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You want your strata to be successful. All council members do. You know that means watching the finances carefully and maintaining the property. But do you think about effective strata council communication as an ingredient in your recipe for success? It is!

A maintenance plan is a great tool for organizing and discussing a Strata Corporation’s property repairs and maintenance.

As a council member for your strata corporation, you know that your community depends on volunteers to operate successfully. However, finding residents who are willing to be on your council, join a committee or help at an event can be challenging.

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.

A depreciation report provides an inventory of your Strata Corporation’s common property and assets, their projected 30-year maintenance and replacement cost. It is a useful tool for Strata Councils when it comes to budgeting for capital projects and it also gives transparency for owners and buyers on the building.

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.

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:

A healthy and effective California homeowners association will not only find great volunteers and committee members, but will empower them to drive positive change in the community. How can your association make this happen?

Living in a homeowners association has many benefits. But what about all those rules? Yes, they might seem restrictive at first glance but they protect your interests, investment, and quality of life. Read this article on HOA living for more information.

Are you getting the best returns on your reserve funds? Most California board members are not sure. Here are six ways to improve your reserve fund returns and create an HOA investment policy.

Amenities play a large role in differentiating your community, enhancing its brand, and drawing in potential buyers. Pet amenities have risen in popularity and range from simple touches such as having dog-friendly treats like biscuits and bowls of water available in the main office, to providing on-site pet services such as grooming. Here are five suggestions for making your community more pet friendly.

Homebuyers are motivated to buy a new home and move to a new community for a wide variety of reasons – perhaps a desire to downsize, upsize, relocate closer to family and friends, or enhance their quality of life. But while those factors will always be important, there are two additional considerations many people find compelling – community amenities and programs for lifestyle communities. Read on for more details.

A great board meeting should have a balance of diverse opinions and discussions that are rooted in your community’s overall vision. Start with these 6 simple HOA board meeting rules.

Is your building or community considering establishing a Neighborhood Watch program? These crime watch programs – joint efforts between homeowners and local police departments – are gaining traction in many communities by helping to deter unusual or criminal behavior. Here are some tips to consider.

While the start of the new year is typically heralded as the best time to change old habits and commit to new ones, the reality for community associations and their board members is that there’s no time like the present. These 10 changes will help you get your board and your community association on the right track for the rest of the year.

Many people want to live in a community that has a swimming pool, and if there’s one in yours, you know what kind of value it brings. While it’s great to think of all those hot days when you and your neighbors can enjoy an afternoon in the water, with it comes many responsibilities community association board members must adhere to that go beyond staying cool or keeping in shape.

So what’s the most important aspect of your community? Is it aesthetics? Sense of belonging? Neighbors knowing neighbors? Desirability to home buyers?

Poisoning is the leading cause of death from injury in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But fortunately, poisonings are also highly preventable.

As a parent, you know what back to school means. It’s more than a change in your schedule -- it’s a change in your whole reality. Rushing out the door. Blasting through the homework. Making second trips back to the house for forgotten lunch boxes, book order money or scarves.

You’ve heard the horror stories. The homeowner association (HOA) board hires a contractor to remodel the clubhouse, the fitness room, or one of the other amenities within the community. The contractor talks a good game, but when the actual work begins, it’s a whole other story.

The Baby Boomers, born after World War II, are the largest generation in United States history. The last of them turns 55 in 2019. With their children grown and in their own homes, Boomers are entering an era in which they can do what they please. They are retiring or scaling back on full-time work and it’s their time in the sun. Literally. They may be getting older, but as the first generation of Americans to embrace the fitness craze and eating with longevity and well-being in mind, the Baby Boomers (and Generation X on their heels) are not planning to sit out their golden years in a rocking chair.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 76.4 million baby boomers were born between the years 1946 – 1964 – and in a few years, they’ll all be 55 or older. With their vibrant lifestyles and dedication to health and fitness, today’s active adults are more dynamic and full of life than any generation that preceded them – so dynamic, in fact, that many are choosing to move into communities that better fit their lifestyles. And no matter whether they’re looking to downsize or live large, enjoy retirement or move closer to work, soak up the warmth in a resort-like setting or go cosmopolitan and move to a big city, many people 55 and over are finding what they’re looking for in active adult communities.

Successful active adult communities offer amenities that are suited to their residents, who may span several generations -- and multiple interests. It can be challenging to determine the active adult amenities, programs and services that fit best, but in his guest blog for Multi-Housing News, FirstService Residential's Michael Mendillo offers several clear and effective guidelines.

Every day for the next 15 years, 8,000 additional Americans will reach retirement age -- and millions will move to active adult communities in Florida. FirstService Residential manages 35,000 homes in 55-plus communities in South Florida, as well as thousands of additional units in active adult communities throughout the country. Hear CEO Chuck Fallon describe the challenges and opportunities of managing this unique sector in a radio interview on NPR.