One of the unique aspects of life in a condo community is that a building or HOA is in many ways a microcosm of the larger world outside. It can suffer from the same factionalism and partisan bickering as any political entity, only on a muc…

An individual’s interest in their community association is rarely just financial; in most cases, a building or HOA is also that individual’s home—and as such they’re motivated to contribute to its quality of life, neighborhood congeniality,…

Like so many other sectors of the economy, residential real estate management has changed and evolved since the turn of the millennium—and like those other sectors, much of that evolution is directly linked to the development and adoption o…

Despite the best intentions of board members, residents, and even managers, condominium properties and HOAs don’t always run like well-tuned machines. Sometimes they hit a bump in the road...and sometimes they break down completely. The rea…

Q. I've lived in an upper floor condo in a 14-year-old building for 10 years. The board is now making a rule that we can only have hard flooring in the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the laundry room, and must install carpet or rugs on other…

On Tuesday, March 26,  from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas will play host to the first annual Cooperator Expo Las Vegas, a unique event tailor-made for anyone and everyone involved in the condo, HOA an…

As more and more of our daily lives become more intertwined with online entertainment and services, internet access has become a home utility along with electricity and running water. Boards can take for granted that every resident in their…

When you close your eyes and picture any building, you are quite likely imagining its facade – the outer shell which protects and contains all of the hustle and bustle that goes on within. In a residential property, the facade is what separ…

Whether it’s a balcony, terrace, patio or roof deck, outdoor space is many an apartment owner’s dream.  Desirable – and valuable – as they are, these spaces do present specific maintenance considerations for individual owners, co-op corpora…

Cities are crowded. That’s a simple fact. In the best of circumstances, there’s noise, dirt, dust, and the usual urban pests. Add to that the construction of a new building next to or nearby yours, and annoyance can quickly become overwhelm…