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 …
Out of nowhere, someone is regularly using the parking space you have had for years. And strangers are appearing regularly in your building’s hallways, though you’re not sure where they belong or if they should even be there. Strangely, …
If you want to find out about the history of a town, region or country, head to a museum or look it up on the Internet. If you want to find out about your family’s history, look at your photo album, whether it’s in a book or online. And…
The foundation of any properly run condo association or HOA rests on residents paying their monthly fees on time and in full, with no delays or delinquencies. However, thanks to the lingering effects of the ebbing recession, many buildin…
The vast majority of both one-time projects and long-term service contracts involving vendors and service providers and their community association or HOA clients go smoothly and either conclude or continue without incident. However, a sm…
When walls are the only separation between you and your neighbors, privacy sometimes goes out the window. People hear their next-door neighbors talking, footsteps from above or even music blaring through the walls. Sound transmission b…
Management of any property requires a varying degree of resources and skills. Materials, capital, and personnel are required for everything from ordering supplies to the complete overseeing of a community association. Above all resources, …
Serving on a condo association board has its challenges—not least of which is dealing with potentially volatile legal or security situations. Such scenarios might involve anything from residents with orders of protection or criminal histo…
Whether indoors or out, few design elements are as dramatic and arresting as a waterfall, water wall, Koi pond, reflecting pool or statuesque fountain. These water features add beauty and value to any property or building, whether they ar…