Page 4 - New England Condominium February 2021

4 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -FEBRUARY 2021 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM I P EVents New England Condo Introduces FREE We- binars—a New Resource for Boards and Man- agers at newenglandcondo.com/events New England Condominium , a Yale Rob- bins Publishing publication, has been a re- source for the boards, managers, and resi- dents of condos, HOAs, and co-ops for nearly two decades, both in print and online—and we are pleased to off er a new addition to our toolkit. Yale Robbins Productions has launched New England Condominium We- binars, a CooperatorEvents event, which is a series of FREE educational ‘town-hall’-style webinars sponsored by leaders in the multi- family industry and focusing on issues and challenges facing today’s boards. We have assembled expert panels on everything from legal questions around the COVID-19 pan- demic to optimizing your insurance coverage to disinfecting your community’s pool. Regis- tration and attendance are FREE to all—just visit newenglandcondo.com/events, choose the webinar you’d like to attend, and sign up. It’s that simple. You’ll get an email link and reminders for the event, and will have the op- portunity to submit questions for the panel- ists before and during the webinar itself. Past events are archived and available on-demand at newenglandcondo.com/events. Serving on your board is a big job, and a big responsibility, but sound, timely advice from industry veterans can help lighten the load and make your building or association run more smoothly. We’re committed to help- ing you achieve that, and look forward to ‘see- ing’ you at an upcoming webinar! IFMA Boston Plans FMForward Th e Boston Chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) will hold FMForward 2021, an annual confer- ence providing members with key strategies, technologies, and best practices to help them navigate the ever-changing facility manage- ment landscape, the week of March 29 in a virtual format. Th e conference will include the Annual Awards of Excellence, with a keynote speak- er; two Facility Management Intensive Track courses; facility tours (virtual and potentially live); and one-hour roundtables each day for facility managers to continue the discussion on topics of the day. For details, visit www. ifma.org. BOMA Schedules Virtual Courses Th e Building Owners and Managers As- sociation (BOMA) will hold a course on Law and Risk Management on Wednesdays and Fridays, starting February 26. Th e live virtual program with instructor Barry Familetto of Stetson Management & Development runs through March 31. Law and Risk Management presents in- formation about torts, contracts, employer/ employee relations, property rights, leasing and conveyancing, and environmental law and insurance. It also discusses the insurance market, diff erent types of insurance policies, and the claims adjustment process. Reading this material will provide participants with a foundation in the basic principles of law and risk management, thus helping managers deal with everyday legal and risk issues surround- ing their business. For details and to register, visit www.bomaboston.org. SPS Webinar Spotlights Capital Projects “What’s Your Plan? Understanding Capi- tal Projects and Smart Planning,” a free webi- nar sponsored by Schernecker Property Ser- vices, will be presented at newenglandcondo. com/events at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, February 2. Th e webinar is part of the New England Condominium educational series off ered by Yale Robbins Productions. Major capital improvements like roof re- pairs, window replacement, and elevator work are some of the most expensive, potentially disruptive projects your condo or HOA will undertake. Th at’s why having a smart, com- prehensive plan based on real facts and data from experienced, competent professionals is crucial to the project’s success. Poor planning results in dollars wasted, angry residents, and potentially legal liability. In the webinar, Eric Churchill and Pat- rick Doherty of Needham, Massachusetts-based SPS will discuss how your board or management team can work with its chosen profes- sionals to collaborate to cre- ate a smart, fact-based game plan for big projects. Th e event will cover the funda- mentals of good planning, the importance of options and contingency plans, and an explanation of how planning ahead saves your community money today and going for- ward. Churchill’s experience over 30 years rang- es from incorporating building materials to working directly with condominium com- munities in their planning process. His focus is to help clients and management team to en- sure that SPS delivers the highest value, long- term solutions. Doherty’s expertise is better understanding their business challenges in order to match solutions that solve problems. InDUstRY News Eviction, Foreclosure Moratorium Extended Th e Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has