Problem Solved! For Co-ops and Condos

New condo buildings can look flawless on the surface, but that polish sometimes hides problems that only become obvious once people have already moved in. In this episode, Joseph Cosentino, managing director and head of mechanical engineering at FSI Architecture, explains forensic audits, the deep investigations boards call for when something isn't adding up. Cosentino explains how his team pieces together what really happened during construction, comparing design documents and offering plans against what they find walking from the building's mechanical rooms to rooftops. He shares what tends to get overlooked, how these investigations connect to litigation against developers, and what timelines and costs actually look like. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Getting people to run for a co-op or condo board is harder than it sounds, and one Brooklyn condo's experience shows just how much a broken process can hold a building back. Corinne Arnold and Will Kwan, managing partners at EZ Election Solutions, talk about what it really takes to turn apathy into engagement, from the subtle red flags that make a candidate risky to the surprisingly simple fixes that get more people to step up. They also unpack why quorum trouble is rarely just about disinterest, and how the right systems can change that before a meeting even starts. Whether you've sat through an election that dragged on for weeks or wondered why your building's board always seems to have empty seats, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at what separates a smooth election from a stalled one. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Laundry rooms rarely make headlines, but when machines break down or vendors go quiet, they become the most talked-about amenity in the building. In this episode, Sandra DiLollo, sales manager at Automatic Industries, walks through what boards need to know before switching laundry vendors. She explains why timing matters so much, how vend pricing gets set, and what happens to the room during a changeover. DiLollo also breaks down the service guarantees that separate a good vendor from a frustrating one, and why boards should decide upfront whether they want the amenity to generate revenue or simply keep residents happy. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

A 1960s condo on Manhattan's East Side was staring down carbon fines that would climb past $250,000 a year — until its board decided to act. Michael Scorrano, managing director and founder of the EN-POWER GROUP, a Verdantas Company, walks through how they swapped an aging, gas-fired heating and cooling system for electric chillers and heat pumps, all without disturbing a single shareholder's apartment. He breaks down how the building tackled its fuel switch and what other boards can learn, from the surprising mechanical hiccup that slowed things down mid-project to the rebate programs that helped offset the cost. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Luggage carts have a way of disappearing in doorman buildings, tucked into hallways and forgotten until someone else needs one and can't find it anywhere. It's the kind of small, everyday annoyance most residents just shrug off. On this episode of Problem Solved, Jerry Kestenbaum, founder and CEO of Aware Buildings, explains how one frustrated building turned that minor mystery into something much bigger: a real-time tracking system built on Bluetooth beacons and a clever wearable device. What started as a way to locate carts quickly evolved into something bigger, as staff found their own creative uses for the system. Kestenbaum walks through real installation costs, the surprising ways one building repurposed the system to monitor cleaning staff coverage, and where the technology is headed next: tracking service contractors to confirm they're actually showing up and doing the work they're paid for. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

A West Village condo opened with a lobby designed by a high-profile architect, the kind of detail that helped sell apartments before anyone moved in. But once residents settled in, the design started working against them: materials that couldn't handle daily wear, finishes that felt more showroom than home, and a layout that made simple things harder than they should have been. Marilyn Sygrove, president of Sygrove Associates Design Group, unpacks what actually went wrong and how her team rebuilt the space from the ground up, balancing artistic ambition with everyday practicality. She shares how the board sourced local artists to anchor the redesign, the survey tactics that actually get honest resident input, and a budgeting approach that reframes a lobby project as a decades-long investment rather than a one-time expense. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Insurance costs have become one of the biggest headaches for New York co-op and condo boards, and umbrella policies are feeling the squeeze hardest. Sophie Bird, senior vice president at IMA Corp., explains why boards today are buying a fraction of the coverage they once did, and what's driving the market to shrink this way. She also reveals a lesser-known path some buildings are using to secure far more protection for far less money, though it comes with strict conditions most people wouldn't expect insurance to care about. Bird shares a real example of a building that made one targeted investment and saw dramatic savings within a year, along with practical advice on the everyday factors that can quietly disqualify a building from the best options. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Garage inspections sound like unremarkable, until a single overlooked detail turns a routine repair into a race against a filing deadline. In this episode, Charles Phillips, senior project manager at Merritt Engineering, takes us inside a Brooklyn co-op's compliance scramble, where solid structural conditions weren't the problem — details were. Phillips unpacks how communication can break down between a board, its management company, and the engineers doing the work, and what it actually takes to course-correct before penalties kick in. He also shares the physical red flags anyone parking in a building's garage should recognize, plus everyday maintenance choices that quietly extend a structure's life or shorten it. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

