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The greatest strength of your board is the diverse perspectives of its members, but this can also present the biggest challenges. Creating the right dynamics will help your association board conduct business smoothly and efficiently.

Whether your board is dealing with emergency rules or general community policies, here are some things to consider when addressing change in your community.

Your community association board members have a lot of responsibilities. One of the most important is to maintain the financial health and stability of the association, and that falls largely on the board treasurer.

What are key ingredients of a great community? Committed residents, a dedicated board and a clear understanding of everyone's roles and responsibilities, and you have the recipe for success.

Discover some things that your management company should be doing to maximize your operating budget and keep your association fiscally fit.

As a board member, you know the importance of making rules and establishing policy; these must be clear and sensible. The process for creating and enforcing rules successfully is the same.

The dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke have been highlighted in recent years. Smoking also affects our physical environment by increasing risks of fire and property damage, raising insurance rates and increasing legal liability.

There are many benefits to living in a master-planned community. Master-planned living clearly focuses on offering a certain level of convenience, lifestyle and quality of life.

New to a condo or homeowners association, or need a refresher? We put together some vocabulary you will want to be familiar with.

The holiday season is upon us, and nothing puts you in a festive spirit like pulling your holiday decorations out of storage. Many people derive a sense of community and comfort from seeing familiar decorations at the same time each year.

Pat Bialek, VP Property Management, was named Community Association Manager of the Year at the Excellence Awards and Winter Gala hosted by the Community Associations Institute (CAI), Illinois Chapter. As the first-ever winner of this prestigious award, Pat was recognized for her exemplary knowledge, ethics, professionalism and skills in financial, administrative and facilities management.

Your association should never have to rely on a special assessment for a capital expense that could have been foreseen – or even prevented. Here are five tips to keep your Chicago high-rise condominium association's budget in the black and keep up with maintenance and capital improvements.

Whether you're on the board of a high-rise or community association. you want to hire a property management company that will provide the best service for their community. What does that really mean?

Reserve components are association maintained major property components with a determinate useful life. The analysis of the reserve components results in accurate and supportable annual reserve fund contributions.

Maintaining the health of your Minnesota community homeowners association’s finances is similar to the way you keep yourself healthy: make good choices, don’t overindulge and exercise good judgement.

It’s that wonderful time of year! Many of us are shopping online to get that perfect gift for our loved ones. And, for those doing last-minute shopping, we don’t want to have to worry that something will go wrong with our deliveries.

Some self-managed associations believe they can't afford to hire a professional property management company to manage and maintain their community's operations, assets, finances, common areas and other day-to-day activities. However, as you'll learn in this article, a professional property management company is one thing many communities can't afford to be without.

The Board Secretary is responsible for meeting the Association’s legal and financial obligations and maintaining the Association’s records. Depending on the Association’s requirements, some of the following tasks may need to be distributed to other Board Members or it might be necessary to appoint an assistant to the Secretary.

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.

Community members join committees because they want to make a difference. That’s great, but sometimes, as they say, life gets in the way. Let’s not forget that committee members are all volunteers, which means it might take something a little extra to keep them motivated.

It’s that time of year again – budget season is upon us. You know the things to consider when creating your budget, but what drives your process? Are you focused on achieving a particular vision for your community? Avoiding conflict in the community? Solely looking to avoid increasing dues?

Having a fiduciary responsibility to your homeowners association means putting the interests of your community first. Even the perception of a HOA board conflicts of interest can put you and your association at risk. Learn the nine things you can do to recognize and avoid potential issues.

One of the most important responsibilities your HOA board of directors faces is effectively planning for major common-area repairs and replacements. Whether a costly expenditure is needed in a few years or 20 years from now, it’s the board’s fiduciary duty to make sure your homeowners association (HOA) has adequate funds when the time comes. That’s where HOA reserves come into play.

To help you avoid the most common board blunders, we’ve identified four mistakes and some practical ways to avoid them. By preventing blunders, you can help steer your board in the right direction, which can ultimately help improve your overall community.