Best Habitat Magazine Podcasts (2025)

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68. Talking Energy and Compliance with Alexander Zafran of Logical Buildings 37:39

5d ago37:39

37:39

HostMark Levine of NYC Property Management companyEBMG sits withAlexander Zafran ofLogical Buildings to talk all things energy as we got closer to the May 1st deadline for both LL88 and LL97. We're covering the smaller picture with regards to these soon-to-be-due laws as well as the bigger picture down the road. Email the show! nycrealestatepodcast…

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Defects After Move-In: How Boards Can Hold Sponsors Accountable 20:30

6d ago20:30

20:30

Send us a text In this informative Legal Talk episode, attorney Michael Savino of Braverman Greenspun shares with Habitat's Paula Chin essential guidance for co-op and condo board directors dealing with construction defects in new buildings. The conversation provides a clear roadmap for boards to protect their interests when issues arise after a sp…

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Beyond the Emergency: How to Lead Your Building Through Long-term Displacement 13:31

13d ago13:31

13:31

In conversation with Habitat's Paula Chin, Robert Ferrara, president of the Ferrara Management Group, shares invaluable insights from managing a devastating fire emergency at a Peekskill condominium that displaced 16 unit owners for over two years. Through his firsthand account of the crisis and recovery process, board directors will learn crucial …

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The $300,000 Mistake: How Boards Can Avoid a Violation Crisis 17:58

14d ago17:58

17:58

Send us a text Navigating building violations can be tricky for co-op and condo boards, especially when it comes to determining responsibility for corrections. In this enlightening discussion with attorney Brandon James of Borah Goldstein, board directors will learn crucial guidelines for managing violations effectively and avoiding costly mistakes…

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67. Talking Federal Pacific Circuit Breakers and Local Law 88 with Amanda Gerome of A+ Electric 36:58

20d ago36:58

36:58

Host Mark Levine of NYC Property Management company EBMG, sits down with Amanda Gerome, the CEO and Founder of A+ Electric to discuss: 1. Federal Pacific Circuit Breaker Replacements 2. Local Law 88 Requirements and Workflows Email the show! [email protected] Amanda Gerome of A+ Electric can be reached at [email protected] or on he…

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When Time Runs Out: Protecting Your Building's Legal Claims Before It's Too Late 14:31

21d ago14:31

14:31

Send us a text In this episode of Legal Talk, Jennifer Stewart, a partner at the law firm Smith Buss and Jacobs, explains to Habitat's Emily Myers how critical the importance of understanding statutes of limitations for co-op and condo board directors is. The discussion reveals how timing can make or break a board's ability to pursue legal claims o…

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Stop the Revolving Door: How to Choose a Management Company That Will Last 23:32

20d ago23:32

23:32

In this insightful conversation with Melissa Cafiero, director of management at Halstead Management, board directors get a behind-the-scenes look at how management companies approach new client relationships and handle transitions. Cafiero shares valuable perspectives on the evolving nature of property management, comparing it to a marriage that re…

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Beyond "No": The Smart Board's Guide to Handling Document Requests 16:23

28d ago16:23

16:23

Send us a text Tracy Peterson, a partner at the law firm Braverman Greenspun, joins Habitat's Paula Chin for an essential discussion on how co-op and condo boards should handle resident requests for information and documents about fellow residents. Peterson draws from her extensive experience to explain when boards must share information, what they…

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From Annual Shock to Monthly Payments: A New Approach to Insurance Premiums 16:07

27d ago16:07

16:07

Insurance premiums for co-ops and condos are surging with double-digit increases year after year, and boards must pay these hefty fees upfront. But there's a financial tool that can help ease this burden. Michael Feldman, CEO of Choice New York, talks to Habitat's Paula Chin and breaks down how insurance premium financing allows boards to spread th…

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Red Flags and Rescue Plans: When and How to Change Your Building's Management 8:59

1M ago8:59

8:59

Changing property managers for your co-op or condo can feel like performing surgery while the patient is awake — everything needs to keep running smoothly while you make the switch. Stephen Wilson, vice president of Blue Woods Management, shares with Habitat's Emily Myers how one building nearly lost its tax abatement during a transition, highlight…

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Hidden Traps in Pet Policies: A Warning to Boards 13:35

1M ago13:35

13:35

Send us a text Enforcing pet policies in co-ops and condos can feel like walking through a legal minefield. From tight enforcement deadlines to complex accommodations for service and emotional support animals, board directors face high-stakes decisions that could lead to costly litigation if mishandled. Attorney Kenneth Finger, a member of the law …