A five-year, nearly $10 million facade restoration across six Manhattan high-rises sounds like a board's worst nightmare, but careful planning turned it into a success story. Michael Stripunsky, associate principal at SUPERSTRUCTURES, unpacks the project's toughest challenges: coordinating repairs across 700-plus units without disrupting residents or the building's commercial tenants, deciding which facades to prioritize first, and finding a way to shrink the sidewalk shed's footprint long before the project was finished. He also details a documentation method that kept the contractor accountable at every stage of the concrete repair process, a small shift that made an outsized difference in efficiency. For boards bracing for their own facade project, Stripunsky offers insight into what actually keeps timelines and budgets under control, and what separates a project that runs smoothly from one that spirals. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

A 450-unit co-op in the Bronx spent years unable to get enough shareholders engaged to hold a valid board election. Linda Gibbs, owner and president of Honest Ballot, has spent nearly three decades helping buildings like this one solve that exact problem, mixing paper ballots, phone voting, and online systems to chase down the votes that keep slipping away. She talks candidly about what it takes to rebuild trust in a community that's stopped showing up, the surprising tension that erupts once ballots are finally counted, and one election gone so wrong that security had to get involved. It's a rare look inside the machinery that keeps community governance running, and a reminder that even routine elections can turn into something far more dramatic than anyone expects. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

A management company transition should be routine: the old firm hands everything off, the new one takes over, and life goes on. But Carl Cesarano, principal at Cesarano & Khan, has spent years watching these handoffs quietly unravel, leaving boards scrambling months later when the annual audit comes due and nobody can locate records. Boxes get shipped, stored, and forgotten. Agents blame each other. And suddenly a building that's been operating for decades finds itself unable to produce a basic financial statement.Cesarano breaks down the questions boards rarely think to ask during a handoff, and why a treasurer's diligence in the first few weeks can make or break an entire fiscal year. It's a study in what happens when "we'll sort it out later" becomes the plan, and a roadmap for making sure your building doesn't end up in the same bind. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

A landmark Upper West Side co-op thought its terracotta facade just needed another round of repairs. Instead, it uncovered nine cycles of patchwork that had made things worse. Raul Mayta, principal architect and co-founder of M+S Architects and Engineers, walks through how his team used laser scanning and hands-on investigation to find hidden cracks masked by old waterproofing, and why some sections had to be fully replaced rather than repaired again. He explains the real difference between stabilizing and replacing terracotta, how digital documentation can save future boards time and money, and why accurate surveys set the tone for an entire project's budget and timeline. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Replacing a roof sounds straightforward — until it isn't. For co-op and condo boards, a routine repair can spiral into a cascade of unexpected consequences, all triggered by something as small as a change in thickness. In this episode, Craig Tooman, principal at CTA Architects, talks about how today's energy code is quietly rewriting the rules of roof replacement in ways most boards never see coming. There's a high-tech solution that sounds almost too good to be true, but Tooman explains why it might not be the right call for every building. The tradeoffs are real, and boards who hear them now will be far better prepared when the time comes. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Switching managing agents sounds straightforward — until it isn't. In this episode Meredith Wettach, manager at WilkinGuttenplan, unpacks the financial surprises that quietly derail co-op and condo buildings during management transitions. Wettach has seen it all: missing records, dormant accounts nobody knew existed, and six-figure expenses that slipped through the cracks for years before anyone noticed. She walks boards through the specific documents, accounts, and vendor relationships that demand immediate attention when a new agent takes over — and explains why even well-intentioned, hardworking boards so often miss them. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Accessibility complaints are one of those slow-moving threats that co-op and condo boards rarely see coming — until they're already in trouble. In this episode, Louis Lipson and Eric Cohen, principals and architects at Ethelind Coblin Architect, walk through a real case that landed a New York City building in the crosshairs of the Department of Justice. What started as a single complaint from a patient visiting a doctor's office turned into a year-long process involving federal regulators, city agencies, attorneys, and some genuinely creative architectural problem-solving. Lipson and Cohen are candid about the constraints, the costs, and the moments where there simply wasn't a perfect answer. If you've ever wondered how buildings navigate the gap between what the law demands and what's physically possible, this might be the answer. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

