Page 6 - New England Condominium February 2020

6 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -FEBRUARY 2020 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM Tuesday, March 31, 2020 New England Condominium Expo Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Blvd., Boston 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. The New England Condominium Expo returns to the Seaport in March with more than 175 exhibitors covering every aspect of multifamily living, governance and manage- ment, a full day of free workshops and semi- nars and more. See who’s exhibiting, along with a schedule of informational programs, at ne-expo.com. Tuesday, February 11, 2020 BOMA in the Burbs Networking Nite Tavern in the Square 100 District Ave, Burlington, MA 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Join the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Boston at Tavern in the Square in Burlington for an evening of CRE Industry networking, cash bar, and hors d’oeuvres. Visit bomaboston.org to register. Friday, March 6, 2020 Annual CAI-NE Chapter Dinner & Award Presentations Burlington Marriott Hotel, Burlington, MA 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Saddle up and put your boots on for this program from the New England Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI- CT). Awards to be presented for community programs and events; member communica- tions; creative solutions; unsung hero; rising star; and community, association volunteer, business partner, management company, man- ager of the year. Western attire encouraged. Register at www.caine.org. Saturday, March 14, 2020 CAI-CT: Annual Condo/HOA Conference & Expo Aqua Turf, 565 Mulberry St., Plantsville, CT 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The Connecticut Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI-CT) offers educa- tion sessions for owners, board members and managers, and an expo featuring more than 100 vendors. Visit caict.org for details. Wednesday, March 25, 2020 IREM: Wine Dinner & Networking Event Granite Links Golf Club, 100 Quarry Hills Dr., Quincy, MA 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) Boston Metropolitan Chapter No. 4 presents an evening of great food and wine — appetizers, three course dinner, dessert and, of course, wine — along with raffles and lots of opportunity to network with colleagues. Visit www.iremboston.org to register. CAL EN D AR Industry Pulse Feb-March Industry News CAI Introduces “Civility Pledge” for HOAs & Condos In January, the Community Associa- tions Institute (CAI) announced the devel- opment of a Civility Pledge for homeowner associations and condo communities, and encouraged all associations worldwide to adopt it. The pledge, CAI said in a news release, will serve as a model for community asso- ciations to foster a climate of open discus- sion, mutual respect, and tolerance between residents, guests, board and committee members, community association manag- ers, staff members, business partners, and contractors. “Community associations increasingly are being called on to play a significant role in the way we live, learn, work, and play,” says Thomas M. Skiba, CAE, CAI’s chief executive officer. “We believe these com- munities as a whole—with their unique mix of cultural identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religious beliefs, and more— represent the increasing diversity of today’s world. We believe community associations should strive to find common ground and build a lasting framework of civility in their communities especially when discussing important community issues.” Understanding the influence of today’s community association leaders, communi- ty managers, and business partners, CAI’s College of Community Association Law- yers (CCAL) developed the Civility Pledge to encourage interactions in a community association to be respectful and meaning- ful despite differences of opinion on a par- ticular issue, and to create an environment where residents have the opportunity to ex- press their views openly, without unreason- able fear of judgment or reprimand. “As attorneys representing community associations across the country, we are unified in recognizing the growing chal- lenges facing a community resident’s ability to discuss, engage, exchange, debate, and disagree about community association is- sues civilly. The absence of civil discourse is impacting the ability of our community as- sociation clients to effectively govern,” says attorney Matt D. Ober, 2019 president of CCAL’s Board of Governors and a partner of Richardson | Ober law firm in Califor- nia. “We believe that civility is more than just about being polite. It’s about creating a place where all residents feel safe and are urged to ask questions and share opinions, a vital part of a thriving community. We are confident that CAI’s new Civility Pledge will be an essential resource for all commu- nity associations that adopt