Planning is the key to maintaining a balanced budget for co-op and condo associations. Knowing your budget, predicting expenses, even predicting the unpredictable are all vital components to having a sound bottom line and keeping your sh…
In a co-op or condo community, the responsibility of the homeowners association goes beyond setting house rules. The association also has a fiduciary responsibility to collect maintenance fees from its residents, create a budget to accou…
Years ago, the only remedy for uneven sidewalks or foundations was what pros in the business call "rip-and-repour," which means tearing out the old pavement slab and pouring a new one—and spending a lot of time and money doing it. B…
Summer is coming, and with it the scorching hot weather our tri-state area is notorious for. Many buildings and homeowners associations, however, have swimming pools on-site that help take some of the bite out of the hotter months. Swimming…
The tri-state area was hit with another tough winter this year with heavy rain, snow and bitter temperatures. But now that the gloomy days have passed and the sun is shining again, it's time for condos and co-ops to get their recreational a…
Grass grows, yes. But lush and healthy grass doesn't just grow on its own. Whether you live in a townhome community or a high-rise condominium complex, your lawns and grassy common spaces act as a welcome mat to all who arrive at your pr…
There are as many different kinds of co-op buildings, condo associations, and HOAs as there are people who live in them. Different types of communities often have very different ways of hammering out policy and directing their own day-to…
Successful property owners and managing agents routinely obsess about maintenance issues—everything from minor cosmetics to major structural or mechanical improvements. You must think about the roof over your residents' heads, and carefu…
There is nothing more uncomfortable during a harsh Mid-Atlantic winter than having windows that are inoperable or that are so cracked, damaged and poorly sealed that the cold air just streams in unabated. Drafty windows mean energy …
Nature's elements can take a toll on almost anything man-made, particularly exterior surfaces like fences, decks, and siding materials. Given the temperamental seasons here in the tri-state area, it's important to consider not just aesth…