Noise is an acknowledged part of community life, especially in multifamily apartment buildings. Some noise is external; traffic, garbage collection, people shouting on the street or in the parking lot. That’s one of the main reasons for zo…
A few years ago, I was on the phone with a homeowner. He was irate with how his community’s money was being spent. He was unhappy with the budget increase. It was a call I took regularly from any one of my homeowners (and more often than no…
Whether we’re talking day-to-day safety or emergency planning, most multifamily buildings and HOAs have something on the books to address both standard operating procedures and things like alerts and evacuations. And that’s great if you’re …
While keeping the records of the association is not the most fascinating part of serving on a board, it is in some ways the most important. In fact, the flow of paperwork is the lifeblood of the community. The Articles of Incorporati…
It only takes a few minutes of Googling to uncover the traits that make a successful person or business owner. For example, Entrepreneur magazine’s Steven Key wrote the article, “5 Qualities of Successful Persons,” which included such trai…
The word community, like many words in the English language, has more than one interpretation. A community can be identified as a geographical location—a physical infrastructure of streets, parks and buildings, defined by tangible brick an…
Working in groups can be a challenge. Working in groups when people’s homes—and possibly their life savings—are involved can be a far greater challenge. It’s one faced every day by those brave souls who volunteer to serve on their co-op …
These days, there are few people who don’t have a business website, a Facebook account and even a Twitter handle. It’s the same for buildings. As the rise of online social media invades nearly every aspect of our daily life, co…
As housing markets in many parts of the country—including New Jersey—have foundered, many developers have opted to convert portions of communities originally intended to be condominiums into rental properties. When a developmen…
When someone moves into a community, they often look for the friendliness and camaraderie that living in an association brings. But with many personalities often butting heads on everyday living situations, it can often get tense and t…