Q. I live in a six-apartment condo building. Two of the residents have decided on their own without contacting the board or other residents to put cameras outside the doors to their units on two different floors. Is that legal for them t…
Self-managed communities large and small can save a considerable amount of money by eschewing third-party management and handling their day-to-day business in-house. This means the board must assume the tasks and responsibilities that commu…
Every condo, co-op and HOA resident has a stake in what happens in their community. Each decision—from financial oversight to building improvements—impacts everyone collectively. That’s why holding and attending annual board meetings is so …
Maintaining your community’s public spaces is critical to the image your community puts forward to residents, visitors and potential buyers. Frequent updating and polishing of common areas—particularly high-visibility, high-traffic areas li…
The warmth of the spring sun encourages us to get outdoors and, even in big cities where concrete is king, we can appreciate the appeal of a well-kept grassy area. Whether it’s stretching our legs on a grassy lawn in Central Park or walking…
One of the perpetual challenges of multifamily, shared interest living is the relatively small number of community members who are willing to volunteer their time to govern and run the community. It’s not uncommon for any building or associ…
According to a recent item on Global News Wire, Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey ® (PMMS) on May 15 showing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.81%. "The 30-year fix…
Even with new home sales rising thanks to builder incentives and a shift toward lower-priced homes, sky-high prices and economic instability continue to suppress overall housing market activity, according to a recent report in The Wal…
Q. Nice weather has arrived in New England, and electric rates have skyrocketed. I thought it would be a good idea to put a clothes line on my condo deck, both to save money on the electric bill and to enjoy that fresh air-dried feel of m…
What’s a board to do when a shareholder or unit owner consistently fails to hold up their end of the agreements—both spoken and unspoken—that underpin successful multifamily living, either through nonpayment of fees, or objectionable behavi…