2008 April
2008 April Vol. 6, No. 4
Choosing the Right Vendor
There’s always something to do around a condominium or co-op building. There’s landscaping to be done in the spring, summer and fall. A swimming pool adds to summer’s workload, and snow removal is one of winter’s most important chores. Maintaining common areas is a year-round job and can involve cleaning, painting, electrical work and services from general contractors. Read More
The Subprime Mortgage Fallout
The Climate of the real estate market across the country has shifted, and the fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis has been felt in cities and towns throughout the country. The co-op and condo market in New England is no exception, as unit owners, board members and buildings have been affected by the changing tide. Read More
Above and Beyond
No two condos are the same, and neither are the needs of the buildings. A brownstone in Cambridge, a hotel-like complex in Boston’s Back Bay, a row of townhouses in Nashua—each requires specific services from its management company. Read More
Great Expectations
Whether it’s a neighbor’s barking dog or a backed-up toilet, the problems of condominium owners and residents are always personal. Their homes are a haven–and an investment–so at times, even an easily-solved issue can feel like a catastrophe. And like it or not, catastrophes always land on the property manager’s desk.“Issues are always emotionally charged when you’re dealing strictly with a person’s living arrangements. The only person they can take it out on, if you will, who is not another resident or neighbor, is the property manager. The manager is really the only person who is obligated to listen, at least to a point,” says Julie Adamen, a 25-year veteran of the community management industry and the founderof Adamen, Inc, a nationwide consulting and employment firm specializing in manager placements. Read More
Caught in the Middle
Conflict among neighbors is something every property manager must face. As long as people have different viewpoints and varied lifestyles, they will argue and bicker and call each other names. Add to that the close living quarters of some New England condominiums, and the problems can get even worse. Read More
How to Attract and Keep Management Staff
If a service company’s number one asset is its people, there is no more important topic than “How to Attract and Keep Staff.” The challenges of finding, hiring and keeping the best staff—at a cost that still fits within the overall financial plans of the company —are universal to all companies, but particularly important for managementfirms. Read More
Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Open for Business
Consensus holds that Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has it all. Not content with a distinguished naval history only, the city of about 20,000 has blossomed like the strawberries once did on the banks of the Piscataqua River. Now, while remaining conscious and protective of its historical assets, it provides a welcoming haven for a diversity of art and business. It has been aptly nicknamed “The City of the Open Door.” Read More
The Office of Neighborhood Services
While New York City is defined by its classic architecture and familiar skyline, Boston is defined by its unique collection of neighborhoods and ethnic diversity. Twenty-one neighborhoods make up Boston proper and to find out a little more about each individual enclave, we went to Mayor Thomas Menino’s Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) to get a little flavor of what makes this cosmopolitan city tick. Read More
