FirstService Residential Connections – Summer 2016

Read about some of our company’s latest news and events in our Summer 2016 Connections Newsletter.

Message From Steven Parker Every two years, about this time, life gets a little crazier. Politicians are calling for money, lobbyists are working on strategy, and the rest of us are just hoping the legislative session comes and goes without too much damage to our industry. At the end of the session we take a short break and then start the process all over again. Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” In the upcoming legislative session, with your help, we would like to try to stop the “insanity.” Read the full article here!

Giving Back to the Communities We Serve Every day, FirstService Residential works hard to make a difference to enhance the quality of life for the residents in the communities we serve. Between assisting homeowners in need through our Operation Benevolent Heart program and recognizing our diamond communities that have been with us for 10 years, we strive to give back to the communities we serve. Read the full article here!

Association Best Practices: Seven Virtues of a Vibrant Homeowner Community While preparing to write the annual president’s message for our community’s newsletter, I was struck with the fact that this was my seventh time.  I considered focusing on a theme such as: the seventh inning stretch, the seven colors of the rainbow, the seven year itch, the seven deadly sins, or the seven dwarfs as the board of directors, but that would be dangerous… I finally decided on providing my opinion of the “Seven Virtues of a Vibrant Homeowner Community.” Read the full article here!

Budgeting: A Critical Element of Your Association's Financial Health As budget season approaches, I wanted to share with you my process for proper budgeting.  To start let’s explore the four main indicators of an association’s financial health… Read the full article here!

FirstService Residential Spotlight A highlight of two of our exceptional associates that are making a difference, every day at FirstService Residential. Read the full article here!

FirstService Residential Proudly Welcomes FirstService Residential proudly welcomed three new associations to our family of communities during the last quarter. Read the full article here!

FirstService Residential Happenings Check out our calendar of trainings and events! Read the full article here!

Enhanced Coverage Options Through FirstService Financial Finding the right insurance coverage for your community can be a daunting task. To help make the process a bit easier, FirstService Financial (FFI) is introducing an insurance package program. Read the full article here!

Improving Communication Through Text For many years, FirstService Residential has offered our clients an unparalleled ability to communicate to their community through features such as Resident Alert. Due to the effectiveness of text communication, we are excited to announce the ability to communicate to your community through text message. Read the full article here!

Five Things to Know About Adequate Staffing What makes a community? It’s a lot more than just the amenities you offer. It also comes down to lifestyle – and often that’s powered by the staff you have on hand. Read the full article here!

Community Spotlight -  Presidio at Damonte Ranch & Regency at Damonte Ranch - The Toll Brothers Lifestyle The growing and ever popular exclusive Damonte Ranch area is home to the communities of Presidio at Damonte Ranch and Regency at Damonte Ranch.  These brand new, staff-gated communities are being developed by the well-known luxury home builder, Toll Brothers. Read the full article here!

Landscape Advice for Your Association's Budget You and your management team work hard to create a comprehensive, realistic budget that encompasses just about everything you can think of and then some!  You know how much your monthly landscape costs are currently running, correct? You can base your irrigation repairs on past year’s history of events, right? So is there really anything a landscaping company can do to help you plan your association’s budget?  I think there is, and this no-cost option is yours for the taking! Read the full article here!

Increasing HOA Volunteerism by Effectively Engaging Homeowners Board Member Question: How do we obtain more participation from our homeowners to assist with board and committee work? Read the full article here!

FirstService Residential's Community Tour Take an "Insiders Look" with this video tour of the Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort, a FirstService Residential-managed community. Read the full article here!

Six Questions Board Members Should Ask When Managing a Pool Many people want to live in a community that has a swimming pool, and if there’s one in yours, you know what kind of value it brings. While it’s great to think of all those hot days when you and your neighbors can enjoy an afternoon in the water, with it comes many responsibilities community association board members must adhere to that go beyond staying cool or keeping in shape. Read the full article here!