If your building's energy bills feel like they're running on autopilot, it's time for a wake-up call. John Stevens, founder of Alternative Sustainability, reveals how rooftop exhaust fans could be costing your building up to $70,000 a year. He breaks down how newer fan technology can slash energy use by up to 87%, with a return on investment in as little than 1.6 years. Whether your building has five fans or forty-five, Stevens explains how boards can phase in replacements gradually without blowing the budget. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

A 1912 building on the Upper East Side failed its gas inspection and faced a terrifying reality: repairs could exceed half a million dollars, with residents losing cooking gas for an indefinite period. Peter Varsalona, principal at RAND Engineering & Architecture, walked the board through a systematic approach that ultimately saved them over $300,000 and minimized apartment disruptions. Varsalona explains exactly how they isolated the problem areas and why his testing strategy worked, but also reveals what happens when it fails spectacularly. He shares the specific changes that protect buildings and discusses why converting to electric might not be the solution everyone thinks it is. If your prewar building uses gas, this episode could save you from an expensive crisis. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

A newer Upper West Side condominium was facing a crisis: three water damage claims over four years had pushed their insurance premium from $50,000 to $130,000. Sophie Bird, Senior Vice President at IMA Financial Group, reveals how her team discovered the real culprit wasn't the building itself, but something hidden in the bylaws that was driving up claim costs. Bird explains the unconventional strategy her team used to help this condo escape the expensive non-admitted insurance market and start bringing premiums back down. Along the way, she shares insider knowledge about when boards should actually report claims and why frequency matters more than severity. Whether your board is currently struggling with rising insurance costs or wants to prevent future problems, this case study offers a roadmap for using governing documents strategically to protect your building's financial health. Habitat’s Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

What happens when a multi-million-dollar condo conversion hides serious structural problems in plain sight? Restoration architect Hannah Sebastian, co-founder of Mayta + Sebastian Architecture, walks board directors through a real-world case involving a landmarked former church near Washington Square, where leaks, failing marble, and a visibly — but not obviously — leaning spire sparked years of debate with shareholders. Board members will learn how advanced tools like laser scanning and BIM modeling helped cut through skepticism, clearly communicate risk, and ultimately build consensus for critical (and costly) repairs. The conversation offers practical lessons and concrete strategies on how data-driven visuals can defuse shareholder resistance, and why accurate records and phased capital planning are essential — especially in landmark buildings. Habitat’s Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

An 18-story Upper West Side condo thought they were being financially prudent by delaying their facade inspection. Instead, they ended up paying half a million dollars more than they should have. Gene Ferrara, president at JMA Consultants, walks through exactly what went wrong with this building and why the problems kept compounding. The terracotta repairs turned out to be far more complicated than anyone expected, involving structural steel issues and difficult conversations with residents about moving furniture. The delays meant dealing with access agreements that became increasingly expensive and complex. Ferrara explains what this building could have done differently and offers specific guidance on timing that could help other buildings avoid the same costly mistakes. The technical details are fascinating, but what really comes through is how much money and headaches buildings could save with better planning and honest communication. Habitat’s Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

