May 9, 2008 — The British are coming! And so are the French, Italians, Germans, and Greeks. With a weak dollar, co-ops may soon have to relent on restrictive admissions policies and let ’em in. But permission must come with protections. What are the risks that boards take in permitting foreign ownership? What steps can you take to reduce risks? Read More »

May 7, 2008 — This is the dawning of the Age of Octogenarians.

"All those people who were 60 when their buildings converted in 1985 are now over 80," says attorney James Samson. "You have co-ops that are quasi-retirement communities." And as your building gets greyer, your board should be concerned — for humanitarian reasons, for liability questions and for safety's sake. On the one hand, a co-op or condo is a business concern designed to increase shareholder/real estate value. On the other, it's a community — or at least that's the rationale co-op boards have long used to exclude potential buyers, even those with impeccable finances. But you're not a community if you don't commune. Read More »

May 5, 2008 — It can be as simple as switching from incandescent to fluorescent lightbulbs. It can be a bit more complex, like replacing worn-out air conditioners and washing machines with energy-efficient appliances. Or, it can be as exotic as installing a microturbine, or turning a rooftop into an insulating garden. Whichever way, many co-op and condo boards are taking action to make their buildings, their city and their planet shade toward the desirable new color: green. Read More »

May 9, 2008 — This week's new product isn't so much "new" as it is new to us — and, we'll wager, to most board-members in these neo-green times. Because wouldn't you know it, but nowadays even insecticide has gone green.

We're speaking about "diatomaceous earth," or DE — a soft, sedimentary rock comprised of ground-up, fossilized shells of algae-like plants called diatoms. (See above. Kinda pretty, ain't they?) Ground into a flour-like powder, DE is used for all sorts of things, from filtration devices to cat litter to an odorless and nontoxic "mechanical insecticide." Read More »

May 5, 2008: A New Buyers' Article Every Monday — Is the co-op or condo liable when secondhand smoke emanates from an apartment? It is indeed, according to the landmark ruling in Poyck v. Bryant. When smoke gets in your eyes — or nose or throat — this violates the warranty of habitability that applies to all residential apartments. Read More »

The trade convention BuildingsNY 2008 will take place June 17-18 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. Read More »