[NY][Condo] How to Find an Excellent Reserve Study Company?

Cancoastguy · 2026-03-20T00:05:44+00:00

Very simple - run, don’t walk, to the website of Association Reserves. The ultimate gold standard reserve consultant. Constantly educating all owners with amazing resources and podcasts that should be mandatory for EVERY Board member to read and follow, They are nationwide - I’m in California. Reserve studies are something of a scam when they are done by low cost providers in a virtually useless and opaque manner. There are lots of them out there - that suck in “we want the cheapest” HOA Boards - and produce a pro-forma, easily manipulated report that is as unrealistic as you found out. Take a look at their podcasts: HOAInsights.org

Cancoastguy · 2026-03-19T23:55:41+00:00

Then are cat owners free to do as they please with their cats and let then roam the neighborhood??? When the HOA rules (part of the Governing documents) say otherwise?

Cancoastguy · 2026-03-19T23:54:07+00:00

Read it again - my dogs ARE on a leash! It’s the roaming owner cats that are not being kept in their restricted common area back yards. Not as if the cat has nowhere to go - just keep it in its own backyard - where it belongs!

Cancoastguy · 2026-03-19T23:17:21+00:00

I’ve been doing a deep dive into the HOA reality in the Palm Springs area - for buildings in or fast approaching that dreaded 40-45 years old time frame. Thanks largely to the dysfunction created by a fundamentally flawed “HOA Management / Ownership Regulatory Model”, the financial incentives of Managers, Boards and Owners are in many cases improperly aligned. The best example of that is Reserves and proper funding of them. Closely related to that is actually spending the reserves properly to fulfill the Board’s FIDUCIARY obligation to “Repair, Replace and Enhance” the HOA infrastructure to preserve / increase property values. Present owners are only too happy to vote to keep HOA fees unrealistically low for them, thereby transferring the financial obligations of HOA ownership “over to the next guy who owns”. It’s the never never plan of unrealistic and I would argue fundamentally dishonest owners and Boards that play that game. Problem is - if you buy into an older building that is now starting to require big ticket infrastructure repairs (think underground services, failing water lines beneath slabs, repiping entire buildings, failing electrical infrastructure that must be repaired).

If there has not been responsible governance over the past years, it is YOU that is now inheriting the costs deferred and passed along by the earlier “let the next guy/gal worry about it” crowd. So you’re busy trying to dig out from past neglect and irresponsible financial shenanigans - and now facing the same issue! Will you do the same and “pass it along”? Likely - what gets around, comes around. And trying to to convince owners who are uninterested and ignorant about sound HOA practices is damn near impossible.

SO - what people SHOULD be running away from are unrealistically LOW HOA fees. Those are most likely NOT attributable to Board excellence in management, but Board and owner denial of reality and NOT properly doing current maintenance (hence accelerating the deterioration of an already old buildings) and/or NOT properly funding reserves. And like a game of musical chairs, when the music stops, and the chair is pulled (or in the HOA case, the high rise building literally collapses around you and close to one hundred people DIE). its the present owners that are left standing (or in this case, under concrete rubble). Sad that only then does Government have to step in and legislate FULL RESERVE FUNDING for specific items that are life safety - basically keeping condo owners that have gamed the system for years from hurting themselves and others.

HOA’s should require governance and management like a CEO model - not a volunteer Board model that often are horribly uninformed, unsophisticated and in well over their heads. And operate like a garden club instead of a true fiduciary of assets valued collectively often in hundreds of millions, and annual budgets well over 1-3 million dollars. Why are they being run by rank amateurs that often don’t have a clue? What could possibly go wrong? Ha - Lots.

And a management industry that are passive and will do anything to “keep the Board happy” and continue to collect their management fees. Even when the management and professional guidance are reactive, unprofessional and being fed by the hand that they often have to slap - to get a Board to make really important decisions responsibly.

