u/Krellis

We're a 63-unit condo association in Boston, housed in what was originally Boston College's chapel — the Church of the Immaculate Conception — converted to condos in 2021. Yes, we have stained glass and a full-sized statue of Mary on the facade. She's been watching over the front entrance since the BC days. We like to think she's interceding on our behalf during board meetings.

We've been out of developer control for about two years, and the board (three trustees, myself being the newest) switched management companies shortly after turnover because we weren't happy with the developer's choice. We're with a reasonably well-regarded local firm — but our building's manager was recently let go because he couldn't stay on top of paperwork and details, which… was a problem for us too. The interim manager we have now is actually pretty good, but things still move slowly and I find myself chasing down responses more than I'd like.

Here's the wrinkle: we have no on-site super or maintenance staff. I'm a trustee who happens to be pretty handy — especially with electrical, HVAC, and mechanical systems — and I've been filling that void informally. So it's hard to know whether we're a genuinely complex building that needs more than a standard management contract provides, or whether this company just isn't keeping up, or whether we simply need to have a clearer conversation about expectations.

For those of you in similarly sized buildings (50–80 units), especially without dedicated on-site staff:

• Have you found a sweet spot with your management company, or is the gap between "what they provide" and "what you actually need" always kind of a negotiation?
• If you've switched companies, what made you pull the trigger — and did it actually help?

Grateful for any wisdom, war stories, or general commiseration. We're doing the Lord's work over here. Literally. We live in a church.

Ah, the 1 bus, always an adventure. Driver really wanted to pass an MIT shuttle turning left just into Cambridge, got too close, and caused them to hit the bus when they turned with tail swing. End of that bus ride, good thing I was getting off at MIT anyway.

Sure would be nice if we had proper full size bus lanes for critical routes.

Anyone have any advice for finding an HVAC contractor in the Boston MA area who has a Carrier USB-L cable and knows how to use it?

I'm a board member for a condo building that has 63 units with Carrier WSHPs and ZS Pros as "thermostats" in each unit. They're all configured for central management/connectivity but not actually wired to our BMS. We'd like to be able to unlock/adjust the ranges of the ZS Pros for owners, but we've been having a heck of a time finding a contractor who actually understands what we're asking for.

As far as I can tell we just need to find someone who has a USB-L cable (and the appropriate software) who can do this. But ... I can't find anyone to do it. Am I asking the wrong question? Any advice? Should we just buy one off eBay? I'm worried about the software/licensing aspects, more than anything, but I also don't want to be getting stolen goods, etc.