Co-op/Condo News: Outsourced Supers, Lady Gaga & An App Just for You
NYC: July 19, 2010 — Recent news for co-op boards and condo associations.
"Appy" days are here again, with a smartphone app made just for co-op and condo boards. A co-op board in Brooklyn wonders if its water bills are too high, and a co-op in Bronxville keeps electric costs low. We've the latest tips for condo buyers — that includes you, too, prospective Soho purchaser Lady Gaga! — and we go around the country to show you how others boards are handling disasters, discrimination and distress. And what week would be complete with bad-board news, for which we go to Granite Bay, Calif., where common sense has gone out the door. A solar door, in particular.
Read all the latest co-op board and condo board news in Habitat's weekly Monday News Roundup! Also included: Permanent archival links. If a link ever goes dead, you'll still be able to read the backup at WebCitation.org.
- "Should We Outsource our Super?" (BrickUnderground.com)
- "Mayor Marvin's Column: River House Co-op and Energy Savings" by Bronxville Mayor Mary C. Marvin (Bronxville.Patch.com)
- "There's an App For My Condo!" (Marketwire press release from Mobile Homes)
- "Are We Overpaying for Water?" (Brownstoner.com forum)
Buying and Selling...
- "Condo Contents Insurance — What [Condo Buyers] Need to Know" by Alison Rogers (MoneyWatch.com)
- "The March of the Conversions" from pre-war rental building to condo, by Hilary Stout ( The New York Times), and critique of some article points, at "Several Pre-war Buildings are Becoming Condos" by Malcolm Carter (Service You Can Trust blog)
- "A New Holy Grail for Loans": Lenders are Loosening Requirements when It Comes to Issuing Mortgages in New Condos" by Catherine Curan ( The Real Deal)
- "The Farewell Tip: No Right Answer" (BrickUnderground.com)
- "Hey, Lady!," on Lady Gaga considering purchase of a condo penthouse in Soho, by Jennifer Gould Keil ( New York Post)
Board Issues from Around the Country...
- "Homeowners Association Demands Removal of Energy-Efficient Door" by Sena Christian ( The Press Tribune [Granite Bay, Calif.])
- "HUD Alleges Discrimination at Denver Condos" (The Associated Press)
- "Condo Owners Plead to Council" over effectively being forced to abandon apartments built on contaminated soil, by Jennifer Myers ( The Lowell Sun [Lowell, Mass.])
- "American Dream Gone Awry: Tenants in Columbia Heights Thought Buying their Apartments Would Be Easy. They were Wrong" by Lydia DePillis ( Washington City Paper)
WebCite archives:
"Outsource" • "River House" • "App" • "Overpaying" • "Conversions" • "Becoming Condos" • "Holy Grail" • "Farewell Tip" • "Hey, Lady" • "Energy-Efficient Door" • "Discrimination" • "Owners Plead" • "American Dream"