Distinguished Blog - Real Estate
Market insights and industry news.
Builder’s Risk Insurance: What Your Clients Need to Know
The moment construction begins, a property is at risk of damage. Whether it’s theft, accidental fires, floods, or more, there can be a number of major risks to these buildings. That’s why it’s crucial that any property undergoing construction, improvements, or renovations has a comprehensive Builder’s Risk insurance policy. This kind of insurance policy is…
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From the Labor Law 240 Claim Files – More than Just a Pain in the Neck
While a kitchen remodel was underway in the ground-floor apartment of his four-unit brownstone in Bed-Stuy, Professor Walter Montgomery was threatened with an unexpected expense that tested the strength of his liability coverage.
Whitepaper – If I Fought the Law, Would the Law Win?
Without a higher limit on their general liability, homeowners could be in for a world of hurt – the kind that affects the wallet. When it comes to who will be held responsible for accidental or negligent injuries, with regards to a homeowner’s property, the laws can be a tricky thing to navigate. With New…
A Spooky but True Halloween Story
In honor of Halloween today, we’re re-sharing one of our claims that came in through our City Homes program a while ago. On a cold, dark night in early November, snow and ice glazed the sidewalks up and down the block. Tired building owners shuffled out at first light to make sure their patches of sidewalk…
From the Claim Files: Accident Prone in a Brick & Brownstone
We talked with Sally Winsted, owner of a newly renovated Brooklyn brownstone, about the loss of some of her most treasured belongings after an unfortunate fire ravaged her home. Three years ago, brick & brownstone owner Sally Winsted had an unexpected fire loss. While she was fortunate enough to save her home, she lost some…
Whitepaper – What Do Increases in Market Values Mean for Homeowners?
The steady market inflation of property tax increases of New York City brownstones could provide some unique opportunities for those who are savvy enough to grab on. Market values for one, two and three family homes saw an increase of 8.6% citywide…while Brooklyn saw the greatest increase in market value of nearly 18%. This consistent…
Hurricane Harvey Preparation Guide
Hurricane Harvey is the first major hurricane to hit Texas since 2008 (Hurricane Ike, category 2). It’s scheduled to make landfall on Saturday and expected to bring enough rain to overwhelm bayous and flood large swathes of land. Texas, particularly Houston, is flood-prone and no stranger to the many scenarios which may occur this weekend,…
Water Auditing to Assess Water Usage on Your Grounds
What if every time you filled a glass of water you threw half of it in your boss’s face? Well, that’d be bad! But that is kinda what happens with most landscaping water systems. Half the water that is being used to sustain the grounds around your building is being wasted. That’s straight from the…
When the Hoarding Hits the Fan
Hoarding. It can manifest in a few different ways, but the bottom line is clear: It’s a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The hoarder isn’t the only one at risk here, so are adjacent neighbors, property owners, and community associations. If a property owner or community association ignores a problem, they could be…
Managing Risk: Preventing Legionella
Updated July 6, 2017: Recent Cases Underscore Legionella Exposure Since we originally wrote this article there have been several new cases of Legionella reported where people have died and fell ill. In June, one person died and six became ill in the Lenox Hill neighborhood in New York where investigators are looking into the air-conditioning…
Playground Safety Checklist
It’s that time of year again when the sound of children running around in playgrounds across our neighborhoods fills the air. It’s also a time for heighted precautions because as fun as a playground can be, it’s also a place where kids can get seriously injured. More than 200,000 children ages 14 and younger are…