When someone says 'landscaping,' the first thought that comes to mind probably isn't the front entrance of a Newark co-op or the curb of a Jersey City condo building, but greenery and other design elements definitely add to a building's…
Tag: Greg Olear
2012 January
Management Style
Every condo, co-op, and HOA community is different—each has its own distinctive character, attitude, and expectations. The same is obviously true for the individual people who manage these communities and help them run their day-to-day …
2012 January
Managing Properties in Tough Times
The economy cratered—to use a term in popular parlance at that time—in September, 2008, with the collapse of too-big-to-fail Lehman Brothers. While the measures undertaken by the federal government and the Federal Reserve averted complet…
2011 December
True Crime
While the vast majority of cities across the country report declining crime statistics, the fact remains that crime still does happen sometimes—even in the quietest, most affluent communities. Prevention is the best form of crime reduct…
2011 August
Training Day
Co-ops and condos function thanks to the dedication of board members who volunteer their time and expertise to make sure their building or HOA is efficiently run and that their investment is protected. Ideally, new board members might …
2011 April
Is Grass Passé?
When most people think of landscaping, they think of shrubs, trees, meticulously laid-out and maintained flowerbeds, and artful plantings scattered around a building or development. Landscaping doesn’t end with growing things, however; …
2010 December
Avoiding Common Security Mistakes
Regardless of whether you live in a densely populated urban area or a more suburban community, security is something most homeowners are concerned about—even if they're not sure how to best secure their own property. Most people know how…
2010 Nov
Concrete Concerns
New York City is often called “the concrete jungle” thanks to the thousands of square miles of pavement of all descriptions that cover the city, but New Jersey has its own acres and acres of concrete, and caring for all that is a huge j…
2010 October
Mind Your Manners, Mr. Board President
The job of a co-op or condo board member seems pretty straightforward: have meetings, take votes on this or that item of business, approve checks, keep an eye on the budget, and so forth. That’s the administrative part of the …
2010 September
Here Comes Trouble
The vast majority of community association residents are normal folks who wouldn't dream of disrupting life in their building by being verbally abusive to neighbors, blowing up board members' phones and e-mail inboxes with endless comp…