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Your Co-op Missed Two Years of Elections — Now What? 7:15

1M ago7:15

7:15

The pandemic's impact on co-op and condo governance continues in 2025, with some properties still feeling the fallout from missed annual meetings in 2020 and 2021. In this conversation Cosmin Ardeljan, senior VP at All Area Realty Services, shares how some of his clients are now meeting the challenges of these missed annual meetings, including one …

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When Good Neighbors Go Bad: A Board Director's Guide to Nuisance Claims 13:48

1M ago13:48

13:48

Send us a text Living in close quarters with neighbors who blast music at 3 AM, cook pungent meals, or hoard items can turn apartment living into a nightmare. But when do everyday annoyances cross the line into legal nuisances, and how should co-op and condo boards respond? Stewart Wurtzel, member of Tane Waterman & Wurtzel, offers practical guidan…

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Squawking Their Way to Federal Court: The $800K Emotional Support Parrot Case 16:07

2M ago16:07

16:07

Send us a text Mishandling anything to do with emotional support pets can have huge financial consequences. The Rutherford, a New York City co-op, recently learned that the hard way when a resident's noisy emotional support birds caused neighbor complaints. The board acted improperly and Attorney William McCracken, partner at Moritt Hock & Hamroff,…

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Cash Flow Secrets: Why Your Building's Bank Balance Is Deceiving 12:21

2M ago12:21

12:21

Tracking your building’s financial health can be confusing, and one of the reasons is that your building’s bank balance doesn’t tell the whole story. In this episode, Thomas Thibodeaux, CFO at New Bedford Management, explains what items create misleading cash positions and offers some strategies boards can use to understand what is really going on.…

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When Grandma Wants to Add Junior: Navigating Co-op Stock Transfers 15:31

2M ago15:31

15:31

Send us a text One would think it would be easy to add a family member to a co-op stock certificate, but you can’t "just add a name." For boards, it requires careful consideration of multiple factors, including transfer taxes, flip tax implications, and the financial viability of new shareholders. Matthew Goldberg, partner at Hankin & Mazel, explai…

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The A-Word: Taking the Sting Out of Building Assessments 20:00

2M ago20:00

20:00

Historically co-ops and condos have been able to borrow money for building improvements and compliance requirements in an affordable way. With interest rates still high, this is not an attractive option any more. In this episode, Andre Kaplan, CFO of Orsid New York, provides some practical solutions for keeping your building financially healthy whi…

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Follow the Water: How a Simple Leak Led to Diplomatic Relations 14:48

2M ago14:48

14:48

Water damage is not a unique occurrence in residential apartment buildings, but a recent crisis at an Upper East Side co-op got complicated to fix. Water was pooling in the boiler room and seeping into the electric meter room, and a shareholder’s apartment was damaged. Aaron Weber, property manager at Weber Realty Management, shares the challenging…

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Show Me The Money: Strategic Options for Co-op and Condo Compliance Costs 14:43

3M ago14:43

14:43

One of the most pressing challenges facing NYC co-ops and condos is how to fund expensive local law compliance requirements. In this episode Armin Radoncic, principal at Venture New York Property Management, outlines the primary funding strategies used by New York’s co-ops and condos. Corporate structures require different strategies, but no matter…

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Yellowstone Injunctions: The Legal Power Move Your Board Needs to Know 13:04

3M ago13:04

13:04

Send us a text When a commercial tenant becomes problematic — whether falling behind in rent, not performing repairs or some other infraction of their lease — co-op and condo boards need to act. In this episode Moshe Bobker, partner at Tane Waterman & Wurtzel, explains what the Yellowstone Injunction is and how this critical legal tool can both pro…

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The $3 Million Second Opinion 16:48

3M ago16:48

16:48

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…

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First-Time Condo Buyers Beware: The Real Story Behind 'Affordable' Monthly Charges 21:27

3M ago21:27

21:27

Transitioning from a developer to a condo board can bring unwelcome surprises and stark choices. That was the case at a Brooklyn condo, when new management took over and discovered owners were paying only half the amount needed to cover basic operating expenses. The artificially low monthly charges—which had attracted many first-time buyers—were te…

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From Oil to Opportunity: How One Queens Co-op Slashed Energy Costs by 70% 16:28

3M ago16:28

16:28

While the dazzle of the latest energy reduction solutions is out of bounds for many co-ops and condos, the tried and true can often achieve just as much. That’s the case at the Imperial Sanford co-op in Queens, where substantial incentives boosted a fuel switch and window replacement program that is expected to reduce energy consumption by 65-70% o…