When a 1927 Emery Roth building on the Upper West Side faced a crumbling cornice, the board could have spent a fortune on traditional terracotta and waited two years for installation. Instead, Oswald Bertolini and Eric Vonderhyde, partners at Bertolini Architectural Works, came up with an unconventional solution that cut both costs and timelines while satisfying Landmarks' strict requirements. This conversation reveals the collaboration between architects, manufacturers, and preservationists that made the project work, plus insider strategies for managing complex facade repairs across multiple seasons. The results transformed how historic buildings approach restoration while honoring their architectural legacy. Habitat’s Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

New York City’s phase-out of No. 4 heating oil is accelerating, and Jeff Cohn, Director of Energy Programs at Approved Oil, lays out the practical steps every No. 4 oil-fueled building must take to stay compliant, control costs, and avoid mid-winter emergencies. Drawing on a real-world conversion at 95 Park Terrace, he explains how to evaluate your tank room, prepare for DOB inspections, adjust older boilers for lighter fuels, and tap into the savings and cleaner performance of biofuel blends.You’ll learn clear, actionable steps to take for a  fuel transition before deadlines and prices tighten. Habitat’s Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

A 200-plus-unit Manhattan condo thought they were holding a routine virtual election. Votes were cast through Zoom chat and emergency intervention was required to certify the results. In this episode, Corinne Arnold and Will Kwan from EZ Election Solutions explain why they were brought in to salvage the situation. They walk through what went wrong, why the managing agent running the election created problems nobody anticipated, and how the chaos could have been avoided entirely. The conversation unpacks the warning signs other boards should watch for and reveals practical lessons about election security, voter privacy, and when to bring in outside help. If your building handles its own elections, this case study offers a cautionary tale worth hearing. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Warren House, a 330-unit post-war condo in Murray Hill, was staring down rising utility bills and Local Law 97 fines. What happened next offers a blueprint for other buildings facing similar pressures. Robert Post, vice president of co-op and condo at Parity, walks through the challenges Warren House encountered with their fan coil heating and cooling system, the technology solution they implemented, and why their first-year results blew past initial projections. He explains their approach of optimizing existing systems rather than replacing them, and details why collecting data throughout the building can be an invaluable asset for future planning. The conversation offers an inside look at how smart automation is transforming building operations, all while keeping residents comfortable and budgets intact. Habitat’s Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Residents of 1 Grand Army Plaza — a sleek, all-glass condo in Brooklyn — struggled with sweltering corridors and soaring repair bills, and set out to find why. Unfortunately, the “why” turned out to be a fundamental design flaw in the building’s ventilation system. The fix, shared by Amalia Cuadra, senior director of engineering at En-Power Group, was a phased capital project that not only restored comfort but also cut energy use, improved the building’s letter grade, and reduced carbon emissions — without blowing the budget. Cuadra urges boards to think beyond “replace A with A” and instead take a holistic, forward-looking approach to capital upgrades, which this Brooklyn condo successfully did. Habitat’s Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Insurance carriers are abandoning New York buildings at an alarming rate, and your co-op or condo could be next. Jason Schiciano, co-president of Levitt-Fuirst Insurance and Bonding, reveals how a 108-unit cooperative saw their premium nearly triple after being non-renewed by their carrier. Learn why insurance companies are walking away from New York buildings and discover the red flags that could put your building at risk. Schiciano shares practical strategies to protect your building's insurability, and reveals why addressing maintenance issues now could save your board from a financial crisis later. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

When a small Manhattan co-op suddenly saw its budget spike, rising costs weren’t the culprit — it was an administrative filing error. Turns out the co-op had lost its co-op tax abatement worth $60,000 because its management company had missed the rule regarding prevailing wage requirements. Avi Zanjirian, partner at Czarnowski & Beer walks us through how the board discovered the oversight, fixed the problem, and ultimately got the abatement reinstated. Habitat’s Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

