The New England Condominium, The Condo, HOA & Co-op Monthly - Articles - Law & Legislation

RIP Fannie & Freddie?

no@spam.com (Keith Loria) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:03:34 EST

One of the biggest issues in the real estate industry over the past year has been the speculation that government-sponsored mortgage programs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be ending. For the past 70 years, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have helped countless Americans secure long-term, fixed-rate mortgages, by purchasing them from lenders and securitizing them, all with the unofficial guarantee of the federal government backing them up.

"Do As I Say..."

no@spam.com (Keith Loria) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:34:25 EDT

There’s nothing worse than dealing with someone who has let their power go to their head, and when you’re talking about a co-op or condo board member who starts to act above everyone in the community, huge problems can arise.

Boston's Fenway Neighborhood

no@spam.com ( Nancye Tuttle) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:31:19 EDT

Fenway is the name synonymous with Red Sox baseball and the venerable ballpark that the beloved team calls home.

But to Bostonians who live in the distinctive neighborhood near Fenway Park, Fenway is their home, too—a friendly place with colleges, cultural attractions, and one of the most historic outdoor parks in the country.

The Third Annual New England Condo Expo

no@spam.com (New England Condominium) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:26:44 EDT

Launched just three years ago, New England Condominium’s annual Condo Expo has already become a fixture on the business calendar of vendors, service providers, board members, building staff members and residents throughout the region. Each year, they converge under one roof to learn about new products and technologies, exchange information, network and improve how their buildings and associations are run.

Watch Your Mouth!

no@spam.com (Marie N. Auger) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:23:16 EDT

Anyone can be a victim of “defamation of character,” whether it’s in the form of slander (a verbal attack) or libel (slander that’s written and distributed). In the rarefied arena of residential communities, emotions can run high when people feel they are defending their turf, and they tend to approach the most mundane issues on a personal level. And the lightning-fast media now available through the Internet has only encouraged the broadcast of everybody’s opinion. Fact-checking and accuracy may have a hard time keeping up.

Getting A Fair Share

no@spam.com (Marie N. Auger) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:20:45 EDT

Last year, a condo unit owner in Andover, Massachusetts, called the town’s Department of Public Works to complain that he had to drag trash containers to the end of the street and was wondering why the trucks couldn’t come by his driveway.

No Time Like the Precedent

no@spam.com ( Ann Connery Frantz ) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:37:32 EDT

Board members and property managers have all experienced finger pointing, in which the accusation, �You let them do it, so I can too!� is front and center. Lawyers and property managers all too frequently see the trouble that results when a rule is bent for one owner and then other owners demand similar treatment.

New England 2011 Legislative Roundup

no@spam.com ( Ann Connery Frantz ) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:24:24 EDT

Many of the issues contained within legislation in the 2011 session concern governance and membership rights during a time of economic stringency. They range from Maine’s regulation updates, and measures to alleviate foreclosure impacts, to efforts in Connecticut and Massachusetts to confine differences between residents and board associations to the condominium forum, rather than add government regulations.

�What Documents?�

no@spam.com ( April Austin) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:18:11 EDT

After the excitement of buying a condo, homeowners may stuff the official documents in a shoebox and forget about them. Even the owners who serve on association boards may not be familiar with the documents, which include things like the Master Deed, the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) or the Declaration of Trust, a.k.a, the bylaws. But when answers are needed, these documents become the go-to source for important information. Owners and board members ignore them at their peril.

Pretty as a Picture

no@spam.com (Sarah Sanford) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:44:15 EDT

First dubbed “Eden” by settlers at the end of the eighteenth century, Bar Harbor, Maine has always sounded like the quintessential place to vacation. Even the original inhabitants, the Wabanaki Indians, called the area Ah-bays'auk or the “clambake place.” While the style and tone of Bar Harbor has shifted as America matured over the centuries, one thing has remained constant: people voyage to this corner of Maine to relax, eat clams and bask in some of the most gorgeous scenery in New England.