Category: Finance

As Costs Rise, So Do Carrying Charges By Darcey Gerstein

The Community Associations Institute (CAI) estimates that 74 million Americans live in communities managed by homeowners associations, of which condos account for 35% to 40%. That’s a lot of people - many of whom may be in for a nasty shock…

As Costs Rise, So Do Carrying Charges By Darcey Gerstein

The Community Associations Institute (CAI) estimates that 74 million Americans live in communities managed by homeowners associations, of which condos account for 35% to 40%. That’s a lot of people - many of whom may be in for a nasty shock…

2020 October Tapping Reserves in a Time of Financial Crisis By Robert Nordlund, PE, RS

It’s a question we’re asked all the time: “Can we use reserves to cover an operating fund shortfall?” Under normal circumstances, our standard response would be an emphatic “No!”—because reserves are for major repair and replacement project…

Tapping Reserves in a Time of Financial Crisis By Robert Nordlund, PE, RS

It’s a question we’re asked all the time: "Can we use reserves to cover an operating fund shortfall?" Under normal circumstances, our standard response would be an emphatic “No!” -- because reserves are for major repair and replacement proj…

What to Do About HOA Finances & Arrears During Coronavirus By Jim Slaughter

Questions to our firm about how homeowner and condominium associations should respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic have come in waves.  When news of the virus broke, we were asked by HOAs and condos how to keep homeowners safe. (S…

2018 December The Appraisal Process By A.J. Sidransky

For many people, appraisals – why they’re done, how they’re done, and how they’re used – are a mystery. But that need not be the case. For all intents and purposes, appraisals are a straightforward and simple component in the process of com…

2013 July FEMA Funding 101 By W. B. King

*Editor's note:  In anticipation of Hurricane Irma's possible landfall in Florida later this week, The South Florida Cooperator is featuring a selection of past articles on storm preparation, emergency planning, and post-storm clean-up. Fl…

2016 December Reversing the Trend By Debra A. Estock

There has been a recent push by federal, state and local legislators to get reverse mortgages or Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) approved for residential cooperatives. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) h…

2015 July Don’t Raid the Cookie Jar By Liz Lent

Sometimes the future seems like it’s an awfully long way away. If a roof is going to last 30 years, why should we worry about it today? Same with that shiny new air conditioner or that flat, crack-free pavement just poured two summers ago.…

2015 July Dealing with Code Violations By Tom Lisi

Those of us without engineering degrees tend to take the buildings in which we live and work for granted. We simply assume that if we go indoors, the ceiling isn't going to suddenly collapse. Of course, buildings can remain upright and str…