When a routine facade inspection uncovered a catastrophic structural failure, the garage at an Upper East Side co-op became a ticking time bomb. In this episode, Michael Monteiro, senior project engineer at Cowley Engineering, explains why ramps are the canary in the coal mine for structural issues, what warning signs residents can spot themselves, and how ignoring deterioration can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs. With 1,600 NYC properties still non-compliant with new inspection rules and the DOB conducting surprise inspections, this conversation could save your building from disaster.  Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Water damage is insidious: it will eat into your building's budget and drive up insurance costs. John Rusk, president and co-founder of ProSentry, reveals how an affordable leak detection system can transform your building's risk profile through the story of a condominium that saved $300,000 on insurance after installing sensors throughout the building. You'll learn about the surprisingly simple installation process and how you may even end up with a discount on your insurance. If you're facing rising insurance premiums or struggling with repeated water damage, this episode offers practical solutions that pay for themselves. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Time is running out for New York co-op and condo boards facing Local Law 97's 2030 compliance deadline, but there's a smart path forward. Punit Shah, Vice President of Existing Buildings at Bright Power, shares the surprising reality facing one Upper East Side condo that was looking at massive penalties. Shah reveals the three-phase approach that's transforming buildings across the city, from quick-payback retrofits to electrification readiness measures. Whether your building can achieve full electrification or needs hybrid solutions, this episode provides the actionable roadmap every board member needs to hear before 2028. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

When a post-war Upper West Side co-op decided to electrify to meet Local Law 97 requirements, they thought they had a clear roadmap. But what started as a $2 million project quickly spiraled into something much bigger and much more complex. Tina Larsson, CEO of The Folson Group, reveals why even well thought out projects can double in cost and scope. If you're planning any major infrastructure work, her insights could save your building from similar surprises. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Gas shutdowns are every building's nightmare, and depending on which service is affected residents could be without heat, cooking or laundry service for who knows how long. Getting service restored can open a can of worms though, particularly in a laundry room. Ashley Erichsen, an account executive at Automatic Industries, explains why and details the journey of a large Bronx co-op to get its laundry room back up and running after a gas shutdown. Habitat’s Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Board members taking control of new condominiums need to engage an independent accountant to perform a proper financial true-up — before it's too late. Amy Jennings, a manager at WilkinGuttenplan, reveals how one Manhattan condo board discovered their sponsor owed them six figures only after the waiver period (when the sponsor markets the building by waiving common charges) ended. The building had secretly been running at a loss for at least a year. Worse, this isn't an isolated incident. Jennings explains the crucial differences in accounting that create these budgeting gaps. If your building recently transitioned from sponsor control, this episode could save your building substantial money. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Water waste is often a silent drain on your building’s finances, and it takes a bit of sleuthing to find the source. Alan Rothschild, president of the Vantage Group, a water cost management consultancy, reveals how one Harlem condominium discovered their commercial tenant was secretly using water-cooled refrigeration equipment that bypassed their sub-meter, costing the building thousands annually. He shares practical strategies for  identifying waste, the real cost of sub-metering commercial spaces, and what professional water conservation tune-ups actually accomplish. Habitat’s Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

When an Upper East Side co-op’s gas pipes failed Local Law 152 inspection and service was immediately shut off, what happened next could have cost over half a million dollars. Instead, smart planning kept repairs under $200,000, and engineering expert Peter Varsalona, principal at Rand Engineering and Architecture, reveals the step-by-step strategy that saved this building from disaster. Learn why testing gas systems in sections was crucial and how individual apartment meters created unexpected complications. Discover why waiting for the mandatory four-year inspection is a costly mistake, learn specific alteration agreement language that protects your building from shareholder-caused gas shutdowns, and understand when converting to electric makes financial sense. This real-world case study could save your building hundreds of thousands of dollars and months of resident disruption. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Your building's insurance renewal just became a high-stakes game, and many boards don't even know they're playing. In this episode, risk control specialist Brice Reynolds of Mackoul Risk Solutions reveals how insurance companies are now aggressively using "loss recs" to cancel policies within 30 days, leaving buildings scrambling for coverage. You'll discover what these are, why simple sidewalk cracks and damaged curbs have become threats to your building's insurability and why old strategies for getting insurance no longer work. Reynolds shares real case studies, including how one Manhattan co-op nearly lost coverage due to administrative delays, and explains the specific timeline pressures boards face. This isn't theoretical — it's happening to buildings across New York City right now, and your board needs to know what to do to protect your community's future. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Asking a doorman to watch packages and the front door simultaneously has become unsustainable in today’s package-happy world, but that’s the reality in many buildings. Marilyn Sygrove, president of Sygrove Associates, recounts how one Upper East Side co-op tackled a dysfunctional lobby that was set up so the doorman had to do both — a security nightmare that frustrated everyone. In this episode, Sygrove shares her three-step approach to solving design challenges such as this one, breaks down the financial reality of a lobby renovation, and provides strategies for financial planning, including assessments and payment schedules. Habitat’s Carol Ott conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Imagine cutting your building's energy costs by 25%, while keeping residents comfortable and complying with Local Law 97. One Queens co-op did just that, saving $24,000 using smart heating sensors.Izzy Friedman, director of technical services, and Daniel Berg, account manager at Entech, reveal how indoor temperature sensors can transform your building's heating system from a money-draining guessing game into a precision operation. Learn how these systems catch expensive problems before they become disasters, like the building that was hemorrhaging 1,100 gallons of water daily due to an underground leak that sensors detected within a week.Beyond the immediate savings, Friedman and Berg explain how predictive maintenance can extend your boiler's life and eliminate those dreaded emergency repairs. No matter what kind of system you're running, this smart building technology can pay for itself in under a year while giving you the data to make informed decisions about your property's future. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

