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As the weather heats up and stay-at-home orders surrounding COVID-19 are lifted, it's important to remember the social distancing guidelines in place.

These days, you can do almost anything online—buy groceries, look for a job or even find love. But what about voting on issues that affect your community?

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:

Do you escape to warmer weather down south once there’s a chill in the air and the leaves start to turn? If you’re a snowbird (or Winter Texan!), you need to know how to protect your home up north while basking in the southern sunshine

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?

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.

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.

Summer’s longer days mean more time to enjoy warm weather and sunshine, but they also mean higher energy bills. There is a bright side, however: by implementing an energy management program within your community, you can help keep costs down without sacrificing comfort.

Your annual meeting is your community association’s most well-attended meeting of the year. That’s no surprise since it’s where residents get the most insights about their community and have an opportunity to elect their board members. But the large turnout also means it’s the meeting most likely to get off track. Keep your meeting from getting derailed by using these 5 techniques.

Your association doesn’t function in a vacuum. It’s part of a larger community. Having members actively engaged in your town or city is good for the association and adds to residents’ sense of community. Find out what your board can do to encourage residents to get more involved in their larger community.

Many community association boards and residents would like to implement energy efficiency measures in their communities. But what about the cost to get started?

Nothing says a healthy community like full homes/units and bustling activity in common areas. Painting a pretty picture of a dynamic community to potential buyers takes minimal effort on the part of the board.

A pool inspection can be a major source of anxiety for board members and residents. Don't throw in the towel; there are steps you can take to make sure your inspection goes...well, swimmingly.

The number of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) on the road is quickly growing, which means the need for conveniently located battery charging stations is also on the rise. What does this mean for your association?

The Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt made their debut as the first US mass-market plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) more than five years ago. Nearly half a million have jumped on the PEV bandwagon. What does this mean for community associations?

Selling your home? Here are a few tips that will help you add appeal and value to your home.

Making your high-rise more marketable starts at the top: your rooftop! Under-utilized space can be enhanced to offer improved amenities, increasing property values and improving lifestyles of everyone in the building.

A weekend or vacation getaway may turn out to be a good long-term investment, but it's important to do a little research first. Consider these five factors before you commit.

In Georgia, many communities enjoy their swimming pool amenities. it is important that you make sure your pool is in compliance with state and local regulations and ordinances.

Georgia is fortunate to have milder winters than much of the United States, but summer is still the most wonderful time of year for a lot of people. Of course, a lot of folks take that opportunity to travel.

Fishing, boating, swimming, water skiing and other refreshing water sports are a key part of summertime in Georgia. Georgians have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the water throughout the summer months.

As the weather heats up and stay-at-home orders surrounding COVID-19 are lifted, it's important to remember the social distancing guidelines in place.

When it comes to upgrading your high-rise amenities, start at the top: your rooftop! That space can be enhanced to offer new opportunities for fun, relaxation and building community, while also enhancing your property values.

Are residents in your community always aware of upcoming events, construction projects and board meetings? Do they understand their responsibilities and the policies they need to comply with?