Cover of Problem Solved! For Co-ops and Condos

Problem Solved! For Co-ops and Condos

Problem Solved! For Co-ops and Condos

By: Habitat Magazine
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From building repairs and maintenance, energy upgrades, insurance, lobby redesigns, accounting and financing - the challenges facing co-op and condominium board directors are endless. In this series, Habitat Magazine editors interview New York City experts to learn how problems have been solved at their client co-op and condo buildings. We take a deep dive into the issues being confronted, the possibilities for solutions, the costs, the challenges, and the outcomes. Habitat Magazine, founded in 1982, is the trusted resource for New York City co-ops and condo board directors. Visit us at www.habitatmag.com

© 2026 Problem Solved! For Co-ops and Condos
Economics
Episodes
  • The Hidden Insurance Gap
    12 Oct 2026

    A Midtown co-op decided to begin to monitor shareholder insurance, but right away they found something unsettling: the governing documents never required anyone to carry a policy. Some owners were covered, others weren't, and the building had no power to insist. Kara Ryan, director of compliance for homeowners insurance monitoring at Mackoul Risk Solutions, walks board members through the case, as well as a Long Island HOA where owners held the wrong policy type and had no structural coverage at all. You'll hear why enforcement so often falls through the cracks, who ends up exposed when it does, how often to revisit your requirements, and the one thing to check first. 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!

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    7 min
  • Two Inches Down, a Queens Garage Got Complicated
    5 Oct 2026

    A routine facade project turned into a $1.6 million garage overhaul at a Queens condo, and the board never saw the biggest surprise coming. Michel Monteiro, senior project engineer at Cowley Engineering, walks through what happened once crews started working on the concrete. He explains why the worst damage was not where anyone expected, how the board paid for the work, and how phasing the repairs kept 150 parking spaces from sparking a resident revolt. Monteiro also shares the warning signs every board member should know and the testing that can head off a dangerous discovery. 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!

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    15 min
  • How a $140,000 Facade Job Became a $1.9 Million Headache
    2 Oct 2026

    A Local Law 11 facade inspection at a pre-war Upper East Side co-op looked like a routine, modestly budgeted job. Then the leaks entered the picture. Luke Pantaleo, partner at RAND Engineering and Architecture, shares how this 52-unit building's plans changed again and again, why finding the source of a leak is far harder than it sounds, and how the board's tough decisions affected shareholders. He explains why tracking down a leak is so tricky in century-old solid-wall construction, and what he would do differently if his team could start over. 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!

    Show more Show less
    16 min
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