What is CondoWonk?
CondoWonk is a guide to California condominium life, featuring human stories and creative problem-solving. From angry homeowners to electric vehicle charging and organics recycling, CondoWonk does the research and talks to experts (see: *wonk) to find practical “how-to” details you won’t find anywhere else on the web.
CondoWonk is for HOA presidents and board members, residents, managers, policymakers and anyone else who wants insight into the real issues condominiums confront.
*WONK (noun): A person who takes an enthusiastic or excessive interest in the specialized details of a particular subject or field.
Latest Articles
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LADWP Electricity Rates: One that May Save Your HOA Money is Still Secret
Almost two years after CondoWonk reported that a little-known electric rate could lower HOA common area electric bills, an LADWP spokesperson acknowledges that its website provides no information. Instead, LADWP’s website refers only to a residential rate that causes bills to spike in the summertime.
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How to Get the Best LADWP Rate for Your HOA’s Electricity
Condominiums may save money on common area electricity by switching rates, but LADWP’s website won't tell you about it. This article, a companion to LADWP Electricity Rates: One that may Save your HOA Money is Still Secret, gives step-by-step instructions for switching rates.
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10 Things to Know about Buying a Condo in an Older Building
The great majority of condo units for sale in Los Angeles are in buildings that are more than 30 years old. They may offer nicely remodeled units with generous space, but older buildings need more maintenance. Here is helpful advice for the kind of issues buyers are likely to find in shopping for a condo…
CondoWonk is not just a website, it’s an information-sharing network of condominium boards, owners, managers and others, trying to make our communities run better. Share your questions, what worked and what didn’t.
You Had Me At "Wonk"
Doris Sussman Goldstein
I’m Doris Sussman Goldstein, a writer and Harvard Law School graduate who practiced real estate law in Florida for many years before relocating to Los Angeles. My legal work focused on the development of Seaside and other walkable, mixed-use communities (sometimes called New Urban development) across Florida and other parts of the country. As an attorney, I authored condominium declarations and various real estate documents, wrote and lectured about homeowners’ associations and gained a deep appreciation for urban planning and how well-designed multifamily housing is crucial for supporting transit and local retail in walkable neighborhoods.
At the end of 2015, I moved from suburban Florida to a condo in one of Los Angeles’s great walkable neighborhoods and eventually became president of the HOA. I thought it would be easy, but I was faced with all kinds of tough questions. The internet had no answers. This frustration became the driving force behind CondoWonk.
While my years as an attorney naturally shape my thinking, CondoWonk is not a legal blog. I am not licensed to practice law in California and am not providing legal advice. Instead, the website reflects my earlier career path as a newspaper reporter prior to law school, gathering information and sharing what I’ve learned.