Maryland HOA CC&Rs: What to know

Life in a high-rise building has a lot of advantages. Besides being convenient to energetic downtown cultural and business districts, high-rises offer great amenities, good security, and even personal concierge services. High-rises also have their own requirements and challenges when it comes to insurance, as well as other unique needs. Insurance must adequately cover the shared common areas such as lobbies, mail rooms and pool decks. Each owner must also have the right coverage for each individual unit.

Your reserve fund is what helps your association anticipate its future – and budget for it, too.  The reserve fund gives you the power to maintain the quality of your community by allowing for projects that are both necessary and expensive, including capital improvements such as a future roofing or paving project. Keep in mind that, in Maryland,  a community association’s annual budget is required to provide for reserves. Needless to say, establishing your reserve fund can be a complex task. You don’t have to go it alone -- you simply need a good reserve study firm to help. Check out our seven tips to finding the right reserve study firm for your community.

Summer is ending faster than we want it to – many schools in Maryland start at the end of August! As a parent, you know what back to school means. Not just a change in schedule, it’s a change in your whole world: making everyone get up in the morning after a summer of sleeping in, rushing out the door, speeding through homework, running back home for forgotten lunches, permission slips and gym clothes. A little organization and planning can go a long way toward making this time of year easier on everyone and minimizing back to school insanity for arranging your household to be more school-friendly, and your first day back will earn an A! 

FirstService Residential is proud to announce L.E.A.D.S. 2016 will take place on Thursday, September 22^nd at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park, New Jersey.  This biennial educational, networking event is focused and shaped on the attributes of Learn, Evolve, Achieve, Deliver, and Succeed.

Summertime and the living is easy…  With gorgeous weather, a break from school until the end of August and lighter schedules for many, it’s the perfect chance to go to the beach, camping, on cruises and more. Whether you’re road tripping from Baltimore to Ocean City or the Jersey Shore, or hopping a plane across the country, summer vacation offers a breather for everyone.

While fun in the sun and sand might be on your mind, it’s just as important to think about the safety and security of the home you’ll be leaving behind. Whether you live in a high-rise or in a master-planned community, it’s important to know how to prepare your home for your trip. No matter where you live, here are some simple tips to help ensure your home is safe and well maintained while you are off enjoying the summer sun.

Preparing your association’s annual budget can be challenging, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a negative experience. With a few pointers, you can take away some of the hassle and end up with a more workable budget in the process. Let’s take a look at a few tips to help you prepare an actionable budget for your association.

Electric cars are now a reality.  As we discussed in our previous article, the number of PEVs (plug-in electric vehicles) on the road has escalated. With the universal desire to protect the environment combined with Maryland’s new incentives aimed towards owners of PEVs, the number of future owners are estimated to further escalate. The Maryland state website offers information on multiple attractive incentives such as Federal Income Tax Credit, and rebates available for current and future consumers. With the escalation of demand on electric cars and its purchases in Maryland, this is a hot topic that needs to be addressed for many homeowners associations (HOAs), community associations and condo boards across the country.

Many of your Maryland neighbors have already switched to plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), and the numbers are growing.  Why? Because PEVs, commonly known as “electric cars,” are budget-friendly and environmentally responsible – and that’s just for starters. Want to know more? Read on.

Are empty units hurting your building’s appeal? Empty units can lead to security issues and a decreased building appeal. They can also create a negative feeling of disassociation among residents. That’s why it is so important to keep every unit occupied. But how do you keep units full on a consistent basis? The solution is to put real effort into marketing your building to attract new buyers. Not sure how to start? Here are some tips that will make marketing your building a breeze.

Michael Mendillo, president of FirstService Residential's Mid-Atlantic region, returned to William Patterson University, his alma mater, to inspire students with real-life lessons about leadership and success.