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How To Run Your Building! For Co-ops and Condos
Whether you've served on your co-op/condo board for a long time, or just started, there are a myriad of professionals you will interact with and learn from. In this series, Habitat Magazine editors interview the leading New York property management executives to find out what works, what doesn't and where board challenges lie. You'll learn valuable insider tips and resources for solving the myriad of problems that you might face while governing your building.
Episodes
51 episodes
Facing NYC's "Perfect Storm" of Compliance Deadlines
It's coming: the convergence of multiple critical compliance deadlines that could devastate your building's finances. Hear how one 63-unit co-op is tackling the triple threat of Local Law 11, garage inspections, and Local Law 97 carbon emission...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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13:04
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What Happens When Nobody Shows Up to Approve Your Building Loan?
Who will show up for your co-op or condo’s annual meeting and will you have enough shareholders or unit-owners to conduct the necessary business at hand? That’s the pressing question as thousands of New York’s co-op and condo boards begin the a...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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8:18
Why Contractor Insurance Policies Matter More Than Ever
Labor law insurance claims continue to threaten insurance coverage for buildings, but there are some actionable items co-op and condo boards can take to reduce this exposure. Sean Kent, senior vice president at
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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18:09
Breaking the Budget Code
Budget shortfalls are a nightmare. But manipulating the numbers to create artificially low assessments or maintenance increases can have even worse consequences in the long run. Kyle Gregory, managing member and operating partner of
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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22:27
Quorum Without the Commute
Struggling to get quorum for your board meetings? Even after the pandemic, virtual meetings are transforming co-op and condo board operations. Buildings across New York have embraced digital meetings, resulting in better attendance, more flexib...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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7:13
Collecting Late Fees: A 3-Step Strategy for Co-ops and Condos
Discover how proper management of maintenance payments and common charges directly impacts your building's financial stability. Payments are typically considered late after the 10th of each month, with property management companies using ...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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13:10
Rising Insurance Costs and Budget Solutions for NYC Co-ops and Condos
Carol Ott of Habitat Magazine interviews Carl Borenstein, president of Veritas Management, about managing rising costs in co-op and condo buildings. Borenste...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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11:04
Beyond the Emergency: How to Lead Your Building Through Long-term Displacement
In conversation with Habitat's Paula Chin, Robert Ferrara, president of the Ferrara Management Group, shares invaluable insights from managing a devastating fi...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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13:31
Stop the Revolving Door: How to Choose a Management Company That Will Last
In this insightful conversation with Melissa Cafiero, director of management at Halstead Management, board directors get a behind-the-scenes look at how management companies approach new client relationships and handle transitions. Cafiero shar...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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23:32
From Annual Shock to Monthly Payments: A New Approach to Insurance Premiums
Insurance premiums for co-ops and condos are surging with double-digit increases year after year, and boards must pay these hefty fees upfront. But there's a financial tool that can help ease this burden. Michael Feldman, CEO of
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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16:07
Red Flags and Rescue Plans: When and How to Change Your Building's Management
Changing property managers for your co-op or condo can feel like performing surgery while the patient is awake — everything needs to keep running smoothly while you make the switch. Stephen Wilson, vice president of
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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8:59
Your Co-op Missed Two Years of Elections — Now What?
The pandemic's impact on co-op and condo governance continues in 2025, with some properties still feeling the fallout from missed annual meetings in 2020 and 2021. In this conversation Cosmin Ardeljan, senior VP at
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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7:15
Cash Flow Secrets: Why Your Building's Bank Balance Is Deceiving
Tracking your building’s financial health can be confusing, and one of the reasons is that your building’s bank balance doesn’t tell the whole story. In this episode, Thomas Thibodeaux, CFO at New Bedford Manag...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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12:21
The A-Word: Taking the Sting Out of Building Assessments
Historically co-ops and condos have been able to borrow money for building improvements and compliance requirements in an affordable way. With interest rates still high, this is not an attractive option any more. In this episode, Andre Kaplan, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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20:00
Follow the Water: How a Simple Leak Led to Diplomatic Relations
Water damage is not a unique occurrence in residential apartment buildings, but a recent crisis at an Upper East Side co-op got complicated to fix. Water was pooling in the boiler room and seeping into the electric meter room, and a shareholder...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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14:48
Show Me The Money: Strategic Options for Co-op and Condo Compliance Costs
One of the most pressing challenges facing NYC co-ops and condos is how to fund expensive local law compliance requirements. In this episode Armin Radoncic, principal at Venture New York Property Managemen...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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14:43
First-Time Condo Buyers Beware: The Real Story Behind 'Affordable' Monthly Charges
Transitioning from a developer to a condo board can bring unwelcome surprises and stark choices. That was the case at a Brooklyn condo, when new management took over and discovered owners were paying only half the amount needed to cover basic o...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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21:27
From Oil to Opportunity: How One Queens Co-op Slashed Energy Costs by 70%
While the dazzle of the latest energy reduction solutions is out of bounds for many co-ops and condos, the tried and true can often achieve just as much. That’s the case at the Imperial Sanford co-op in Queens, where substantial incentives boos...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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16:28
Why Transparency Is Key
A primary responsibility of the board of directors is protecting the building’s financial health. To do that, transparency is paramount. In this episode Michell Abubo, managing partner at Highrise Property ...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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13:26
When Boards Get Stuck: Breaking Through the Paralysis
Board inertia is a corporate disease that many members grapple with. Decisions get put off, problems grow and ultimately the health of the housing association suffers. In this episode, Andy Marks, Executive Vice President at
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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16:42
Condo Crisis: $550K Facade Job Balloons to $1.2M
A cautionary tale of facade repairs at an Upper East Side condo, where initial estimates of $550,000 ballooned to $1.2 million after engineers discovered insufficient brick ties during Local Law 11 inspections.
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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10:51
Get Your Board Head Out of The Sand
If a co-op or condo building operates at a deficit, there are only two outcomes – payables are late and cash erodes. That’s what Daniel Wollman, CEO of Gumley Haft, found when he was re-hired at a condomini...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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15:37
A Gas Story: How One Board Didn't Wait For The Inevitable
One of the most reliable sources of fuel for New York’s apartment buildings is gas, but the lines that it flows through — from heating to cooking — have become a critical concern because leaks often lead to complete gas shutdowns. AJ Rexhepi, C...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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16:32
Finding Energy Saving Strategies That Make Economic Sense
There are many strategies – and price points – that will reduce energy consumption in a building, and Stuart Halper, vice president of Impact Management, emphasizes an economically sensible approach. For m...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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20:07
How To Handle An Aggrieved Shareholder
There are two sides to every problem - and sometimes even more. When one crops up in a co-op or condo, someone has to step back, take a breath, maybe eat some crow, and get the issue resolved. In this episode, Josh Koppel, president of
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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9:37