting o…
When the average American taxpayer (or tax-dodger, one supposes) hears the word “audit,” they’re likely struck with a feeling somewhere between annoyance and terror. Usually that’s because being audited means that something has been found a…