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FirstService Residential and FirstService Financial work in tandem to help our clients successfully finance capital improvement projects and save money without compromising quality of service.

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.

Not only will they learn something new every day, but it'll also keep their minds bright and busy.

In a community association, the board of directors are a group of volunteers who execute a wide variety of tasks to maintain their community and improve the lives of residents – all in their free time. The work can become a heavy responsibility. But when they partner with a professional community association management company, together they shoulder some of the liability, stress and workload that comes with managing a board or condo association.

As of December 27, 2021, New York City’s Department of Health requires building workers who perform in-person work to show proof of vaccination to their employer.

Regardless of how you feel about them, board meetings are more than just something your community association chooses to do. They are something your community association must do. Board meetings are crucial to the governance of your community association. If they aren't run effectively, chances are your association won't function well either.

Because on-site parking draws out strong opinions from both residents and board members, it’s imperative that associations be educated about on-site parking and understand what they can and cannot do, especially in regard to resident demands. With such a broad stretch of opinions, how do you approach on-street parking policy as an HOA member?

Parking is one of the most common challenges for homeowners associations (HOAs). It seems, regardless of the type of community, the same parking situations happen to us all. To help keep misunderstandings and violations to a minimum, follow these five tips to manage your HOA’s parking policy.

Have HOA budgets changed in 2020? Find out what 7 trends have shaped association budget planning this year.

We’ve highlighted four common board blunders and included some practical tips for avoiding them. It’s important to identify these potential blunders early to save yourself and your board time and frustration.

How do you prevent conflict, avoid costly litigation and maintain a great resident experience in your community? Start by adopting these best practices for dispute resolution.

While maintenance, events, committees, and budget are all crucial aspects of managing a homeowners’ association, there's one even bigger challenge that board members face: HOA agreement and alignment. Read on to discover the secret to successful alignment among diverse individuals with distinct values.

Another budget season is here once again, and that means that the boards of homeowners associations are busy planning, analyzing—and grinding their teeth. We know that developing your HOA’s annual budget is not an easy task. However, with the guidance offered in the following nine steps, you’ll be able to get through the process more easily—and without needing to visit your dentist.

Whether you are addressing overnight guest parking, or approved flooring, the basic process for creating good policies and enforcing them successfully are the same. Consider these eight steps when establishing an HOA policy.

Maintaining your HOA’s financial health—just like maintaining your personal health—boils down to moderation and good decision making. Eating one deep-fried blooming onion every once in a while isn’t a problem. Eating three or four several times a week is. Keep your HOA financially fit with these four "health" tips.

Are you considering moving to a community with more lifestyle elements? How do you choose which one is right for you? Do you research and consider these five tips to ensure you find your perfect match!

Solving for these 5 common myths can help you improve your decision-making process and align as a board. Read on to learn more.

If your main concern is to avoid increasing assessments, you may want to reconsider. As a board member, one of your primary fiduciary responsibilities is to protect property values, and assessments are an investment that helps do just that.

What steps do you need to take to go from volunteer to community leader? Start with these five tactics, which can make a big impact on how you fulfill your duties and affect how residents and other board members perceive you.

There are 4 key areas to focus on if you want to ensure that your HOA Board of Directors is productive and successful. This article offers a review of each one.

Better resident experiences, improved reputation and even enhanced property values are possible through continued learning. Knowledge is power, and that’s especially the case when it comes to being a successful association board member. Learn how your continued education can pay dividends for your association.

How should your HOA board handle a pandemic like COVID-19? Start by tackling these 5 questions

Are you getting the best returns on your reserve funds? Most Arizona board members aren't sure. Find out six ways to improve your association's reserve fund returns, like creating an HOA investment policy.

As an HOA member, you’re often confronted with a variety of legal issues and gray areas concerning residents. The issues you face will vary, but they often boil down to disagreements between a homeowner and your association, or a dispute against another resident. To help you face the potential for legal issues going forward, we’ve compiled some best practices for dealing with conflict resolution.