Coop apartment - board interview questions
My wife and I just signed a contract for a coop apartment in Park Slope. We are submitting our application package tomorrow and with any luck, we will be granted an interview with the board in three to five weeks (or so the application package says…). So my question to Brownstoner forum is: has anyone…
My wife and I just signed a contract for a coop apartment in Park Slope. We are submitting our application package tomorrow and with any luck, we will be granted an interview with the board in three to five weeks (or so the application package says…).
So my question to Brownstoner forum is: has anyone else had any experience they’d like to share about the interview process; or could anyone suggest questions that are more or less likely to be asked; are there questions that can’t be asked? And is there a general thought about this process?
Thanks in advance,
Our interview was with the board president only. She was a bigot, but we passed anyway.
We’re first-time home buyers also purchasing in a co-op. We’ve just submitted our Board application and now await the scheduling of the interview.
After bending over backwards to provide the Board with so much (personal) financial information — you’d think we could ask them a few questions to suss them out a little. It’s the biggest purchase/investment of our lives so it’s unsettling to not know anything about the quality of life in the building…
My husband and I found our interview for a co-op in Park Slope last year kind of grueling. In hindsight, we were very naive about the whole process since this was our first apt purchase.
Our interview was mainly about noise issues since the other owners already should have a file each of your financial statements. We were asked whether we played any musical instruments or liked to play loud music, if had plans to have children (the tenants on the parlor floor had an noise issue with the previous owner’s small children running around), what our work schedules were, if we had pets etc.
We asked a few questions about certain co-op rules.
We passed the interview and later found out that most of the other owners in the building can’t stand each other. All our co-op meetings end in shouting and screaming between certain owners and its difficult to make repairs and renovations because of this. I think its important to ask some kind of questions that might reveal something about your prospective neighbors.
We also found out later from our neighbors that there had been major water leaks between the previous owner of our apt and the owners below. We had to replace all the kitchen appliances within 6 months because of those leaks.
Good luck!
The board is looking for reassurance that you are:
A.) Absolutely and positively going to pay your maintenance every month, without fail. It is really, really hard to wring money out of your neighbors once they’ve moved in…an apartment in my building owes five figures, I’ve been told.
B.) Good neighbors. So be friendly, but reserved, as a good neighbor should be.
You shouldn’t ask any questions at all, unless it’s something like, “How can we be involved in helping out with the building?”
Good luck with the interview.