Though they may live close to each other, people can feel isolated in an urban or suburban environment. While high-rise residential buildings put families near one another, living close doesn’t turn a group of neighbors into a community…
Every co-op and condo association has its own house rules—rules and regulations (hopefully) based on common sense and aimed at protecting residents' safety and quality of life without undue disruption or inconvenience. Most un…
For most people, few things are as stressful—or exciting—as buying a new home. That can be especially true for buyers and shareholders who sign up to be among the first residents in a newly renovated or constructed condo or co-op comple…
One of the biggest issues in the real estate industry over the past year has been the speculation that government-sponsored mortgage programs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be ending. For the past 70 years, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac …
Every condo, co-op, and HOA community is different—each has its own distinctive character, attitude, and expectations. The same is obviously true for the individual people who manage these communities and help them run their day-to-day …
With smartphones dominating the cellular market, people now have Internet access anywhere and everywhere they go. While shopping and “googling” are leading reasons to use the Internet, the rise of social media has changed the way in whi…
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.…
Budgeting is never easy, not for a family of four and certainly not for a co-op or condo community of hundreds. That fact is made all the more difficult by the lingering effects of the recession, which continues to wreak havoc with our …
A co-op or condo community’s annual meeting is just business, though these gatherings can sometimes be the site of personal acrimony, or feuding between residents. But annual meetings needn’t be a source of friction, and can serve as a …
You can’t operate a condominium or co-op without a myriad of services, which is why a well-run home association or building requires that it has strong vendor relationships. That means getting supplies and services smoothly and at the …