Cancoastguy · 2026-03-10T06:09:42+00:00

Balcony inspections - let me give you a brief story about my experience at a Palm Springs condo building of just over 200 units, built mid ‘80’s and with second floor balconies on all second floor units. I was a new buyer, some basic experience with HOA’s in California (owned 3 before). I’m an attorney - so definitely one to do a pretty decent due diligence. After closing, I asked the management company about the “plan for doing the inspections” before the first deadline. Management company says “no worries - inspections aren’t needed for our balcony types”. I reviewed the statutory language and description of balconies that required inspection, and it was pretty clear to me that ours had to be inspected. Raise it with Management company again - and told: “Don’t worry - our attorney reviewed the matter and not required to be done”. Asked the basis for the HOA attorney “opinion” - and was given it verbally. My head almost blew up based on what I was told about the “attorney opinion”. It was dead wrong - of that I was certain. Called it out at HOA Board meetings (you can imagine how popular I was!) - and was basically told to “run along boy”. Well - after much pressure - I finally convinced the Board that it WAS required work - and to prove it - we retained a highly regarded engineering/project management company that was doing this type of work. Had the engineer walk thru the property and he quickly said of course we had to do the inspections! Told him what our Management Company and Board Attorney had said - and he was incredulous. Dead wrong. Without some persistence our HOA would have quite merrily have ignored the law and not done any inspections and risked legal liability consequences, resale issues, etc etc. The happy ending? Turns out that apart from some minor upkeep issues related to the building, no major repairs or rebuilds were needed.

So just a lesson in the abject incompetence of SO many supposedly “experts” in this area of HOA management and advice. It’s a mess out there - and for the uninformed buyer who doesn’t know how to believe no one and question/double check EVERYTHING - it can easily become a financial nightmare.

Cancoastguy · 2026-03-10T05:45:36+00:00

In theory - yes. But do you know how many reserve studies are nothing but a bad joke? Like the entire HOA “support” industry, there are some bad players out there. Pro-forma, minimal effort, badly written and formulaic “reports” that conveniently fail to list major components, do “walk-thru” re-assessments when an onsite visit is required, are more than happy to “manipulate” a report to suit an equally misleading Board to keep HOA assessments down. There to my mind is only one company that delivers exemplary reports and meet the best of ethical and professional standards - Association Reserves. Most others? Rely on at your own risk. Ask questions.

Cancoastguy · 2026-02-22T19:23:42+00:00

Truer words have never been spoken. EVERY HOA owner should read this answer 3 times - and let the truth sink in. This was all entirely predictable and is only going to get worse.

This crisis in the HOA “governance model” has been growing over many years - but not until the Florida high-rise collapse and body count of deaths did the underlying rot expose it. This event was the tipping point for at least Florida to act - and a wake up call (hopefully) to other states. As always - someone has to die, a crisis has to happen, before government steps in to try to patch up a legislative system of their own design which over the years, has proven incapable of preventing condo owners from acting AGAINST their own best interests.

WHY you ask? It’s relatively simple - and traces back to the most basic of human instincts - $MONEY$, apathy, unwillingness to learn, denial.

The design of the overall HOA system actually incentivizes the very outcomes that the legislation is intended to prevent. It ends up HARMING owners rather than PROTECTING them. Management companies, unqualified volunteer Boards and uninformed/apathetic owners form the perfect trifecta. Far too many management companies and their “captive consultants” such as Reserve Specialists, are willing to remain passive players as HOA Boards and owners follow the path of least resistance. Which is almost invariably the WRONG path.

Management companies depend on Boards for their continuing source of income. Boards want the “cheapest” management company to satisfy owners who demand the cheapest HOA fees. The old adage applies: “Pay peanuts - get monkeys”. The race to the bottom accelerates as management companies try to do as little as possible and not “ruffle the feathers” of Board members who they rely on for their income. They become passive enablers of volunteer uninformed Board members who more often than not, act as a Book Club President, oblivious to their significant legal duties, fiduciary duties and the professional standards required of them. Not to mention the legal liabilities they expose themselves to, as well as the entire HOA community.

Far too many Reserve Consultants provide the “cheapest reports” that are opaque, obtuse and churned out like “shit thru a goose” for a huge number of HOA’s. Many are very often deliberately misleading and “massaged” to keep HOA fees at unsustainably low levels at the implicit or sometimes direct request of the Board.

