City of Worcester Resources Every Property Owner Should Know
A Local Guide for Smart, Sustainable, and Compliant Property Management
Staying ahead as a property owner in Worcester requires more than just managing rent and repairs—it means navigating local regulations, tapping into city resources, and making informed decisions that support both your bottom line and your building’s long-term health. With the city’s ongoing growth and investment in housing, Worcester offers a wide range of tools to help landlords, condo boards, and multifamily owners operate responsibly and efficiently.
By the Books: Condo Deeds, Bylaws, and Rules Explained
What Worcester Condo Owners and HOAs Need to Know
Buying a condo in Worcester isn’t just about choosing the right unit or neighborhood. It also means stepping into a shared community with rules and responsibilities. Whether you live in a new development off Shrewsbury Street or a historic triple-decker near Elm Park, understanding your condo's legal documents helps protect your investment and keeps things running smoothly.
Federal Policy Impacts on Housing and Energy Efficiency
Recently Congress has passed a large spending bill using reconciliation. This package puts into law many of the priorities of the current administration, including removal of many of the clean energy programs and investments in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This summary highlights impacts specifically to the housing industry.
How Condo Associations Can Save Big with Mass Save in Massachusetts
Managing a homeowners association involves balancing both short and long-term priorities, such as maintaining property value and controlling expenses. One area where these priorities come together is energy efficiency.
How to Choose the Best Contractors for Your HOA or Condo Association
Hiring the right contractors is one of the most important responsibilities for HOA and condo association boards. Whether you're looking for landscaping, roofing, or major repairs, the right vendor helps protect your community's budget and property value. Because vendor relationships involve legally binding contracts and agreements, it’s essential to take a smart, structured approach when selecting contractors.
Where Does My Money Go? Breaking Down Your HOA Fees
Learn what HOA fees are, how they're allocated by the HOA board, and what they cover—including reserve funds, community maintenance, and what’s not included.
Walking Through Worcester: A Guide to the Best Places to Live
Worcester is quickly becoming one of Massachusetts' most popular places to live, adding around 1,800 new residents each year. If you’re considering making the move, you’ll want to know what Worcester’s diverse neighborhoods have to offer. Whether you're looking for a bustling nightlife, a family-friendly community, or proximity to parks and universities, Worcester has something for everyone.
Matt’s Maintenance: What Your Property Needs to be Ready for the Spring
With temperatures starting to warm up in New England, it should be no surprise that your property may be damaged after the harsh winter conditions. While it may seem like a lot needs to be done, Matt, our property manager, has compiled the most important tips to prepare your property to transition into the spring. These tips will ensure that your property is thriving and that it is prepared for the upcoming warmer months.
Love Thy Neighbor: How to Work With Your Neighbors to Help Your Condo Thrive
Achieving peace and harmony in a condo residential community is no easy task. These communities allow for residents to coexist in the same environment, and opinions on what a peaceful coexistence might differ for each homeowner. It becomes important to collaborate with your neighbors to make coexisting as smooth as possible. If you find yourself stuck with a negative condo community and problems are arising, here are some tips to work with your neighbors to help your condo thrive.
Exploring the rental price increase trends in Worcester
The City of Worcester, home to 207,621 residents, has become one of the most popular destinations for renters in the recent years. With 12 colleges and universities, a diverse restaurant selection in Shrewsbury St., local events and markets, and scenic spots such as Green Hill Park, the city as attracted a wide range of people, particularly young renters. However, commercial and residential projects, while benefiting economic growth, have also led to an increase of prices and rent. Issues such as gentrification and a housing crisis have become prominent in the city, affecting Worcester’s most vulnerable residents. The rental landscape in Worcester is becoming increasingly complex, with rising rental prices and a lack of affordable housing for all.
Sustainable Comfort Celebrates 10 Years of Growth, Innovation, and Sustainability
Worcester, MA / Syracuse, NY – December 10, 2024 – Sustainable Comfort, a Worcester-based small business, proudly marks its 10th anniversary this month. Since its founding in 2014, the company has become a leader in the clean energy sector, creating jobs, fostering innovation, and contributing to a more sustainable future.
From humble beginnings with just a handful of employees, Sustainable Comfort has grown to a team of 50 dedicated professionals. The company’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge clean energy solutions has not only powered its success but has also had a significant impact on the local economy by creating high-quality jobs in Worcester and at its Syracuse, NY satellite office.
Sustainable Comfort increases Worcester holdings with $1M acquisition
Sustainable Comfort, a Worcester-based real estate and development firm, purchased a seven-unit multifamily building at 3 Irving St. in Worcester for $1 million.
