North Carolina capital improvements: What to know

Losing power is never fun. But it’s bound to happen at some point, so preparation is the best defense. Obviously, different types of communities are affected by blackouts in different critical ways: high-rises lose their elevators and water; resort-style gated communities lose the ability to operate their gates. For residents, a blackout may be a short-term nuisance. For a community association, it can be a major headache in terms of risk management, safety and potential equipment damage that can provide an unwelcome shock to your budget.

Congratulations are in order – you’ve just been elected to the board. So now the big question: What’s next? “The great thing about associations that are helmed by owners is that they have a vested interest in doing right by their community,” said Kirk Kowieski, CMCA, AMS, vice president of FirstService Residential. “But that also comes with challenges...many board members find themselves in this kind of position for the first time, so there’s a little bit of a learning curve.” Fortunately, FirstService Residential is here to help. Follow these new board member basics and you’ll soon be governing like a pro.

Mother Nature has quite the surprises to throw at us! Sometimes, there’s some notice and time to prepare. But often, there’s no warning at all. That’s why it is critical to the financial health of your community association that you have the correct insurance coverage in place. What can happen if your high-rise building or community association common areas aren’t properly covered? Unfortunately, nothing good. That's why it is important to make sure your Association is covered with insurance. 

Although you can’t predict emergencies, you can prepare for them. The most important thing that both board members and management can do to ready themselves for the unexpected is to create a customized emergency preparedness plan. A quality community association management company will have the experience, resources and knowledge to help you develop a plan that fits your specific situation.

How can your association avoid missteps and pitfalls when switching from one community management company to another? A great management company will have a depth of resources for your community, and that includes resources to help with your transition. To make sure that your transition goes well, you need to be able to rely on the skills of professionals in every facet of it. 

How can your association avoid missteps and pitfalls when switching from one community management company to another? A great management company will have a depth of resources for your community, and that includes resources to help with your transition. To make sure that your transition goes well, you need to be able to rely on the skills of professionals in every facet of it. 

We all want to get the most for our money, and your community association is no different. When hiring a management company, it’s easy to focus on the bottom-line price and not understand the differences in real value among the proposals you see. The right community association management company will provide you with so much more than a good manager. 

Why should cyber security be so important to community associations? Do you know what important steps residents in your community can take to protect their technology so that sensitive information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands? This article provides guidelines on how to prevent cyber attacks and tips on increasing cyber security.