A unique multi-generational co-op community that refuses to carry a mortgage, a facade program you cannot truly budget for, and a name that can change your insurance premiums. Welcome to life inside Trump Village West. We sit down with general manager Igor Oberman to unpack what it takes to run a 1,144-unit, two-tower complex just steps from the ocean, where regulations, scale, and community collide every day.

Igor’s path from growing up in Brooklyn to administrative law judge, to real estate attorney, to general manager gives him a rare edge when New York City mandates hit. He explains why Local Law 11 remains a budgeting black box, how scaffolding and probes drive costs higher, and how COVID turned deadlines into a daily test of grit. We dig into the hybrid management model that keeps a 24/7 operation nimble, combining on-site leadership with union maintenance and specialized third-party back-office teams handling AP, AR, and compliance. The result is faster response times, cleaner processes, and fewer surprises when the city comes calling.

Beyond the spreadsheets, the building’s social architecture steals the show. Entire floors can house three generations, grandparents, parents, and kids, exchanging keys, meals, and childcare. That family gravity fuels sales even in a soft market. People do not shop amenities, they shop proximity. Still, the Trump name complicates everything from staff uniforms to car stickers to insurance coverage. Igor shares how carriers refused to quote based solely on branding, how tax settlement talks stalled, and why rebranding would not erase the legacy. Through it all, the board’s fiscal discipline remains firm, no mortgage, sequenced capital work, and a clear-eyed plan for Local Law 97.

If you care about New York co-ops, property management, or urban policy, this conversation delivers practical strategies, cautionary tales, and a grounded look at what it takes to lead a vertical city. Subscribe, share with your building’s board or manager, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. We would love to hear how your community is navigating mandates and managing scale.

A sweeping City Council proposal is about to change how New York’s co-ops and condos vet buyers. Intro 407 the “Reasons Bill” would force boards to issue sworn, detailed explanations for every rejection, with fines up to $25,000 and fee-shifting that supercharges litigation risk. We unpack what that really means for volunteers, applicants, and affordability: more legal exposure, higher D&O premiums, and a public trail of sensitive financial data that can follow people long after a deal falls apart.

We walk through the mechanics the bill demands, from affidavits to timing, and explain why a process that already routes discrimination claims to the NYC Commission on Human Rights doesn’t need a punitive overlay. You’ll hear how statutory “reasons” push boards toward rigid, bright-line standards, increasing denials and limiting compassionate discretion. We also explore the privacy minefield: when credit scores, debt-to-income ratios, and documentation discrepancies enter public court records, applicants and sellers clash over down payments, and buildings face suits from every direction.

This conversation isn’t about hiding decisions; it’s about designing a system that respects fairness, protects privacy, and keeps housing costs predictable. We offer practical, better alternatives: standardized category-based notices, stronger training and mediation through the Commission, and anonymized data collection that enables oversight without exposing personal financials. With a hearing set for Dec 2 at 250 Broadway, we share how board members and residents can submit testimony, show up in person, and make their case.

If you care about affordability, stable governance, and the people who volunteer to keep buildings running, this one matters. Listen, share with your board and neighbors, and help shape policy that protects both applicants and communities. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what would real transparency look like without sacrificing privacy or affordability?

A transparency rule can change who gets the keys. We sat down with Tim Foley, CEO of the Building and Realty Institute, to trace how Westchester’s co‑op timeline and “reasons bill” altered admissions, sparked more investigations, and reshaped risk for boards, buyers, and sellers and what New York City can learn before moving forward.

Tim walks us through BRI’s wide lens on housing from builders and developers to co‑op and condo boards and the cost pressures squeezing every corner of multifamily: insurance premiums jumping 50% to 100% in some cases, reinsurance costs that won’t quit, and a legal climate that keeps carriers away. We dig into why the scaffold law’s absolute liability standard drives pricing, how fewer insurers mean less competition, and why a state‑backed reinsurance pool could steady the market. Then we connect the dots to climate resilience: targeted incentives for retrofits could lower losses, reduce utility bills, and ultimately help bend premiums down.

On admissions, we break down how Westchester’s system actually works: strict timelines, standardized rejection forms, mandatory fair housing training, and posted financial preferences for income, assets, credit score, debt‑to‑income, and financing percentage. The intent is clarity. The impact has been complicated. When exceptions to those financial preferences trigger suspicion, boards retreat from flexibility, rejections rise, and routine denials can become months‑long investigations sometimes with insurers pressuring settlements even when the facts favor the board. You’ll hear real cases, data trends, and the practical steps that can make the process fair and workable: define objective baselines, document compensating factors for exceptions, streamline enforcement for technical errors, and protect privacy.

If you care about co‑op governance, fair housing, and the hidden forces driving affordability, this conversation offers a grounded playbook for policy makers, boards, and residents. Enjoy the episode, share it with your board or building community, and tell us what you think. Subscribe, leave a review, and send this to someone who should hear it.