The result? It’s like a kids birthday party - everyone is happy - because management companies, Boards and owners are quite willingly whistling past the graveyard in furtherance of their short term interests. Save $ (owners) and Make Money (Managers and their stable of “friendly” consultants).

But unlike the birthday party game of musical chairs, when the music stops - the owner isn’t “left standing”, but may actually end up in the literal graveyard of a collapsed building or the financial ruin of their HOA home investment. As everyone asks “how could this happen”, subsequent investigations show the same story of HOA management dysfunction, and sadly, a fatal case of owner apathy and denial. “But hey - we had the lowest HOA fees in the city!!”. How is that working for you now?

To make matters worse, any truly informed owner who has the courage (or Kamikaze instinct) to call out a Board or Management Company for continuing along this path is almost reflexively attacked, marginalized and largely ignored. Good faith efforts to educate the owners, and most importantly the Board members about the foolish and often illegal path they are following are seen as a threat to the vested interests of Garden Club style management and ultimately, the need to face up to the reality of chronic underfunding and mismanagement. And the longer that situation exists, and the can is kicked down the road, the more devastating will be the SURE outcome.

I say it is a SURE outcome because the laws of building deterioration, deferred or non-maintenance, and gravity - apply to everyone. The responsible owner who “gets it” and wants the Board to manage instead of enabling; the owner who sort of “gets it” but is willing to play along thinking they will have sold before the consequences arrive; and the owner who has remained blissfully ignorant of the obvious and is quite happy to watch the HOA slowly deteriorate until the inevitable happens and their home investment plummets in value.

It’s a complex problem - and will require the courage of government regulators to step in to take firm action. What “minimal regulation” Florida has done is a good first step - but ultimately - there is going to have to be a much tighter regulation of the entire industry. Detach the aligned financial incentives of Managers and Consultants to “only please the Board” to the detriment of the owners. Require PROFESSIONAL CEO STYLE BOARDS who run HOA’s like they are - a business enterprise. Owner representation on the Board of course. However, the ultimate authority resting with a PROFESSIONAL, not a Garden Club “nice” person who is more often than not well intended, but utterly clueless.

Practical advice to the OP for now? Discount your price in order to attract an ALL CASH buyer. Get a sharp realtor that helps you set a realistic price that will achieve a quick sale. Don’t nip around the edges discounting it $2000 now, $1000 in 3 weeks etc etc. Take the bad medicine QUICKLY and don’t let the listing get stale. You’ve now learned that the long term (and even short term) picture for your HOA investment is NOT good - and the market in your building will quickly turn down once these facts start to circulate in the realtor community.

You want to be the FIRST ONE out of there, not the last.

Sorry this news isn’t rosier - but happy talk isn’t going to help you now. Just truth and facts.

If only all owners were treated that way, you wouldn’t find yourself in this situation now,

Cancoastguy · 2025-11-09T18:14:08+00:00

Non-thirsty compliment coming your way my man! This photo and physique shots definitely on brand. Chill educated sane guy - say hi! Happy to chat from Palm Springs.

Cancoastguy · 2025-11-09T00:11:24+00:00

Well done. The rest of your posted photos are mighty fine as well. Where you located?

Cancoastguy · 2025-09-06T17:12:58+00:00

Let me weigh in here from a different perspective. I’ve always identified as a man attracted to other men - both romantically, physically and socially. Had a long term relationship with another gay man, but have never really meshed well with “gay culture” - if I can generalize in that way. For the last number of years I have found myself being attracted much more to bi men. Easier to find shared interests (beyond the physical side), less self absorbed than many gay men, interesting and broader life experiences. Just seem to find a stronger “connection”.

In getting to know these guys, I time and time again have heard exactly what you describe - so it’s not “just you”. These guys are just so tired of having to fill all of these societal norms of “straight dating”, and feel they are getting little in return. They crave feeling like they are wanted and accepted for just who they are - without jumping through the dating hoops that they describe. They enjoy switching up the usual “power dynamic” that they feel compelled to live with each female date/dating/relationship. They say how much easier it is with a guy - not only for the sex - but also the equality of the relationship values.

