Articles

Do you Feng Shui?  According to this 5,000-year-old Chinese practice, every object possesses an energy or life force (chi), which interacts with, and affects, each person’s personal flow of energy.  By adding, removing or rearranging the objects in our homes, we can effectively balance these energies to create happiness, health, success and prosperity.  Now who wouldn’t want that?

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.

Preparing and adopting your annual association budget is a critical component of your responsibilities as a board

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.

We all know that there's a lot of paperwork in the home buying process. If the home you want to buy is in a managed community of any kind, a resale package, including your resale certificate and governing documents, is part of that paperwork. Resale certificates and packages offer transparency about the community and whether or not the sellers are current in their financial obligations to the association.

FirstService Financial assists FirstService Residential clients in fulfilling their financing requirements at the most competitive interest rates and terms available.

What did you want to be when you grew up?  Like many children, you may have dreamed of becoming a doctor, teacher, firefighter, pilot, basketball player, ballerina or policeman.  Maybe you wanted to be a movie actor, astronaut, rock star or even the president.  But we’re guessing there are a few professions that probably didn’t make your short list… property manager or community association manager (CAM).    

Success by committee – you may have heard the expression, but do you know how homeowners association committees can help Board members achieve success? Let's start with the basics, a committee definition: an HOA committee is comprised of homeowners who analyze issues and help make recommendations to help reduce Board members’ responsibilities.

Master-planned communities are large developments that integrate a variety of neighborhoods, sub-divisions, recreational facilities and amenities under one community umbrella, with a focus on lifestyle, convenience and quality of life.  Most master-planned communities offer homebuyers a range of residential options suited to different life stages and price points, from single-family homes to townhomes to condominiums to apartments. These residences are often located in distinct neighborhoods within the community, and may be developed by multiple builders.

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.

If you volunteer your services to your homeowners association, you know there are many rewards – but also, quite a few challenges. There are residents with individual demands and concerns and Board members who may have difficulty agreeing. There is also the critical need to carefully develop – and adhere to – a strict budget. And that’s just the beginning.

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.