Search

Open and effective communication among the board, management company and vendors is an important part of any community's operating budget and for improving residents' lifestyles.

A successful capital improvement project requires a lot of planning to ensure that things go as smoothly as possible. Does your community know where to start?

Conflict of interest can be a real threat to your association. Learning how to recognize and avoid conflicts of interest can go a long way toward ensuring the strength and stability of your community.

Nothing lasts forever and you need to have a plan to replace major items and systems before their lifespans end. How do you create that plan? Start with a quality reserve study.

All associations are subject to the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) and its antidiscrimination provisions. Stay informed to identify the ways you could be exposed to claims of discrimination.

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?

Is good communication important to your property management company? Use this questionaire to find out.

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.

It’s no secret that association management is a big job. Across Minnesota, common areas require a lot of routine maintenance to uphold community standards – things like exterior light bulb replacements, landscaping and paint touch-ups. Depending on your townhome community, the scale of your amenities' needs will vary.

If you're on the board of a condo, co-op, high-rise or HOA, you know that managing your homeowner's association budget is a major priority. You've likely explored many ways to save money and get the best deals, while still maintaining a high level of service.

Great policies can help your association run smoothly, enhance the resident experience and improve your reputation. Here are five questions to ask before creating a new HOA policy.

Without a doubt, beautiful landscaping makes life in your community more enjoyable. But did you also know that it can play a crucial role in boosting your community’s reputation in the marketplace, and consequently enhancing property values?

Enforcing HOA policies is nobody’s cup of tea, but having good policy enforcement in place helps improve the resident experience and elevates your reputation. Follow these 4 principles for healthy policy enforcement:

An effective Nevada homeowners association will not only recruit great volunteers and committee members, but will empower them to help improve the community. The question is – how do you get there?

Great capital improvements improve property values. Read on to see the three ways to pay for them and the pros and cons.

Vendor relationships are a large part of serving on the board of a managed community. Every community has outside partners for services like landscaping, sanitation, cable and Internet service, pool maintenance, valet services and more. Open, effective communication with the people who service your community and residents is crucial for maintaining the lifestyle your residents expect and deserve.

Replacing a trusted vendor or finding a new one can be a challenge. How can you have peace of mind that the vendors you’re considering are right for you? Follow the tips below to help screen potential vendors and get the best fit for your association.

Here are some email communication best practices for your building to use when sending out communications regarding the current pandemic.

The Climate Mobilization Act, requires buildings 25,000 square feet and larger to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by certain target percentages in 2024, 2030, and beyond.

It goes without saying that how we communicate has drastically switched from in-person contact to user-friendly digital platforms since the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread.

FirstService Residential and FirstService Energy are prepared to help boards and owners identify capital improvements or retrofits that improve a building's energy efficiency score and letter grade.

It’s important that co-op and condo boards come together to achieve strategic alignment.

As board communications become increasingly reliant on web-based technologies, it’s more important than ever to take proactive steps to safeguard the way you share and save sensitive information.

In an effort to help our clients and their families stay safe during these difficult times, FirstService Residential’s in-house technology experts recently assembled a list of best practices and technology tips for working at home, improving password security, identifying potential scams and selecting personalized internet packages.