We’ve all seen the news photos of Hurricane Sandy’s wrath wrought along the Jersey Shore, Lower Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. While New England did not suffer the brunt of the storm, some areas of Connecticut, Rhode Island and so…
In buying into a condominium community and its lifestyle, the prospective owner signs a contract, agreeing to accept and uphold the community’s rules and regulations—and essentially waiving certain rights. In doing so, this buy…
Read any of the major business publications or websites and you’re bound to find articles on the importance of delegating. It’s one of the most fundamental skills for a successful business owner to have. A simple Internet search finds sc…
While essential to the successful operation of all cooperatives or condominiums, governing documents are often only glossed over by otherwise well-intentioned board members, residents and property managers leading to potential pitfalls.…
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…