The seller was Vista Estates, LLC of Worcester and represented by Kelleher & Sadowsky Associates broker Madison O’Brien and principal Will Kelleher, according to a Friday press release from the brokerage.
Demand for the fully-occupied property was high, drawing 50 parties for an open house on Easter weekend, O’Brien said. The sellers received an offer within four days of being on the market.
The sale was completed on May 5, according to the Worcester District Registry of Deeds.
Technical expert Jeffrey Love of Sustainable Comfort provides perspective on a key component of the 2020 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria: Path to Zero Energy.
Jeff discusses how electrification technology is evolving and asserts that new products and approaches are accessible and suitable for most affordable housing development projects.
The Lafayette apartments in Schenectady get $1 million from NYSERDA - Albany Business Review
Jonathan Rosenblum's plans for his second residential development in downtown Schenectady went through some design changes after the costs for construction materials spiked.
Instead of including some larger units with two bathrooms and space for a study or home office, he decided it was best to have slightly smaller apartments and a coworking area in the building.
Sustainability-minded developers buy seven multifamily properties for $4.65M
Seven properties on one acre near the juncture of Pleasant Street and Richmond Ave. in Worcester sold in a deal on Wednesday for $4.65 million.
The properties at 831 Pleasant St., 5 Richmond Ave., 9 Richmond Ave. and on Ureco Terrace contain 28 units, totalling 30,526 square feet according to a release by NAI Glickman Kovago & Jacobs whose vice president, David Eldridge, brokered the deal on behalf of the seller.
The buyer was SCIREH Five LLC d/b/a The Worcester Vision Fund. The Worcester Vision Fund is co-sponsored by Sustainable Comfort, Inc. of Worcester and Civico Development, LLC and builds on the success of their Bell Hill Opportunity Fund, which was closed in 2021.
7 Multi-Unit Properties Off Pleasant Street In Worcester Bought For $4.65 Million
WORCESTER - Seven properties with 28 units on Pleasant Street in Worcester sold for $4.65 million.
The properties at 831 Pleasant St., 5 Richmond Ave., 9 Richmond Ave. and four properties on Ureco Terrace are included in the sale. The properties total over 30,500 square feet on one acre.
Governor Cuomo Announces Completion of $56 Million Rehabilitation of 70 Historic Row Houses in Albany
Transforming neighborhoods while increasing the comfort and efficient of housing in a great city. Pleased to be a partner on the project and certify each home to the rigorous standards of the Enterprise Green Communities program! Great job!
Project of the Month: Rochester Management and SWBR begin construction on $13.4m Zion Hill Senior Apartments in Rochester
Rochester, NY On January 21, Rochester Management joined local leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new $13.4 million, 45,000 s/f affordable senior housing development in the city’s new Bull’s Head Renewal District.
The once-thriving Bull’s Head District is a focus of revitalization and renewal for the city’s leadership. Zion Hill Senior Apartments, a collaboration between Rochester Management Inc. and Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church, is part of that renewal plan.
Michelle Tinner Quoted in Passive House Guide, Spring 2021
Our Senior Project Manager, Michelle Tinner, was quoted in the Passive House Guide by the Passive House Alliance of Hudson Valley:
The Passive House standard is growing, and with it, a network of green energy consultants is growing. Michelle Tinner is one of them. A Senior Project Manager at Sustainable Comfort and President of the Passive House Alliance Hudson Valley chapter, her mission is to help Passive House enter main stream building standards.
“The level of interest from project teams to pursue Passive House has grown exponentially over the last two to three years,“ says Tinner, for whom drivers for adoption abound. “Some developers are mission driven,” she says. “We need to clean the grid and get away from fossil fuels. Passive House provides a logical solution by reducing the overall energy demand.”
NESEA Recognizes James Moriarty, Winner of the The Kate Goldstein Emerging Leader Award
A message from James:
I am so very honored and humbled to be recognized with NESEA’s Kate Goldstein Emerging Leader Award. NESEA has played a foundational role in my life and career development in sustainability and energy efficiency and I thank all the NESEA community for their support.
I was first introduced to NESEA while studying engineering in college. I found the BuildingEnergy Boston conference which happened to be during spring break. Being a student and not tied to continuing education credits, I was instantly drawn into the Whole Systems in Action track where I found the conversations routinely focused on ‘why.’ The most influential voices in NESEA had gravitated towards these conversations and were leading the charge in finding the interconnections in their work and understanding the wider impacts of their choices. These are the conversations that are the background for nearly all NESEA programs.