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HOA Committees and Volunteers: 8 Rules to Rally Residents
A healthy and effective Arizona homeowners association is not only able to identify great volunteers and committee members, but will empower them to drive positive change in the community. But how do you get there? -
The Facts about Synthetic Turf
Considering synthetic turf for your community common areas? Understanding the facts on what it's made of, benefits and disadvantages, and how it will affect children or pets will make all the difference when determining if synthetic turf is the right choice for your community! -
3 Strategies to Keep HOA Assessments Stable and Add Value
There are often valid reasons to raise assessments, but in some cases, you may want to take a different route. Here are three cost-saving strategies. -
Getting Your Strata’s Spring Cleaning Started
As strata managers begin their inspection, they note the necessary repairs for winter damage as they make their rounds through the community. -
Things to Consider When Creating Your Strata’s Budget
As a homeowner, you want to live in a place that accentuates your style – from a beautiful sense of arrival or exquisitely decorated building lobby, complete with freshly pruned trees and lush landscaping – but unless your strata council has strategically planned out your strata’s budget, you can forget all of that. -
Tis the Season…Will Your Holiday Packages Arrive Safely and on Time?
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. -
What Should you Expect from a Strata Manager
Not all strata managers have what they need to give you great service. Learn what it takes to be a great strata manager. -
Five Ways Your HOA Should Tackle Water Conservation
Water conservation is on the minds of all California homeowners. As summer is quickly approaching, homeowner association (HOA) leaders throughout California need to be proactive in making the necessary changes within their communities. -
8 Tips for Great HOA Committees and Volunteers
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? -
3 Strategies to Keep HOA Assessments Stable and Add Value
There are often good reasons to raise assessments, but in some cases, you may be able to take a different route. Here are three strategies to help save your HOA money and keep assessments stable. -
Tips for Eco-Friendly High-Rise Living
Eco friendly high-rise initiatives are not only good for the environment, but can be green for your association budget. How does close to $50,000 in annual savings sound? Here are suggestions you can implement for little to no cost. -
6 essential HOA pool rules to enforce in your community
Summertime is swim time, and for the most part, it’s a plunge into carefree fun. But without the right swimming pool safety practices, your residents and association could be at risk. -
Co-Op Managed by Our New York Office Chosen for Mayor’s Recycling Pilot
NYC's Organic Food Waste Recycling Pilot Program includes Morningside Heights Housing Corp., a cooperative building managed by FirstService Residential’s New York office. This exciting program is designed to reduce the amount of post-consumer waste sent to landfills. -
Preparing for EV charging and electric vehicles in your HOA
Over the past five years, nearly a half-million U.S. cars in this country have been able to zip right past gas stations – and it’s not because they’ve always had a full tank of gas. That’s how many plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) have been purchased in this country since December 2010, when the first mass-market PEVs – the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt – made their much-heralded debut. Learn more about PEV's in order to ready your HOA. -
What to know about installing community EV charging stations
Is installing EV charging stations the right choice for your community? If your association is considering it, consider this – you’ll not only satisfy the needs of current and future EV owners, but you’ll also enhance your property’s “green” image, which can increase property value and attract future residents. So how should your Board proceed? Start by talking to other community Board members and local community leaders to see if this issue is being addressed locally. Do your research, including consulting with a good property management company. If your community is professionally managed, your property management team can provide you with information and guide you through the process. -
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. -
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. -
Understanding virtual board meetings in your HOA and COA
Given the unprecedented practice of "social distancing," now may be the best time to find the right video conferencing platform for your association. -
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. -
Six summer energy conservation tips
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.