Articles

One of the most important things to consider when analyzing a homeowner’s association (HOA) is the current standing of the community's financials.

When determining if a high-rise apartment is for you, you may need to consider a few key items, such as height, location, amenity offerings, and leasing options, to name a few.

Deciding between living in a condominium or an apartment can be daunting - but with the right information, finding your perfect property is simple!

Your Board of Directors oversees the many day-to-day tasks required to operate and maintain your community… but they can’t do it alone. Over the course of the year, your homeowners association will hire vendors to provide a variety of services to keep your community running smoothly, such as exterior painting, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, tree trimming, equipment repair, exterminating, pool maintenance, street repair, and more. And then there are capital improvements, unforeseen events or emergency repairs — yeah, you’ll need vendors to take care of those, too.

For a growing number of community associations across the United States and Canada, statute changes are making electronic voting a possibility for boards. If your state or province permits online voting – or will soon – does that mean that your board should make this option available to homeowners in your community?

Living in a high-rise, condominium or co-op certainly has its perks. You get the convenient location, the dramatic views, attentive concierge services and a range of amenities. However, vertical living also means added challenges when it comes to fire safety. Fortunately, there are measures that both your association board and residents can take to improve safety.

Learn why effective HOA policy starts with a strong communication plan.

Nobody likes to see prices go up for things they want or need, whether it’s a plane ticket, a quart of milk or even a college degree.  But as we all know, rising inflation often leads to rising costs – and that can impact the budget assessments set each year by homeowners associations (HOAs) or community associations. If your community is professionally managed, consult with your property management company for more information – a quality firm will be able to leverage its budgeting and financial experience to provide guidance.  But to get you started, we’ve compiled some information about the Consumer Price Index – what it is and what you need to consider before you get started.

Congratulations! You just bought a new home and it’s perfect for your family – just the right size, condition, location and neighborhood to meet your needs. Your new home is part of a homeowners’ association (HOA), which means you will pay HOA fees. What is an HOA fee? What do they pay for?

So your diligent search for that home of your dreams has finally led you to one that fits all your criteria. However, it is in an association, and you have known people who belonged to condo or homeowners associations (HOAs) that were poorly run or financially mismanaged.

As a buyer, you may wonder whether moving into a community with an HOA is right for you. Perhaps you have heard horror stories from unhappy homeowners or have read about unreasonable boards that bully residents. How common are these events? And are the stories even true?