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Developing the annual budget for your homeowners association (HOA) is one of your board’s most important jobs. It requires hard work and often means making difficult decisions about spending. At times, homeowners may question some of those decisions or even vehemently disagree with them.

It’s that time of year again – budget season is upon us. You know the things to consider when creating your budget, but what drives your process? Are you focused on achieving a particular vision for your community? Avoiding conflict in the community? Solely looking to avoid increasing dues?

Humans are social creatures with a deep-seated yearning for connection and community. This is particularly evident in an HOA, where a strong sense of community can be the difference between long-standing residency and high turnover.

One of the most challenging aspects of being on the board of your homeowners association (HOA) can be running board meetings. It’s not always easy to keep everyone tuned into the business at hand. In addition, you have to manage the inevitable disagreements among board members. How do you keep these meetings running smoothly?

Cold weather will soon be upon us, so now is the time for your homeowners association (HOA) to make sure your maintenance program is on track. As brutal as Missouri winters can be, you certainly don’t want to discover a leak in your roof during a heavy snowfall or have a boiler stop working during a record cold spell.

Your community association depends on volunteers to operate successfully. However, finding residents who are willing to be on your board of directors, join a committee or help at an event can be challenging.

To help you avoid the most common board blunders, we’ve identified four mistakes and some practical ways to avoid them. By preventing blunders, you can help steer your board in the right direction, which can ultimately help improve your overall community.

Most homeowners associations (HOAs) in Nevada are managed by a community management company. So hiring a new management company is a pretty common occurrence in our state.

Find out what steps residents can take to prevent a cyber attack by reading part one of our three-part series on cyber security.

Technology has come a long way over the past decade. Mobile devices now let you pay credit card bills, order takeout, make doctor’s appointments and store personal information in “the cloud” with the touch of a button or a tap on your phone. Nevada homeowners associations are utilizing the latest digital technologies in a big way.

Be honest: As a board member for your homeowners association (HOA), how much do you think about cyber security? More and more, hackers are targeting small businesses – and remember, your HOA is a small business. In part two of this three-part series, we offer tips that your board should take to keep your community safe from hackers.

You’ve probably seen stories about drones in the news. Or, you might be the owner of a drone yourself. Either way, you know that these unmanned, remote-piloted flight vehicles have come under scrutiny because of safety and privacy concerns. Is there a way your HOA can manage the use of drones in your community?

Your board took the time to create a solid budget your association can stick to. Now how do you regularly measure your success at doing so? Regularly generated financial statements are the best tool for keeping an eye on the fiscal fitness of your association.

Without a doubt, beautiful landscaping makes life in your community more enjoyable. But did you also know that it can play a crucial role in boosting your community’s reputation in the marketplace, and consequently enhancing property values?

Great capital improvements improve property values. Read on to see the three ways to pay for them and the pros and cons.

Is your maintenance job turning into a capital improvement? Is it possible to extend the “useful life” of a component? Learn more about maintenance, capital improvements and useful life.

Transitioning a community from control by the property developer to control by a homeowners association (HOA) can be a scary time for residents and a challenging process for HOA board members.

While some surprises (birthday parties, a promotion or a new puppy) are good, many surprises such as a flat tire or an IRS audit are not. One particularly nasty surprise is finding out that someone has broken into your vacant property and moved in. Thankfully, during the last legislative session, new laws were passed to deal with “squatters” which allow you to (relatively) quickly and legally remove squatters from your property.

More and more landlords these days are experiencing a very troubling magic trick: one day their property is empty and the next – ta-da—a squatter. Read up on the Nevada squatters law and learn how to legally remove unauthorized occupants.

Improved board meetings play a crucial role in building up your association’s reputation and relevance in the market, which ultimately helps improve property values. Learn the six principles for better board meetings.

How do you resolve community conflict, prevent costly and time-consuming litigation and maintain a great reputation in the Nevada marketplace? Consider these three methods of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

One of the defining characteristics of HOAs is the use of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs). Although you might be familiar with the term, do you know how it really affects Nevada associations? Here’s a look at what they mean to you and how they affect you as a member of your community.

As of January 1, 2018, marijuana sale for recreational use will be legal in Nevada. However, on December 31, 2020, the sales of both medical and recreational marijuana have been made legal throughout America. What, exactly, does the new law mean for your HOA?

With a growing focus on proper environmental stewardship, many associations are working toward implementing green initiatives.