Here’s where you’ll find recent articles about FirstService Residential, as well as our impact on the areas we serve.
One of the most challenging aspects of being on the board of your homeowners association (HOA) can be running board meetings. It’s not always easy to keep everyone tuned into the business at hand. In addition, you have to manage the inevitable disagreements among board members. How do you keep these meetings running smoothly?
Whether you’re on the board of a single-family homeowners association (HOA) or a high-rise condo association, your community depends on volunteers to operate successfully. However, finding residents who are willing to be on your board of directors, join a committee or help at an event can be challenging.
Humans are social creatures with a deep-seated yearning for connection and community. This is particularly evident in a condo association or HOA, where a strong sense of community can be the difference between long-standing residency and high turnover.
How well do homeowners in your condo association understand maintenance responsibilities? You might think that responsibilities for maintenance, repairs and replacements would be straightforward enough – what’s inside the condo unit is the homeowner’s, and what’s outside is the association’s.You might think that responsibilities for maintenance, repairs and replacements would be straightforward enough – what’s inside the condo unit is the homeowner’s, and what’s outside is the association’s.
As Illinois anticipates spending the winter months knee-deep in snow, it’s likely that some residents in your condo or homeowners association (HOA) are anticipating spending their winter in a warmer climate.
We can all agree there are many important elements to a housing structure, but your roof is probably the most important. Changing temperatures, snow accumulation, large amounts of rain, ice dams and high winds can all cause major damage to condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes. These harsh weather conditions can create all sorts of problems, from minor leaks to major cave-ins that can cost an association thousands to repair.
Cold weather will soon be upon us, so now is the time for your homeowner association (HOA) to make sure your maintenance program is on track. As brutal as Chicago winters can be, you certainly don’t want to discover a leak in your roof during a heavy snowfall or have a boiler stop working during a record cold spell. Don’t get caught in the cold!
Safeguarding an association’s operating and reserve funds is one of the main fiduciary duties of all Chicago board members, not just the treasurer. This means that boards must protect the financial interests of the association and its members by making sure all funds are properly managed, invested and protected.
A strong, healthy association requires every facet of property management to work in sync toward one common goal... true financial stability.
Reserve studies are based on the assumption that components will reach their maximum useful life. However, if a preventative maintenance plan doesn’t accompany your reserve study, it’s highly unlikely some components will ever reach their maximum useful life.
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