With natural disasters causing catastrophic property damages becoming more common, associations must be prepared for unexpected expenses, such as a major roof repair, or the installation of a new heating and cooling system. These major cap…

Freelance photographer Jocelyn A. lives in a charming, post-war brick townhouse community of over 1,600 units and a $3 million annual budget. She receives a monthly newsletter with over 20 pages of everything to keep residents informed,…

Association management, in the broadest of terms, is defined as the operation, control and oversight of real estate. Most association managers would agree that definition is just a starting point, however. There are many facet…

Being on a board of an association is no picnic. There are tons of decisions to be made, disputes to settle, finances to keep track of and a chance of being sued for a slip-up. So why do so many people decide to serve on a board—some fo…

Most association and condo community residents have taken part in at least a few annual board elections, and perhaps they’ve even served on committees, or volunteered on behalf of their building in some other capacity. But those who’ve …

All professional contractors and service providers are required by law to carry insurance to cover their activities. All condo buildings and associations should also carry their  own insurance to cover accidents or other incidents on the…

When you decide to run for a board, you’re usually thinking about all the great changes you’re going to make to your building community, along with all the time and effort that you’re prepared to sacrifice for the good of your home. …

 It's a sad fact that the artisans and craftspeople who created some of the most  beautiful, distinctive interior and exterior architectural elements for New York-area residential buildings are an endangered species. The  proliferation of …

 A key to success and functionality in any relationship is clear, consistent  communication. In a residential community, part of achieving functionality is  managing the information in the governing documents and records which detail  the …

While a lot of the day-to-day business of running a condo building or HOA  happens in the management office or on-site at the level of maintenance and  staff management, meetings—board-only and resident alike—are the forum where important i…