it.” 2020 PULSE/CALENDAR The pledge can be downloaded at www. caionline.org/HomeownerLeaders. CAI Welcomes 2020 National Leaders Attorney Ursula K. Burgess, a sharehold- er at Rees Broome in Tysons Corner, Va., ability to decide if the fee would be paid by and a fellow in CAI’s College of Community the buyer or seller, or split between the two, Association Lawyers (CCAL), is the orga- nization’s 2020 president. Burgess has been from the fee and establish a sunset provision. representing community associations in Vir- ginia and Maryland for more than 20 years, tax “is not good tax policy” because it is not working with association clients to amend broad-based and asks one specific buyer or governing documents, address fair housing seller “to take care of the common good.” issues, and bring delinquent assessments un- der control. President-elect James H. Dodson IV, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM, of Ewa Beach, luxury condo and hotel tower, has sold for Hawaii, will serve as president-elect. Oth- er trustees serving in 2020 are: Lisa Cox, believed to be the second highest home sale CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM of Missouri in the city’s history. City, Texas, Jeevan J. D’Mello, CMCA, AMS, LSM, PCAM of Dubai, UAE; Kevin Hir- zel, Esq. of Farmington, Mich.; Lincoln W. 215-room Four Seasons-operated hotel. As Hobbs, Esq. of Salt Lake City, Utah; Julia of January 10, the average sales price of the Holland, CMCA, AMS, PCAM of Surprise, 84 units that had sold in the tower was $5.7 Ariz.; Pat A. King of Beaumont, Calif., Joel million, according to a report in the W. Meskin, Esq., CIRMS of Fairview Park, Ohio; Peter B. Miller, RS of Annapolis, Md.; the highest homes ever built in Boston — lo- Janet L. Newcomb of Huntington Beach, Ca- lif.; Melissa Ramsey, CMCA, AMS, PCAM highest habitable spot. of Reno, Nev.; Vishnu Sharma, CPA, CFE of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and Jessica Towles, penthouse had reportedly carried an asking CMCA, AMS, PCAM of Elk Grove Village, price of $40 million from the developer, Car- Ill. Real Estate Massachusetts Lawmakers Propose Trans- fer Fee In January, Massachusetts lawmakers rolled out a plan they said would give cities and towns new options for funding local af- fordable housing – by imposing a fee of up to 2% on real estate sales above the statewide median sales price, and a higher fee on cer- tain “speculative” property sales. Politicians and advocates gathered at the State House in early January called the plan another tool for municipalities seek- ing to fight back against the high rents and mortgages, displacement and evictions that the state’s housing crisis is bringing to their residents. The plan would allow cities and towns to impose a fee of between 0.5% and 2% on real estate transactions above the statewide me- dian sale price for single-family homes. Ac- cording to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR), the median sale price for pending single-family homes hit $415,000 in December 2019, a more than 10 percent increase from $375,000 in December 2018. It would also authorize municipalities to charge a fee of up to 6% for “speculative sales”—property sold for more than three times the state median within one year of purchase, unless the sale is because of a need to relocate for work or family reasons. According to an article in the Worcester Telegram , cities and towns would have the and local officials could also set exemptions MAR CEO Theresa Hatton said a transfer Boston Penthouse Goes for $34 Million A penthouse at One Dalton, a Boston $34 million, according to Boston Curbed — One Dalton, completed in Back Bay last year, is home to 160 luxury condos and a Boston Globe. The recently-sold penthouse is one of cated atop a tower that is 699 feet high at its Although selling for $34 million, the penter & Company. The most expensive home sale in Boston history, incidentally, was a $35 million Mil- lennium Tower penthouse back in 2016. That unit is on the market again now, for $45 million. Plans to Rehab Distressed Properties in Dorchester Filed Two different developers have filed plans with the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) to combine and redevelop a number of distressed properties in Dorches- ter into two neighboring apartment and condo developments, according to the Bos- ton Herald. The first plan, helmed by an LLC affili- ated with Adam Sarbough of Cornerstone Boston, intends to combine “13 contiguous and abutting parcels of underutilized and distressed properties along Willow, Baker and Fields Court,” the Herald cites from the developer’s letter of intent. The combined parcels would create a 1.2 acre site on which Sarbough proposes building 239 apartments and condos. To build the project as intended, the BPDA would need to approve a zoning vari- ance. The neighborhood is not currently zoned for the type and height of multifamily continued on page 18