MN mold inspection: What your HOA, condo, or high-rise should know

Maintenance issues are something every Twin Cities community association deals with, whether it’s damage caused by a harsh Minnesota weather or regular upkeep, on average, maintenance can account for 25% or more of your association’s overall expenditures.

We were delighted to be a sponsor of the open house on Thursday evening at Bridgewater, one of our condominium associations in downtown Minneapolis.

Reducing water use goes beyond individual residential irrigation systems. Woodbury also has approximately 140 homeowners associations that use a significant amount of water for lawn irrigation.

Master-planned communities are found throughout Minnesota suburbs and are developments that integrate a variety of housing types divided into sub-communities (aka sub associations), but are under one larger community umbrella.  Most of them incorporate townhomes or twin homes and single-family homes and, but can also include additional housing styles like condominiums and senior living facilities.

It’s no secret that association management is a big job. Across Minnesota, common areas require a lot of routine maintenance to uphold community standards – things like exterior light bulb replacements, landscaping and paint touch-ups. Depending on your townhome community, the scale of your amenities' needs will vary.

A successful HOA (Homeowners Association) transition team will be concerned with more than a seamless handover of control.  The transition team takes priority of setting up the new homeowners association for long term success.  How well – or how poorly – the transition team handles the HOA transition from the developer stage can affect the community for many years to come.

Here’s a list of guidelines to keep your new homeowners association on track for success as it transitions from the developer to resident control.

Rushing out the door. Blasting through the homework. Carpooling to practice. Countless trips back to the house for forgotten backpacks, lunch, jackets, and hats. Sound familiar? Going back to school means  more than a change in your schedule -- it’s a change in your whole reality.

"Out of sight, out of mind" is a dangerous philosophy for handling complicated building drain, storm, sewer, and ventilation systems. Learn about the importance of drain cleaning preventive maintenance in multifamily dwellings.

FirstService Residential Minnesota supports many local organizations through Grants for Community Excellence such as Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. In addition to providing financial support, teams of volunteers help build and renovate homes for qualifying individuals.