Working in groups can be a challenge. Working in groups when people’s homes—and possibly their life savings—are involved can be a far greater challenge. It’s one faced every day by those brave souls who volunteer to serve on their co-op …
These days, there are few people who don’t have a business website, a Facebook account and even a Twitter handle. It’s the same for buildings. As the rise of online social media invades nearly every aspect of our daily life, co…
As housing markets in many parts of the country—including New England—have foundered, many developers have opted to convert portions of communities originally intended to be condominiums into rental properties. When a development with n…
Can’t we all just get along? It’s a million-dollar question. When people move into a community, they often look for the friendliness and camaraderie that living in an association brings. But with many personalities often butting heads o…
Everybody sometimes disagrees with the decisions of the condo or HOA board. Maybe the choice to rearrange the garbage receptacles out front seems ridiculous, or the ongoing clattering of machinery on the roof is driving the top-floor r…
Anyone who’s clocked lots of hours at association meetings has a story or two about high passion and heated arguments—but a police detail at an annual meeting? “If someone’s just too disruptive,” reports Henry Goodman of the Dedham, Mass…
Most people assume that as soon as they buy their first home, they will finally have the freedom to paint their decks purple, to hang fluorescent window treatments and colorful sconces, or litter their lawns with political or yard sale…
Election season typically starts around Labor Day, when we start to be bombarded with reminders to cast our ballots to choose who we want to be in charge of our city, town, state and country. It ends on Election Day in November, when th…
Being elected to the board of a co-op or a condo comes with a great deal of power, and with that power also comes a great deal of responsibility. Whether they serve a co-op or condo community, trustees and board members, in their posit…
This past year, many condominium associations enjoyed a double dose of good fortune: a milder winter with less snow removal and salting, resulting in a little extra money left in the coffers by spring. The question then becomes: What t…