We all hope for good neighbors when we move into a new building or community. The same is true for commercial properties in residential buildings. Making a good match, one that benefits both the commercial tenants and unit owners, can go a …
The media and political buzz surrounding so-called 'homeshare' or 'short-term rental' websites (primarily Airbnb, but also other similar services like Homeaway.com and VRBO.com, just to name two) has been on the upswing over the last year …
Years ago, when you bought a co-op or condo apartment, you looked for a unit that had the right number of bedrooms and bathrooms, a perfectly-sized kitchen, and some great living space. For the longest time, that ideal combination was all …
Should associations fully fund reserve accounts today for anticipated future capital expenditures? Like all things in life, condominium operations encompass many shades of grey. The questions that readers send to New England Condominiu…
Having a disinterested, apathetic board is a problem in some buildings, though a board that oversteps the boundaries of its power or invades the privacy of residents also can cause hassles. But an informed board should be less apt to go be…
Sometimes condominium units become “home” to people who really don’t belong there. With the proliferation of “over-55” communities in recent years, aging baby boomers and an economy marked by unemployment and foreclosures, there may be r…
New England Condominium’s Condo Expo was the place to be on May 22, as thousands of community association board members, homeowners and industry professionals gathered at Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center to meet vendors, get free adv…
This is about the easiest decision—the closest thing to a no-brainer—a board of trustees will ever need to consider: what to do with vacant space. Install storage lockers. If you already have storage lockers, install more stora…
It’s not your Daddy’s condominium any more. Since the 1960s and ‘70s, when condominium home ownership became not only available but a viable alternative to single-family housing in New England, the market has evolved with man…
A lot of people buy condominiums because they never want to have to mow a lawn or shovel snow again. But eight owners of University Park Lofts in Worcester, Massachusetts, had no choice after the developer at the mostly-vacant 37-unit …