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Breaking Up With Your Property Manager? Here's Your Roadmap to Success 14:53

3M ago14:53

14:53

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 prope…

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How Bundling NYC Building Inspections Could Save Co-ops Nearly $1M 12:29

3M ago12:29

12:29

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 inspect…

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Why Transparency Is Key 13:26

3M ago13:26

13:26

A primary responsibility of the board of directors is protecting the building’s financial health. To do that, transparency is paramount. In this episode Michell Abubo, managing partner at Highrise Property Management, shares a case study of a Queens co-op where a lack of transparency was deadly, ultimately leading to a change in management. Habitat…

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Following the Money: What New Condo Boards Need to Know About Sponsor Exit 17:50

3M ago17:50

17:50

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…

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When Boards Get Stuck: Breaking Through the Paralysis 16:42

3M ago16:42

16:42

Board inertia is a corporate disease that many members grapple with. Decisions get put off, problems grow and ultimately the health of the housing association suffers. In this episode, Andy Marks, Executive Vice President at Maxwell-Kates, explores what causes inertia and offers some guidance on how to break through it. Habitat’s Paula Chin conduct…

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A Practical Blueprint: Yorkville Co-op's Decarbonization Plan 16:27

4M ago16:27

16:27

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 …

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Personal Liability While Serving On Your Board 13:25

4M ago13:25

13:25

Send us a text Serving on your co-op or condo board can be a terrific experience, but it can turn into a personal nightmare if you or your board acts improperly. There are many legal protections, however, and Geoffrey Mazel, partner at Hankin & Mazel, provides an overview of what they are and the precautions you need to take. Habitat’s Emily Myers …

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Condo Crisis: $550K Facade Job Balloons to $1.2M 10:51

4M ago10:51

10:51

A cautionary tale of facade repairs at an Upper East Side condo, where initial estimates of $550,000 ballooned to $1.2 million after engineers discovered insufficient brick ties during Local Law 11 inspections. Maxwell-Kates SVP Josh Holzer shares how the board navigated this crisis through refinancing, staff reductions, and a contractor payment pl…

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Get Your Board Head Out of The Sand 15:37

4M ago15:37

15:37

If a co-op or condo building operates at a deficit, there are only two outcomes – payables are late and cash erodes. That’s what Daniel Wollman, CEO of Gumley Haft, found when he was re-hired at a condominium his firm had managed over a decade ago. How its financial condition eroded and the steps it took to regain financial health are shared in thi…

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Rising Waters, Brooklyn Battles: Fixing Floods in the Heart of NYC 13:33

4M ago13:33

13:33

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…

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The Financial Consequences of a Condo's Near Collapse 20:57

4M ago20:57

20:57

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 rol…

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A Gas Story: How One Board Didn't Wait For The Inevitable 16:32

4M ago16:32

16:32

One of the most reliable sources of fuel for New York’s apartment buildings is gas, but the lines that it flows through — from heating to cooking — have become a critical concern because leaks often lead to complete gas shutdowns. AJ Rexhepi, CEO of Century Management, recounts how one board at a pre-war West Side co-op looked at their fuel options…

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Meeting Your Property's Insurance Challenge 15:50

4M ago15:50

15:50

Budgeting is always a complicated affair and increasing insurance costs have made this even more challenging. Jason Schiciano, co-president at Levitt-Fuirst Insurance & Bonding, shares how the timing of insurance renewals can help – or hinder – the challenge, and how boards can work with their brokers to stay on top of renewal timing before budgeti…

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How to Create A “Best Case” Repair Program 28:11

5M ago28:11

28:11

Board members of newly constructed condominiums often find themselves battling a sponsor over construction defects, leading many to wonder why does this happen so often? Each building is different, but RAND Engineering & Architecture’s president, Stephen Varone, and engineer Roger Krupp point to several reasons why these defects seem to occur frequ…

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Finding Energy Saving Strategies That Make Economic Sense 20:07

5M ago20:07

20:07

There are many strategies – and price points – that will reduce energy consumption in a building, and Stuart Halper, vice president of Impact Management, emphasizes an economically sensible approach. For many, there is a mismatch between New York City’s regulations and a building’s financial capabilities. In this interview conducted by Habitat’s Em…

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Facade Fix or Repair: One Board's Decision Journey 14:55

