Who knows? That’s my non-conclusion. Now that the ink is dry on the settlement that averted a strike on April 21st, both thr RAB and the Union have issued press releases claiming victory and giving their version of how much the four year deal will set back owners – that’s you, me and everyone who owns a co-op or condo, as well as landlords of rental buildings. So what's the real price tag? Read more »

With the April 20th strike deadline looming, and empty schedules posted to embarass residents of luxury towers into filling in for those who may walk out, I decided it was time to cut through the noise and get the straight talk . How better than to ask the guys at the front door face to face. So I closed my laptop and went on a highly unscientific, though elucidating tour of a dozen Downtown buildings. Here's what I found out. Read more »

Depends on who you talk to. Ask the folks at the Realty Advisory Board and they’ll say things are different this time because buildings are being squeezed on all sides by rising costs and declining values. Talk to the people at the Union, 32BJ SEIU, and they’ll say it’s pretty much bargaining as usual. So what's the real deal? Read more »

Financial statements are only as good as the information that goes into them. There’s the rub. Take a bite into a freshly baked apple pie, and you can get a pretty good idea what went into it. But there’s no comparable way for owners to test the validity of what’s in those statements. Anyway, they’re not designed to tell you everything – Here are some things you may have to figure out yourself. Read more »

Spring is here, which means those financial statements can't be far behind. Owners complain all the time that they’re left in the dark. So you’d think when they start arriving, everyone would rip them open, like those tulips that burst into bloom. Only lots of residents stuff them back into the brown envelopes they came in, complaining that reading them is like deciphering ancient Greek. You don’t have to revive a dead language to make sense of the stuff. Here's how. Read more »