again extended its COVID-related moratorium on foreclosures and evictions of homeowners with FHA-insured single-fam- ily mortgages, attorneys for Marcus, Errico, Emmer & Brooks PC, recently noted on the fi rm’s website. Th e extension, the fourth the FHA has issued, will keep these protections, which were to have expired in January, in place through February 28. While the mora- torium is in place, servicers are precluded from initiating or proceeding with foreclo- sure or eviction proceedings against protected homeowners. “COVID-19 has created hard- ships for millions of Americans,” FHA Com- missioner Dana Wade recently said in a press statement. “American homeowners should not be forced from their homes while they are seeking help.” Th e Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has also extended the foreclosure and eviction moratorium that applies to borrow- ers with mortgages purchased by the second- ary mortgage giants, Fannie Mae and Fred- die Mac. Th e secondary market giants hold most of the conventional mortgages issued to American homeowners. Th e FHFA mora- torium, which was to have expired at the end of last year, will now remain in eff ect through January 2021. “Th e extension gives peace of mind to the more than 28 million homeown- ers with an enterprise-backed mortgage,” FHFA Director Mark Calabria said. Maloney Properties Promotes Barros and Cummings Maloney Properties in Wellesley, Massa- chusetts, has promoted Yasmari Barros and Marisa Cummings to the senior executive team. Barros has been promoted to regional manager and will oversee a large portfolio of multifamily housing throughout Connecti- cut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Barros joined Maloney Properties in 2017 with more than 10 years of experience in the aff ordable housing industry, and has played an integral role in the highly successful onboarding of more than 900 new units into Maloney’s man- agement portfolio, according to a company press release. Cummings has also been promoted to regional manager and will oversee a large portfolio of multifamily and senior housing properties in Greater Boston and Cambridge. Cummings joined Maloney Properties in 2017 with more than 15 years of property management experience. “We are thrilled to have Yasmari and Marisa join our senior team of executives,” said Janet Frazier, Maloney President and CEO. “Each of them exemplifi es the core values at Maloney. Th ey reach for the high- est standards of excellence, and they embrace collaboration and teamwork to enhance the lives of the people we serve.” Barkan Adds Contract in Metro Boston Barkan Management Company has se- cured a management contract for a mixed-use condominium located on the Roxbury-Jamai- ca Plain border, according to a press release. Barkan is providing a full spectrum of man- agement services to 1785 Columbus Condo- minium Trust, a seven-story, 133,223-square- foot commercial condominium. Th e property was developed by Water- mark LLC, a joint venture between Horizons for Homeless Children and Watermark De- velopment Inc. Formerly the site of a vacant warehouse, the location was identifi ed as a high-need area for Horizon’s services. Th e organization will occupy several fl oors of the new building, with a move-in date of early to mid-2021. Jerry Meaney, vice president and regional director at Barkan, will serve as account ex- ecutive and will oversee the day-to-day man- agement. “We are pleased to secure this full services management contract and expand our portfolio of commercial/mixed use con- dominiums in Metro Boston,” said Meaney. “We look forward to meeting and working with the tenants in this beautiful new building and anticipate a very successful, multi-year partnership.” Peabody Companies to Manage Marion Village Th e Peabody Companies, with offi ces in Braintree, Massachusetts, has assumed man- agement of Marion Village Estates, a 60-rent- al-apartment aff ordable housing community. Located near Routes I-95, 495, and 6, Marion Village Estates is convenient to shopping and other local attractions and a short walk from public transportation. Th e 60-apartment complex features many interior amenities and attractive landscaping. “Th e Peabody Companies is happy to add Marion Village Estates to our managed portfolio,” Adam Kenney, vice-president of operations, said in a press release. “We look forward to meeting those who call this com- munity their home.” Real Estate DeVeloPMent Condo Sales, Prices Still Rising Th e Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) has reported that year-over-year con- dominium sales rose 12.3% and single-family home sales were up a stunning 15.7% in No- vember 2020. At the same time, new listings of both condos and single-family homes were also up, 19.9% to 1,747, and 16.1% to 4,224, respectively. “In addition to increased closed sales last month, we saw homes being scooped up more quickly than last year due to buyer demand PULSE continued on page 10