5M ago14:55

14:55

What approach works best with façade issues: Band-Aid repairs or full-blown replacement? Depends on each building, and 245 West 99th St, a 34-story condominium, faced this issue when inspection of 17,000 rainscreen tiles revealed cracks that could cause tiles to fall, water leaks or other failures. Eric Vonderhyde, a principal at Bertolini Architec…

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Taking the Right Steps In A Lobby Transformation 12:56

5M ago12:56

12:56

It was a dark, dim lobby with no package storage, a small mail room, faux fireplaces with two sad chairs on each side, and no curb appeal. A redesign was in order, and Marilyn Sygrove, president of Sygrove Associates Design Group, explains the process used to transform it from a totally non-functional dark space into one that set a positive tone fo…

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66. Talking ESCO's and Energy Procurement with Slattery Energy 30:03

5M ago30:03

30:03

Host Mark Levine, owner of NYC Property Management firm EBMG LLC sits down in the studio with Anthony Corvino and Jim Slattery from Slattery Energy to discuss energy procurement in NYC area buildings. Email the show at [email protected]! Topics covered on this episode include: What are ESCO's? Why should we consider locking in rates fo…

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How To Handle An Aggrieved Shareholder 9:37

5M ago9:37

9:37

There are two sides to every problem - and sometimes even more. When one crops up in a co-op or condo, someone has to step back, take a breath, maybe eat some crow, and get the issue resolved. In this episode, Josh Koppel, president of HSC Management, shares how an aggrieved shareholder was soothed and what it took to make that happen. This story h…

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How A Robotics Sleuth Came To The Rescue 13:24

5M ago13:24

13:24

Construction defects aren’t just a new building problem, they can happen anytime a co-op or condo hires someone to take hammer and nail to something. In this episode Akaash Kancharla, CEO of aRoboticsCompany, shares how he used robotic tools to pinpoint leaks in a newly built deck at a 50-unit Astoria co-op, saving the board millions in repair cost…

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Steam Traps and Orifice Plates, Oh My! 13:35

5M ago13:35

13:35

Sometimes the smallest parts can play an outsized role in reducing your building’s energy consumption. If you’ve got radiators, look no further than the steam trap or the oddly named orifice plate to see how these components, with a bit of diligence and care, can really deliver significant savings to your building’s energy usage. Habitat’s Carol Ot…

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How Does Your Board Use Technology? 12:08

6M ago12:08

12:08

Technology has made managing co-op and condo buildings more efficient and has certainly changed the property management business. But how has it impacted co-op and condo board directors, where has it created vulnerabilities and how does it come into play when a property changes management companies? Alvin Wasserman, Senior Director of Asset Managem…

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How Form And Function Guides A Lobby Re-Design 12:45

6M ago12:45

12:45

Apartment lobbies come in all sizes and shapes, but one thing most have in common are mailboxes. Jonathan Baron of Jonathan Baron Interiors shares how he modernized this vital area for one co-op, including the addition of a package storage cabinet. New postal code requirements for mailbox size and package storage lockers framed the redesign. Habita…

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How One Board Turned A Setback Into A Success 11:27

6M ago11:27

11:27

A bundle of projects at a downtown condominium was humming along smoothly - until they weren’t. A problem was discovered with the building’s vault which drove up expenses and suddenly costs exceeded what the board had raised for all the projects. Add in a hallway and lobby re-do, and suddenly trouble was brewing. Ira Meister, President of Matthew A…

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How To Overcome Building Staff Hiring Challenges 19:20

6M ago19:20

19:20

Hiring building staff can be a daunting exercise, particularly if it’s a key position such as a super or resident manager. One large Manhattan co-op faced this task head on when it fired its resident manager and turned to Spark Super, a third-party staffing company, for a temporary placement. James Park, Managing Director of Spark Super, shares the…

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Why Your Building's Best Friend Should Be Wireless Technology 18:01

6M ago18:01

18:01

Using wireless technology to monitor conditions in your building is the gold standard of catching leaks and other dangers. In this episode Jerry Kestenbaum, founder of Aware Buildings, explains how it can be successfully done at a price point that makes sense. The side benefit to these systems is its significant impact on your building’s insurance …

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How a 1910 Co-op Conquered Elevator Retrofit Challenges 19:15

7M ago19:15

19:15

Retrofitting a building’s elevator is one challenge, but equally important are its aesthetics. Louis Lipson, a principal at Ethelind Coblin Architects, unpacks the story of a 1910 co-op that was upgrading its elevators to meet current building codes, but had historical elevator doors that were integral to their ambience. In this interview, conducte…

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