Most condo and HOA residents understand that there is a board protecting the interests of their community and individual owners—they’ve probably taken part in numerous board elections, served on committees or volunteered on behalf of th…
Unlike individual apartment owners’ insurance coverage, most co-ops, condos, and HOAs’ insurance policies are pretty standard—they include homeowners’ insurance, liability, and umbrella coverage. Usually, a building’s common areas—such as…
The economic crisis has affected many individuals, businesses and markets—the real estate and job markets, to name just two particularly nasty examples. Until now, one of the few industries that didn’t seem as deeply impacted was the ins…
In the last two years, Fannie Mae has amended it guidelines for selling and serving mortgages on condominiums, cooperatives, and planned unit developments three times. Why should service providers, cooperative corporations and community…
If you’re looking for a lush patch of green in New Jersey, you’re in luck: the Garden State is so named because of the multitude of flora- and fauna-filled havens to choose from when you’re looking for an escape. But one garden…
Lakewood Township is a diverse community with a rich history, a growing population, and a wide array of attractions and amenities. Located in Ocean County, the township's accessibility to major urban centers has attracted residents who…
Ah, summertime. It’s a great time for property managers to kick back and relax -- except for that out-of-control grill fire on the deck of unit 31 that nearly spread to adjacent units; that ornery 13-year-old who broke his finger during…
As recent events in the financial and insurance sectors of our economy have painfully demonstrated, oversight and accountability are vital components in any healthy business relationship -- and that holds true whether you’re talking abo…
Fresh from hoisting up the banking and automobile sectors, a newly muscular Uncle Sam is now turning his attention to putting the skids on the real estate meltdown. Earlier this year, the Obama Administration rolled out two ma…
Even in the best of economic times, preparing a condominium’s annual budget is a tiresome task, fraught with uncertainty, estimations and shifting numbers. Now, factor in one of the most challenging economic downturns in a cent…