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How to establish decorating policies without being a grinch. Keep spirits bright this season for the whole community!

It’s often said that you should never judge a book by its cover. However, the front-line curb appeal of a community can make a difference in the value of every property in a neighborhood. This is one reason current and potential homeowners consider landscaping and common-area maintenance so important.

John Friedrichsen, Senior Vice President & CFO of FirstService Residential parent company FirstService Corporation, is quoted in USA Today about how HOAs benefit from the value-added services provided by leading professional management companies.

National Night Out is an annual event that promotes partnerships between communities, residents and local law enforcement. Celebrations can range from individual block parties to a large community festival. Either way, it’s a great opportunity to create connections between neighbors and focus on working together to make your community a safer, better place to live. This national celebration has become an annual tradition in many communities far and wide and we want to help you put together the best National Night Out event your association has seen yet.

Holiday lights can brighten the community, but they also have a down side. Learn tips to minimize issues in your HOA with sensible policies.

Handling day-to-day maintenance and making necessary improvements are critical responsibilities for any homeowners association (HOA). And when your serve on your association’s board of directors, they can quickly become overwhelming if you don’t have a good system in place to manage them. So how do you make sure that your maintenance staff is able to handle that long list of tasks that need to get done so that your community runs smoothly and retains its appeal?

At one time or another, every condominium corporation has to spend money on replacing equipment or making major repairs. Whether that means replacing a roof, installing a new ventilation system or any other big-ticket project, they are a necessity. But how should your condo corporation pay for them?

Self-managing your condominium property may seem like it saves money, but does it really? Why the cheapest property management option may not be the best.

Creating a newsletter for your condominium residents that will give them valuable and relevant information is harder to do than it may seem upon first glance. Here are the basic things to consider, brought to you by your property management professionals at FirstService Residential.

Everyone brings their own assumptions and methods of completing tasks to each group to which they belong. Condominium board members are no different. While the diversity of the group can be its greatest strength, it also can create difficulties between the individual members. It is important to structure condo board meetings in a way that creates a professional and positive working relationship. Here are some tips to help boards achieve this.

When your condominium board members (and your property management team, if you are working with a professional management company) have a thorough understanding of their rights and responsibilities, it helps to create a more inviting community. Your community is more likely to be effectively managed and well-maintained, which leads to happier residents.

It seems innocent, but a surprising number of balcony and backyard fires are unintentionally started by disposal of smoking material in a potted plant or planter box. In a condominium environment this can have, and has had, disastrous consequences. And it's not just a summertime problem.

We can all agree there are many important elements to a housing structure, but your roof is probably the most important. Changing temperatures, snow accumulation, large amounts of rain, ice dams and high winds can all cause major damage to condominiums, townhomes and single-family homes. These harsh weather conditions can create all sorts of problems, from minor leaks to major cave-ins that can cost a condominium corporation thousands to repair.

Proper condominium management depends upon the annual budget for both short- and long-term financial planning. It’s important to follow some guidelines to ensure the success of the community and protect the investment of the owners.

Learn more about which Florida HOA laws passed in 2020, and how these new bills will affect your community.

Get the latest Florida phase 3 property management guidelines to ensure your association is compliant.

There are valid reasons to raise assessments, but in some cases, you may be able to go a different route. Here are four strategies to save your HOA money and keep assessments stable.

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:

Healthy board communication is the key to enhancing your Arizona HOA’s reputation and property values. Use these 9 tips on how to improve communication to strengthen your HOA board.

Does your homeowners association have adequate staff for the services that you provide? Learn how to staff your community effectively.

FirstService Residential helps condo and co-op boards navigate CMA compliance, avoid costly fines and identify incentive programs that reduce the cost of building upgrades.

Local Law 97 impacts roughly 50,000 buildings across the city, a majority of which are multifamily residential properties.

Is your HOA reserving enough funds for the future? Go beyond the basics of reserve funds and learn how to maximize your investments.