The Western Florida Cooperator, The Condo, HOA & Co-op Monthly

Association Operations

Cooperator Expo Western Florida Returns to Tampa A Must-Attend for Board Members, Managers, and Condo/HOA Decision-Makers

Elevator Repair and Replacement Projects Maximizing Safety, Minimizing Disruption

Q&A

2019 Winter Current Issue

Management

Vulnerable Residents

Safety at Any Age

Multifamily residential buildings provide both privacy and community. Privacy, because a recluse in New York City can ha…

Management

Pets or Pests?

2015 February

Pets or Pests?

Dealing With Companion Animals

Staying Competitive in Management

2015 January

Staying Competitive in Management

It's Tough Out There

Educational Resources for Managers

2015 January

Educational Resources for Managers

Getting Smart in Western & Central Florida

Mastering Management

2015 January

Mastering Management

Maximizing Cooperation and Partnership

Finance

Keeping an Often Digital Paper Trail

Best Practices For Maintaining HOA Records

It is essential that a community association keep thorough records of its financials, rules and regulations, meeting min…

Finance

Dealing With Code Violations

2015 July

Dealing With Code Violations

Better Safe Than Sorry

Don’t Raid the Cookie Jar

2015 July

Don’t Raid the Cookie Jar

Capital Budgeting is Essential

In The Black

2015 July

In The Black

Explaining Common Co-op/Condo Budget Terminology

Money Talks

2015 July

Money Talks

Communicating About Co-op/Condo Finances

On The Board

Board Demographics

Old Guard Versus New Blood

Volunteerism is arguably the bedrock of co-op and condominium communities. One buys into one or the other with the expec…

Board Optics

2019 October

Board Optics

The Perception of Performance

Board Culture

2018 October

Board Culture

What Traits Make a Board Successful?

Working With Your Support Professionals

2018 October

Working With Your Support Professionals

How (and When) Boards Should Speak Up

Participation by Proxy

2018 October

Participation by Proxy

Handling Proxy Voting in Your Building or HOA

Knowing When to Call Your Manager

Response to Calls is an Essential Part of the Manager’s Job

Olivia Pope, the main character on ABC’s Scandal, is a professional fixer. If you have a problem—any problem—she can fi…

Secrets of Successful Managers

2014 January

Secrets of Successful Managers

Communication, Accommodation, Cooperation

Managing Amenities

2014 January

Managing Amenities

Who’s In Charge of What?

Changing Managers or Firms?

2014 January

Changing Managers or Firms?

Don’t Overlook the Details!

Board Owner Do’s and Don’ts

What Makes a Board Successful?

It only takes a few minutes of a web search to uncover the traits that make a successful person or business owner. For e…

Keeping Track of Paperwork

Keeping Track of Paperwork

Properly Managing Association Records

Maintenance

Elevator Refurbishment

Managing a Major Service Disruption

No matter how well-constructed and carefully maintained, no mechanical system lasts forever – and that goes for elevator…

Heating Options for Multifamily Communities

2018 December

Heating Options for Multifamily Communities

Get Warm, Stay Warm

Hidden Energy Wasters

2018 December

Hidden Energy Wasters

Finding Them Saves Money

Non-Resident Board Members

2017 November

Non-Resident Board Members

How Do They Affect Operations?

Laundry Room Maintenance

2017 November

Laundry Room Maintenance

It’s a Wash

A Clear View

What’s New in Window Trends and Technology?

Windows can dramatically change any space, from transforming a tiny kitchen into a front row seat to a glorious skyline …

From the Outside In

From the Outside In

Exterior Building Inspections in South Florida

Plumbing the Depths

Pipes, Drains, and Your Building's Water Supply

Of all the modern conveniences we take for granted, perhaps none is as profoundly basic —and indispensable—as indoor pl…

The Art of Picking Professionals

2014 November

The Art of Picking Professionals

To Choose or Not to Choose

Your Building's Anatomy

2014 November

Your Building's Anatomy

Systems That Keep Your Building Functioning

To Claim, or Not to Claim?

The Insurance Dilemma

Homesharing and Insurance

What Your Board Should Know

Insurance: A Must-Have or Couldn’t Hurt?

Making Smart Yet Affordable Coverage Decisions

Who's Responsible for Repairs?

August 2014, Vol 3, No 8

Identifying Insurance Options

One Size Does Not Fit All!

