There are times when even prudence, foresight and good planning, cannot prevent significant and unforeseen challenges, and circumstances occur which are beyond a board's control. This article identifies some of these situations, and prov…
Prices of most co-ops and condominiums in the New York metropolitan area—which nowadays extends as far west as eastern Pennsylvania and as far south as the lower Jersey shore—have reached stratospheric proportions. In once-blighted urban…
Sue Stevens became president of her Arlington, Texas homeowners association in 2003, one of her first orders of duty was solving a vital security issue to the residents—how to protect their homes, which were highly visible from several m…
Just as no household can function without a good, sound budget, neither can a homeowner's association. Creating and maintaining a budget that can guide a condo community through an entire year's worth of finances is one of the most impor…
They say the only two inevitable things in life are death and taxes. Well, for condo and co-op owners you can add a third—maintenance fees. As long as roofs are going to have to be repaired, snow is going to have to be plowed, and g…
Comedian George Carlin got it right—all we want is a little space for our stuff. Ample storage space is a precious commodity, and residents are often left on their own to invent creative ways to store bikes, sports equipment, holiday dec…
A New Jersey appellate court recently upheld a trial court's refusal to force condo unit owners to pay an assessment levied to cover the replacement of sliding glass doors in each of an HOA's units. In the case of Regent Beach Condominiu…
What makes an association manager really successful? Is it hands-on attention to each association in their portfolio, or their ability to point wayward boards in the right direction to solve their own problems? Do great managers have to …
For most people, the hardest thing about starting—and sticking with—an exercise regimen is having to actually go to the gym or health club. Homeowners lucky enough to have a gym on their community association's grounds, however, have an …
There are amenities…and then there are golf courses. Perks that are often found at homeowner associations like gyms, tennis courts and playgrounds are nice, but a golf course defines a property and is very often the primary reason people…