Lana Bortolot

When you buy a co-op or condo in New York City, it's easy to focus more on the apartment (its price, size, and location) than the building--let alone the personality and temperament of the co-op or condo board that runs it. But make no mistake: Beyond deciding whether you may become an owner in the first place (if you're buying a co-op), the board will affect your happily-ever-after--from renovation and sublet approvals, to rules and regulations that affect your daily existence, to the upkeep and maintenance of the building itself. Below, some canary-in-a-coal-mine pointers for discerning whether the board is friendly or icy, hands-on or laissez-faire, well-run or paralyzed by infighting.