Design

Splish-Splash

Enhancing Your Community with Water Features

Design for All

The Functionality of Universal Design

The Florida Swimming Pool Association

Training, Education and Professionalism for Pool Administrators

The Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association

Leading Florida's Green Industry

The Insurance Information Institute

A One-Stop Resource for Florida Homeowners

News

12/13/2019 Serial 'super glue vandal' is targeting HOA board members after proposed fee hike—WFTS Tampa Bay

12/13/2019 Serial 'super glue vandal' is targeting HOA board members after proposed fee hike—WFTS Tampa Bay

A serial vandal is terrorizing a Clearwater condominium. The criminal is pouring super glue on door locks this Thanksgiving holiday.
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12/13/2019 Condo and HOA Leaders Trust MaintenX at The Cooperator Expo—Yahoo! Finance

12/13/2019 Condo and HOA Leaders Trust MaintenX at The Cooperator Expo—Yahoo! Finance

MaintenX, one of the nation's largest self-performing maintenance providers, is heading to the Cooperator Expo Western Florida in Tampa, on December 5. The one-day conference features more than 180 exhibitors to network and discuss industry trends with decision makers, board members and property managers from condominiums and HOAs across the region. With educational seminars, new connections and industry advice, the Expo is a must attend event.
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12/13/2019 St. Pete panel approves 45-story condo tower. Would be West Florida’s tallest.—Tampa Bay Times

12/13/2019 St. Pete panel approves 45-story condo tower. Would be West Florida’s tallest.—Tampa Bay Times

One critic said it would block some of the sunshine from the Sunshine City. Another said the now-vacant site should become a park honoring famous Greeks. Still others lamented "the rush to construction.'' Despite the nay-saying, the city’s Development Review Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved site plans for a $300 million mixed-use project on Central Avenue that could include the tallest condo tower on Florida’s West Coast.
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12/3/2019 For ‘Mayberry with sunsets,’ head to Florida’s Indian Rocks Beach instead of Clearwater—The Washington Post

12/3/2019 For ‘Mayberry with sunsets,’ head to Florida’s Indian Rocks Beach instead of Clearwater—The Washington Post

If you’re seeking surf and sand in Florida’s Tampa Bay area, Clearwater Beach is where the action is.
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12/2/2019 Hillsborough man pleads guilty in $5 million condo conversion scam—Tampa Bay Times

12/2/2019 Hillsborough man pleads guilty in $5 million condo conversion scam—Tampa Bay Times

A Hillsborough County mortgage broker and a South Florida developer each face up to 5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to lie to banks that lost a total of $5 million on loans they made at the Preserve of Temple Terrace.
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12/2/2019 Public hearing set for big downtown St. Pete condo-hotel project—Tampa Bay Times

12/2/2019 Public hearing set for big downtown St. Pete condo-hotel project—Tampa Bay Times

A public hearing will be held Wednesday, Dec. 4 on site plans for a previously announced mixed-use project on the 400 block of Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg.
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12/2/2019 Take a peek inside one of the highest-priced condos ever sold in St. Pete—St. Pete Catalyst

12/2/2019 Take a peek inside one of the highest-priced condos ever sold in St. Pete—St. Pete Catalyst

A penthouse at ONE St. Petersburg has sold for $4.15 million. It’s the highest-priced condo sale in ONE St. Petersburg this year and the second-highest condo sale in Pinellas County this year, according to Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s South Tampa office.
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11/18/2019 Construction begins on new Tampa deepwater marina—Boating Industry Magazine

11/18/2019 Construction begins on new Tampa deepwater marina—Boating Industry Magazine

South Tampa will soon be home to Tampa’s largest new deep-water marina. Real estate development and land investment firm BTI Partners has started construction of the 150-slip full-service marina able to accommodate large vessels. The marina will be part of the 52-acre Westshore Marina District – a vibrant mixed-use community - on Westshore and Gandy Boulevard on Old Tampa Bay across from St. Petersburg.
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11/15/2019 He thought he won a Tampa Bay gulf-front condo. Turns out he lost big—Tampa Bay Times

11/15/2019 He thought he won a Tampa Bay gulf-front condo. Turns out he lost big—Tampa Bay Times

Joseph Erickson owned a condo in this beachfront community but the view was of the Intracoastal Waterway, not the beach. So when he saw that a gulf-front condo in a nearby complex was up for sale at a foreclosure auction, he decided to try his luck.
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11/15/2019 Tampa apartment community sells for record $131.5 million—Tampa Bay Times

11/15/2019 Tampa apartment community sells for record $131.5 million—Tampa Bay Times

In yet another sign of Tampa Bay’s torrid apartment market, a Texas-based company has bought the 340-unit ICON Harbour Island for a record $131.5 million.
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11/12/2019 RealPage growing property management business by buying Buildium for $580 million—Housing Wire

11/12/2019 RealPage growing property management business by buying Buildium for $580 million—Housing Wire