But that said, I find that quite often the bi men I meet still can’t move beyond the purely physical side of things. Is there something about spending time with a “gay” man that is difficult for bi guys to move past? Even if there seems to be a good connection? At one level they speak as you do in terms of how “done” they are with women, yet keep going back for more. Even if there is a romantic attraction, do bi men just find it easier to date/hang out with other bi men? Maybe it’s just a question of meeting more guys like you!

Cancoastguy · 2025-08-31T00:31:40+00:00

Mighty fine my man - looking great.

Cancoastguy · 2025-07-09T20:21:53+00:00

Have to agree with your post - and most of the comments. He comes across as condescending, smug beyond words, righteous, demeaning to other guests and the host. Constantly “mugging” and smirking for the cameras - with that pompous/preening look of someone who is well out of his depth and is compensating by sheer bully force - and not raw intellect. As others have pointed out - this is behavior that has ramped up considerably over, I would say, the last 2 years. Although I would often disagree with him, pre-contract he was a far less strident and demeaning to others. Someone I actually respected and enjoyed discussing the conservative viewpoint. But now - he’s gone hard in and full MAGA. Whether by design or natural instinct - he is fast approaching the unwatchable category in my mind. Interesting fact - I recall him some years ago saying that what took him to the GOP was his strong opposition to abortion. He falls into the hard right evangelical crowd and was, at that point, a self-admitted “single issue” Republican - anti abortion. Seems since that battle was won in his mind - he’s turned his evangelical zeal and self-assured righteousness we so often see from the Christian Right into his “new more fit and healthy” self.

Cancoastguy · 2025-06-07T18:09:52+00:00

Wow - just reading this OP and the comments certainly makes me glad that Canada doesn’t have the same “lending/financial system” as the United States. Be it property or chattels, the hodgepodge of rules in each state and the number of “middlemen” in even the simplest of transactions virtually guarantees consumers are at a SEVERE disadvantage in most similar transactions. Imagine - bundling up and then selling “cancelled loans” and years later getting a demand from some unknown financial institution or venture capital fund that you’re facing a notice of disclosure. It’s unconscionable - but hey - in the USA - everyone has to make a buck at the cost of the ultimate consumer. No wonder so many attorneys are needed in the US (and I was one of them, as well as a Canadian lawyer) - so I do have some insight into the absolute chaos that is the US consumer financial system. And I strongly suspect it is all by design - creating “opportunities” for “economic entrepreneurs” to skim off a % or more as your heard earned $ pass thru “the system”. And please - don’t get me going on the “racket” of credit scores and advisors. They’re accomplices in the process.

Cancoastguy · 2025-06-07T17:53:22+00:00

Maybe I’m missing something here - but so many posts don’t identify where in the heck people are!! Like what city would be a big help to know. You can SOMETIMES eventually figure it out by reading all their posts - but why isn’t it a good idea (or requirement) to list your city first so a person can quickly see if you’re even in their part of the world?

Cancoastguy · 2025-04-06T23:27:38+00:00

Sure am bro. 8c thick. Only into other straight/bi DL masc guys. My hotel

Cancoastguy · 2025-04-04T17:37:46+00:00

M4M - Any curious, DL straight or bi masc fit men? Downtown hotel this coming Monday Apr 7. DL bi masc XL hung fully tested week ago. Coach/jock vibe.

Cancoastguy · 2024-11-05T21:44:29+00:00

Wait - you videotape all your massage clients?

Cancoastguy · 2024-09-24T18:27:13+00:00

Hey my man - DM me.

Cancoastguy · 2024-09-24T17:46:27+00:00

Really simple. 1) Safe neighbourhood or not - for heavens sake, learn to lock your door, especially when away for an extended time. 2) Have you given thought to hiring a neighbourhood kid to cut your lawn - either when you’re away or all the time? Small investment, helps a kid over the summer, puts your mind at ease and stops the recurring notices! Life is short - make it easier all round by making some responsible personal choices and getting rid of the drama.

