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One of the most important responsibilities your community's 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 not for 20, it’s the board’s fiduciary duty to make sure your community association has adequate funds when the time comes. That’s where reserve funds come into play.

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.

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.

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?

Are residents in your community always aware of upcoming events, construction projects and board meetings? Do they understand their responsibilities and the policies they need to comply with?

As a homeowner, you can do your part to make communication in your community association better. Find out how.

Does your board know the secrets of effectively communicating with residents?

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.

Is your association really prepared for an emergency? Learn how to develop an HOA emergency preparedness plan in 8 steps.

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

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

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).

There are valid reasons to raise assessments, but in some cases, you may be able to go a different route. Here are three strategies to save your HOA money and keep assessments stable.

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

You may be unaware that you are opening up all of your emails to scrutiny. When using a personal or work email address to conduct association business, there is a potential liability involved.

Nothing lasts forever…and when it comes time to replace your high-rise roof, community pool or to add new amenities, your association will need to determine how to pay for it. All of these things – significant repairs and replacements, as well as new construction – are considered capital improvements.

Following the temporary closure of fitness centers, interior lounges and other amenity spaces, boards and building owners may want to consider offering alternative programming for residents.

Many condo and co-op board members make the same four mistakes. Find out what they are and what you should do instead

In New York City, there are numerous safety regulations governing commercial buildings and hotels, but they do not apply to co-ops, condos, or other residential buildings.

Here are some email communication best practices for your building to use when sending out communications regarding the current pandemic.

How can you ensure that shareholders/unit owners comply with the established rules without your board becoming the "building bad guys"?