New York City’s phase-out of No. 4 heating oil is accelerating, and Jeff Cohn, Director of Energy Programs at Approved Oil, lays out the practical steps every No. 4 oil-fueled building must take to stay compliant, control costs, and avoid mid-winter emergencies. Drawing on a real-world conversion at 95 Park Terrace, he explains how to evaluate your tank room, prepare for DOB inspections, adjust older boilers for lighter fuels, and tap into the savings and cleaner performance of biofuel blends.You’ll learn clear, actionable steps to take for a  fuel transition before deadlines and prices tighten. Habitat’s Emily Myers conducts the interview.

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A 200-plus unit Manhattan condo thought they were holding a routine virtual election. Votes were cast through Zoom chat and emergency intervention was required to certify the results. In this episode, Corinne Arnold and Will Kwan from EZ Election Solutions explain why they were brought in to salvage the situation. They walk through what went wrong, why the managing agent running the election created problems nobody anticipated, and how the chaos could have been avoided entirely. The conversation unpacks the warning signs other boards should watch for and reveals practical lessons about election security, voter privacy, and when to bring in outside help. If your building handles its own elections, this case study offers a cautionary tale worth hearing. 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!

Warren House, a 330-unit post-war condo in Murray Hill, was staring down rising utility bills and Local Law 97 fines. What happened next offers a blueprint for other buildings facing similar pressures. Robert Post, vice president of co-op and condo at Parity, walks through the challenges Warren House encountered with their fan coil heating and cooling system, the technology solution they implemented, and why their first-year results blew past initial projections. He explains their approach of optimizing existing systems rather than replacing them, and details why collecting data throughout the building can be an invaluable asset for future planning. The conversation offers an inside look at how smart automation is transforming building operations, all while keeping residents comfortable and budgets intact. 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!

Residents of 1 Grand Army Plaza — a sleek, all-glass condo in Brooklyn — struggled with sweltering corridors and soaring repair bills, and set out to find why. Unfortunately, the “why” turned out to be a fundamental design flaw in the building’s ventilation system. The fix, shared by Amalia Cuadra, senior director of engineering at En-Power Group, was a phased capital project that not only restored comfort but also cut energy use, improved the building’s letter grade, and reduced carbon emissions — without blowing the budget. Cuadra urges boards to think beyond “replace A with A” and instead take a holistic, forward-looking approach to capital upgrades, which this Brooklyn condo successfully did. 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!

Insurance carriers are abandoning New York buildings at an alarming rate, and your co-op or condo could be next. Jason Schiciano, co-president of Levitt-Fuirst Insurance and Bonding, reveals how a 108-unit cooperative saw their premium nearly triple after being non-renewed by their carrier. Learn why insurance companies are walking away from New York buildings and discover the red flags that could put your building at risk. Schiciano shares practical strategies to protect your building's insurability, and reveals why addressing maintenance issues now could save your board from a financial crisis later. 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!

When a small Manhattan co-op suddenly saw its budget spike, rising costs weren’t the culprit — it was an administrative filing error. Turns out the co-op had lost its co-op tax abatement worth $60,000 because its management company had missed the rule regarding prevailing wage requirements. Avi Zanjirian, partner at Czarnowski & Beer walks us through how the board discovered the oversight, fixed the problem, and ultimately got the abatement reinstated. 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!

When a routine facade inspection uncovered a catastrophic structural failure, the garage at an Upper East Side co-op became a ticking time bomb. In this episode, Michael Monteiro, senior project engineer at Cowley Engineering, explains why ramps are the canary in the coal mine for structural issues, what warning signs residents can spot themselves, and how ignoring deterioration can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs. With 1,600 NYC properties still non-compliant with new inspection rules and the DOB conducting surprise inspections, this conversation could save your building from disaster.  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!

Water damage is insidious: it will eat into your building's budget and drive up insurance costs. John Rusk, president and co-founder of ProSentry, reveals how an affordable leak detection system can transform your building's risk profile through the story of a condominium that saved $300,000 on insurance after installing sensors throughout the building. You'll learn about the surprisingly simple installation process and how you may even end up with a discount on your insurance. If you're facing rising insurance premiums or struggling with repeated water damage, this episode offers practical solutions that pay for themselves. 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!

Time is running out for New York co-op and condo boards facing Local Law 97's 2030 compliance deadline, but there's a smart path forward. Punit Shah, Vice President of Existing Buildings at Bright Power, shares the surprising reality facing one Upper East Side condo that was looking at massive penalties. Shah reveals the three-phase approach that's transforming buildings across the city, from quick-payback retrofits to electrification readiness measures. Whether your building can achieve full electrification or needs hybrid solutions, this episode provides the actionable roadmap every board member needs to hear before 2028. 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!

When a post-war Upper West Side co-op decided to electrify to meet Local Law 97 requirements, they thought they had a clear roadmap. But what started as a $2 million project quickly spiraled into something much bigger and much more complex. Tina Larsson, CEO of The Folson Group, reveals why even well thought out projects can double in cost and scope. If you're planning any major infrastructure work, her insights could save your building from similar surprises. 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!