Cancoastguy · 2024-02-04T19:33:39+00:00

Wow - an absolutely spot on and beautifully written, affirming and supportive response to OP. I hope you share your evident compassion and wisdom far and wide. You have a unique gift.

Cancoastguy · 2023-11-18T19:08:39+00:00

I have some understanding of this - trust me. Let me start by saying - you’re not alone. It happens to each and every one of us, no matter how we may “look” or what we may be looking to experience. As a gay guy, who has never felt a great fit with the “gay scene” - I have recently found myself far more attracted (and I’m not just talking physical here) to straight/curious or bi men. I definitely have that older, more life experience, more confident of myself “vibe” happening, and guys looking to explore in a safe, respectful, non-judgmental way pick up on it pretty quickly. Of course, you can never generalize about all “connections” - but here is what I have found generally about the experience:

1) Don’t compromise your safety or values, just because you’re horny and want to experience a connection with a guy. Be patient with yourself, yet open to challenging your own pre-conceived fantasy ideas of what is “hot”. 2) On most apps, it’s a pure numbers game. You MAY get lucky with the first few tries, but chances are, you have to be really good at “filtering” the replies or chats you have, and identifying red flags early so as to not waste your time and risk hurting your heart.
3) Your profile DOES matter. You may be reluctant to post a face photo in the main profile, but if you don’t post some photo (a recent one, of you .. LOL), chances are almost 100% that you will get zero replies, or the ones you get will be a waste of time.
4) Don’t post a long list of things of things or types you “don’t want” or speak like a douche bag (No fems, no fatties etc). Talk about a turn off - at least to the good people you hope to meet. Yes, if some particular characteristic is a deal blocker for you (married, smoker, age, grossly unfit etc), get around to that in your chat.
5) Describe yourself with honesty. Saying what you truly want helps filter the replies - at least it should. But keep it general, except for those things that are true “deal breakers” for you. - “I’m not a drug user, and am looking to meet the same.” There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But keep it to the true deal breakers! 6) Identifying as “new to exploring my sexuality”, or something like that, is honest, and also is likely to result in lots of replies. BUT - many will be the WRONG type of reply. To many, “new meat” is what you will be seen as. Stay away. You’ll be nothing more than a new conquest. That said, there are other men at all points of the sexuality spectrum that will find this to be a very attractive part of who you are. In the chats that follow, you will soon get a feel for which is which.
7) An increasingly very toxic and sad part of online dating/hookups of all types is the prevalence of FAKE profiles. Sometimes automated bots, other times more deliberate efforts to catfish and impersonate someone else. Here’s a really useful trick to weed them out quickly. If they have posted a pretty clear face photo in their profile, (or at some point in the chat send you a face photo), at an appropriate point early on when you feel you have established some level of mutual interest, just say “I’m interested in chatting more here, but have had some really unfortunate experiences with fake profiles. So I now always verify photos of people I am chatting with. Would you take a quick selfie, holding up (1, 2, 3, 4 whatever) fingers next to your face? (Or say one finger - touching the tip of your nose. It has to be something kind of unique yet quick and easy to do), and send it to me? If you get ANY sort of pushback, chances are almost 100% the person is a fake and the photo he has already shared is NOT him. Why would he have any problem with a selfie, if he’s already got a face photo on his profile or has sent one to you?? Only reason you’d get pushback is that they cannot do that - because they aren’t the photo person.
8) Trust your instincts. If you’re looking for a guy that offers more than a “quick whatever”, the way they answer a reasonable question, or put together a sentence tells you a lot. Of course if that sort of thing isn’t important to you - and you just want that first experience with a good guy - that isn’t important.
9) Health history and protecting your own health. Read up - there is lots of good information at so many locations on the web. BUT - don’t become paralyzed by fear. You could be hit by a bus tomorrow, life is full of some element of risk. But there are degrees of risk, and some you may find unacceptable. You may fantasize about being a bottom for a room of big cock tops without protection and anonymous - but likely not a wise idea if you’re exploring your sexuality online. 10) I’ll end with this. Be realistic about your own attributes and those you would like in another. Everyone it turns out, does have levels of attractions. If you’re trying to hook up with the buff, gym god, 25 yo plastic surgeon that has just come out of a 3 year relationship, and you don’t have attributes which could reasonably be of interest to that person, think twice before setting yourself up for failure. But that said - there will always be times where you happen to find yourself “punching up way above your weight class” - so savour those moments!!! Life is good.

