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Four Financial Questions to Ask Your Community Management Company
Financial stewardship ranks near the top of the list of responsibilities for HOA board members. This requires proper allocation of association funds to ensure they are protected and FDIC insured, while earning the best possible rates. Adequate insurance coverage also factors into the equation. It’s a challenging balancing act, but asking the right questions can help. -
Is Your Association Manager Equipped for Success? 3 Questions to Ask
Does your association manager have the right tools, resources and support to take your association to the next level? -
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? -
How to Future-Proof Your Association’s Finances
Whether your HOA is an amenity-driven active adult community or an emerging single-family home community, future financial stability is always a top-of-mind concern. And while it may seem like your everyday operating budget is the ultimate priority, a well-funded reserve is the key to helping your community thrive well into the future. -
Investing HOA Reserve Funds: 6 Tips to Improve Your Returns
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. -
How Do You Manage HOA Reserves During a Crisis?
It's vital to prepare for the future and take steps to protect your association reserve funds. Here are 3 ways to manage reserves during a crisis. -
Selecting Your Reserve Study Firm: Seven Essential Steps
Your reserve study gives you the power to maintain the quality of your community by allowing for projects that are both necessary and potentially expensive. Establishing this fund can get a little complex. But you don’t have to be a fortune teller to read the future of your association. You simply need a good reserve study firm to help. Here’s how you can find one. -
HOA Budget: Seven Best Practices for HOA Budgeting
Creating your HOA budget involves many considerations. It’s not simply a month-to-month accounting for expenses. Ideally, it’s a both a short-term and long-term blueprint for sustained financial health. Offset rising costs and high interest rates with these 7 HOA budgeting tips. -
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. -
10 Ways Toward Greater Financial Strength
So what’s the most important aspect of your community? Is it aesthetics? Sense of belonging? Neighbors knowing neighbors? Desirability to home buyers? -
12 Things You Should Know About Your Insurance
Are you an insurance expert? Unless you sell it, the answer is probably “no.” But if you’re a member of your HOA’s Board of Directors, it’s a really smart idea to have a basic understanding of the policy that protects your association from liability. -
15 Things You’ll Want to Do Before Selecting an Insurance Agent
You’re a member of your community association’s board, and it’s time to review your current insurance policies and providers. While it may be tempting to maintain your current relationship, you may find that significant savings can be found when you shop around. -
5 Ways Your Board Can Improve Communications
How well your board communicates has a tremendous impact on your community association. Great communication can lead to better relationships with residents – both homeowners and renters – and helps build a stronger sense of community. -
Six Easy Steps To Build Your Community Budget
The budget is the launchpad for all of the board’s initiatives. It is more than a series of numbers; it’s the framework for accomplishing your community’s objectives. That’s what makes it so important. -
Are You a Snowbird Heading South for the Winter? Learn How to Prepare Before Flying the Coop!
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 -
“Be Genuinely Helpful": Giving Back to Our Communities
Learn how associates and residents are making a difference in their communities, providing grocery delivery and food delivery, during the COVID-19 pandemic. -
COVID-19: Making Virtual Connections in Crisis
Learn how associates, residents and board members are making a difference in their communities with interactive online activities, during COVID-19. -
What are HOA committee roles and responsibilities?
Thriving HOA committees have typically attributed “success by committee" as a factor for their growth. But what are actual HOA committee roles and responsibilities? -
Great Service: Community manager responsibilities
The right support, the right personality and the right set of expectations from your community are critical for your community association management team to deliver exceptional results. Does yours have what it takes? -
FirstService Residential is Growing and Hiring; Positions Include Property Managers, #2 Happiest Job
According to Forbes.com, Property Managers are tied for the #2 spot on the list of Happiest Jobs in America. Coincidentally, thanks to our continued growth and success, FSR is currently recruiting for several Property Manager positions. If you’re a quality professional seeking an outstanding career with the industry leader, check out all of our open positions (happiness included). -
Five Ways to Keep Snow from Burying Your Budget
Despite what the meteorologist on your nightly news might tell you, it’s actually pretty hard to predict the weather. And that means it’s difficult to anticipate how much you’ll be spending on snow removal this year. -
Four things your association may not know about insurance for HOA board members
How much do you know about community association insurance? Every community’s bylaws and declarations include requirements to provide homeowners association insurance coverage, and Board members have a fiduciary duty to protect the best interest of their HOA and owners. Additionally, associations are under pressure to find the least expensive homeowners association insurance options available. But there is a caveat – in community insurance, as in most things, buyer beware – not all policies are alike, and if you neglect certain types of coverage, you may end up paying a much higher price. -
Four Ways to Maintain Your HOA’s Financial Fitness
Keeping your homeowner association (HOA) or community association’s finances healthy works the same way as staying physically fit: don’t overindulge and make smart choices. And the upside is that the only thing you’ll have to exercise is good judgment. Here are some tips to help you do just that. -
4 Ways To Set Holiday Decoration Policies in Your Community
People decorate for everything these days – from Valentine’s Day to the patriotic celebrations of summer and on to the fall festivities and winter wonderlands. Many people derive a sense of community and comfort from seeing familiar decorations at the same time each year.