After acquiring at least seven different companies from January 2017 through October 2018, RealPage is back at it again. RealPage, a provider of software and data analytics to the real estate industry, announced this week that it reached a deal to acquire Buildium, a real estate property management solution provider, for $580 million in cash.
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11/12/2019 InvestRes Sells Tampa-Area Portfolio for $29M—Multi-Housing News

11/12/2019 InvestRes Sells Tampa-Area Portfolio for $29M—Multi-Housing News

InvestRes has sold a two-property multifamily portfolio in Bradenton, Fla., for $28.8 million. MNA Properties acquired Treesdale, a 197-unit condo asset, and Oakmeade, a 100-unit fully affordable community. CBRE assisted both parties in the deal. According to Yardi Matrix data, InvestRes purchased both assets in 2012 for a total of $7.1 million.
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11/12/2019 Bank backs development project with $664M loan—Business Observer

11/12/2019 Bank backs development project with $664M loan—Business Observer

Bank OZK executives, when they acquired high-flying St. Petersburg-based C1 Bank — in a $402 million purchase announced four years ago this week — said they planned to make a big splash in the market. The Little Rock, Ark.-based bank, which has steadily expanded its Florida presence since the C1 deal closed in 2016, recently dove into the deep end: It signed off on a $664 million loan to the developers behind Water Street Tampa, the massive redevelopment project in the works in downtown Tampa.
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11/12/2019 Tampa reinvents itself to show off its shores—The Washington Post

11/12/2019 Tampa reinvents itself to show off its shores—The Washington Post

Much of Tampa feels in the midst of a major makeover, with condos and apartments, and retail and other businesses, sprouting up seemingly weekly. Better yet, many of these renovations include shade trees and other play- and lounge-worthy green spaces.
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11/4/2019 Condo residents asked to fork up thousands for repairs—FOX13

11/4/2019 Condo residents asked to fork up thousands for repairs—FOX13

A St. Pete condo complex is on the verge of being condemned unless individual owners come up with tens of thousands to repair the crumbling building.
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11/1/2019 13 people evacuated when sinkhole opens under condo building—Spectrum News

11/1/2019 13 people evacuated when sinkhole opens under condo building—Spectrum News

Authorities say 13 people have been evacuated after a possible sinkhole opened outside a condominium complex in central Florida.
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11/1/2019 Fla. Condo Group, Insurer Settle $25M Sinkhole Loss Suit—Law360

11/1/2019 Fla. Condo Group, Insurer Settle $25M Sinkhole Loss Suit—Law360

Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co. has reached a settlement to resolve a Florida condominium association's breach of contract suit over the insurer's refusal to cover a $25 million claim for alleged sinkhole...
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10/28/2019 Sarasota Quay project could cause a seismic shift in downtown—Business Observer

10/28/2019 Sarasota Quay project could cause a seismic shift in downtown—Business Observer

With nearly 700 high-end residences and more than 200,000 square feet of commercial, retail and restaurant space spread over 15 acres, the Quay Sarasota project has the potential to shift the very epicenter of downtown Sarasota.
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10/28/2019 Island condo owners donating income from rentals to Hurricane Dorian aid—Boca Beacon

10/28/2019 Island condo owners donating income from rentals to Hurricane Dorian aid—Boca Beacon

From now until March 15, 2020, a local couple will be donating all income from condominium rentals to the Bahamas to aid Hurricane Dorian victims.
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10/28/2019 Construction firm carves out niche in luxury condos — for cars—Business Observer

10/28/2019 Construction firm carves out niche in luxury condos — for cars—Business Observer

The skies of Florida’s west coast are dotted with cranes busy at work on condo projects. These residential towers provide luxury living for residents of the state, new and old. But state-of-the-art condos aren’t just for people anymore.
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Recent Articles

Q&A: Changing the Rules to Your Advantage

Q&A: Parking Lot Garage Sale Denied

Q&A: Nonowner Board Member

40-Year Inspections

Elevator Refurbishment

Recent Comments

Vince Raneri on Managing Amenities:

Our Board in Sarasota has gone ahead with plans and county official meetings etc.... to the tune of over $10,000 for construction of two ne…

trish dekok on Securing Your Building Exteriors:

My homeowners and wind damage insurance will not cover my carport. Our association insurance also excludes carports. how can I get coverag…

Joanne Labrecque on Handling Conflicts:

What can/should be done in the case of a management company that informs all of their employees not to speak with a particular board member…

michael anthony on Handling Conflicts:

our HOA has not yet submitted the 2019 budget to the state. now a purchaser of our unit has to come up with 25% down and 20% as planned. t…

Marilyn on Q&A: Pets in a No-Pet Building:

If it’s not a rental, but owned by the resident, is there a reason not to allow “inside” cats since any damage to inside would be owner’s jo…

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