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Living in a residential community means around-the-clock routine maintenance to preserve the community and its assets. But there comes a time when one of your assets will reach the end of its useful life and require a replacement or significant repairs.

Not too long ago, one of the main ways residents in homeowner associations (HOAs) could pay their association fees was with a check, money order, or cash. Fast forward a decade or two later, and paying with a check is inconvenient for many residents who no longer use checkbooks or carry cash—leaving many homeowners wondering how to make an HOA payment online. Luckily, we know how.

Serving as a homeowner association (HOA) board president is an honor, a privilege, and an experience that many across North America take great satisfaction in. But before you make the leap from resident to board member, it’s essential to understand exactly the duties of an HOA president.

As more people move into homeowner associations, there is growing interest in the number and variety of community amenity offerings, especially in luxury communities, where white glove services and lifestyle programming are at the heart of their residents’ lifestyles.

Maintaining your buildings’ assets is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. The common areas require a broad range of routine maintenance and repairs to keep them looking good and operating smoothly.

No longer the products of science fiction fantasy, electric cars are now a reality of everyday life.  While the reduced emissions of personal electric vehicles, or PEVs, are good news for the environment, their charging requirements may create challenges for condo associations trying to navigate their infrastructure requirements, legal implications, management concerns and even aesthetic considerations. 

If you live in a residential community or are looking to purchase a home in a homeowner association (HOA), then you are most likely familiar with the term “HOA fees.”

When you think of a residential community, your mind may often turn to association fees, rules, and groundskeeping. Very rarely do you realize that a professional property management company usually manages these communities, with a property manager or community association manager (CAM) overseeing the day-to-day management of the community.

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.

Does your community allow pets? What types? How many? Are there limits on size?  If you live in a pet-friendly community, it’s important that your association board set boundaries to keep order within your community. Many of the issues that become problems in pet-friendly communities have very little to do with the pets–after all, they can’t clean up after themselves. Your neighbor’s dog could be your best friend too, as long as your neighbor makes sure his pet is on its best behavior. 
 
Follow our list of ways you can create and implement pet policy that will help resolve any pet-related issues and ensure all residents are respectful of the community. Keep in mind, when crafting policy about any issue, it’s important to clearly communicate that policy, and the consequences for violating it, to all community residents and association members.

Now more than ever, communities are searching for ways to increase resident engagement and create a social atmosphere. One way managers capitalize on their available community amenities is through lifestyle programming.

Thriving HOA committees have typically attributed “success by committee” as a factor for their growth. But what are actual HOA committee roles and responsibilities?