With the 2030 carbon emissions deadline approaching fast and major retrofits looming by 2035, New York City board members need to listen up. Mark Balsam, president of ReDocs, an energy and compliance consultancy, reveals why so many buildings are still scrambling despite years of advance notice — and more importantly, what smart boards are doing about it. Learn how analyzing your building's square footage differently could slash your carbon targets, why paying penalties might hurt your financing and insurance options, and which compliance strategies actually deliver ROI. Habitat's Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

When a century-old building's terracotta cornice started cracking, the board faced what seemed like a straightforward fix: replace the damaged sections with new terracotta. But a closer examination of the numbers told a different story, says Michael Wolfe, president of Wolfe Realty Services, who consulted with the board. The cornice work cost $750,000, and the total project totalled $1.2 million when scaffolding and mobilization was factored in. By thinking ahead, this building avoided spending another $300,000-$400,000 on future mobilization costs when those terracotta patches would inevitably fail again. In this episode, Wolfe shares why it might pay to spend more upfront — sometimes the "obvious" solution isn't the smartest one — especially when you're planning for the long haul. Habitat’s Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Board members struggling with constant water damage need to hear this: Jerry Kestenbaum, CEO of the technology and service provider Aware Buildings, explains how one 220-unit luxury co-op in Sutton Place transformed from having staff literally walk hallways listening for leak alarms to deploying a sophisticated wireless sensor network that catches problems in real time.Learn how this building invested $85,000 upfront to eliminate the chaos of battery-operated sensors that died at the worst moments, and discover the surprising connectivity solutions that work when cellular signals fail and running new cables isn't an option. Beyond immediate leak detection, Kestenbaum explains the critical insurance implications that could save your building from being dropped by carriers entirely. With water damage claims forcing insurers to abandon "leaky buildings," this technology isn't just about convenience anymore — it's about maintaining insurability and competitive rates in an increasingly difficult market. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Tired of sky-high heating bills and residents complaining about wildly uneven temperatures? In this interview, Kelly-Ann Corrigan, CEO at the technology and service provider Runwise, reveals exactly how a 191-unit Bronx co-op transformed their bottom line using wireless sensor technology and strategic system upgrades. You'll discover how they invested just $60-70K and now save $50-60K every year on heating costs alone, plus an additional $50K in water savings by switching from fixed-rate to metered billing.Board will learn practical strategies for detecting hidden problems like steam distribution issues and water leaks that silently drain budgets. Corrigan covers everything from understanding master steam venting to navigating Local Law 97 compliance, plus how modern building monitoring can extend equipment lifespan and prevent costly emergency repairs. Whether you're facing budget pressures or preparing for carbon emission regulations, this episode offers a roadmap for turning building efficiency into serious savings. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Think your digital payment system is safely depositing maintenance fees directly into your building's account? Think again. This eye-opening episode reveals how a Queens co-op discovered their payments were making mysterious detours through unauthorized intermediary accounts before reaching their bank.Carl Cesarano, managing shareholder at the auditing and accounting firm Cesarano & Khan, exposes the hidden risks lurking in popular payment platforms. You'll learn why that convenient digital system might actually be creating dangerous blind spots in your financial oversight, how these payment delays can wreck your building's cash flow planning, and what red flags to watch for when reviewing your bank statements.Whether you're a treasurer trying to track down missing payments or a board member wondering why your budget projections keep falling short, this episode delivers the insider knowledge you need to protect your building's finances. Habitat's Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Smart moves save money - just ask 160 West End Avenue. When this Manhattan co-op faced a $4 million facade repair project, their board sought a second opinion. The result? A more targeted approach that brought the cost down to under $900,000. John Galetta, principal at Superstructures Engineers and Architects tells the story to Habitat’s Paula Chin. Lesson learned: a thorough investigation before starting repairs can lead to massive savings. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

