Search

Showing 73 - 96 of 609
  • A guide to your HOA board meeting

    Regardless of how you feel about them, board meetings are more than just something your community association chooses to do. They are something your community association must do. Board meetings are crucial to the governance of your community association. If they aren't run effectively, chances are your association won't function well either.
  • What Makes a Great Board Member

    Dale Young, director of portfolio management at FirstService Residential, and other industry experts reveal the common characteristics of effective and functional boards.
  • Renter and tenant communication: Why it matters to your association

    Does your board and management team communicate to the renters in your community? If no, why not? In communities where renters makeup a significant portion of the residents, they are often overlooked by the people running the community.
  • Property management tips for board members

    Whether you’re a new or current board member, you can avoid major issues and make your term more fruitful, rewarding and, above all, effective by following these 9 tips for board members.
  • Co-Op Managed by Our New York Office Chosen for Mayor’s Recycling Pilot

    NYC's Organic Food Waste Recycling Pilot Program includes Morningside Heights Housing Corp., a cooperative building managed by FirstService Residential’s New York office. This exciting program is designed to reduce the amount of post-consumer waste sent to landfills.
  • Understanding board and property management company communication

    As a board member, you want your community to grow and thrive. Having a vision for your community—the aesthetics of it, its reputation, the kinds of programming it offers and amenities it provides—is critical to its long-term well-being. A well-crafted vision will transcend board and resident turnover and keep your community on track.
  • What to know about community association cyber security

    Like it or not, we have become very dependent on our technology. Whether it’s a cell phone, tablet or computer, our devices enable us to stay connected, conduct business and access information anywhere, anytime. Yet as convenient as these devices may be, cyber security is simply not a priority for the majority of tech users—despite the increased prevalence of cyber attacks. In part one of our two-part series, we look at why cyber security is so important to community associations. We also provide important steps that residents in your community can take to protect their technology so that sensitive information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
  • HOA cyber security: Tips for association board members

    In part one of this two-part series, we discussed the importance of cyber security to your community association and the steps that residents can take to protect themselves and their association. In this article, we look at your board’s responsibility in preventing cyber attacks.
  • How to prepare for an earthquake in your community association

    As unpredictable as earthquakes can be, your community association should be prepared in case you ever feel the unmistakable rumble of a tremor. Here’s what you need to know.
  • Effective tips to enhance your apartment lobby design

    As a Board member, you want your building’s lobby to be aesthetically pleasing and inviting, but also safe and functional – after all, as the hub of your building, it provides essential services and can even become a social gathering place for residents and guests. So if your building lobby isn’t as attractive or functional as it could be – and doesn’t portray the impression you’d like it to – we have some suggestions that can help.
  • What does an HOA president do?

    Serving as a homeowner association (HOA) board president is an honor, a privilege, and an experience that many across North America take great satisfaction in. But before you make the leap from resident to board member, it’s essential to understand exactly the duties of an HOA president.
  • Preparing for EV charging and electric vehicles in your HOA

    Over the past five years, nearly a half-million U.S. cars in this country have been able to zip right past gas stations – and it’s not because they’ve always had a full tank of gas. That’s how many plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) have been purchased in this country since December 2010, when the first mass-market PEVs – the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt – made their much-heralded debut. Learn more about PEV's in order to ready your HOA.
  • What to know about installing community EV charging stations

    Is installing EV charging stations the right choice for your community? If your association is considering it, consider this – you’ll not only satisfy the needs of current and future EV owners, but you’ll also enhance your property’s “green” image, which can increase property value and attract future residents. So how should your Board proceed? Start by talking to other community Board members and local community leaders to see if this issue is being addressed locally. Do your research, including consulting with a good property management company. If your community is professionally managed, your property management team can provide you with information and guide you through the process.
  • HOA online voting: Can an HOA board vote by email?

    For a growing number of community associations across the United States and Canada, statute changes are making electronic voting a possibility for boards. If your state or province permits online voting – or will soon – does that mean that your board should make this option available to homeowners in your community?
  • How to create your HOA emergency preparedness plan

    No board ever wants to find itself in the midst of an emergency, but they happen. Whether you face an outbreak of illness, an earthquake, a hurricane, a fire, the impact of any devastating event can be minimized by good emergency preparedness planning.
  • Energy Efficiency for Community Associations

    Should community associations implement energy efficiency measures? Most Board members and residents think so, but making conservation a reality can be a challenge. In a recent issue of Condo Management, FS Energy’s Chris Normandeau offers ways communities can take energy efficiency from principle to practice.
  • HOA pet rules: 4 things to know

    If you live in a pet-friendly community, it’s essential that your association board set boundaries to keep order within your community. Many of the issues that become problems in pet-friendly communities have very little to do with the pets – after all, they can’t clean up after themselves.
  • Fallon Describes Emergency Storm Relief on Fox Business’ Cavuto

    On October 28, the eve of Superstorm Sandy’s one-year anniversary, Fox Business News aired a powerful segment featuring Chuck Fallon, FirstService Residential CEO.
  • Five tips for fire safety in a building or high rise in your community

    Living in a high-rise, condominium or co-op certainly has its perks. You get the convenient location, the dramatic views, attentive concierge services and a range of amenities. However, vertical living also means added challenges when it comes to fire safety. Fortunately, there are measures that both your association board and residents can take to improve safety.
  • FirstService Residential Keeps Energy Costs on a Tight Leash During Dog Days of Summer

    High summer temperatures bring high electric bills – especially this summer, as heat waves and soaring temperatures continue to blaze across the U.S. and Canada. But FirstService Residential’s innovative FS Energy program is keeping residents cool, curbing electric bills and lowering energy emissions and usage – and it saved $1.5 million in energy costs for NYC residents last summer. Now, the program is rolling out to multifamily buildings in Chicago and Miami.
  • FirstService Residential Sustainability Expo

    Reducing energy usage and costs, while increasing "green" living is vitally important not just for multi-family properties and residents, but also for the environment. In New York, FirstService Residential recently hosted its Third Annual Sustainability Expo and Symposium to help building staff and property managers increase their commitment and actions towards increasing efficiency and sustainability. Want to know more? Check out this recent spread in the Mann Management Report.
  • 5 reasons to continue your board member education

    You’ve just been elected to your HOA or condo association board. Congratulations! Now you can celebrate...with some time back in the classroom.
  • Five reasons to use quality HOA vendors

    When you have a large-scale project slated for your community, it’s tempting to select a vendor based on price. After all, what’s more important than saving your association money?
  • HOA secretary duties: What does a secretary of a board do?

    Every board of directors, whether for a Fortune 500 company or your community association, needs a great secretary. The secretary is responsible for maintaining those records accurately, including meeting minutes, bylaws and membership records.
Showing 73 - 96 of 609