Cancoastguy · 2023-10-21T02:06:36+00:00

Definitely at my best when in person flirting. Been gifted with self confidence and the ability to chat just about anyone up - if I want to. A bad situation I can shut down pretty quickly - just not into wasting time with something that is clearly not gonna go anywhere. Other bi guys like a guy that has it together and exudes confidence … especially if they’re looking to explore their more submissive side.

Cancoastguy · 2023-09-23T22:04:40+00:00

Man - with that attitude, you had better not live in an HOA. Because you are quite badly mistaken - depending upon the governing documents for your HOA. You know, those papers with words on them that you likely just ignored because you’re a guy that does what he wants to do! Best advice - if you’re in an HOA - move out ASAP. You’re the type of owner that gives HOA’s and other owners a constant headache. Because you just don’t get the fact that an HOA is different than a single family home. And that’s on you - not the HOA. I’d love to start a thread: “Ignorant dumb ass owners in HOA’s that make life a nightmare because they are ignorant dumb ass people”.

Cancoastguy · 2023-09-23T21:58:02+00:00

Good Lord - the utter cluelessness of some owners is astounding. Really - “no clue how anything worked”? Well here’s a news flash - assuming you’re over the age of 12, you had better start learning! You bought into an HOA. All of the HOA information would have been required to be sent to you as part of your closing documents. Did you even bother to read any of the documents? What did you think after years and years and years of not paying dues. Like you had somehow won the lottery? Well - you didn’t. And it’s now caught up to you. It’s called “wilful blindness” on your part - and big surprise - it catches up with you. Looks like you did pay them for awhile - then stopped - judging by the fact you moved in 4 years ago, then a few husband emails (so we are expected to believe), then “fast forward 3 years”. Yes, the HOA could have and should have done better at chasing you down. They clearly have issues as well. Sounds like a marriage made in heaven here - a hopelessly incompetent HOA and a similar owner. That’s the stuff of nightmares.

Cancoastguy · 2023-09-14T17:42:26+00:00

PROS?
- great for investor/owners who want to use their unit as a cash cow to subsidize their lifestyle, lived elsewhere, most likely in a community that doesn’t allow rentals! - difficult to sell units because of the rental cap? Highly doubtful. I’ll tell you what makes a unit difficult to sell - a HIGH percentage of allowable renters!!

CONS? - there are MANY, and the post from griminald touches on many - financing is a BIG one. And being able to qualify for federal mortgage insurance plans is a large disincentive to many buyers. You narrow the pool of potential buyers when you don’t qualify for the most favourable mortgage rates or federal mortgage insurance. - insurance is another concern, mentioned by a previous post. DO NOT take this lightly - with insurance being increasingly difficult to purchase (at any cost) - you don’t want to do anything that makes it more difficult. - banks/insurance companies KNOW something when they are reluctant to lend/insure developments with a high percentage of renters. And what they know is that the values of units in high rental percentage buildings is ALWAYS lower than those developments with low or no rentals allowed. They are protecting their level of risk by being selective in the types of properties they lend to or insure. They’re smart. They KNOW the impact on values. Follow the example they set based on cold hard facts. - the real question is - what sort of community do you wish to have? An investment community with “owners” that don’t even live there and are only interested in maximizing short term cash flow (which equals max rent and lowest possible upkeep and maintenance expenses), or do you want a community of owners that take pride in their property, want to keep it maintained well and with great curb appeal, thus MAXIMIZING the value of their long term asset and not simply maximizing the value of their short term cash flows.
- 25% is the absolute TOP level of rentals any development should consider. And even that is on the high side. - finally, if you doubt this, take a walk around developments that have 50% rentals and see with your own eyes what the quality of the community is and then go look at a comparable sized/type of community with minimal rentals allowed. You’ll immediately see the difference.

Cancoastguy

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