What the new Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac condo rules mean for buyers and boards

You might be surprised to learn that the ancient Chinese have been practicing feng shui for 5,000 years. It’s believed that every object possesses unique energy or life force (chi), which interacts with your own personal energy flow.

When choosing the right property management company for your community, you will be asking a variety of questions to assess whether the company or manager will be the right fit for your board and your residents.

Floods are one of the most common types of natural disasters. They can also be the most detrimental for high-rise buildings. The nature of these buildings makes them particularly vulnerable to flooding caused by severe storms.

Implementing new policies within a community can be challenging, but when a board communicates effectively and gives residents a plan that outlines the necessity, process and benefits of a policy, they can avoid a lot of issues and get buy-in, too.

Congratulations! You just bought a new home and it';s perfect for your family – just the right size and condition and in a location and neighborhood to meet your needs. Your new home is part of a homeowners’ association (HOA), so the landscaping, entrance and common areas always look beautiful and well-maintained.

Since you’ve generously offered your valuable time to serve on your HOA board, you no doubt have your community’s best interests in mind and want to put forth your best effort.

Effective communication fosters better relationships among board members, your residents and property management company, and keeps all parties well informed. Here are the 4 components of a successful communication plan that create effective outreach to all members of your community.

Sooner or later, most community associations face staff changes. If your community has a great manager, you probably want them to stay forever. But how realistic is that?

The homeowners in your association depend on you and other board members to look out for their best interests. That’s why it’s so important to thoroughly research and compare property management companies before selecting the one that will best meet the needs of your community. After all, the choice you make today can impact your property for years to come.

Sooner or later, most community associations face some kind of management change. If your community has a great manager, you probably want them to stay forever. But how realistic is that?

Does your community have employees? If the answer is yes, you need to know about changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations that go into effect on December 1, 2016. They may affect your budget and how you do business.

In the past, when planning for emergencies, a global pandemic was likely not on your list. While most board members did not anticipate a pandemic as something that needed a plan before COVID-19, it's now clear that communities need to develop a plan to address this and any future pandemics. Read on to learn how to build a community emergency preparedness plan with a possible resurgence of coronavirus and other potential pandemics in mind.