A new board at a 150-unit Westchester co-op was eager to take charge and make changes only to find themselves struggling with their current management company. The board couldn’t get access to the building’s financial records, had a never-ending temporary boiler instead of a completed boiler replacement and mounting tension with their current property manager. The board reached out to Tina Larsson, founder and CEO of the Folson Group, for help. In this interview Larson, acting as a consultant to the board, explains how she helped the board figure out what it was looking for and then move forward with finding new management and negotiating contract terms. Habitat’s Paula Chin conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

With nearly 40% of a typical $2 million facade project going to "soft costs" like scaffolding and sidewalk sheds, smart planning of these inspections can lead to massive savings. In this episode, Gene Ferrara, president of JMA Consultants, offers an example of how one upper West Side building could save almost $900,000 by combining multiple inspections into one project. As NYC buildings face the end of the ninth facade inspection cycle and the beginning of the tenth in 2025, Ferrara shares practical strategies for boards to navigate these overlapping regulations while keeping costs down. Habitat’s Emily Myers conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

During the period when a new condominium comes on the market and the sponsor finally turns over control to the condo board, who is paying for the condo’s operating expenses? The building is not fully sold so there aren’t enough paying owners to fund the budget, yet the building is operating as if it was fully occupied. Christopher Saray, manager at the accountancy firm of WilkinGuttenplan, explains the how this works, what new condo boards need to understand about the budget when they take over and what condo buyers should be aware of. Habitat’s Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

A Yorkville co-op's successful HVAC upgrade demonstrates how boards can tackle Local Law 97 compliance while achieving significant cost savings. The $900,000 project, overseen by the ENPOWER Group, replaced an inefficient gas-powered absorption chiller with an electric heat pump system, eliminating $80,000 in annual carbon penalties and generating $80,000 in yearly energy savings, with a projected 5-year payback period. Habitat's Emily Myers interviews ENPOWER's Michael Scorrano, managing director, to understand this practical blueprint for other NYC buildings facing similar challenges.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

Rainwater is becoming more intense and groundwater tables are rising throughout New York City. 10 Plaza Street East, a Brooklyn co-op, felt this full force during 2021's Hurricane Ida when its entire subcellar floor flooded, including the storage room, the laundry room and the bike room. It happened again in 2022, and the board took matters in hand by bringing in Cowley Engineering. Habitat’s Emily Myers interviews Michael Monteiro, senior project manager at the engineering firm to find out why the subcellar continued to flood and what the fix was.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!

When a loft condominium faced a potential collapse, residents were forced to vacate, revealing the financial and logistical challenges of such emergencies. Carl Cesarano, the accountant for the condo and principal at Cesarano and Khan, discusses the complex process of securing emergency funding, the importance of reserve funds, and the critical role of engineering assessments. Habitat’s Carol Ott conducts the interview.Thanks for listening. Subscribe to this podcast for more stories on how New York co-ops and condos have solved a myriad of problems. Brought to you by Habitat Magazine, the "bible" that hundreds of board directors turn to every day!