Page 13 - New England Condominium October 2019

NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -OCTOBER 2019 13 185 Devonshire Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02110 Quality Representation at Reasonable Rates. (617) 988-0633 Contact Attorney Frank Flynn: FRANK@FLYNNLAW-NE.COM Flynn_E4C.qxp:Layout 1 12/8/14 2:30 PM Page 1 email or cell phone.” The key to success for any building when using this technology, she explains, is to have current, up-to-date contact information for each resident in each apartment. Schlossberg also uses BuildingLink. She says the four most useful modules in the application for her client buildings are E-blast, which sends out messages; the package delivery module, which notifies a resident when a package has arrived and is being held for them; the security module, which adds an additional layer of security through KeyLink to guard spare keys left with the building super; and work orders, which can track not only work being done in the building and in individual apart- ments, but can also tip maintenance staff off to potential developing problems like tion mark. As Ann, the president of the chronic drain clogs in a particular line of Upper Manhattan co-op points out, who’s apartments, which might indicate a larger following it? Schlossberg doubts that it is plumbing issue. One real-life ex- ample of how con- nective technology has improved the operation of a build- ing comes from Ann, the president of a 56-unit co-op in New York’s Upper Manhattan. When she began serving on the board some seven years ago, she says, “We were still carrying around piles of paper and folders to meetings. We were looking for ways to communi- cate better and to access documents. For a while, we were using Google Drive, there.” and that worked well, but with Building- Link we have better access, and sharehold- ers can also access documents themselves. minium buildings, some pros predict they’ll If someone needs an alteration agreement, find a way to adapt their already consider- they can access it.” But, she stresses, many able social media habits to the lives of their still call the managing agent and ask for buildings and HOAs. Woofter suggests that items they could find themselves on Build- ingLink. Ann also mentions that the board up in the life of residential real estate out- members still communicate pretty much side of sales and marketing is in new, ultra- through direct email and text. Ann’s remark about people defaulting to tions. From there it might spread to co-op calling the manager even when a few key- strokes could answer their question high- lights the challenge that’s often folded into the convenience of web-based management your door for those notifications. Because tools. For any management support soft- ware to be successful, residents have to be about the end-of-summer barbecue on the willing to actually use it. Residents must be roof this Saturday. technologically willing participants, and must also be diligent about checking email, since that’s how the bulk of notices, alerts, and other information is broadcast via these apps and systems. If you don’t check, you don’t get the notice. All of the experts who weighed in for this article indicate that they still slide paper notifications under apartment doors as a backup, although with some online services, one can select out those residents who haven’t received their notification via the service, and deliver pa- per notifications to those units only. Other technologies used by residents in co-ops and condos (as well as tenants in some newer rental buildings) are phone- based applications for things like answering the intercom, setting heat and A/C tem- peratures, and managing package delivery in the absence of a doorman or lobby atten- dant. While these applications are popular, they are in no way related to social media. Is There a Future for Multifamily Social Media? The future of social media in the co- op/condo/HOA arena is a bit of a ques- something that will ever become embed- ded in community lifestyles. What in- formation would be shared there that can’t be shared more directly (and with less chance of toxic crosstalk) via email, text, or flyer? “When people come home from work, they are tired,” she says. “They may want to check their own so- cial media accounts, but I doubt they want to join a dis- cussion online about the new scratch on the wood in the el- evator and how it got Alternatively, as younger owners, partic- ularly millennials, enter co-op and condo- the first place where social media may show luxury buildings with very young popula- and condo communities – but that’s a long way off. In the meantime, keep checking under most likely, you won’t be receiving a tweet n A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for New England Condominium, and a published novelist. MULTI-FAMILY... continued from page 8 “Web-based technologies are primarily used by co-op and condo residents, boards and managers for the purposes of communication about building issues, and for notifications.” The bill was signed into law by Governor Gina Raimondo on June 28. According to Lombardi, associations will now face financial penalties if they do not provide unit owners with Resale Certificates within ten days of a unit owner’s written re- quest. “Specifically, RIGL 34-36.1-4.09 Resale of Units Section (b) was amended to add sub- section (ii), which states as follows: ‘In addition to those remedies as set forth in 34-36.1-4.17*, any association that fails to provide a certificate to the unit owner within ten (10) days of a written request by the unit owner is subject to a civil penalty of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) per oc- currence,’” Lombardi said. Resale Certificates in Rhode Island, he explained, are “somewhat similar to 6(d) Certificates in Massachusetts, both of which are designed to provide a potential purchaser of a unit with detailed financial information such as the amount of assessments owed on the soon to be purchased unit, the associa- tion’s operating and reserve budgets, potential litigation or claims etc., all of which hopefully would provide a snapshot of the economic health of the association and in some in- stances the condition of the unit and or the appurtenant limited common elements, i.e., decks or patios in general, and which would assist the purchaser in deciding whether or not buying this particular unit and joining sachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) this particular community association makes reported that the number of single-family financial sense.” The Legislative Action Committee of of August went up almost 10 percent and the CAI’s Rhode Island Chapter had argued that number of condominiums put under agree- the provision was not needed because there ment went up almost nine percent compared are already protections included in the state’s to this time last year. This marks 12 straight condominium law, but, Lombardi said, the months of year-over-year increases for single- Legislature apparently “wanted to make the family homes. The median price for single- message crystal clear to non-complying man- agers and boards by setting specific fines for almost three percent to $430,000, while con- violations, and was willing to live with a bit of dominiums had a three percent increase to overkill here.” Developments Eastern Bank Leads $11 Million Loan for Copperworks Condominiums Eastern Bank recently placed a $11 mil- lion construction loan to Thorndike Devel- opment for ground-up construction of the Copperworks Condominiums in Canton, Massachusetts, the New England Real Estate Journal reported. Copperworks is a three- story boutique condominium community built on the site where Paul Revere fabricated the copper panels for the original Massachu- setts State House dome more than 200 years ago. According to the Journal , the historic Paul Revere Heritage Site will include 212 condominium homes as well as a restaurant and landmark museum in the original copper foundry. The site also features commuter ac- cess, a public park and sustainable living. The first occupancies are planned for this Decem- ber, “Eastern values our region’s history and the strength of its communities. Working with Eastern to help write the next chapter of this historic site’s history is very special,” said Lloyd Geisinger, founder and president of Thorndike. “We look forward to welcom- ing the first residents later this year.” A cus- tomer of Eastern Bank for more than 15 years, Thorndike has built more than 2,000 homes and apartments in the Greater Boston Area and is the recipient of more than 45 national and regional awards for excellence. Trends Number of Single-Family Homes and Con- dominiums Under Agreement in Massachu- setts Up in August According to its press release, the Mas- homes put under agreement in the month family homes put under agreement increased $400,000 compared to August of 2018. July CT Single-Family Home Price Reaches Six-Year High Connecticut single-family home sales continued on page 14 PULSE continued from page 4