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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? -
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. -
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. -
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. -
Five ways to identify and resolve board conflict in your HOA
You are serving on a homeowner association (HOA) or community association board and discussing hiring a new lawn care provider. Seems simple enough, right? Oh, except that there is a bitter divide between several members arguing about two competing companies. -
How to build better HOA board relations and dynamics
The greatest strength of your board is the diverse perspectives of all of its members. Unfortunately, sometimes this can also present the biggest challenges. -
Four common high-rise association rules and policies
High-rise living often appeals to many people for the wealth of amenities, concierge-level services and unique culture. But with this lifestyle comes challenges. Close quarters and the need for residents to exercise mutual respect can sometimes lead to friction and conflict – this is when formal policies need to come into play. These policies, rather than being hindrances, are a tool for creating harmony among residents. The challenge is getting there – many of the major issues residents face are complex and require the help of a property management company. A great company not only has experience, but also a vast knowledge of the law and a sense for what works best for residents. -
HOA succession planning: Establishing board member succession
Thriving business organizations plan for succession. It’s built into their corporate strategy – team members with potential are identified early on, and then groomed for the leadership positions they’ll someday hold. -
Avoid these 7 common board member mistakes
Learning from other board members’ experiences is a great way to avoid making some of the more common mistakes. Here, we discuss four of the common mistakes that board members make and offer recommendations for handling the issues differently. -
Saving on condo energy costs: How a property management company can help
Realizing that energy conservation and managing HOA community environmental footprints is crucial, board members have a responsibility to homeowners to exercise financial prudence and proactively seek ways to manage rising costs. -
Four ways to decrease energy use in your HOA
Of all the expenses you encounter as a homeowner, community or condo association, energy ranks toward the top of the list. Many of us see this as a given. We need lights. We need heating and cooling. We need to warm our water and prepare our food. And while the necessity of energy use will never change, how much we pay for it, and how much we need, can. -
Voting and campaigning for HOA board: Understanding the importance
According to Community Associations Institute , more than 68 million Americans live in 338,000 managed communities. In Canada, approximately one in eight people live in a condominium or strata corporation of some kind, totaling about 1.2 million owner-occupied dwellings as reported by Statistics Canada . Collectively, these homeowners spend tens of billions of dollars to maintain their communities. Each community is governed by an elected board of volunteer homeowners selected through an HOA elections process. Proactive involvement in your community begins with voting for board membership. -
Enhancing energy benchmarking in condos and co-ops
Condominiums (condos) and cooperative housing communities (co-ops) are increasingly recognizing the importance of sustainability and energy efficiency in today's world. One vital tool that plays a crucial role in this effort is energy benchmarking. -
How defining HOA leader rights and responsibilities creates happy communities
Ready for more happiness? Last week, we described how when residents understand their rights and responsibilities, it goes a long way to creating a happy community. Well, in our never-ending quest to build and enhance community happiness, we’re back with Part 2 for homeowners association leaders. Here’s the scoop – when Board members (and property managers, if the community is professionally managed) have a thorough understanding of their rights and responsibilities, it helps to create an inviting community that is effectively managed, well-maintained and pretty darn happy. -
Defining HOA resident rights and responsibilities for a happy community
Is your community happy? It’s pretty easy to tell if you’re living in a community that is beautiful, harmonious, properly managed and well, happy. But what actually creates a happy HOA community? It may seem like a complicated formula, but it all boils down to this: a clear understanding by both community residents and homeowners association leadership of their rights and responsibilities – and each other’s. -
5 ways to improve HOA board member communication
Great communication is more than just loose talk, especially when it comes to homeowners, HOA board members and property management companies exchanging information, thoughts and ideas. When communication is done well, challenges get faced, questions get answered and community spirit becomes stronger. So what goes into that mix for good communication? -
HOA Policy: How HOA boards can influence public policy
As a member of your HOA board, you know the value of your association. It serves an essential function for creating rewarding lifestyles for residents, protecting and enhancing property values, and much, much more. And yet some legislators and decision-makers aren’t as familiar with these benefits as you are. Unfortunately, sometimes these are the individuals that have a hand in creating the policies and laws that directly affect communities, associations, and residents. We’ve paired that insight with information from our own experts to arrive at five key areas of focus when it comes to how HOA Boards can influence public policy. Here they are. -
How to use social media in your association: Building your community
Social media can be a phenomenal marketing and communications tool for your community association! It’s a great way to inform residents, keep them connected and strengthen their loyalty. But you need to put a strategy behind your community’s social media presence. -
How to choose a property management company
How do you determine which property management company will provide you with the best service? Here are 10 questions that you should ask when consulting with property or homeowner association (HOA) management companies to help you make the important decision. -
Eight tips for HOA rules enforcement
Good rules make good community members. The most important factors in association policy making, whether for a condo, co-op, townhome or master-planned community, are clarity and sensibility. The board must be clear – and united – on the policy being created and then must communicate that policy to all residents. Whether the policy is about overnight guest parking, designated smoking areas, amenity usage or approved flooring, the basic steps to creating good policy and enforcing it successfully are the same. It’s important that everyone involved, including board members, residents and the management team, understand who is responsible for the various roles that are part of policy creation, enforcement and compliance. -
How to create an effective HOA meeting agenda
As anyone on a condo, co-op or homeowner association (HOA) board knows too well, board meetings can be extremely delicate situations. Board members don't always agree with each other, discussion about a single, minor issue can eat up entire meetings, and those who speak the loudest aren't always looking at the issues with the best perspective. Some days, it may feel nearly impossible to get anything done.