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  • 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.
  • High rise insurance: Seven tips to cover your property

    Life in a high-rise property has its rewards. With great amenities, good security, and even concierge services, there are many advantages that are specific to just this kind of lifestyle. Similarly, there are specific requirements when it comes to insuring it, too. High-rises often have multiple residences, each with their own policies, plus shared common spaces, which also require coverage. Here are a few areas to help you determine if you and your high-rise community is adequately covered.
  • Four ways to fund an HOA capital improvement project

    Living in a residential community means around-the-clock routine maintenance to preserve the community and its assets. But there comes a time when one of your assets will reach the end of its useful life and require a replacement or significant repairs.
  • 5 Creative HOA Ideas to Create Revenue With Your Community Amenities

    It’s the typical budgeting dilemma for community association boards: How do you keep assessment fees manageable and still maintain the community’s operations?
  • How Can We Improve Our Association’s Financial Stability?

    There’s a lot to love about living in a community with a homeowners association (HOA). The amenities. The sense of belonging. The high aesthetic standards. But none of that happens without stable finances. With that in mind, here’s the bottom line on financial best practices for your HOA.
  • How the Consumers Price Index (CPI) Impacts HOA Assessments

    If your community is professionally managed, consult your property management company for more information – a quality firm can leverage its budgeting and financial experience to provide guidance. But to get you started, we’ve compiled some information about the Consumer Price Index – what it is and what you need to consider before you get started.
  • Why Millennials Matter to the Future of Your Association

    Millennials are the fastest growing group of home buyers in the US. Learn why you need to get this important demographic involved in your association today.
  • How to Choose the Right Community Banking Program

    Board members have a fiduciary duty to protect the financial interests of both their homeowners association and fellow residents – and that includes ensuring that their HOA’s operating and reserve funds are properly managed, invested and protected.
  • Here's How to Plan an Effective Association Budget for Your Community

    Preparing your association’s annual budget...it can be a source of stress, but more importantly, it’s a valuable opportunity to ensure the financial well-being of both your association and homeowners. Proper association management hinges on this financial tool for both short-term and long-term planning, so it’s important to follow some guidelines.
  • How to prepare for floods in your high-rise building

    Floods are one of the most common types of natural disasters. They can also be the most detrimental for high-rise buildings. The nature of these buildings makes them particularly vulnerable to flooding caused by severe storms.
  • How to Protect Your Home from Wildfires

    Wildfires continue to be a constant and deadly threat across North America, and the risk intensifies with soaring annual temperatures, strong winds and severe drought conditions.
  • How to Save with Bulk Buying Strategies

    As consumers, we’re familiar with saving money by purchasing products like food and household goods in bulk. But, can this same savings model be applied to the purchases and operational costs of a homeowner association (HOA), condominium or community association?
  • How to Secure the Best Insurance Coverage for Your Community

    As a community association board member, the countless hours you volunteer go toward assisting with a very important objective – creating a safe and vibrant community. In many cases, this means assessing your association’s insurance policies to guarantee that your community is fully covered, appropriately insured and receiving the best value for the cost.
  • How Your Property Management Company is Your Best Friend During Hurricane Season

    As a board member of a condominium or homeowners association near the coast, hurricanes are of special concern. But did you know that the best property management company can help you prepare for the season – and even minimize its impact on your community? That makes your property manager more than just a fair weather friend.
  • How Your Property Management Company Should Help Your Community after a Major Storm

    As communities in Texas and Florida discovered in 2017, hurricanes can be devastating, even if your community takes all the proper precautions to reduce your association’s risk. Read how a property management company should assist your community after a storm passes.
  • Hurricane Plans and Policies: Reduce Your Association’s Risk

    Hurricanes can bring tremendous physical destruction and financial ruin to a community association unless policies are put into place to prepare for the storms before they arrive, and to deal with the consequences afterwards. Every board whose association could possibly be impacted by a hurricane must have a hurricane preparedness policy to help maximize safety, minimize risk and ultimately, protect its operating budget too. And just as important as having a policy is communicating the policy to your residents.
  • The basics of HOA pool insurance: what you need to know

    Swimming pools are one of the most common, and most desirable, amenities in communities. Making sure to have proper community pool insurance coverage.
  • Keeping HOA and Condo Common Areas Clean During the Coronavirus Pandemic

    During these unprecedented times, residents are spending the majority of their time at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect themselves and their loved ones from infection. One of their primary contact points with the outside world is in your HOA or condo common areas, where they can be at risk of contact with lingering coronavirus or even spread existing virus to other areas of the property. Read on for a comprehensive list of places to clean and how to clean them.
  • Maintenance and Repairs vs. Capital Improvements – What’s the Difference?

    Maintaining your buildings’ assets is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. The common areas require a broad range of routine maintenance and repairs to keep them looking good and operating smoothly.
  • When a Natural Disaster Strikes, Is Your Association Covered?

    Hurricanes. Floods. Tornadoes. Hail. Wildfires. Lightning strikes. Earthquakes. Blizzards. Mother Nature has quite the arsenal to throw at us! Unfortunately, every part of North America is subject to one or more of these events. Some, like hurricanes, come with enough advance warning to prepare for them, but most do not. That’s why it is critical to the financial health of your community association to have the proper insurance coverage in place.
Showing 49 - 72 of 398