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As the weather heats up and stay-at-home orders surrounding COVID-19 are lifted, it's important to remember the social distancing guidelines in place.

Whether your board is dealing with emergency rules or general community policies, here are some things to consider when addressing change in your community.

As a board member, you know the importance of making rules and establishing policy; these must be clear and sensible. The process for creating and enforcing rules successfully is the same.

High-rise living has many perks, and high on that list is the amenities. For many home buyers, amenities can be the deciding factor when determining to buy a unit in one building over another.

The dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke have been highlighted in recent years. Smoking also affects our physical environment by increasing risks of fire and property damage, raising insurance rates and increasing legal liability.

Maintaining the health of your Minnesota community homeowners association’s finances is similar to the way you keep yourself healthy: make good choices, don’t overindulge and exercise good judgement.

It’s that wonderful time of year! Many of us are shopping online to get that perfect gift for our loved ones. And, for those doing last-minute shopping, we don’t want to have to worry that something will go wrong with our deliveries.

It’s no secret that association management is a big job. Across Minnesota, common areas require a lot of routine maintenance to uphold community standards – things like exterior light bulb replacements, landscaping and paint touch-ups. Depending on your townhome community, the scale of your amenities' needs will vary.

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?

One of the most important responsibilities your HOA board of directors faces is effectively planning for major common-area repairs and replacements. Whether a costly expenditure is needed in a few years or 20 years from now, it’s the board’s fiduciary duty to make sure your homeowners association (HOA) has adequate funds when the time comes. That’s where HOA reserves come into play.

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.

Great policies can help your association run smoothly, enhance the resident experience and improve your reputation. Here are five questions to ask before creating a new HOA policy.

Learn why effective HOA policy starts with a strong communication plan.

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:

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.

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?